The sand flotation for washing coal was designed originally by J. M. Chance. Theraw coal is fed into a conical separating chamber, which contains a mixture of sand and water, the sand being kept in suspension in the water by a revolving agitator. The clean coal floats near the surface of the fluid mixture and goes to the discharge point. The dirt sinks through the separating medium and falls through a classifying column into a refuse chamber.
The results of the trials of this machine are as follows:
1. It is preferable that the sand is silicious and less clayey.
2. The finer is the sand, the more uniform and stable becomes the suspension, but the minute particle is adsorbed or attached to the face or cleat of coal, and thus coal is spoiled. Moreover, if the sand is fine, the loss of sand results in.
3. River sand (-24 mesh) is used and obtained good results.
4. The density of the fluid in the chamber is variable as the depth, at the upper zone the specific gravity being 1.2, at the middle 1.8, and at the lower 1.4. The controlling of this kind is considerably difficult.
5. Capacity is comparatively large and the material treated is not broken in the course of washing.
6. The fine coal flows with the sand, this resulting in loss of coal.
In conclusion, Chance machine has some demerits, especially on Japan conditions, despite of many merits, and this is the reason why the machine cannot be used directly.
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