The high-Ge low-rank
coal in Wulantuga Coal Mine, Inner Mongolia,
China, has a high utilization value due to its enrichment of critical
element Ge. However, it is also enriched with toxic elements such
as Be, F, As, and Hg; therefore, the coal should be cleaned before
use. In this study, the flotation experiment, X-ray diffraction (XRD),
X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis,
and the release experiment for the high-Ge low-rank coal from Wulantuga
were carried out, and the results are as follows. (1) The total mineral
content of the feed coal is higher than that of the cleaned coal and
tailing, and the content of the functional group −OH is also
increased, indicating that the moisture in the cleaned coal is increased
after flotation. (2) Argillation occurred and some minerals (dihydrate
gypsum and kaolinite) and elements were released into the water during
flotation, so the ash yield and the percentage of TiO2,
Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, and
CaO of the cleaned coal and tailing are lower than those of feed coal.
(3) The concentrations of elements Li, Be, F, Mn, Zn, Sr, Hg, Tl,
and Pb of the cleaned coal are higher than those of tailing, indicating
that these elements are more likely to occur in organic matter or
fine-grained mineral embedded in organics, but the concentration of
other elements such as Ge, As, Sb, and W in the cleaned coal is lower
than that of tailing, suggesting that these elements are weakly associated
with organics or occur in minerals. (4) After flotation, trace elements
Be, Cs, Ti, Ge, Sb, and W enriched in the feed coal were removed in
large quantities, while F, As, and Hg were difficult to remove; therefore,
other preparation methods should be tried. (5) The release experiment
showed that the release rate of chalcophile and siderophile elements
and rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) is relatively higher. In
addition to those of Be, Ga, Sr, and Cs, the release rate of most
elements is relatively low.