Investigation of Washability of Seyitömer B3 Coal Seam, Turkey

Abstract

In this study, the evaluability of lower calorific B3 coal seam belonging to Seyitömer lignite operations which is about 25 km away from Kütahya was researched. The coals pertaining to the B1 and B2 seams in the region are used as fuel in thermal power plant after the washing process. However, B3 seam cannot be evaluated which contains 28.7% humidity, 44.69% ash, 13.81% volatile matter, 12.8% fixed carbon and 1543 kcal/kg lower calorific value. For this purpose, sink-float tests were carried out on representative samples taken for evaluation of B3 coal seam. As a result of float-sink tests on different particle sizes, the optimum results were obtained at particle size intervals of -31.5 + 16 mm (72% yield, 25% ash, 1425 kcal / kg calorific values) and -63 + 31.5 mm (76% yield, 22% ash, 1751 kcal / kg calorific value). Also, optimum density was measured to be 1.5 gr/cm3. It has been decided that while coarse particle sizescan be enriched with the jig method, the fine particle sizescan be enriched with the shaking table according to the results of the sink-float. As a result of enrichment experiments with jig,the lower calorific value of clean coal wasobtained as 2903 kcal/kg, while the schistwas obtained as 687 kcal/kgat particle size of -63 + 31.5 mm. Also, ash contents were 15.14% and 75.16% respectively. On the other hand, as a result of enrichment experiments with shaking table,the calorific value of clean coal wasobtained as 2403 kcal/kg while the schistwas obtained as 385 kcal/kgat particle size of -16 + 12, 5 mm. Ash content were also obtained as 16.96% and 68.85% respectively. According to these results, the calorific value of B3 coal seam has been made suitable for being used at thermal power plants.

Keywords

• Heavy medium separation
• coal seam
• washability.