WASHABILITY AND FROTH FLOTATION TESTS OF LAFIA-OBI COAL DEPOSIT, NASARAWA STATE, NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA.
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Washability and froth flotation tests on Lafia-Obi Coal deposit Nasarawa State North-Central Nigeria were carried out on samples of the coal deposit obtained from seams 30, 13 and 12 after size reduction using hammer and jaw crush respectively. This is a follow-up research of the proximate analysis conducted with the same samples in the same study area Heavy liquids used for the washability test were carbon tetrachloride CCl4, tannile C6C5 – NH2 nitro benzene C6H5NO3 and Bromoform CHBr3 1.18 to 0.6 micro screened size fractions were adopted for the washability test. 355-600 micro size fractions were used for the trial flotation and +180 to 355 micro size fractions were used for the second trial flotation. From the washability test assuming ash content of 5.7% is acceptable a separating density of 1.6 and a yield of 80% will be obtained. Froth flotation at Ph7 of the coal gave an average ash content of the total float to be 6.64% with the higher ash content reporting in the first float being10.29%. The sulphur, moisture and volatile matter are same as in the raw coal. Froth flotation at Ph9 of the coal gave an average ash content of6.95% with the fine coal reporting first with less ash content of 3.42%. This difference could be probably due to the presence of pyrite which might have been depressed at Ph9. These results support the mediumcoking characteristic of the coal deposit.