FINE COAL BENEFICIATION USING AN INEXPENSIVE AND SAFE TRUE-HEAVY-LIQUID

THE OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH TO BE PERFORMED UNDER THIS CONTRACT IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE APPLICATION OF A NEW TYPE OF TRUE-HEAVY-LIQUID (THL) AS A METHOD OF CLEANING FINE COAL. THE METHOD WILL BE SHOWN TO BE INEXPENSIVE DUE TO THERELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEAVY LIQUID AND THE ABSENCE OF NEED FOR EXPENSIVE THL RECOVERY EQUIPMENT. THE METHOD CARRIES THE BENEFIT OF BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN. IN PHASE I OF THE PROGRAM, TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE METHOD WILL BE DEMONSTRATED IN A SERIES OF BENCH-SCALE TESTS USING HIGH-SULFUR COALS FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. BTU RECOVERIES IN EXCESS OF 95 PERCENT ARE ATTAINABLE WHILE REDUCING PYRITIC SULFUR BY GREATER THAN 90 WEIGHT PERCENT. THE METHOD DOES NOT RELY ON COMPLETE LIBERATION OF MINERAL MATTER AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE DEGREE OF GRINDING FOUND IN OTHER ADVANCED BENEFICIATIONPROCESSES SUCH AS FROTH FLOTATION OR SELECTIVE AGGLOMERATION. THE RESIDUAL HEAVY LIQUID MEDIUM ADHERING TOTHE SURFACE OF THE COAL IS POTENTIALLY AN EXCELLENT BINDER FOR BRIQUETTING PURPOSES. THE GOAL OF PHASE II WILL BE CONSTRUCTION OF A MOBILE PILOT PLANT WHICH WILL DEMONSTRATE THE INTEGRATED PROCESS AT VARIOUS COAL WASHING PLANTS.