Fine coal cleaning and dewatering processing unit
This technology cleans fine coal and removes water from it by mixing the wet coal slurry with a hydrophobic (oil-like) liquid. Because coal particles naturally prefer to leave water and enter the oily phase while mineral impurities stay in the water, a simple phase separation pulls the coal away from its contaminants. A mechanical step then shakes loose any trapped water droplets clinging to the coal particles, and the oily liquid is recovered and reused. The result is cleaner, drier coal than conventional processing methods typically achieve with fine-particle material.
What you could build
A modular fine-coal processing unit sold or licensed to coal preparation plants that need to upgrade their fine-coal circuit yields and reduce moisture penalties; buyers would be coal mining companies and coal prep plant operators seeking to recover value from material currently discarded or sold at a discount.
Who in Virginia should care
Southwest Virginia has active coal mining and preparation plant infrastructure; operators there looking to recover value from fine coal waste streams are a natural audience.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert Kerem Eraydin
- Granted
- February 18, 2020
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10562038
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.