Loading patent…
AssigneeOmnis Mineral Technologies, LLC
InventorsJames S. Swensen, Simon K. Hodson, Jonathan K. Hodson
Estimating the term…
Coal fines are processed by flotation separation to separate coal particles from ash-forming mineral content particles. Coal fines are mixed water under high shear mixing conditions to form an aqueous slurry of coal fines containing between 15 wt. % and 55 wt. % coal fines. The aqueous slurry is introduced into a coal flotation cell to separate coal particles from ash-forming mineral content particles by flotation separation, wherein the coal fines have a particle size less than 100 μm, and more preferably less than 50 μm. Bubbles are generated in the coal flotation cell having a bubble size and bubble quantity selected to float the coal particles and to form a coal-froth containing at least 15 wt. % solid particles. The solid particles include coal particles and ash-forming mineral content particles. The coal-froth is collected for further processing.
A coal-froth product and a tailings product made simultaneously from an aqueous slurry of solid coal fines, wherein the solid coal fines consist of discrete particles of coal and discrete particles of ash-forming mineral content having an average particle size less than 40 μm, wherein the coal-froth product comprises bubbles and a solids content of at least 15 wt. % and contains predominantly particles of coal representing a combustible recovery of at least 90% relative to the discrete particles of coal present in the aqueous slurry of solid coal fines, and wherein the tailings product has a solids content containing predominantly particles of ash-forming mineral content.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.