"Ash removal from low rank coal" by Deepankar Virendra Sharma

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Committee Chair

John W Zondlo

Abstract

The work presented here is concerned with cleaning of low rank coals such as Texas lignite. As a result, Jewett Texas lignite was cleaned from 28% ash by weight to 8.5%. In the first part of the thesis, it is proved that conventional cleaning techniques used for bituminous and sub-bituminous having pyritic impurities does not work for cleaning lignite coal because of different coal chemistry and the presence of clay impurities. Hence after trying conventional processes, there was a need for a new technique capable of removing clay from low rank coals.;Micronized coal, obtained from DevourX LLC, proved to be more easily separated than run of mine coal, using a slurry-based technique with an agglomerant to isolate carbon rich particles and a lignin based surfactant. The coal was cleaned from 28% ash to 9.5 % ash.;This project was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), under subcontract from the University of Texas at Arlington.

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