Beneficiation of fine coal using the air-sparged hydrocyclone
The Air-Sparged Hydrocyclone (ASH) is a high capacity flotation device which is alleged to be more efficient for the flotation of fine particles than conventional flotation equipment. The principal aims of this thesis were to investigate the use of an ASH in the flotation of South African coal ultrafines (-150 micron), and to determine the effect of various design and operating parameters on the performance of the process, in terms of the product yields and grades obtainable. The testwork was carried out on a typical Witbank coal, from the Kleinkopje Colliery, with an ash content of 23.7 %. The coal was characterised by means of size, ash-by-size and float-and-sink analyses. Batch flotation experiments were carried out to provide a benchmark against which the ASH could be compared. Preliminary ASH work was carried out to determine the required collector and frother dosages and the optimal slurry feed rate.
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