Experimental Research of Roughing and Cleaning Column Flotation of Difficult-to-Float High Ash Coal

Abstract

Coal slime in Zhongcheng coal preparation plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, was analyzed. It is found that this coal sample is with high inner ash content and very difficult to float. It is hard to obtain low ash concentrate and high ash tailing with primary flotation. The live scale required ash content is 12.00% for total clean coal, 15.00% for flotation concentrate. It is found that the lowest concentrate ash content is 29.24% through exploring flotation experiments, which can not meet the producing requirement. Results of timed release flotation experiment show that when concentrate ash content is 15.00%, the theoretical concentrate yield is 24.36%, with 50.03% of flotation tailing ash content and 35.49% of combustible matter recovery. It can be concluded that the floatable grade of this coal sample is Very Difficult to Float. So flotation column is taken into account. The lowest concentrate ash content of roughing flotation by flotation column is 18.94%, which does not meet the requirement, either. Results of cleaning flotation of roughing flotation concentrate show that when the recycling pressure is 0.14 MPa, the concentrate ash content is 14.15% with a yield of 30.39%, which is satisfactory and can be referred to direct industrial production.