Flotation and oil agglomeration of high ash LVMC coal after deshaling by jigging: a comparative study using different collectors

Abstract

ABSTRACT LVMC coal with an ash content of 38.70% was initially crushed to −4.0 to +0.50 mm and deshaled using a laboratory model Batac Jig. The resulting concentrate was further size reduced to −0.50 mm and combined with the original fines obtained during crushing. Froth flotation (of −0.50 mm size) and oil agglomeration (of −0.075 mm size) tests conducted using different collectors at varying dosages revealed that the combination of jigging and froth flotation processes can effectively reduce the ash content down to 26.29%. At this stated ash, an acceptable yield of 54.67% was obtained with the highest Separation Efficiency value of 18.20 when the Mahua oil collector was used. Kinetic studies of batch flotation indicated that both ash and non-ash components of the coal reported to concentrate at the same rates, demonstrated by the relative ratios of rate constants ( K N A K A ) , which was equal to 1.0404. It is concluded in the paper that the collector mahua oil outperformed in both the flotation and oil agglomeration processes. The uniqueness of the paper is the approach of beneficiating the newly graded high-high, high-NGM Indian coal using cost-effective bio-degradable oils after deshaling in a Jig. The characteristic size distribution curve plotted for the agglomerates is defined mathematically.