Keywords:

DENSITY, SEPARATION, COAL, CURVE, SAMPLE, partition curve, EPM, coal samples,
PROBABLE, specific gravities

Digest:

...ARTICLE : OPEN ACCESS A method to perform float-and-sink test for separation of coal
samples of various densities and determination of 'Probable Error' and 'Imperfection' To cite
this article: Sushobhan Pradhan and Satyabrata Mohanta 2020 IOPSciNotes 1 024403 View
the article online for updates and enhancements....

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140.213.180.224 on 11/04/2022 at 06:41 IOP SciNotes 1 (2020) 024403
https://doi.org/10.1088/2633-1357/abaf36 ARTICLE A method to perform float-and-sink test
for separation of coal samples of various densities and determination of 'Probable Error'
and 'Imperfection' Sushobhan Pradhan1 and Satyabrata Mohanta2,3 1 School of Chemical
Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America 2
Department of Chemical Engineering, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, India 3
Author to whomany correspondence should be addressed....

...E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]

Keywords: coal, float-and-sink, partition curve, probable error, imperfection, ash content
Abstract This article presents a detail experimental procedure to perform float-and-sink
tests for classifying coal samples according to their densities....

...Moreover, this article emphasizes obtaining 'partition curves' for three different coal
samples (heavy media bath, big barrel and small barrel), which helps in evaluating and
demonstrating classifier performance....

...Calculations of independent variables such as 'Probable Error' and 'Imperfection' are also
discussed for partition curve that helps in evaluating the effectiveness of various
beneficiation equipment used for the upgradation of quality of coal received from different
coal mines....

...It was observed that there is a tendency for the partition curves to steepen as the density
of separation decreases....

...In other words, separations at lower density is sharper than separations at higher
density....

...The objective of the coal washability principle is to develop routine protocols that include
the floatand-sink test, ash analysis, and evaluation of partition curves to obtain maximum
possible separation performances for a given mineral (or coal) feed [1, 2]....
...The float-and-sink method helps in separating coal samples according to the difference in
their respective specific gravities in a heavy liquid medium....

...This heavy fluid separation method is independent of the particle size and only a function
of the difference in the densities of two substances....

...The partition curve can be obtained by sampling the float-and-sink coal samples and
conducting heavy liquid tests to acquire the amount of material in each density fraction
[7]....

...The separation efficiency of coal samples is represented by the partition curve, which is a
plot of partition coefficients against relative density....

...The partition coefficient is expressed as the fraction of a specific relative density fraction
reporting to reject [8]....

...Partition curves are independent of the feed materials and described as a function of
particle density [9]....

...Probable error and imperfection There are a few independent criteria that include
parameters such as 'Probable Error' and 'Imperfection' of coal samples, which are used to
evaluate the effectiveness of different equipment for application to a specific coal reserve....

...The concept of 'Probable Error' or 'Ecart Probable Moyen (Epm)' are used as a criterion to
represent the sharpness with which the coal and impurities are separated....

...Epm is a measure of the deviation of the distribution curve from a perfect separation....

...Numerically, the Epm is defined as half of the specific gravity interval spanned by the
distribution curve in passing from the 25%-75% recovery ordinates....

...Generally, the steeper the distribution curve, the lower the Epm value....

...In other words, a lower Epm value designates a sharp separation, whereas a higher Epm
value denotes that separation is not sharp [10, 11]....

...In other words, lesser Epm value for any gravity separation indicates less misplacements
[9]....

...Imperfection (I) involves the influence of the specific gravity of separation on the shape of
the distribution curves....

...Previously, the distribution curve was found to be independent of the density of

separation....

...However, with more experience, this concept changed, and it was observed that with a
decrease in density of separation, the curve steepens....

...In other words, separations at lower density tend to be sharper than those at higher
density [10]....
...In an effort to develop a criterion for sharpness of separation that would be independent
of the density of separation, the term 'Imperfection' was originated, for which the symbol is
I. Imperfection indicates the degree of fluctuation from the perfect separation [9]....

...The formula for the imperfection is = ( ) ( ) -I E d 1 For wet processes 2 pm 50 where, I is

imperfection, Epm is Probable Error, and d50 is specific gravity of separation at 50% of the
recovery ordinate....

...The d50 (also known as 'effective density cut point') can be easily read-off from the
partition curve....

...Furthermore, as reported by Wolosiewicz-Glab et al (2018), the partition curves are

modeled in terms of nonlinear functions such as probable error (Epm) and imperfection (I)
parameters, which helps in studying the performance of classifiers [11]....

...Moreover, a procedure to obtain partition curve and from the partition curve, how to
calculate 'Probable Error' and 'Imperfection' have been discussed in this article....

...Materials and equipment Three different types of coal samples i.e....

...A hydrometer and a specific gravity bottle were used for density measurement of the
solutions....

...Sample collection The study was carried out to ascertain the performance of three
different types of coal samples i.e....

...'heavy media bath', 'big barrel' and 'small barrel', which are being utilized for the
beneficiation of high ash non-coking coal located at coal mines of the Talcher area under
MCL, India....

...As per the testing procedure, the coal samples were collected from the feed, clean, reject
coal conveyor belts as per IS (Indian Standard) 436....