Effects of carrier particles on flotation removal of unburned carbon particles from fly ash

Fly ash, a major by-product of coal-fired power plants, contains unburned carbon which poses challenges to its effective utilization. The flotation separation efficiency of unburned carbon from fly ash is limited due to the ultrafine size and poor hydrophobicity of the unburned carbon. This study introduces carrier flotation as an efficient method for removing unburned carbon from fly ash. Experimental results indicated that the use of carrier particles (low ash content coal particles) significantly enhanced the flotation removal efficiency of unburned carbon from fly ash compared to conventional methods. The enhancement mechanism was evaluated by examining the differences in flotation froth properties, particle aggregation behaviors, and extended DerjaguinLandau-Verwey-Overbeek (EDLVO) interaction energy in the presence and absence of hydrophobic carrier particles. Hydrophobic carrier particles were found to increase the stability of the flotation froth layer, facilitate the water recovery, and aid in the removal of fine unburned carbon particles. Focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) confirmed that the presence of hydrophobic carriers promoted the aggregation of fine unburned carbon particles, thereby increasing bubble-particle collision probability. Furthermore, EDVLO theory calculations revealed that the attractive interaction energy between carrier particles and unburned carbon particles was stronger than that between carrier particles and ash particles. Therefore, carrier flotation shows promise as a highly efficient method for removing unburned carbon from fly ash.