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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Development of enhanced sulfur rejection processes. Final technical progress report, July 1--September 30, 1993

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:10109935

Research at Virginia Tech led to the development of two complementary concepts for improving the removal of inorganic sulfur from many eastern US coals. These concepts are referred to as Electrochemically Enhanced Sulfur Rejection (EESR) and Polymer Enhanced Sulfur Rejection (PESR). The EESR process uses electrochemical techniques to suppress the formation of hydrophobic oxidation products believed to be responsible for the floatability of coal pyrite. The PESR process uses polymeric reagents that react with pyrite and convert floatable middlings, i.e., composite particles composed of pyrite with coal inclusions, into hydrophilic particles. These new pyritic-sulfur rejection processes do not require significant modifications to existing coal preparation facilities, thereby enhancing their adoptability by the coal industry. It is believed that these processes can be used simultaneously to maximize the rejection of both well-liberated pyrite and composite coal-pyrite particles. The technical research was initiated on October 1, 1992, and a detailed work plan and work schedule (Task 1) were developed. During this reporting period, research was conducted to evaluate the liberation characteristics of various pyrite samples (Task 2), to further characterize the oxidation behavior of pyrite using electrochemical and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and evaluate the use of sacrificial anode materials as a practical method of depressing pyrite (Task 5), and investigate the use of polymers containing a variety of functional groups to depress pyrite (Task 6).

Research Organization:
Virginia Center for Coal and Minerals Processing, Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC22-92PC92246
OSTI ID:
10109935
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/92246--T7; ON: DE95005551; BR: AA0520000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English