Improvement of Low‐Rank Coal Flotation Based on the Enhancement of Wettability Difference between Organic Matter and Gangue

Abstract

AbstractThe main reason for low separation efficiency in low rank coal (LRC) flotation was the small wettability difference between organic matter and gangue. To improve LRC flotation response, a new method based on the expansion of wettability difference was proposed in this investigation. This method is that changing the adsorption liquid environment (adding Ca2+) to enhance the selective adsorption of surfactants on the surface of organic matter and increase its hydrophobicity, meanwhile applying ultrasonic desorption to remove the surfactants adsorbed on the gangue. The experiments were conducted on organic matter, gangue, and raw coal and combined with surfactant adsorption/desorption capacity, FTIR, and wetting heat determination to explore the underlying mechanism. The best flotation performance of raw coal was obtained when desorption time was 30 s. Surfactant adsorption results indicated that Ca2+ could promote the adsorption of surfactant on organic matter, but has insignificant effect on gangue. Under ultrasonic condition, surfactant capacity adsorbed on gangue decreased in the presence of Ca2+, but the addition of Ca2+ could inhibit surfactant desorption. However, in the raw coal, the surfactants could be removed from gangue surface under ultrasonic and Ca2+ because of the low proportion of gangue in raw coal and weaker adsorption strength of Ca2+ on gangue, as indicated by the ash reduction. Wetting heat results suggested that wettability difference between organic matter and gangue was expanded after ultrasonic treatment. This study may have some guiding significance for improving LRC flotation.