Design and Construction Aspects of Mini Coal Flotation Plant

Abstract

Due to recent economic liberalisation policy of Govt. of India, it is expected that core industries like steel, cement, etc. will get more attention to foreign investment and technology and the new industries will come up along with large scale modernisation of existing industries. These user industries will require good quality low ash coking coal to fulfil its needs. The existing washeries of CIL are not in a condition to meet such specific requ-irement of these industries. Further, fine coal circuit of these washeries are not efficient resulting in discharge of Slurry having ash ranging between 30-40% which can not be used as such by, metallurgical and foundry industries. Moreover, discharges of slurry from washeries are poll-uting adjoining areas including nearby rivers. To overcome these problems scientists of Central Fuel Research Institute,Dhanbad have taken challenging init-iative and developed a novel close circuit process to treat these .slurry to produce low ash coal. The process is adopted by some private entrepreneurs and constructed small plants based upon the technology developed by CFRI. Three such plants have already been set up and are under operation with f ill efficiency.The present paper attempts to highlight the process, construction aspects and advantages of this type of Mini fine coal benefrcicttion plants which are producing love ash coking coal for use in the metallurgical industries.