Surface electrochemical control for fine coal and pyrite separation. Final report
Laboratory flotation tests were carried out on three coals and on coal pyrite. Floatability measurements included natural floatability, flotation with a xanthate collector and salt flotation. The ranking of the floatability of the three coals were: Upper Freeport > Pittsburgh > Illinois. The floatability of mineral pyrite and coal pyrite increased markedly with xanthate concentration, but decreased with increased pH. In general, coal pyrite was more difficult to float than mineral pyrite. This was attributed to the presence of surface carbonaceous and mineral matter, since floatability of coal pyrite improved by acid pretreatment. Flotation tests demonstrated that the floatability of coal and mineral pyrite was greatly enhanced by the presence of an electrolyte. Flotation was also enhanced by the addition of modifiers such as CuSO{sub 4}, Na{sub 2}S, CO{sub 2} and EDTA. Lime additions markedly reduced the floatability of coal pyrite. Enhanced floatability of coal pyrite resulted when the pyrite was anodically oxidized in a specially constructed electrochemical flotation cell Pretreatment in potential ranges previously observed for polysulfide and sulfur film formation resulted in the enhanced floatability. While interesting trends and influences, both chemical and electrochemical, markedly improved the floatability of coal, there is little hope for reverse flotation as an effective technology for coal/coal-pyrite separations. The effects of poor liberation and entrainment appear overriding.
- Research Organization:
- Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Coll. of Mines and Earth Sciences
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC22-89PC89758
- OSTI ID:
- 10132782
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/89758-T15; ON: DE93008539
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 20 Jan 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Surface electrochemical control for fine coal and pyrite separation
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Related Subjects
COAL PREPARATION
FLOTATION
PYRITE
REMOVAL
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
COAL
PROGRESS REPORT
COAL FINES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
MORPHOLOGY
ROUGHNESS
VOLTAMETRY
RAMAN SPECTRA
PH VALUE
OXIDATION
REAGENTS
010300
010402
PREPARATION
PURIFICATION AND UPGRADING