Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Coal agglomeration'

In order to reduce expensive coke usage, blast furnace operators inject coal to replace a portion of the coke. However, the use of some injection coals can result in blast furnace instability and lowered permeability. This thesis is concerned with the injection of coal under entrained flow, high heating rate (104-106 °C/s) blast furnace conditions, namely the possibility of coal particle agglomeration via the use of caking coals. Methods of mitigating agglomeration via blending and pre-oxidation are tested, whilst the resultant performance implications of agglomerated coal chars are considered and analysed. A drop tube furnace (DTF) was used to experimentally test coal injection under conditions that are applicable to the blast furnace 'hot blast' region. Relatable DTF parameters include an operating temperature of 1100°C, and heating rate of 104 °C/s. Four industrial injection coals with varying volatile matter and caking properties were tested at both granulated and pulverised particle size specifications. It was found that coals defined as 'caking coals' showed consistent agglomeration during DTF injection, a potentially problematic effect regarding blast furnace injection. Agglomeration percentages (as defined by sieve classification) for the industrially problematic MV4 coal were 11% and 23% for the granulated and pulverised samples respectively. Blending of whole coals was effective in reducing the amount of agglomerated material in the char, as was sample pre-oxidation prior to injection. Regarding performance, agglomerated chars had greater combustion performance and gasification reactivity than the non-agglomerated samples. With agglomeration shown to be present under high heating rate conditions at temperatures akin to the blast furnace hot blast, it is concluded that agglomeration is a possibility during blast furnace injection. However, due to differing feed systems between the DTF and blast furnace, the precise form and extent of agglomeration in the blast furnace remains uncertain. Based on char combustion and gasification analysis, chars characterised by fine agglomerated material are not likely to be problematic for blast furnace operators relative to 'standard' injection coals.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1986.
MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND SCIENCE.
Bibliography: leaves 202-205.
by William Shan-chen Fong.
Ph.D.

A simple thermodynamic analysis suggests that oil can spontaneously displace water from coal's surface if the coal particle has a water contact angle greater than 90°. However, the clean coal products obtained from laboratory-scale dewatering-by-displacement (DbD) test work assayed moistures substantially higher than expected. These high moisture contents were attributed to the formation of water-in-oil emulsions stabilized by coal particles. Four different approaches were taken to overcome this problem and obtain low-moisture agglomeration products. These included separating the water droplets by screening, breaking emulsions with ultrasonic energy, breaking agglomerates with ultrasonic energy, and breaking agglomerates using vibrating mesh plates. On the basis of the laboratory test work, a semi-continuous test circuit was built and tested using an ultrasonic vibrator to break the water-in-oil emulsions. The most promising results were obtained agglomerates were broken using the ultrasonic probe and the vibrating mesh plates. Tests conducted on flotation feed from the Kingston coal preparation plant gave a clean coal product containing 1% by weigh of moisture with a 94% combustible recovery. The separation efficiency of 93% is substantially higher than results achievable using froth flotation. When agglomerates formed from thermal coal from the Bailey coal preparation plant were broken using either ultrasonic energy or vibrating mesh plates, the obtained results were very similar: clean coal products assayed less than 5% moisture with separation efficiencies of 86% in average.
Master of Science

The thermodynamic behaviours in a PFBC combustor were simulated for the ash from all of the six coals with sand and limestone as bed material. Ash components determined the ash thermodynamic behaviour at high temperature, and each component had different effects. For assessment of the potential for bed material agglomeration, the temperature at which 15% of the ash would become liquid (T15) was calculated with the coal ash, the cyclone ash and the cyclone ash mixed with varying amounts of limestone. Both the bed ash and fly ash, collected from an industrial PFBC plant, consisted of limestone/lime particles with different extent of sulphation, and coal ash particles. The calcium aluminosilicate material formed on the coal ash particles but not on the limestone particles. The aluminosilicate materials appeared to be formed from fine ash and lime particles at some local hot zones in the boiler. The melted materials may glue ash and bed material particle into large particles leading to bed agglomeration and defluidization. Four mechanisms were proposed for the formation of bed material agglomeration in PFBC, which may occur under different conditions. One mechanism explains the bed material agglomeration with the high localized high temperature zone due to the improper design or operation, while the bed agglomeration through the other three mechanisms results from the unsuitable coals burnt in the PFBC combustor. The maximum char temperature and the minimum T15 were used simultaneously to predict the tendency towards bed material agglomeration in PFBC burning different coals. Both char properties and ash properties should be considered during coal selection process for PFBC, to ameliorate the potential problem of bed agglomeration.

