Coal Recycling from Tailings using Flotation with 2-Level Experimental Design Techniques

In this study, the possibility of producing coal with less than 11% ash from tailings of flotation process was investigated. The effect of six flotation parameters: collector type, collector consumption, frother type, frother consumption, pulp density and mixing rate were studied on a sample from a tailing dam. A software based experimental design approach (DX7) was applied to determine and model effective parameters as well as flotation optimization through fractional factorial. It was shown that collector type and flotation machine mixing rate were the most effective parameters on ash content of concentrate. The results indicated that the production of a desired ash content concentrate, i.e. <11% was feasible. It was also shown that at the optimum conditions of experiment, production of a concentrate with about 10% ash content, and 12% weight recovery would be possible.