See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/287081236

Measurement of Crushing Strength of Coal Agglomerates

Article · July 2011

CITATIONS READS

0 43

3 authors, including:

Kingsley OKECHUKWU Ikebudu Jude Ezechi Dara

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
19 PUBLICATIONS   1 CITATION    10 PUBLICATIONS   4 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Particle-Particle Interactions in Coal Powder Agglomerates View project

CORROSION View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Jude Ezechi Dara on 25 September 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2011 Vol III
WCE 2011, July 6 - 8, 2011, London, U.K.

Measurement of Crushing Strength of Coal

Agglomerates
Ikebudu, Kingsley Okechukwu -MIAENG, Chinwuko, E. C -MIAENG and Dara, Jude Ezechi -MIAENG

Abstract- The aim of this research is to produce coal The conversion of coal to true liquids has been investigated
agglomerates 15-27.51mm and to determine the crushing and practiced for over fifty years.
strength of the agglomerates for good handling of fine (coal-
liquid mixture) to improve fugitive dust control, decrease in
transportation losses, reduce risk of coal freezing, lower risk of Optimum crushing strength is the maximum
spontaneous combustion in iron and steel industries, railway compressive strength (stress) a material can withstand under
corporations and coal corporations. Kerosene (paraffin oil) was crush loading.
used as a binder and the agglomerated coal oil mixture was
pelletized using balling technique (disc). Mechanical and
physical tests were carried out. The relationship between the In capillary state agglomerate, the wetting liquid
crushing strength of coal agglomerates and agglomerates completely fills the void space between the particles to form
diameters show that coal diameters have effect on its a continuous network within the agglomerates. The negative
compressive (crushing) strength. As the coal agglomerate pressure within the pellet, developed as a result of the
diameter increases, the coal strength decreases which implies multitude of capillaries formed by the system of particles at
that crushing strength is dependent on the agglomerates the agglomerate surface, is responsible for strength. The
diameter and crushing strength is indirectly proportional to maximum negative pressure2, or entry suction Pe, is given
agglomerates diameter. by eqn. (1) and the tensile stress by eqn. (2)

Keywords- Sub-bituminous coal agglomerates,

Compressive Strength, Crushing Strength, Material handling.

I. INTRODUCTION 1   
p e  So 
    l v cos  (1)
It cannot be denied that, although coal has many
virtues, it has one or two disadvantages. Principal among
them are its mineral content, especially the sulphur –
bearing component, and the problems created in the
handling and storing of coal, such as dust and reclamation
systems. By contrast, liquid fuels are naturally low in where  lv is the liquid surface tension, θ is the contact
mineral content, can be freed of their sulphur compounds, angle, S is the specific surface area of the particles, and ε is
and are easily handled and stored1. On the other hand, coal the porosity of the agglomerate.
is abundant, widespread, and fairly cheap to produce; while
oil reserves are much smaller and are concentrated in
politically unstable areas, and the commodity can become
very expensive indeed, regardless of production costs.
The tensile stress, t , required to cause pellet
failure must overcome the capillary pressure generated in
the saturated pellet .
Consequently, there has long been a desire for
extraction of oil from coal.
 t  sPe (2)
Manuscript received April 6, 2011; revised April 13,
2011
K. O. Ikebudu is an academic staff in the Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Anambra State University, Uli Campus, where s is the saturation.
Anambra State, Nigeria. Phone number: +234-803-774-0820.
Email: ikbuduk@yahoo.com E. C. Chinwuko is a lecturer in the When compressive test is carried out, the peak load is

c
Department of Industrial/Production Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe
University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Phone number: +234-
803-781-5808.Email: chinwukoemmanuelc@yahoo.com
determined and the strength value is obtained by
J. E. Dara is a Master Degree holder dividing the load, L by the cross – sectional area which
in Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, implies
Anamba State, Nigeria. . Phone number: +234-803-77-28188.
Email: dezechi4@yahoo.com D 2
 c 
4

ISBN: 978-988-19251-5-2 WCE 2011

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2011 Vol III
WCE 2011, July 6 - 8, 2011, London, U.K.

