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Abstract

The present invention entails a coal demineralization and depyritization process which produces coal with extremely low mineral (ash) and pyrite contents. Essentially the present process calls for the chemical treatment of the coal surface first, followed by a physical separation step in which the minerals are separated from the coal. The chemical step comprises of subjecting and treating the coal surface with an alcohol composition such as methanol for a selected period of time and at a selected temperature within a reactor in the presence of an acid catalyst. This chemical step makes the coal surface non-polar mainly by reacting the alcoholic and carboxylic groups. In particular, this chemical step is designed to reduce the surface forces between the organic and inorganic phases and consequently facilitate the mineral separation. After the chemical treatment of the coal, actual separation of the minerals can be achieved by one of many conventional physical separation process.

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First Claim