This study focuses on the effect of alkali adsorption on the agglomeration of particles of bauxite, kaolinite, emathlite, lime, and two types of coal ash. An agglomeration (adhesion) temperature is defined which characterizes the adhesion propensity of particles. Using a small fluidized bed, a unique experimental technique is developed to measure this agglomeration point in-situ. The effects of alkali adsorption on the agglomeration characteristics of the substrates are determined. The agglomeration temperature of all substrates decreases as the alkali content increases. At low alkali loadings, alkali adsorption enhances particle agglomeration by forming new compounds of lower melting points. At high alkali concentrations, adhesion and agglomeration are caused by a layer of molten alkali which covers the exterior of the particles. Alkali surface composition of particles is studied using a Scanning Auger Microprobe (SAM). Results indicate that the alkali surface concentration decreases as agglomeration temperature increases. SAM depth profiling data provides information on the variations of alkali loading across particles. These results show that an alkali surface product layer is formed where most of the alkali adsorbed is concentrated. The use of additives to scavenge alkali vapors is further studied in a pilot scale downflow combustor under more typical combustion conditions. SAM surface analyses of additive particles indicate three mechanisms of alkali capture. Alkali adsorption by reaction, alkali surface condensation, and alkali nucleation and coagulation with additive particles. These mechanisms may occur independently or simultaneously depending primarily on the alkali vapor concentration and the temperature profile along the combustion furnace. A mathematical model is developed to represent the kinetics and mechanisms of the alkali adsorption and agglomeration process. Modeling results indicate that the adsorption-reaction process is influenced by diffusion of alkali through the surface product layer. The model predictions of the alkali adsorbed as a function of minimum agglomeration temperature agree very well with the experimental results. Alkali-additive interactions in a downflow combustor are also modeled to predict the mechanisms of alkali capture and the overall alkali removal efficiency. Model predictions of the alkali capture agree well with the experimental results.

Thesis (MTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Technikon, 2000.
Internationally, there is an increase in the need for safer environmental processes that can be applied to mining operations, especially on a small scale, where mercury amalgamation is the main process used for the recovery of free gold. An alternative, more environmentally acceptable, process called the Coal Gold Agglomeration (CGA) process has been investigated at the Cape Technikon. This paper explains the application of flotation as a means of separation for the CGA process. The CGA process is based on the recovery of hydrophobic gold particles from ore slurries into agglomerates formed from coal and oil. The agglomerates are separated from the slurry through scraping, screening, flotation or a combination of the aforementioned. They are then ashed to release the gold particles, after which it is smelted to form gold bullion. All components were contacted for fifty minutes after which a frother was added and after three minutes of conditioning, air, at a rate of one I/min per cell volume was introduced into the system. The addition of a collector (Potassium Amyl Xanthate) at the start of each run significantly improved gold recoveries. Preliminary experiments indicated that the use of baffles decreased the gold recoveries, which was concluded to be due to agglomerate breakage. The system was also found to be frother-selective and hence only DOW-200 was used in subsequent experiments. A significant increase or decrease in the air addition rate both had a negative effect on the recoveries; therefore, the air addition rate was not altered during further tests. The use of tap water as opposed to distilled water decreased the attainable recoveries by less than five per cent. This was a very encouraging result, in terms of the practical implementation of the CGA process.

A new processing technique, known as hydrophobic displacement, was explored as a means of simultaneously removing both mineral matter and surface moisture from coal in a single process. Previous thermodynamic analysis suggests that coal moisture will be spontaneously displaced by any oil with a contact angle greater than ninety degrees in water. Based on these results, six methods of hydrophobic displacement were evaluated: hand shaking, screening, air classification, centrifugation, filtration, and displacement. In the first five methods hydrophobic displacement took place during the cleaning stage. A recyclable non-polar liquid (i.e. pentane) was used to agglomerate coal fines followed by a physical separation step to remove the coal agglomerates from the mineral-laden slurry. Bench-scale tests were performed to identify the conditions required to create stable agglomerates. Only the last method, displacement, did not utilized agglomeration and performed hydrophobic displacement during dewatering, not cleaning. A procedure was also developed for determining moisture content from evaporation curves so that the contents of water and pentane remaining in a sample could be accurately distinguished.

