Cleaning and dewatering fine coal

A method of removing water and mineral matter impurities from an aqueous slurry containing fine coal particles of 1.0 mm in diameter and smaller, said water, and said mineral impurities, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a hydrophobic liquid with said aqueous slurry, said mixing step allowing said fine coal particles to be transferred into said hydrophobic liquid along with the small water droplets formed during said mixing step, while said mineral matter impurities remain in said aqueous slurry, and thereby producing a mixture;
• phase separating said mixture produced in said mixing step, said phase separating step producing a first phase containing said hydrophobic liquid, said fine coal particles, and said water droplets, and a second phase containing said aqueous media and said mineral matter impurities;
• retrieving said first phase after said phase separating step;
• separating said water droplets from said hydrophobic liquid in said first phase, along with the residual mineral matter impurities dispersed in said water droplets;
• and
• removing said hydrophobic liquid from said fine coal particles to obtain a clean coal product with reduced mineral impurities and moisture content.