The Flotation System Optimization in Alborz-Sharghi Coal Washing Plant; A Laboratory Study

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Mining Engineering, Mahallat Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahallat, Iran

2 Department of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology (HUT), Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

This paper tries to determine an optimum condition for the flotation operation of the Alborz-Sharghi coal washing plant. For this purpose, a series of comprehensive experiments have been conducted on representative samples from feed of the flotation system of the plant. Four operational variables such as the collector dosage (Fuel oil), the frother dosages (MIBC), the pulp density percent and the impeller speed were taken into account. After obtaining representative samples, 81 required experiments were designed using the orthogonal array (34) of Taguchi method. Three levels of the variables amount including low, base and high were considered for the experiments. The most obvious finding to emerge from this study was that the optimum flotation recovery (61.09 %) is obtained in the base level (L-2) of the collector dosage, the lowest level (L-1) of MIBC and the highest levels (L-3) of the pulp density and the impeller speed. The sensitivity analysis of the variables also indicated that the increase in the collector dosage causes to increase in the total recovery of the flotation and the coal quality. Besides, the largest effect on total recovery was clearly related to the pulp density levels. The increase in values of the pulp density causes to decrease in the recovery values.

Keywords


1] Jodeiri Shokri, B., Ramazi, H.R., Doulati Ardejani, F., Moradzadeh, A. (2013). A statistical model to relate pyrite oxidation and oxygen transport within a coal waste pile: case study, Alborz Sharghi, northeast of Iran. Environ Earth Sci., Vol. 71, pp. 4693-4702.
[2] Jodeiri Shokri, B., Ramazi, H. R., Doulati Ardejani, F., and Moradzadeh, A., (2014). Integrated Time-lapse Geoelectrical-geochemical Investigation at a Reactive Coal Washing Waste Pile in Northeastern Iran., Mine Water Environ, Vol. 33, pp. 256-265.
[3] Vangamudi, M., Pillai, K.J., and Rao, T.C., (1981). Effect of some operating variables on the efficiency index of coal flotation operation. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 8, pp. 1-7.
[4] Roberts, T., Firth, B. A., and Nikol S.K., (1982). A modified laboratory cell for the flotation of coal. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 9, pp. 191-200.
[5] Pratten, S. J., Bensley, C. N., and Nicol, S. K., (1989). An evaluation of the flotation response of coals. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 27, pp. 243-362.
[6] Liu, D., and Somasundaran, P., (1994). Role of collector and frother, and hydrophobicity/ oleophilicity of pyrite on the separation of pyrite from coal by flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 41, pp. 227-238.
[7] Sarikaya, M., (1995). Flotation test as a method for studying coal weathering. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 43, pp. 31-35.
[8] Harris, G. H., and Jia, R., (2000). An improved class of flotation frothers. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 58, pp. 35-43.
[9] Jia, R., Harris, G. H., and Fuerstenau, D. W., (2000). An improved class of universal collectors for the flotation of oxidized and / or low-rank coal. Int. J. Miner. Process., Vol. 58, pp. 99-118.
[10] Sripriya, R., Rao, P. V. T., and Choudhury, B. R., (2003). Optimisation of operating variables of fine coal flotation using a combination of modified flotation parameters and statistical techniques. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 68, pp. 109-127.
[11] Polat, M., Polat, H., and Chander, S., (2003). Physical and chemical interactions in coal flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 79, pp. 199-213.
[12] Rushdi, A., Sharma, A., and Gupta, R., (2004). An experimental study of the effect of coal blending on ash deposition. Fuel, Vol. 83, pp. 495-506.
[13] Naik, P. K., Reddy, P. S. R., and Misra, V. N., (2005). Interpretation of interaction effects and optimization of reagent dosages for fine coal flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 75, pp. 83-90.
[14] Boylu, F., and Laskowski, J. S., (2007). Rate of water transfer to flotation froth in the flotation of low-rank coal that also requires the use of oily collector. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 83, pp. 125-131.
[15] Jena, M. S., Biswal, S. K., and Rudramuniyappa, M. V., (2008). Study on
Fattahi Mejlej et al. / Int. J. Min. & Geo-Eng., Vol.49, No.1, June 2015
32
flotation characteristics of oxidised Indian high ash sub-bituminous coal. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 87, pp. 42-50.
[16] Gupta, A. K., Banerjee, P. K., and Mishra, A., (2009). Influence of chemical parameters on selectivity and recovery of fine coal through flotation. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 92, pp. 1-6.
[17] Ozdemir, O., Taran, E., Hampton, M. A., Karakashev, S. I., and Nguyen, A. V., (2009). Surface chemistry aspects of coal flotation in bore water. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 92, pp. 177-183.
[18] Bada, S. O., Tao, D., Honaker, R. Q., Falcon, L. M., and Falcon, R. M. S., (2010). Parametric study of electrostatic separation of South African fine coal. Mining Science and Technology, pp. 10–36.
[19] Kor, M., Abkhoshk, E., Gharibie, K. H., and Shafaie, S. Z., (2010). An investigation of the particle size effect on coal flotation kinetics using multivariable regression. International Journal of Mining and Environmental Issues, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 41-47.
[20] Vapur, H., Bayat, O., and Ucurum, M., (2010). Coal flotation optimization using modified flotation parameters and combustible recovery in a Jameson cell. Energy Conversation and Management, Vol. 51, pp. 1891-1897.
[21] Bahri, Z., Shafaei, S. Z., Kor, M., and Sereshki F., (2011). Coal washing improvement by determination of optimal mixture of feed blends. Mining Science and Technology, Vol. 21, No. 6, pp. 819-822.
[22] Shean, B. J., and Cilliers, J. J., (2011). A review of froth flotation control. Int. J. Miner. Process, Vol. 100, pp. 57-71.
[23] Cheng, G., Gui, X. H., Liu, J. T., Xu, H. X., Wang, W. T., Zhang, Q. D., Song, C. A., and Huang, G., (2013). Study on size and density distribution in fine coal flotation. International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization. Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 99-116.
[24] Babatunde, S. Y., and Adeleke, A. A., (2014). Froth flotation upgrading of a low grade coal. Petroleum & Coal, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 29-34.
[25] Cheng, G., Liu, J. T., Ma, L. Q., Cao. Y. J., Li, J. H., and Huang, G., (2014). Study on energy consumption in fine coal flotation. International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization. Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 38-49.
[26] Taguchi, G., (1987). System of Experimental Design. UNIPUB Kraus International Publications, New York