Characterization of solid constituents in blackwater effluents from coal preparation plants

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6414423

Aplan, F F; Hogg, R

Characterization of the fine solid material in the primary effluent from coal preparation plants provides the basis for a better understanding of the problems associated with treating ''blackwater.'' The present study was made to obtain a comprehensive characterization of the blackwater solids from coal preparation plants. The suspended solids from thirteen blackwater samples, representative of the major United States coal seams where wet preparation methods are used, were characterized by mineralogical content, particle size distribution, and surface properties. The conclusions from this work are as follows: blackwater solids consist of two types of material--carbonaceous and mineral--of distinctly different chemical and physical properties. Based on mineralogical similarities, the samples were divided into two groups: those from the Eastern half of the United States and those from the Western half. The mineralogical content of the eleven Eastern samples was similar, while the two Western samples were different from the Eastern ones, as well as as from each other. Additional clean coal may be recovered from current blackwater discharges from preparation plants by a more extensive use of the flotation process. The average ash content of the carbonaceous fraction removed by froth flotation was 11%, as compared to an average of 41% ash in the as received blackwater samples. The mineral fraction of the blackwater solids from Eastern and Midwestern coal fields contains largely illitic clays together with lesser amounts of kaolinite, quartz, calcite, chlorite, and pyrite. Minor amounts of dolomite, feldspar, rutile, or siderite were found in some of the samples.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6414423
• Report Number(s): FE-9002-1; EPA-600/7-79-006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
013000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CLAYS
COAL FINES
COAL PREPARATION PLANTS
ELECTROPHORESIS
FLOTATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ILLITE
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LIQUID WASTES
MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PH VALUE
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIZE
SURFACE PROPERTIES
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER