Study on the Froth Flotation Behaviors for Low-rank Coal in East-Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Despite the continuous decrease in coal consumption in developed countries, research on coal flotation processes for pretreatment is ongoing due to the deterioration of coal quality and the expansion of small-and medium-sized coal mines. This study attempts to investigate the possibility of applying the flotation process as pretreatment for low-rank and low-grade coal in Indonesia. Three types of collectors, three types of frothers, and one conditioner were used; the separation characteristics according to the coal particle size were also tested. As a result, in the experiment using fine coal with K-L reagent and α-terpineol, suitable separation effects were observed. However, the difference in ash content between floating and sinking products was not significant and the mass recovery rate was relatively low. This implies that it is very difficult to improve coal quality by applying a conventional flotation process.