Increasing Coal Flotation – Cell Capacities

As far as the present writers know, this system of flotation has not been used elsewhere in this country, but in the last couple of years it has been introduced, with minor variations, at one plant in England and one in Wales. The system has been described and discussed in a number of publications. The following is quoted from an abstract of the latest of these," a paper presented at an International Conference on Industrial Combustion in 1952. On the basis of experience to date with the commercial plants, it is believed that the kerosene-flotation process incorporates all the necessary elements to make it greatly superior to anything else now available for treating of fines in wet processes of coal preparation. Additional study and investigation are still needed, however, to determine if certain phases of the process can be improved to such an extent as to make it generally satisfactory and acceptable to the industry. Further improvements will be needed with respect to the capacities of the flotation cells and the reagent consumption.