Vibroacoustical selective agglomeration of coal slimes

Coal slimes from coking coal with an average ash content of about 45% and difficult separation characteristics have been studied. Investigations have also been carried out on two artificial mixtures of gangue and coal of low ash content. Two kinds of agitation have been tested: mechanical—rotational (with an impeller mixer) and vibroacoustical (with vibrating band) at a frequency of 50 Hz and an amplitude of 1 – 2 mm. Vibroacoustical agitation was much more efficient than mechanical-rotational. Second-degree orthogonal-central-compositional planning was used for studying slimes of appropriate size (?0.063 mm). In the most successful test with natural slimes, an efficiency of separation of 34.41% was obtained with the following technological parameters: yield of concentrate 27.93%, ash content of concentrate 22.00%, yield of refuse 72.07%, ash content of refuse 54.30%, the ash content of the run-of-mine coal being 45.28%. These results are close to the best ones obtained with the same slimes by fractional analysis in a liquid of density 1500 kg/m³. In this case, an efficiency of separation of 39.18% was obtained with yield of concentrate 35.04%, ash content of concentrate 24.01%, yield of refuse 64.96%, and ash content of refuse 56.01%.

The experiments on selective agglomeration have been carried out using kerosene at 14.8% consumption with respect to solids. The investigations are of a preliminary character.