Abstract
Imagine that a sample of coal could be crushed unlimited times to the same or different top size; a different washability would be obtained for each crushing experiment. Depending on the size and distribution of the raw coal components (say vitrinite, inertinite, and mudstone), better yields for a low ash product are obtained as a top size is approached that is the same or smaller than the components that need to be liberated. As the top size approaches the size of the components that need to be liberated (or smaller), near density material will start decreasing and the density differences between the components that need to be separated will become larger, because mostly “clean” single component particles are produced, that have widely different densities. As the virtual particle size decreases, the concentration or yield of the low ash product increases to a maximum, as the macerals are completely liberated from mineral matter. In this paper a method is proposed to predict washability characteristics by simulating how coal will behave when crushed to different top sizes and with different virtual particle size distributions, from photographs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Akinyemi, S.A., Gitari, W.M., Akinlua, A., Petrik, L.F. (2012). Mineralogy and geochemistry of sub-bituminous coal and its combustion products from Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/50692
Bunt, J.R., Waanders, F.B. and Schobert, H. (2011). Behaviour of selected major elements during fixed-bed gasification of South African bituminous coal. J.Anal.Appl.Pyrol.,vol. 93, pp. 85 -94
Crelling, J.C. (unknown). Targeting single coal macerals with density gradient centrifugation experiments. Department of Geology, Southern Illinois University
Dorland, H.C. (2013). Optimising the value of a coal resource by logging its visual metallurgical characteristics. Proceedings of the South African Coal Processing Society Conference, July, Secunda, South Africa
Dorland, M.I., Campbell, Q.P., Le Roux, M., Erasmus, P., McMillan, K., Dorland, H.C. (2015). Predicting the washability behaviour of coal by numerical simulation of washabilities and product liberation from photographs. Proceedings of the South African Coal Processing Society Conference, 22-24 August, Secunda, South Africa
Everson, R., Koekemoer, A, Bunt, Neomagus, H, Schwartz, C. (2013). Detailed characterization of South African high mineral matter inertinite-rich coals and density fractions and effect on reaction rates with carbon dioxide: Macerals, microlithotypes, carbominerites and minerals. South African Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 18, no. 1, pp 1-16
Matjie, R.H. and Van Alphen, C. (2008). Mineralogical features of size and density fractions in Sasol coalgasification ash, South Africa and potential by-products. Fuel, vol. 87, pp. 1439-1445
McMillan, K., Campbell, Q., Le Roux, M., Wagner, N., Dorland, H. (2015). Composition, component size, fracture patterns and product liberation – Washability behaviour of coals from different coalfields of the world. Proceedings of the South African Coal Processing Conference, 22-24 August, Secunda, South Africa
Van Dyk, J.C., Benson, S.A., Laumb, M.L. and Waanders, F.B. (2009). Coal and coal ash characteristics to understand mineral transformations and slag formation. Fuel, vol. 88, no. 6, p. 1057-1063
Van Vuuren, P.A., Dorland, H.C. Le Roux, M., Venter, W.C. Erasmus, P., Dorland, M.I. and Campbell, Q.P. (2015). Using visual texture analysis to classify raw coal components. 22nd International Conference on Systems, Signals and Image Processing, 10-12 September, London UK, pp. 212-215
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Dorland, H.C. et al. (2016). Simulation of washability and liberation information from photographs. In: Litvinenko, V. (eds) XVIII International Coal Preparation Congress. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40943-6_35
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40943-6_35
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-40942-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-40943-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)