Improving bubble-particle attachment during the flotation of low rank coal by surface modification

Based on the problems caused by many oxygen-containing functional groups and poor floatability on the surface of low rank coal,the characteristics of low rank coal were analyzed systematically by means of scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)techniques.The bubble-particle induction time was used to determine the characterization of the bubble-particle attachment,and the bubble-particle attachment of low rank coal modified by soaking the coal samples in an acid or alkaline solution was analyzed.The floatability of the modified coal surface was verified by flotation tests.The results show that the particle size of 0.125–0.074 mm of the coal sample exhibited better bubble-particle attachment characteristics.The small bubble,the larger approach velocity of bubble and the larger bubble deformation were more helpful to enhance the bubbleparticle attachment.For an acid solution,the smaller the p H was and the longer the soaking time was,the better the floatability of the coal sample and the higher the combustible material recovery were.The combustible material recovery of low rank coal was increased to 78.79%by soaking the sample in an acid solution of pH=0 for 180 min.On the contrary there was a best concentration for the alkaline solution.

Progress of the technique of coal microwave desulfurization

With the advantages of its fast speed,effective and moderate controllable conditions,desulfurization of coal by microwave has become research focus in the field of clean coal technology.Coal is a homogeneous mixture which consists of various components with different dielectric properties,so their abilities to absorb microwaves are different,and the sulfur-containing components are better absorbers of microwave,which makes them can be selectively heated and reacted under microwave irradiation.There still remain controversies on the principle of microwave desulfurization at present,thermal effects or non-thermal effects.The point of thermal effects of microwave is mainly base on its characters of rapidly and selectly heating.While,in view of non-thermal effect,direct interactions between the microwave electromagnetic field and sulfur containing components are proposed.It is a fundamental problem to determine the dielectric properties of coal and the sulfur-containing components to reveal the interaction of microwave and sulfur-containing compounds.However,the test of dielectric property of coal is affected by many factors,which makes it difficult to measure dielectric properties accurately.In order to achieve better desulfurization effect,the researchers employ methods of adding chemical additives such as acid,alkali,oxidant,reductant,or changing the reaction atmosphere,or combining with other methods such as magnetic separation,ultrasonic and microorganism.Researchers in this field have also put forward several processes,and have obtained a number of patents.Obscurity of microwave desulfurization mechanism,uncertainties in qualitative and quantitative analysis of sulfur-containing functional groups in coal,and the lack of special microwave equipment have limited further development of microwave desulfurization technology.

Effects of magnetic field on fluidization properties of magnetic pearls

An experimental study of the influence of external magnetic field on the fluidization behavior of magnetic pearls was carried out. Magnetic pearls are a magnetic form of iron oxide that mainly consists of Fe2O3 which are recovered from a high-volume power plant fly ash from pulverized coal combustion. Due to its abundance, low price and particular physical and chemical properties, magnetic pearls can be used as a heavy medium for minerals or solid waste dry separation based on density difference. This paper introduces the properties of magnetic pearls and compares the performance of magnetic pearls fluidised bed operation with or without an external magnetic field. Experimental results show that an external magnetic field significantly improves the fluidization performance of magnetic pearls such as uniformity and stability.