Improved Techniques for Hyperbaric Filtration of Fine Coal Slurry

Dewatering of fine clean coal slurry is one of the most important unit operations of a coal-cleaning circuit. However, an efficient and economic dewatering method is still eluding the coal industry. In this study hyperbaric (high pressure) filtration studies were conducted on a froth flotation product obtained from a coal preparation plant processing Pittsburgh No. 8 seam coal. The fine coal slurry (∼42 weight percent minus 25 µm) could be dewatered to a low moisture (24%) using 482 kPa (70 psi) pressure. This article describes two novel approaches for improving dewatering of the fine coal slurry using hyperbaric filtration, such as using a modified filter support and split-size dewatering. The modified filter support system and the split-sizing at 25 µm (500 mesh) provided 21.5% and 15.9% moisture filter cake, which was about 10% and 34% improvement in moisture reduction in the filter cake moisture, respectively. Combining both the approaches with the addition of a nonionic flocculant provided a filter cake with 10.5% moisture, which was about a 56% improvement in moisture reduction.