L 4L L
c   D2
D2 D2 K  (9)
Therefore, (3)
S o lv
4
[ As defined in nomenclature; where L is the crushing load,
D is the agglomerate diameter,  is agglomerate porosity,

as the compression stress, c, generated during the S is the pore saturation, lv is the surface tension of the
crushing of the agglomerates. bridging liquid, So is the specific surface area of the
particles and θ is the contact angle between the particles and
Corrections to account for the increase in cross – liquid.] The factor K depends upon the mechanism of
sectional area are negligible if rupture is reached before 2 – agglomerate failure but can be considered constant for the
3 % strain. present discussion.

While the normalized compressive strength factor From equation (8) linear relationships can be
Kc and tensile strength factor Kt are given thus3,;
L Solv and =
4 L 1  
expected in the graph of
D2 versus
Kc  L
 D 2 S 1   
(4)
D2 1  Solv cos
versus only if S , 
and
4 S 1
and cos  are all constant for a given powder system.

K t  S o  l v cos  (5)

The compressive stress at failure is known4 to II EXPERIMENTAL

exceed the tensile stress due to the additional interparticle
frictional effects which must be overcome in compressive A. Materials
failure. Hence;
The coal powder used to form agglomerate is sub-
 c   t (6)
bituminous coal which was obtained from Okaba coal mine
Enugu State and ground dry with a milling machine into
powdered form and sized by screening with standard sieve.
The coal powder was then mixed with paraffin oil with the
 use of mixer in the balling disc machine. The density and
  c
calorific value of the powder were measured. Paraffin oil
Therefore,
 t
was used as bridging liquid throughout the study.

where α is greater than unity. Combining equations (1) and

(6) B. Method

Kc  Solv cos (7)

Agglomerates of different sizes of coal powder
required for strength determination were formed using a
balling disc of 20cm diameter with adjustable inclination to
the horizontal. Balling disc speed was employed as required.
The crushing strength of wet ball – shaped
Each pellet diameter was determined by averaging the
agglomerates held together with paraffin oil can generally
diameter measured in three directions at right angles to each
be represented by the equation of the form5:
other using a vernier caliper. The load L (in kN) required to
break each agglomerate was measured with an WP 300

L  KS
1 S l cos Universal Material Tester. The number of agglomerates
tested for a given powder/liquid system varied. Typical
D2 
o v (8) curve of compressive strength versus diameter was drawn.

ISBN: 978-988-19251-5-2 WCE 2011

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2011 Vol III
WCE 2011, July 6 - 8, 2011, London, U.K.

Chemical / Physical Analysis of Enugu Sub-bituminous

Coal A GRAPH COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH,Qc(N/m2) vs
AGGLOMERATES DIAMETER,D(m)

PH Value 4.03 (Acidic)

Density 0.705 g/ml 14000

12000

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH,Qc(N/m2)
The Calorific Value of Powdered Solid State of Coal
10000

Transmittance 0.00
Absorbance 1.51 8000

6000
The Calorific Value of Wet Powdered Coal
4000
Transmittance 0.00
Absorbance 1.51
Mass of powdered coal 413.8g 2000
Volume of powered coal 500ml
Volume of oil 100ml 0
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03
AGGLOMERATES DIAMETER,D(m)

III. WET COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST

Figure1: Relationship between the crushing strength, c
Compressive strength is the capacity of a material and the agglomerate diameter, D for coal powder. Coal
to withstand axially directed pushing forces. When the limit agglomerates diameter and crushing strength analysis
of compressive strength is reached, materials are crushed.

This was done to determine the crushing strength

of different samples of the agglomerates made. It was also IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
done to determine how strong the agglomerates will be after
they had been wet. Also six agglomerates were formed and The effect of diameter on the agglomerates strength
subjected to compressive strength test using universal shows that the crushing strength of coal is dependent on the
material tester. This was done by subjecting the diameter D of agglomerates and the crushing strength is
agglomerates one after another to end loading, which indirectly proportional to agglomerates diameter.
produces crushing action. The agglomerates were placed
between fixed and moveable cross heads; compressive loads
were read from the scale at breaking / crushing of the
specimen to determine the crushing strength.
V. CONCLUSION /RECOMMENDATION

Research of this kind other than using coal has

Table 1.1 EXPERIMENTAL DATA (RESULTS): The been done, but this study was done using coal to see the
effect of diameter of agglomerates on crushing Strength. conformity/similarities/relationship/comparison with the
previous research.
Pellet Diameter, Crushing
D(m) Load, L(N) Agglomeration should be applied on coal powder
system for good handling.
0.015 2050
0.01632 2100 From this research, coal agglomerates of 15mm to
27.51mm should not be compressed beyond its compressive
0.0184 2130 (crushing) strength.
0.021 2300
0.02702 3200
0.0277 3300

ISBN: 978-988-19251-5-2 WCE 2011

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2011 Vol III
WCE 2011, July 6 - 8, 2011, London, U.K.

