Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wettability modification and flotation intensification of low-rank coal with dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride addition

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The surface free energy of mineral particles is a key factor affecting the bubble–particle attachment and mineralization process. In this study, the free surface energy was calculated in order to clarify the interaction mechanism between low-rank coal and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) from the perspective of thermodynamics. Additionally, wetting heat was employed in order to reveal the change in the surface wettability of long-flame low-rank coal with different DTAC additions, i.e. 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 g t−1. The wetting heat of long-flame low-rank coal gradually became less negative with the increase in the DTAC dosage, which indicated that the hydrophilicity of the low-rank coal’s surface was effectively restrained, corresponding to enhanced hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the effect of DTAC on the attachment time (induction time) between the coal particles and bubbles was investigated. The results illustrated that the attachment time between the coal particles and the bubbles decreased from 180 to 30 ms as DTAC dosage increased (DTAC dosage of 0–60 g t−1). That is, the attachment time decreased by up to 83.33% over the investigated range of DTAC dosages; this dynamic was consistent with the results of the calculation of the surface free energy and the measurement of the wetting heat. The mean zeta potentials became less negative with the DTAC addition in the presence and absence of diesel oil. Consequently, DTAC enhanced the flotation performance of long-flame low-rank coal in a flotation system; furthermore, the combustible recovery was significantly enhanced (by up to 11.29% points) and the concentrated ash value was less enhanced (by up to 0.20% points) as the DTAC dosage increased up to 60 g t−1.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xia WC, Xie GY, Peng YL. Recent advances in beneficiation for low rank coals. Powder Technol. 2015;277:206–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sivrikaya O. Cleaning study of a low-rank lignite with DMS, Reichert spiral and flotation. Fuel. 2014;119:252–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Jangam SV, Karthikeyan M, Mujumdar AS. A critical assessment of industrial coal drying technologies: role of energy, emissions, risk and sustainability. Dry Technol. 2011;29:395–407.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Willson WG, Walsh D, Irwin BW. Overview of low-rank coal (LRC) drying. Int J Coal Prep Util. 1997;18:1–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen SJ, Yang Z, Chen L, Tao XX, Tang LF, He H. Wetting thermodynamics of low rank coal and attachment in flotation. Fuel. 2017;207:214–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wen BF, Xia WC, Sokolovic JM. Recent advances in effective collectors for enhancing the flotation of low rank/oxidized coals. Powder Technol. 2017;319:1–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Li YG, Honaker R, Chen JZ, Shen LJ. Effect of particle size on the reverse flotation of subbituminous coal. Powder Technol. 2016;301:323–30.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Xia WC, Yang JG, Zhu B. Flotation of oxidized coal dry-ground with collector. Powder Technol. 2012;228:324–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cinar M. Floatability and desulfurization of a low-rank (Turkish) coal by low-temperature heat treatment. Fuel Process Technol. 2009;90:1300–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lester E, Kingman S. The effect of microwave pre-heating on five different coals. Fuel. 2004;83:1941–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Atesok G, Boylu F, Çelik MS. Carrier flotation for desulfurization and deashing of difficult-to-float coals. Miner Eng. 2001;14:661–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Liu J, Mak T, Zhou Z, Xu Z. Fundamental study of reactive oily-bubble flotation. Miner Eng. 2002;15:667–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Liao YF, Cao YJ, Liu CQ, Zhu GL. A study of kinetics on oily-bubble flotation for a low-rank coal. Int J Coal Prep Util. 2015;36:151–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Yekeen N, Manan MA, Idris AK, Samil AM. Influence of surfactant and electrolyte concentrations on surfactant adsorption and foaming characteristics. J Pet Sci Eng. 2017;149:612–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Marsalek R, Pospisil J, Taraba B. The influence of temperature on the adsorption of CTAB on coals. Colloids Surf A. 2011;383:80–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dey S. Enhancement in hydrophobicity of low rank coal by surfactants—a critical overview. Fuel Process Technol. 2012;94:151–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Qu JZ, Tao XX, He H, Zhang X, Xu N, Zhang B. Synergistic effect of surfactants and a collector on the flotation of a low-rank coal. Int J Coal Prep Util. 2015;35:14–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Chander S, Mohal B, Aplan FF. Wetting behavior of coal in the presence of some nonionic surfactants. Colloids Surf. 1987;13:205–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Vamvuka D, Agridiotis V. The effect of chemical reagents on lignite flotation. Int J Miner Process. 