Scientists and technologists in world over are making large efforts to streamline the conventional technological schemes of ore processing, in particular froth flotation towards reducing overall costs, limiting the use of dangerous substances, decreasing waste streams and improving waste disposal. Hitherto, search for such innovations has been performed mainly empirically and there is an urgent need to shift these technologies to be more innovative and effective.Understanding of the fundamental concepts of aquatic chemistry of minerals–selective adsorption and selective redox reactions at mineral–solution interfaces would impact innovating conventional flotation process Molecular-level knowledge and coherent understanding of minerals contacted with aqueous solutions is required which underlie great opportunities in controlling mineral–solution interfaces towards the grand challenge of tomorrow’s science and mineral processing technology. Aqueous redox chemistry of sulphides and adsorption mechanisms, the problems of metal sulphides selectivity against pyrite and fine particle flotation have been highlighted and discussed in the light of literature. The requisite knowledge and research needs to address these issues have also been briefly presented.

Adsorption, contact angle and flotation of anionic Atrac and non-ionic ethaloxylated nonylphenol surfactant, and their mixture on apatite and magnetite were studied. The effect of calcium ions and sodium silicate on Atrac adsorption was investigated. The effect of Atrac adsorption on the contact angle data of apatite and magnetite in the presence and absence of sodium silicate was also examined. Wettability of solids depends on solids surface free energy and the surface energies of apatite and magnetite powders were calculated from polar and non-polar liquid contact angle data. A decrease in particle size increased the polar contribution to surface free energy due to unsaturated broken bonds on the surface. Atrac is seen to adsorb equally on apatite and magnetite, and the adsorption increased in the presence of calcium ions. The presence of water glass decreased the Atrac contact angle data on magnetite and also the flotation response demonstrating its role as magnetite depressant in flotation. The presence of non-ionic surfactant enhanced the Atrac flotation of apatite with no flotation of magnetite. Bench-scale flotation tests showed that 50 per cent of Atrac can be replaced with non-ionic collector without impairing the flotation results. Results also illustrate that the non-ionic adsorbs on apatite in equal amount of Atrac collector signifying 1:1 composition of anionic and non-ionic collector on apatite surface. Non-ionic head group sitting in between anionic head groups screens the electrostatic repulsion and forms compact adsorbed layer on apatite surface thereby increasing the hydrophobicity and flotation.

The electrostatic beneficiation of coal is based on different tribo-charging characteristics of ash forming minerals and coal particles. In this work the tribo-charging of quartz and coal particles contacted with various metals and polymer materials have been measured and the charge acquisition was examined through surface energy calculations from liquid contact angle data. The contacts angles, before and after tribo-charging of solids, were measured with Krüss tensiometer using Washburn's equation where the sample holders in tensiometer are specially constructed with tribo-charger materials. The polarity and amount of charge acquired by quartz and carbon powders with metal tribo-chargers were found to be in good agreement with the reported work functions of the contacting surfaces. The results for the charge with polymer materials differed from the work function values, presumably due to surface contamination. The surface energy of quartz particles calculated from the measured contact angle data showed that the tribo-charging increases the surface energy. Both polar and non-polar components computed using Fowkes and Owens-Wendt approaches showed that these components increase after tribo-electrification. However, the polar component divided into acid and base parts, as in van Oss approach, manifest decreasing acid part and increasing base part. Since quartz charged negatively during tribo-charging with metal surfaces and therefore suggests acceptance of electrons, the determined acid-base surface energy components are consistent with the charge transfer process. The results also elucidate an explicit correlation between the charge generated by powders and the surface acceptor (acid) and donor (base) electronic state and thereby the work functions. Thus a method for characterising the changes in surface energetic structure of solids during tribo-electrification in terms of acid-base parameters of electron transfer between the contacting surfaces has been described for the first time.

Dry coal beneficiation has been examined by tribo-electrostatic method using Indian thermal coal sample from Ramagundam coal mines. The process of tribo-electric coal/ash cleaning is carried out with a newly built cylindrical fluidised bed tribo-charger with internal baffles, made up of copper metal. The charge transfer in coal maceral and mineral particles after repeated contact with copper plate tribo-charger is measured. Separation of particles in an electrostatic separator according to the polarity of particle charge generated during tribo-electrification is discussed with respect to gas flow rate and residence time in fluidised bed tribo-charger and the applied electric field. The coal and mineral particles charge with positive and negative polarities respectively. The magnitude of particles charge found to be relatively high illustrating greater efficiency of contact electrification in fluidised bed tribo-charger. The separation results with -300 μm size fraction of coal containing 43% ash showed that the ash content can be reduced to 18% and 33% with an yield of about 30% and 67%, respectively. These results are comparable to the maximum separation efficiency curve of washability studies on this coal sample. Since the ash percentage of coal particles collected in the bins close to positive and negative electrodes are about 70% and 20%, a better yield with low ash content can be accomplished on recycling the material.

