TY - GEN
T1 - Impact of a Compound Collector on the Recovery of a Low-Rank Coal by Flotation
AU - Nkuna, Kabelo
AU - Nheta, Willie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, Avestia Publishing. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Flotation remains the cornerstone for recovering low-rank coal leveraging on differences in mineral surface properties. However, the efficiency of standard non-ionic surfactants like kerosene and diesel oil has been suboptimal. This study investigated the impact of combining pine oil (PO) with oleic acid (OA) on low-grade coal flotation response, employing Response Surface Methodology based on a Box-Behnken matrix to design the flotation experiments, with combustible matter recovery (%) as the primary response. Chemical analysis identified the notable presence of silica and alumina, while mineralogical investigations revealed the dominance of kaolinite and anhydrite as major gangue constituents. The coal surface was characterised by roughness, irregular strips and plenty of cracks. Zeta potential studies elucidated collector adsorption states, highlighting the influence of pH on surface charge variations. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated the presence of polar functional groups on the coal surface with observed modifications after compound collector addition. Flotation results revealed that the oleic acid-pine oil mixture, particularly at a 1:1 ratio, yields an exceptional recovery of 85.46% at a slurry pH of 8.5. The optimum condition to obtain maximum combustible matter recovery of 86.48% was found to be at an oleic acid dosage of 100 g/t, a pine oil dosage of 100 g/t and a pH of 10. The study highlighted the pivotal role of slurry pH in influencing recovery with higher pH levels correlating with increased recoveries. In conclusion, fatty acids, specifically oleic acid, emerged as potential polar collectors to combine with non-ionic collectors for the recovery of low-grade coal. The findings advocate for further exploration of surface chemistry, mineralogical interactions and alternative collectors. Additionally, scaling up studies and environmental impact assessments are recommended to propel the practical applicability of the compound collector system in industrial settings.
AB - Flotation remains the cornerstone for recovering low-rank coal leveraging on differences in mineral surface properties. However, the efficiency of standard non-ionic surfactants like kerosene and diesel oil has been suboptimal. This study investigated the impact of combining pine oil (PO) with oleic acid (OA) on low-grade coal flotation response, employing Response Surface Methodology based on a Box-Behnken matrix to design the flotation experiments, with combustible matter recovery (%) as the primary response. Chemical analysis identified the notable presence of silica and alumina, while mineralogical investigations revealed the dominance of kaolinite and anhydrite as major gangue constituents. The coal surface was characterised by roughness, irregular strips and plenty of cracks. Zeta potential studies elucidated collector adsorption states, highlighting the influence of pH on surface charge variations. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated the presence of polar functional groups on the coal surface with observed modifications after compound collector addition. Flotation results revealed that the oleic acid-pine oil mixture, particularly at a 1:1 ratio, yields an exceptional recovery of 85.46% at a slurry pH of 8.5. The optimum condition to obtain maximum combustible matter recovery of 86.48% was found to be at an oleic acid dosage of 100 g/t, a pine oil dosage of 100 g/t and a pH of 10. The study highlighted the pivotal role of slurry pH in influencing recovery with higher pH levels correlating with increased recoveries. In conclusion, fatty acids, specifically oleic acid, emerged as potential polar collectors to combine with non-ionic collectors for the recovery of low-grade coal. The findings advocate for further exploration of surface chemistry, mineralogical interactions and alternative collectors. Additionally, scaling up studies and environmental impact assessments are recommended to propel the practical applicability of the compound collector system in industrial settings.
KW - Compound collector
KW - Flotation
KW - Low-rank coal
KW - Response surface methodology
KW - Surfactants
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205109789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.11159/mmme24.115
DO - 10.11159/mmme24.115
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85205109789
SN - 9781990800443
T3 - Proceedings of the World Congress on Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering
BT - Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering, MCM 2024
A2 - Qiu, Huihe
PB - Avestia Publishing
T2 - 10th World Congress on Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering, MCM 2024
Y2 - 22 August 2024 through 24 August 2024
ER -