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Title: Physical cleaning of coal: present and developing methods

Book ·
OSTI ID:6563617

In recent years much attention has been given to precombustion and postcombustion cleanup as means of controlling sulfur dioxide emissions from burning coal. Most processes for controlling sulfur dioxide emissions have entailed some form of either pretreatment by chemical desulfurization or posttreatment by stack gas scrubbing (flue gas desulfurization). Coal cleaning for precombustion cleanup has been overlooked except by a few dozen experts who advocate the merit of removing ash and inorganic sulfur (mainly pyrite) as a means of improving boiler performance and, with most coals, controlling objectionable pollutants. Many coals are amenable to cleaning using advanced technology at costs ranging from 25 to 50% of those for chemical desulfurization or stack gas scrubbing. Furthermore, physical cleaning wastes containing the worrisome trace elements can be disposed of safely in stable embankments and land fills. Thanks to the vision and the perseverance of a few researchers who never abandoned the old technology of coal preparation for the new technology of coal conversion, some significant advances have been made in cleaning coal. Instead of removing large sulfur balls, new processes are becoming available for removing micrometer-sized pyrite crystallites from powdered coal. This book describes the new methods and developments in physical coal cleaning that will permit us to replace natural gas and oil-fired utility boilers with coal-fired ones and also allow us to burn coal in home furnaces without the noxious gases and soot that many of us can remember. All ten chapters have been entered individually into EDB and ERA.

OSTI ID:
6563617
Report Number(s):
DOE/NBM-3006098; ON: DE83006098
Resource Relation:
Related Information: Energy, power, and environment
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English