Evaluation of the collective washing of coals from the Soma region with different characteristics

Abstract

Coal basins may have different coal formations. Therefore, different coal characteristics can be seen even in the same coal seam. The characteristics of the coal and the type of the mineral matter in coal are very important factors for the design of coal washing plants. The Soma coal region in Turkey has different coal formations which necessitate a careful blending of the coals prior to the washing plant. At present, Soma coals are being washed in a conventional heavy media plant. However, coals from different productions zones are fed to the plant without any blending. The clean products are also not blended to gain a consistent quality before sale. In this study, five different types of coal from the Soma region were washed together in the same washing plant. First, these coals were submitted to float–sink tests. Data derived from these tests were used for the evaluation of the plant trials. A novel method was used for the evaluation of the coal's washability and its probable effects on the performance of the coal washing equipment. As a result, experiments and evaluations show that the coal formations in the Soma region have significant differences in their characteristics which can impair the performance of the coal washing plant. Thus, washing these coals in the same plant under the same conditions needs blending or a special feeding programme.