Coal microlithotype response to froth flotation in selected Western Kentucky coals

• Published in: Fuel processing technology 1984-01, Vol.9 (1), p.1-20
• Main Authors: Hower, James C., Frankie, Kathleen Adams, Wild, Garry D., Trinkle, Eric J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Coal and derived products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Mechanical preparation; Processing
• ISSN: 0378-3820; 1873-7188
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-3820(84)90002-X

Seven coals representing four western Kentucky coal seams and the coal rank range from high volatile C to high volatile A bituminous were selected for bench-scale froth flotation processing. Each coal was represented by two splits of the run-of-mine coal: a 12.7 mm × 0 fraction (crushed to 28 mesh × 0) and a 28 mesh × 0 fraction. The original 28 mesh × 0 split was found to be higher in the inertinite macerals fusinite and semifusinite than the coarser fraction. The separation of the inertinite macerals, expressed as the microlithotype inertite, from the vitrinite-rich vitrite and clarite microlithotypes proved to be markedly rank dependent. In the higher rank coals vitrite and clarite were concentrated in the clean coal while inertite was concentrated in the clean product in the high volatile C coals. Whereas in gravity-based coal cleaning only the finest pyrite usually remains in the clean coal, in this study no consistent trend in pyrite-size or pyrite-quantity partitioning was noted.