Coal Flotation Improvement Through Hydrophobic Flocculation Induced by Polyethylene Oxide

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) is an efficient flocculant for the settling of various minerals including coal, quartz, and phyllosilicate. However, it is rarely used in coal flotation. In this research, the flotation of a bituminous coal with PEO addition was investigated. It was found that PEO worsened the flotation performance in tap water. But it significantly improved the flotation in the sodium hexametaphosphate solution. The tube-settling experiments, floc observation and Zeta potential analysis indicated that the sodium hexametaphosphate hindered the flocculation of kaolinite so coal was selectively flocculated.