FINE COAL CLEANING WITH COLUMN FLOTATION.

Counter-current column flotation with the Canadian column design and conventional froth flotation are compared as methods to produce an acceptable product from the waste stream of a Kentucky coal preparation plant. The plant tailings typically contain 50% ash and 60% -500 mesh material. Column flotation provided low ash concentrates while operating at 15-17% solids while conventional flotation required dilution of the feed slurry to 4-6% to achieve similar results. This represents an advantage by reducing the cell volume required to effectively recover clean coal. The effects of operating parameters wash water addition, air flow, percent solids and reagent dosage) are discussed.