In-plant testing of the floatex density separator for fine coal cleaning

A recent study found the Floatex Density Separator to be very efficient at cleaning the coarse fraction (16x100 mesh) in a typical fine coal circuit feed while achieving a throughput capacity of 2-3 tph/ft{sup 2}. Additionally, total sulfur rejection was improved by 10% as compared to typical spiral performance on this same size fraction. Based on these findings, in-plant tests using an 18x18-inch Floatex Density Separator were conducted at the Galatia preparation plant in Southern Illinois. A statistically designed test program was carried out to optimize the Floatex operating conditions and to evaluate the unit capacity and efficiency. Simultaneous samples were collected from the Floatex and the existing coal spirals to obtain a comparison of the separation performance for each unit process.