Pyrite removal from coal

A method for the separation of pyrite and refuse from coal when a majority of said coal is crushed to a suitable size for air classification, comprising

• (a) crushing said coal to a suitable size;
• (b) passing said crushed coal through an air classifying means, said means separating crushed coal into a fine, low pyrite fraction suitable for immediate use and a coarse, pyrite-rich fraction and drying said coarse fraction to a surface water content of not more than 5% by weight.
• (c) contacting the coarse pyrite rich fraction with an organic heavy media selected from the group consisting of perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, pentachloropropane, tetrachloropropane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, chloroform, methylene chloride, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane.
• (d) thoroughly mixing the organic media and coal;
• (e) allowing the coal to separate in the organic media forming a sink pyrite-rich refuse phase and a float coal phase;
• (f) recovering the float coal phase;
• and
• (g) separating coal from the float coal phase.