LIST OF SYMBOLS REFERENCES

[1] D. W. HorsfalL, Journal of the South African Institute of

D agglomerate diameter, mm Mining and Metallurgy. Properties and uses of mixtures of
coal, and water or oil. Vol.90. No 8. Aug. 1990. Pp.199-204.
[2] Medhurst T. P. ; Brown E. T. , An international journal of rock
K constant factor mechanics and mining sciences ISSN 1365-1609. 1997
[3] S. N. Omenyi, A. E. Fouda and C. E. CAPES, Journal of
2 Chemical Engineering Science. National Research Council,
Kc normalized crushing strength factor N/m Ottawa,Canada KIA OR9. Some surface energy effect in the
strength of moist polymer agglomerates. Vol.38. No.1. 1983. pp.
Kt tensile strength factor m2Jkg-1 85-90.
[4] http://www.powders,agglomerates and ellets.htm.htm
[5] Mars Mineral, Pelletizing Technology,Equipment. Systems.
c Compressive stress for the crushing of
[6]
Technology.
Kal V. S. Sastry, Reporting period. University of California,
agglomerates, N/m2 College of Engineering, Department of Materials Science and
Mineral Engineering, Berkeley, CA 94720.
[7] Wo 2007123512 20071101 description method for producing
Ơt tensile stress , N/m2 agglomerated material.
[8] S. N. Omenyi, A. E. Fouda and C. E. CAPES, Journal of
Chemical Engineering Science. National Research
L crushing load, N Council,Ottawa,Canada KIA OR9. Some surface energy effect
in the strength of moist polymer agglomerates.Vol.38. No.1.
S pore saturation 1983. pp. 85-90.
[9] Ma. Tec. Material technologies crush bk-crush strength.
[10] S. N. Omenyi, A. E. Fouda and C. E. CAPES, Journal of
So specific surface area of particles, m2kg-1 Chemical Engineering Science. National Research
Council,Ottawa,Canada KIA OR9. Correlation of moist strength
with contact angles for polymer powder agglomerates. Powder
ε porosity technology. Vol.33. 1982. pp. 167-174.
[11] N.E. Altun, C. Hicyilmaz and M. V. Kök , Journal of Thermal
Analysis and Calorimetry, The effect of different binders on the
γlν bridging liquid surface tension, J combustion properties of lignite Part I. Effect on thermal
properties.Vol. 65. No. 3. 2001. pp. 787-795.
γsν surface tension of solid(coal), J [12] John Rusnak and Christopher Mark, journal of National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health,Pittsburgh,PA. And
Peabody Group St. Loius, MO. using the point load test to
γsl surface tension of unknown, J determine the uniaxial compressive strength of coal measure
rock.
[13] Rumpf H. The strength of Granules and Aagglomerates, in W.A.
ρ density, Knepper (ed), Agglomerates, Interscience, New York, 1962,
pp.379 – 414
[14] A. M: ramadan, a. M. Saleh, t. A. Taha and m. R. Moharam. Ai-
θ contact angle Azhar University, Fac. Of Eng. Min. & Pet. Dept. Nasr City,
Cairo, Egypt. An Attempt to Improve Mechanical Properties of
Brick Produced from EL-Mahara Coal Washing Plant
α factor relating tensile strength to crushing strength, Waste.Physicochemical Problems of Mineral Processing,
defined by eqn. 6 35(2001), 153-160.
[15] C. E. Capes and J. P. Sutherland, Inst. of Eng. Chem. Process
Des. Dev., 6 (1967) 146.
[16] J. W. Wynnyckyj, C. E. Capes and M. Hraste, Agglomeration
Symposium, Nuremberg, F. R. G., May 1981.

ISBN: 978-988-19251-5-2 WCE 2011

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
View publication stats