Coal beneficiation by tribo-electrostatic method depends on tribo-charging attributes of coal and ash forming minerals. The tribo-electrification behaviour of pyrite mineral contacted with different materials has been investigated through charge measurements and the charge acquisition is probed through surface energy calculations from liquid contact angle data. Liquid contact angle on pyrite powder after tribo-electrification is determined by Kruss tensiometer using Washburn's equation. The sample holder in tensiometer is specially fabricated with different materials serving the purpose of tribo-electrification and contact angle measurement. The acid and base parameters of pyrite surface determined with van Oss acid-base approach using liquid contact angle data after tribo-electrification with different materials revealed the charging phenomena and electron transfer mechanism. The results showed an explicit correlation between the charge generated by pyrite powder and surface acceptor (acid)-donor (base) electronic state underlying the work functions of contacting surfaces. Thus a method for characterising the changes in surface energetic structure of solids during contact electrification in terms of surface acid-base parameters has been illustrated for the first time.

Coal is the single largest fossil fuel used world-wide and accounts for more than 60% of the total commercial energy consumed. Between 60 to 80% of this coal is used for electric power generation and most of which through a system of pulverised coal combustion. Major portion of the coal used for such power generation is not clean enough to maintain environmental standards. This problem is attributed to high sulphur content in coal used in most of the western countries or ash as is the case in countries like India. In India at present nearly 260 million tonnes per year of coal is used for power generation and the average ash in coals used is invariably above 40%. A substantial portion of ash is liberated as it enters the boiler from the mill. It is crucial to reduce the amount of ash going from the mill to the boilers not only to improve the performance of power generation and increase the life of the boilers but also became mandatory due to environmental regulations. Thus the main objective of the work is to develop a dry tribo-electrostatic process for the separation of ash forming inorganic matter from coal material with a thorough understanding of the response and behaviour of coal and non-coal matters to contact electrification and in electric field. This work is financially supported by the Department for Research Cooperation of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA/SAREC). The literature on dry coal preparation processes has been reviewed and the advantages of triboelectric process compared to other processes have been highlighted and further research needs to make it a viable industrial technology are outlined. Three Indian coal samples from three different major coal fields, i.e., Ramagundam, Ib-valley and Talcher, have been collected and characterised for macerals and mineral composition by microscopic and XRD analyses. The beneficiation potential at different size fractions of the coal samples is judged by the washability studies. The charge polarity and magnitude of pure quartz, pyrite kaolinite, illite and carbon after contact electrification with different tribo-charging media have been measured by Faraday cup method using Keithley electrometer. The predicted work functions of the tribo charging material and mineral phases agree closely with the reported values. The electron accepting and donating (acid-base) property of mineral phases determined by Kr¨¹ss Tensiometer through polar and non-polar liquid contact angles on solids also corroborated the acquired charge polarity in contact electrification with copper, aluminium and brass materials underlying their work functions. This methodology can be applied for the choice of organic acidic/basic solvents treatment of coal material to enlarge the difference in work functions between the tribo-charger and mineral phases, and to achieve greater separation efficiency of inorganic matter from coal. The process of tribo-electric coal/ash cleaning is carried out with a newly built cylindrical fluidised-bed tribo-charger with internal baffles, made up of copper metal, and the influence of equipment and process variables have been evaluated. The collecting bins of the material underneath the copper plate electrodes are designed to function as Faraday cups such that the charge polarity and magnitude of particles in each bin can be measured directly. The coal and mineral particles respectively charged with positive and negative polarities with relatively higher magnitude illustrating greater efficiency of contact electrification in the fluidised bed tribo- charger system. The separation results with minus 300 ¦Ìm size fraction of coal containing 43% ash showed that the ash content can be reduced to 18% and 33% with an yield of about 30% and 67% respectively. With a 30% ash coal, a clean coal of about 15% ash is obtained with about 70% yield. These results are comparable to the maximum separation efficiency curves of washability studies on the coal samples. Since the ash percentage of coal particles collected in the bins close to positive and negative electrodes are about 70% and 20%, a better yield with further reduced ash content can be accomplished by recycling the material. Thus, the tribo-electrostatic method observed to be a promising dry coal preparation technique, where the present laboratory size separator needs to be scaled to plant level for commercial application.