Micro-properties of coal aggregates: Implications on hyperbaric filtration performance for coal dewatering

The recovery of ultrafine coal can be enhanced significantly by flocculating the particles prior to dewatering. It is thus crucial to be able to quantify the effects of aggregated particles on the separation efficiency, of which they are still not fully understood. This study focused on the relationship between the micro-properties (size, structure, and strength) of flocculated coal particles and the characteristics of filter cakes obtained through hyperbaric filtration. Tools such as small angle light scattering and confocal scanning laser microscopy were used to determine the aggregate structure. The comparative bond strength of aggregates generated under different flocculation conditions was measured through a non-dimensional approach. The effects of these properties on specific cake resistance, saturation, and moisture content, as indicative of the filtration performance, were observed. It was found that flocs generated using a moderate amount of flocculant dosage (60–100 g of polymer/tonne of coal) for this ultrafine coal (97% < 35 μm) optimised the properties of dewatered filter cakes. Although cakes composed of larger and stronger aggregates with more flocculant were found to have higher porosity, the effects on specific cake resistance and cake saturation were detrimental, possibly due to the increasing proportion of intra-aggregate pores that were harder to dewater. The trend was less noticeable at low filtration pressures where most of the dewatering occurred within the larger capillaries of the inter-aggregate zones. In addition, the presence of polymer molecules was responsible in absorbing residual moisture that could not be removed through mechanical means. Through a series of tests using pre-formed filter cakes, the amount of moisture retained by the flocculant was quantified to be approximately 10.2 mg of water for every addition of 1 g of polymer/tonne of coal, calculated per 100 g of filter cake produced from hyperbaric filtration in this case.