Two primary coal samples were evaluated in the test program, i.e., dry pulverized 80 mesh x 0 clean coal and 100 mesh x 0 flotation feed. These samples were further screened or aged (oxidized) to provide additional test samples. The lowest moisture, 7.5%, was achieved with centrifugation of the pulverized 80 mesh x 0 clean coal sample. Centrifugation provided the most reliable separation method since it consistently produced low moisture, high combustible recoveries, and high ash rejections. Hand shaking produced the next lowest moisture at 16.2%; however, the low moistures were associated with a drop in combustible recovery. There was also a great deal of error in this process due to its arbitrary nature. Factors such as oxidation, size distribution, and contact angle hysteresis influenced the concentrate moistures, regardless of the method utilized.
Master of Science

A series of experiments was conducted to investigate the potential influence of selected inorganic compounds on sintering and agglomeration of a model mineral mixture. The minerals and inorganic compounds were chosen based on the constituents found in coal. The study simulated ash formation processes in the temperature range of 500 °C to 1000 DC. The mineral mixture consisted of kaolinite, quartz, pyrite, siderite, calcite, Ti02 and magnesite in a fIxed ratio. The mixture was doped with 4% (by weight) of each trace or minor element species. Different analytical methods were employed to investigate the extent of sintering and agglomeration and to identify the possible interactions between the species. Compressive strength measurements, TG/DTA, SEMIEDS and XRD analysis were used to evaluate the interactions in oxidizing and inert atmospheres. The influence of the compounds on the reducing-atmosphere ash fusion temperatures of the mineral mixture was also investigated. The results indicated that NaCl, Na2C03, Ge02, Mn20 3, NbS2, srCo3 and PbS increased sintering in the mineral mixture in the oxidizing atmosphere. Sintering was increased by enhancing sulfation of limestone, and/or by affecting the characteristics of the aluminosilicate phases. Na2C03, Ge02 and Mn20 3 increased sintering of the mineral mixture in the inert atmosphere by affecting the characteristics of the alurninosilicate phases. MOS2 and PbMo04 decreased sintering of the mineral mixture in the oxidizing atmosphere, while CU2S, CuS, PbS and NaCI decreased sintering in the inert atmosphere. The results obtained in oxidizing and inert atmospheres indicated that the oxidation numbers of the cations and the anions associated with the different compounds affected the potential of the additives to influence sintering and agglomeration of the mineral mixture. The influence of the inorganic compounds on the mineral mixture at different ashing temperatures was investigated with the ash fusion temperature test. The results indicated that the ash fusion temperatures were decreased by the addition of GeS and PbC03 at an ashing temperature of 500 °C, decreased by SrC03 at an ashing temperature of 815°C, and increased by cr03 at an ashing temperature of 500°C. The results confirm that the addition of trace element compounds can result in the formation of species with lower melting points, and that the ashing temperature has an influence on the ash fusion temperatures.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Froth flotation has long been regarded as the best available technology for ultrafine particles separation. However, froth flotation has extreme deficiencies for recovering ultrafine particles that are less than 30-50 μm in size for coal and 10-20 μm for minerals. Furthermore, dewatering of flotation products is difficult and costly using currently available technologies. Due to these problems, coal and mineral fines are either lost to tailings streams inadvertently or discarded purposely prior to flotation. In light of this, researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a process called hydrophobic-hydrophilic separation (HHS), which is based originally on a concept known as dewatering by displacement (DbD). The process uses non-polar solvents (usually short-chain alkanes) to selectively displace water from particle surfaces and to agglomerate fine coal particles. The resulting agglomerates are subsequently broken (or destabilized) mechanically in the next stage of the process, whereby hydrophobic particles are dispersed in the oil phase and water droplets entrapped within the agglomerates coalesce and exit by gravity along with the hydrophilic particles dispersed in them. In the present work, further laboratory-scale tests have been conducted on various coal samples with the objective of commercial deployment of the HHS process. Test work has also been conducted to explore the possibility of using this process for the recovery of ultrafine minerals such as copper and rare earth minerals. Ultrafine streams produced less than 10% ash and moisture consistently, while coarse coal feed had no observable degradation to the HHS process. Middling coal samples were upgraded to high-value coal products when micronized by grinding. All coal samples performed better with the HHS process than with flotation in terms of separation efficiency. High-grade rare earth mineral concentrates were produced with the HHS process ranging from 600-2100 ppm of total rare earth elements, depending on the method and reagent. Additionally, the HHS process produced copper concentrates assaying greater than 30% Cu for both artificial and real feed samples, as well as, between 10-20% Cu for waste samples, which all performed better than flotation.
Master of Science
Froth flotation has long been regarded as the best available technology for separating fine particles. Due to limitations in particle size with froth flotation, and high downstream dewatering costs, a new process has been developed called the hydrophobic-hydrophilic separation (HHS) process. This process was originally based on a concept known as dewatering by displacement (DbD) which was developed by researchers at Virginia Tech in 1995. The process uses hydrocarbon oils, like pentane or heptane, to selectively collect hydrophobic particles, such as coal, for which it was originally developed. In coal preparation plants, a common practice is to purposefully discard the ultrafine stream that flotation cannot recover and has an increased dewatering cost. The HHS process can effectively recovery this waste stream and produce highgrade salable product, with significantly reduced cost of dewatering. In the work presented, laboratory-scale tests have been conducted on various coal samples with the objective of commercial deployment of the HHS process. In this respect, several varying plant streams have been tested apart from the traditional discard stream. Additionally, test work has expanded into mineral commodities such as copper and rare earth minerals. In this work, salable high-value coal products were achievable with the HHS process. Ultrafine streams consistently produced less than 10% ash and moisture. Coarse coal feeds had no observable degradation to the HHS process and were able to produce single digit ash and moisture values. Middling coal samples were upgraded to high-value coal products when micronized by grinding. All coal samples performed better with the HHS process than with flotation in terms of separation efficiency. High-grade rare earth mineral concentrates were produced with the HHS process ranging from 600- 2100 ppm of total rare earth elements depending on the method and reagent. Additionally, the HHS process produced copper concentrates assaying greater than 30% Cu for an artificial and feed samples, as well as, between 10-20% Cu for waste samples, which all performed better than flotation.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden verschiedene Methoden zur Bestimmung von Sintertemperaturen für Brennstoffaschen vorgestellt und verglichen, mit dem Ziel die Agglomerationsneigung von Aschen zu charakterisieren. Es wurden Untersuchungen an drei ausgewählten Kohleaschen unter inerten, oxidierenden und reduzierenden Bedingungen durchgeführt. Die Methoden Erhitzungsmikroskopie (ASV), Hochtemperatur-Röntgendiffraktometrie (HT-RDA), Thermogravimetrische Differenz-kalorimetrie (TG-DSC), Thermodynamische Gleichgewichtsberechnungen (GGW), Elektrochemische Impedanzspektroskopie (EIS), Untersuchung der Schereigenschaften (SV) und die Bestimmung der Kaltdruckfestigkeit (KDF) wurden angewendet. Die Kombination der Untersuchungen ließ eine umfangreiche analytische Charakterisierung der Sintervorgänge zu. Unter der Berücksichtigung einer guten Vergleichbarkeit hinsichtlich der ermittelten Sintertemperaturen, stellt die EIS eine Alternative zur etablierten aber zeitaufwändigen Bestimmung der KDF dar. In Abhängigkeit von der Aschezusammensetzung, der Korngröße und der Gasatmosphäre, ist bereits ab einer Temperatur von 650 °C eine Agglomeration von Aschepartikeln möglich.

