Spiral Concentrators for Fine Coal Treatment

The historical development of Reichert spirals is breifly reviewed prior to describing models developed specifically for the treatment of coal fines. Results obtained from laboratory tests and field trials of pre-production prototypes are presented. Comparisons are provided both between different tests and between test results and the ideal performance defined by washability data using a graphical technique. Production model spiral test data and partition curves for a variety of types of feed are presented. Possible application areas are discussed, including tailings scavenging, flotation substitution and fine coal dump retreatment