Characterization of coal water slurry prepared for PRB coal

Powder River Basin(PRB)coal,which accounts for over 40%of the coal consumed for power generation in the United States,was investigated for preparation of coal water slurry(CWS).The static stability and rheology of the CWS were characterized as a function of loading.The coal loading was varied from 30%to 50%and both ionic(sodium polystyrene sulphonate(PSS))and nonionic(Triton X-100)surfactants were employed as additives.The addition of PSS to PRB slurries was found to yield poor static stability.On the other hand,Triton X-100 was found to be an effective surfactant,reducing the sedimentation by more than 50%compared to the one without surfactant in 45%CWS.Adding Triton X-100 reduces the viscosity of the CWS for coal loadings of30%and 40%.Although the viscosities for coal loading of 42.5%and 45%are higher when Triton X-100 is added,the static stability is significantly better than for samples without surfactant.The highest coal loading for PRB slurry with acceptable viscosity for pumping is 42.5%.