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ASSESSMENT OF COAL CLEANING TECHNOLOGY: FINAL REPORT
Citation:
McCandless, L., A. Onursal, AND J. Moore. ASSESSMENT OF COAL CLEANING TECHNOLOGY: FINAL REPORT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-86/037.
Description:
The report gives results of tests at seven coal preparation plants to evaluate the performance of froth flotation cells and dense-medium cyclones in removing ash and sulfur (S) from fine coal (Minus 28 mesh). Flotation circuits tested at four plants showed substantial reductions in coal ash content (64-88%), pyritic S content (48-65%), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission (expressed as ng SO2/million Btu; 15-87%) at mean weight recoveries of 11-54%. Raw and clean coal data sets were found to exhibit statistical properties that can be characterized by time series models. The use of low S coal, PCC, or chemical coal cleaning (CCC) was evaluated for compliance with potential SO2 emission limits for industrial boilers. PCC can achieve moderate S reductions in (high S) Northern Appalachian and Midwestern coals, but few of these coals can be cleaned to meet a 516 ng SO2/million Btu standard. Many Southern Appalachian, Alabama, or Western coals are capable of meeting the standard as mined or after cleaning.