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Title: Nonaqueous coal cleaning process

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5923850

This patent describes a method of cyclone cleaning of fine particle coal containing carbonaceous material, ash and pyrites comprising the steps of: a. demoisturizing the coal by immersing the coal in a non-aqueous drying liquid having a vaporization temperature higher than that of water. The drying liquid is maintained at a temperature exceeding the vaporization temperature of water, whereby water in the coal is vaporized from the coal and drying liquid; b. transferring the coal to a non-aqueous, agglomerate inhibiting, carrier liquid miscible with the drying liquid. The carrier liquid is comprised of a liquid mixture of a first liquid having a first specific gravity and a second liquid having a second specific gravity different from the first specific gravity. The carrier liquid's specific gravity is adjusted by using a select amount of each of the first and second liquids to yield a carrier liquid specific gravity intermediate the first and second specific gravities. The carrier liquid specific gravity is greater than 1 less than 1.6 selected for effective separation of carbonaceous material from pyrites and ash for a particular coal and wherein the carrier liquid has the characteristic of extracting non-pyrite forms of sulfur from the coal; and c. cycloning the coal in the carrier liquid with a compound cyclone, wherein a first stream predominantly consisting of carbonaceous material and liquid is separated from a second stream predominantly consisting of ash, pyrites and liquid.

Assignee:
NOV; NOV-87-083366; EDB-88-000015
Patent Number(s):
US 4695371
OSTI ID:
5923850
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 26 Jul 1984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English