Sampling the coal chain
PE Hand
Coal is a complex heterogeneous commodity that can be mined in a
number of ways and needs to be processed to a homogeneous quality
that satisfies the customer’s requirements, while attempting to
maximize revenues.
Only a small proportion of coal is suitable for metallurgical use.
Export coals cover a wide range of qualities and some coals can be
used optimally in the raw state for energy production. Critical quality
parameters vary and can be a combination of heat value, ash,
volatiles, sulphur, phosphorus, sizing, amongst others. The level of
beneficiation is generally dictated by the washability of the coal,
mining contamination, and the target product quality.
The steps in the coal chain covered in this paper comprise
exploration, mining selections, production, the washing process, and
product delivery. Many points of sampling are needed to maximize
yield at the correct quality, and some of these will be described in
the paper.
Keywords: coal chain, coal beneficiation, sampling.