Zeta potential of a subbituminous coal and its effect on particle agglomeration

The objectives of this investigation were to study the zeta potential characteristics of a Powder River Basin coal in water and to study the effects of zeta potential on the agglomeration of coal particles. The electrokinetic measurements show that the zeta potential of the coal is dependent on pH, temperature, coal concentration and contact time with water. The effects of various additives for changing the zeta potential of the coal were also evaluated. It was found that the strength of the coal agglomerates is increased when the zeta potential diminishes. Neutralizing the eta potential enhances agglomeration. Therefore, it is important to control the zeta potential of coal to achieve optimum performance in coal-particle agglomeration.