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Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
b
Mining Engineering Department, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
Received 20 June 2005; received in revised form 20 January 2006; accepted 26 January 2006
Available online 28 February 2006
Abstract
In this study, the appropriate collector and collector amount for Ukraine coal in froth flotation was determined. For this purpose, the
performance of classic oils (kerosene, diesel-oil and fuel-oil) and lubricating oils (spindle oil, bright stock and heavy neutral) was evaluated by
combustible recovery, ash rejection and efficiency index. It was found that the combustible recovery and ash rejection changed, depending on the
type and concentration of oil. The maximum combustible recovery was obtained by using bright stock. It was determined that bright stock, fuel-oil
and kerosene were suitable for the flotation of Ukraine coal. On considering the flotation efficiency index values, the best results were obtained
with bright stock and diesel-oil. Consequently, it was shown that bright stock and spindle oil could be used as alternative oils instead of classic oils
for cleaning of Ukraine coal by the froth flotation.
q 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Froth flotation; Lubricating oils; Coal
1. Introduction
Both modern mining methods and cleaning processes
increase the quantity of raw fine coal particle [13]. Coal
preparation or cleaning is the process of removing noncombustible mineral matter from the run-of-mine coal [47].
Conventional coal beneficiation techniques (such as heavy
media separation, shaking tables, washing cyclones) are poor
for fine coal processing. Studies have shown the use of froth
flotation as an efficient fine particle processing methodology
[2,6,8]. But, coal flotation is a complex process involving
several phases (particle, oil droplets, water and air bubbles).
Water-insoluble hydrocarbons are widely used as collectors
to increase the affinity of coal particles towards the air bubbles.
These collectors are basically non-polar oils such as kerosene,
crude petroleum, fuel-oil and certain coal-tar distillates [912].
Generally, the collectors disperse into droplets in the pulp and
these droplets collide with, adhere to and spread on the coal
particles to render them more hydrophobic [13]. In literature,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: C90 346 219 1010/2235; fax: C90 346 219 11
73.
E-mail address: isonmez@cumhuriyet.edu.tr (I. Sonmez).
0016-2361/$ - see front matter q 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2006.01.021
it was observed that the effectiveness of saturated hydrocarbons in coal flotation was a function of the hydrocarbon
chain size [14]. It was also shown that the heavier
hydrocarbons suffer being of from higher viscosity, leading
to a decrease in their spreading ability, whereas the lighter
hydrocarbons were lost in the pores of the coal structure by
excessive spreading due to their low viscosity [13].
Wettability characteristics of minerals have substantial
influence over the efficiency of beneficiation and processing
methods such as agglomeration, aggregation, flotation, dust
controlling and solidliquid separation [15,16]. The solid or
mineral surface is completely wetted by the liquid if the surface
tension of liquid is equal to or below from the critical surface
tension of wetting value of solid or mineral surface.
The principles of froth flotation of different coals have been
investigated by various studies [3,4,811,13,14]. However,
there are limited studies on flotation of coals with classic oils as
collector [14,1721], and also there is no study on coal flotation
with lubricating oils as collector. Main aim of this study is to
increase the number of oils for coal flotation. For this purpose,
the usage of lubricating oils instead of classic oils (kerosene,
diesel-oil, fuel-oil, etc.) was investigated.
In this study, coal sample was floated with classic oils
(kerosene, diesel-oil and fuel-oil) and lubricating oils (spindle
oil, bright stock and heavy neutral) used as collector and pineoil used as frother. The response of Ukraine coal to flotation
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Table 2
Some physical properties of the collectors
Components
Dry basis
Ash (wt%)
Volatile matter (wt%)
Fixed carbon (wt%)
Calorific value (kcal kgK1)
Net
Gross
4.02
16.80
79.18
7963
8241
Oil
Density
(kg mK3 at 20 8C)
Viscosity
(mPa s at 38 8C)
Surface tension
(mN mK1)
Kerosene
Diesel-oil
Fuel-oil
Spindle oil
Heavy neutral
Bright stock
780
840
940
880
850
830
1.17
2.22
35.77
19.19
93.27
503.02
25.97
27.45
28.61
31.41
32.90
40.05
2.3. Method
The experiments were performed in a Denver laboratory
flotation machine. The cell has a value of approximately
1500 ml and 50 g sampleC950 ml water was used in every test.
Mains water (pH|7.46) which contained CaCC(116.75 mg lK1),
MgCC(12.52 mg lK1), NaC(4.69 mg lK1) and KC(0.28 mg lK1) was
used in the experiments. The pH of coal suspension was about
7.93. Solids concentration, stirring speed and air flow rate into
flotation cell were kept constant at 5 wt%, 1000 rev minK1 and
6 l minK1, respectively. In each flotation tests, the mixture of
coalwater was first conditioned in the flotation cell for 3 min,
after which the collector was added and the suspension was
conditioned for 3 min (collector stirring time). The frother
(pine-oil: 100 g tK1) was then added and the pulp was
conditioned for an additional 3 min. After collecting the
flotation product for 3 min, the froth concentrates were dried
(in an oven at 105 8C), weighed and taken for ash
determination. The ash contents of the concentrates were
determined (wt% on dry basis) and then, combustible recovery,
ash rejection and efficiency index were calculated from Eqs.
(1)(3), respectively.
Mc 100KAc
Combustible recovery CR Z
!100
(1)
Mf 100KAf
M c Ac
!100
Ash rejection AR Z 1K
M f Af
(2)
where Ac, ash content of clean coal; Af, ash content of feed; Mc,
mass of clean coal; Mf, mass of feed.
Efficiency index Z CR C ARK100
(3)
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1869
the oil amounts tested. The ash rejection percentages were also
lower than those obtained from the other collectors. This can be
attributed to the non-selective adsorption of bright stock on the
organic materials and the ash forming mineral matters because
of polar groups [24].
4. Conclusions
The conclusions obtained from this study are as follows:
In the present study, the froth product was obtained with the
lowest ash content obtained by using without any collector as
2.7 wt%.
Maximum combustible recoveries were achieved at
3000 g tK1 of classic oils and lubricating oils amount except
bright stock. By using bright stock, the optimum concentration
was obtained as 2000 g tK1. Although, high combustible
recoveries were obtained by using kerosene, fuel-oil and bright
stock, the ash rejection percentages were very low due to high
ash content of the floated products.
As the flotation efficiency index values were considered, the
best results were obtained with bright stock and diesel-oil
depending on collector concentration.
Bright stock and spindle oil that are used as lubricating oils
can be used as alternative oils instead of classic oils (kerosene
and fuel-oil) for the flotation of Ukraine coal.
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