Pressure, Centrifugal and Electrically Assisted Dewatering of Coal

CSIRO and its collaborators have developed a major R & D project on dewatering of coal. This involves sub-projects on (i) the fundamentals of coal-water associations; (ii) reducing the variability of product moisture levels from small coal centrifuges; (iii) process mechanisms and optimisation for fine coal dewatering; (iv) pilot scale testing, engineering development and innovation. Results from each of these sub-projects are presented, and the pilot facility incorporating a vacuum filter, belt press, membrane press, hyperbaric filters and centrifuges, is discussed. The vacuum filter and membrane press can be configured for electric-field assisted dewatering, which provides substantial enhancements in the rate and degree of dewatering for fine coal, coal tailings, and other suspensions.