Coal
water slurry (CWS) fuel prepared using microfine coal particles
with a size distribution of 1–10 μm is a promising way
to cleanly utilize solid resources in engines, even catering a popular
application for clean coal technology. In an attempt to address the
problems in coal aggregation in microfine coal water slurry (MCWS),
dispersants are used to improve the dispersing status of microfine
coal particles. Based on the experimental results and extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek
(EDLVO) theory calculations, the role of naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde
(NSF) in MCWS performance was explored. The measurement of the slurry
ability of microfine coals demonstrated that the apparent viscosity
and yield stress of MCWS were decreased significantly with 1.5% NSF
addition, which was consistent with the saturated adsorption value
of NSF on microfine coals. Furthermore, the ζ-potential and
contact angle of microfine coals were both decreased as a function
of the NSF dosage, indicating that a larger electrostatic repulsion
force and better wetting ability of the coal surface would be obtained
in the presence of NSF. The thickness calculation results showed that
the thickness is increased with NSF addition, which is attributed
to that the NSF molecule extends into the surrounding solution to
form a hydrophilic film. The EDLVO calculations illustrated that the
total interaction was turned from an attractive force into a repulsive
force in the case of NSF, noting that the better dispersion of microfine
coals mainly resulted from the better hydrophilicity of the coal surface
modified with NSF. The findings might provide guidance for MCWS preparation
by revealing the interaction mechanism of microfine coals modified
with NSF.