Effects of ultrasonic treatment on the particle size, shape and ash content of fine coal

The effects of ultrasonic treatment of different time on the particle size, morphology, ash content, and elementary composition of fine coal particles (74-45 μm) were investigated in this paper. The size reduction of coal particles induced by ultrasonic treatment was analyzed through the Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM) and the variation of mechanical pulverization mechanism was discussed. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) measurements showed that the sharp corners on coal particles was ground to round ones after ultrasonic treatment. This may be not conducive to coal flotation. It was also found that the ash content of 74-45 μm coal particles was increased gradually with the increase of ultrasonic time, while the ash content of -45 μm fraction was decreased. This was supported by the EDS measurements, indicating that the carbon content on the surfaces of 74-45 μm coal was reduced while the aluminium and silicon contents were increased after ultrasonic treatment.