Technology is the key to conserving what currently reports to the refuse stream. Agglomeration and briquetting of coal fines is a decades-old technique but not widely practiced on every continent. Lack of interest may be changing. Putting into practice today the best technology and broadest spectrum of fuel sources may once again bring the agglomeration and briquetting of coal fines back into the spotlight.
A variety of wet and dry preparation processes has arisen, with big players in Australia, Asia and North America developing both binderless and binder-centered methods for agglomerating coal fines. While leading investigators in the science of briquetting recognize there is no single technical solution that takes into account all of the diverse chemical and physical properties of the vast varieties of coal, thousands of tons of coal fines wait to be reclaimed.
Roll-type briquetting and compacting systems similar to those built by U.S. manufacturer K.R. Komarek Inc., over the past 80 years, feature robust and extremely stable industrial frame construction. Heavy-duty, long-lasting bearings and drive components support either a dual gravity or screw feeder design that is ideal for briquetting coal at high production rates. Roll-type briquetting equipment, scaled to fit the process, can reclaim between 30 to 60 tons per hour, redirecting the pulverized coal from waste tailings into the burning process. www.komarek.com
