We have identified coal tar pitch, a very cheap organic material made from coal during the iron-making process, as a source from which could be obtained emissive molecules for organic light-emitting diodes. Coal tar pitch was separated by simple dissolution in organic solvent, and subsequent separation by preparative thin-layer chromatography was used to obtain emissive organic molecules. The r...

Coal swelling in the presence of water as well as CO2 is a well-known phenomenon, and these may affect the permeability of coal. Quantifying swelling effects is becoming an important issue to verify the suitability of particular coal seams for CO2-enhanced coal bed methane recovery projects. In this report, coal swelling experiments using a visualization method in the CO2 supercritical conditio...

and ECA coal analysers have been used to control sorting and blending operations at coal mines, power plants and coal terminals. In sorting operations, the analyser results are used to sort coal into piles, bins or silos based on the measured quality. Coals can be sorted by the ash, sulphur, moisture, heating value, or by combinations of these. Sorting can be used to allow low-ash coals to bypa...

In response to the continuing problem of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) among mine workers, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted numerous noise surveys in coal preparation plants. The research, consisting of worker dose monitoring, task observations, and equipment noise profiling, was completed in eight separate preparation plants. Worker dose monit...

This study explored the feasibility of using waste organic solvents as substitutes for water to prepare coal slurries. The rheological properties of coal-2-propanol slurries were examined and compared with that of coal-water slurry (CWS). The good compatibility between coal particles and 2-propanol resulted in stable particle suspension in slurry which usually exhibit Newtonian behaviour. Howev...

In this study, various organic solvents were used to prepare coal slurries and the rheological and thermal properties of coal-organic solvent slurries were examined. Solvents with molecules containing unpaired electrons (high basicity) show high extraction power and cause swelling of coal. Therefore, coal-organic solvent slurries usually showed higher viscosities compared to coal-water slurry. ...

Hearing loss was the second-most common illness reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 2009. Furthermore, between 2000 and 2010, 30% of all noise-related injury complaints reported to MSHA were for coal preparation plant employees. Previous National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studies have shown that vibrating screens are key noise sources to ad...