IntroductionMoisture removal from coal is always an important part of coal processing1. Low rank coals including lignite and subbituminous coal are generally featured by high moisture content (30-65%) which plays critical roles in every respects of their utilization, including combustion, gasification and liquefaction. Drying has been an integrated process for many combustion units and utility boilers firing low rank coals. Moisture in low rank coals has caused hazardous problems during coal handling including storage, milling and transportation. High energy consumption and emission of CO2 resulted from the high water content in low rank coals have significantly limited its market, in particular exportation. Spontaneous combustion and low temperature oxidation leading to coal degradation are also directly associated with moisture re-adsorption which may be reduced by bnquetting process. Understand drying and moisture re-adsorption behaviour of low rank coal is therefore crucial for the development of technologies of low rank coal utilization such as bnquetting techniques.
Li Xianchun Hui Song Wang Qi Chatphol Meesri Terry Wall Jianglong Yu
School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology,Dalian(116012), China School of Mate Faculty of Energy and Power Engineering, Shenyang Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Shenyang (1 School of Material Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan (11 Coal Technology, Banpu Public Company Limited, Thailand Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia Faculty of Energy and Power Engineering, Shenyang Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Shenyang (1