This work deals with issues aimed at the possibility of treating the material which has not been used yet – coal tailings. The work includes among others the production, its optimalization and utilization of a new type of lightweight artificial aggregate in the process of production of concrete. The possibility of manufactured the artificial aggregate is dealt with the principle of self-burning of the raw material's batch at the agglomerative grate. The optimalization of the burning process was performed both with the homogenous and the layered batch. Further part of the work focuses on the fabrication of diverse types of concrete and determination of their parametres. This section is significantly extended with the comparison of basic physical and specific properities of the new type of concrete with those of the commonly produced types. The last part of presented work deals with the ecological - economic situation of these issues. The proposed solution points to the possibility of utilization of the coal tailings which are put to the tailings heaps. It was managed to optimize the burning process and to find the most convenient system for storing the raw material's batch at the agglomerative grate. Next, it was proved that the types of concrete produced with a new sort of aggregate are also suitable for fabricating the construction concrete with the strength above the border of 50 MPa, which are applicable even in harder conditions. These sorts of concrete also have a lower volume weight and very good bending properties. The major finding, which underlines the contribution of this work, is that the up to now unused material is suitable for fabrication of relatively high-quality and thermally stable aggregate of strength on the border of 5 MPa, which can be use for fabricating concrete with very good results even in this field. Another great contribution of this work can surely be the fact, that a preliminary economic balance of the manufacturing pr

碩士
國立成功大學
資源工程學系碩博士班
96
This study utilizes the abrasion mass transfer phenomenon to remove oil from oil coated sand by coal particles. The basic principle of this process is that the surface of coal and oil are both hydrophobic, and oil can wet the surface of coal spontaneously. In a polar liquid such as water, the highly hydrophobic oil-coal agglomerates formed by adding appropriate amount of coal into the oil contaminated sands could be mechanically liberated from cleaned sands during ball milling and recovered as a surface coating on the steel balls. However this method is only effective for cleaning fresh oil contaminated sands. For aged oil contaminated sands poor cleaning efficiency was resulted presumably due to the increase of oil’s viscosity. The results of this study indicated that soaking the aged oil sand in alkali solution for one day before ball milling with coal can dramatically improve the cleaning efficiency.

1v.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1990