2001;61:209–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Sun SC. Effect of oxidation of coals on their flotation properties. Trans AIME. 1954;6:396–401.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kelebek S, Demir U, Sahbaz O, Ucar A, Cinar M, Karaguzel C, Oteyaka B. The effects of dodecylamine, kerosene and pH on batch flotation of Turkey’s Tuncbilek coal. Int J Miner Process. 2008;88:65–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Liu XY, Liu SY, Fan MQ, Zhao JR. Calorimetric study of the wettability properties of low-rank coal in the presence of CTAB. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2017;130:2025–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sarikaya M, Obzbayoglu G. Flotation characteristics of oxidized coal. Fuel. 1995;74:291–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Jańczuk B, Wójcik W, Zdziennicka A, Bruque JM. Components of the surface free energy of low rank coals in the presence of n-alkanes. Powder Technol. 1996;86:229–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Zou WJ, Cao YJ, Liu JT, Li WN, Liu C. Wetting process and surface free energy components of two fine liberated middling bituminous coals and their flotation behaviors. Powder Technol. 2013;246:669–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ali SSM, Heng JYY, Nikolaev AA, Waters KE. Introducing inverse gas chromatography as a method of determining the surface heterogeneity of minerals for flotation. Powder Technol. 2013;249:373–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Gu GX, Xu ZH, Nandakumar K, Masliyah J. Effects of physical environment on induction time of air-bitumen attachment. Int J Miner Process. 2003;69:235–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Chen SJ, Tang LF, Tao XX, He H, Chen L, Yang Z. Enhancing flotation performance of low rank coal by improving its hydrophobicity and the property of oily bubbles using 2-ethylhexanol. Int J Miner Process. 2017;167:61–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Van-Oss CJ, Giese RF. The hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of clay minerals. Clays Clay Miner. 1995;43:474–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Siebold A, Walliser A, Nardin M, Oppligerb M, Schultz J. Capillary rise for thermodynamic characterization of solid particle surface. J Colloid Interface Sci. 1997;186:60–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Thomas JK, Gunda K, Rehbein P, Ng FTT. Flow calorimetry and adsorption study of dibenzothiophene, quinoline and naphthalene overmodified Y zeolites. Appl Catal B. 2010;94:225–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Chen SJ, Wang SW, Li LL, Qu JZ, Tao XX, He H. Exploration on the mechanism of enhancing low-rank coal flotation with cationic surfactant in the presence of oily collector. Fuel. 2018;227:190–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Norori-Mccormac A, Brito-Parada PR, Hadler K, Cole K, Cilliers JJ. The effect of particle size distribution on froth stability in flotation. Sep Purif Technol. 2017;184:240–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Ye Y, Khandrika SM, Miller JD. Induction-time measurements at a particle bed. Int J Miner Process. 1989;25:221–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Xia WC, Zhou CL, Peng YL. Enhancing flotation cleaning of intruded coal dry-ground with heavy oil. J Clean Prod. 2017;161:591–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ralston J, Fornasiero D, Hayes R. Bubble-particle attachment and detachment in flotation. Int J Miner Process. 1999;56:133–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Liu XY, Liu SY, Fan MQ, Zhang L. Decrease of hydrophilicity of lignite using CTAB: effects of adsorption differences of surfactant onto mineral composition and functional groups. Fuel. 2017;197:474–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Bustamante H, Woods G. Interaction of dodecylamine and sodium dodecyl sulphate with a low-rank bituminous coal. Colloids Surf. 1984;12:381–99.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Wang SW, Tao XX. Combination of viscosity regulator and frother to enhance lowrank coal flotation performance. Sep Sci Technol. 2017;52:2463–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Stonestreet P, Franzidis JP. Reverse flotation of coal—a novel way for the beneficiation of coal fines. Miner Eng. 1988;1:343–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the Fundamental Research Funds for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51722405) and the Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Coal Preparation and Purification, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Kunkun Zhen, Haijun Zhang & Changlong Zheng

  2. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Kunkun Zhen & Changlong Zheng

Authors
  1. Kunkun Zhen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haijun Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Changlong Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haijun Zhang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhen, K., Zhang, H. & Zheng, C. Wettability modification and flotation intensification of low-rank coal with dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride addition. J Therm Anal Calorim 137, 2007–2016 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08131-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08131-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation