MINING MINING MINING MINING MINING 
Project Fact Sheet 
NOVEL DEWATERING AIDS FOR MINERAL AND COAL 
BENEFITS 
FINES 
• Decreases energy use for 
dewatering by improving 
efficiency 
• Minimizes the loss of fine coal 
• Facilitates the recovery of 
valuables from tailings 
impoundments 
APPLICATION 
These novel dewatering aids 
should meet industry’s need to 
remove surface moisture from 
particulate materials in an efficient 
manner, which will help minimize 
waste generation in the mining 
industry. 
NOVEL DEWATERING AIDS COULD ELIMINATE THE USE OF 
THERMAL DRYERS 
The minerals and coal industries are using various mechanical methods such as 
vacuum filtration and centrifugation to remove water from concentrates. However, 
mechanical dewatering is inefficient when particle sizes are small. An alternative 
would be to use thermal driers, however they are energy intensive, costly, and can 
create environmental problems. Novel chemical additives can improve the 
efficiency of the conventional mechanical dewatering methods, particularly those 
using vacuum filters. 
The novel dewatering aids are designed to increase the rate at which water is 
removed during mechanical dewatering and to reduce the moisture of the final 
product. Preliminary work showed that the use of reagents can reduce the cake 
moistures to approximately 50% lower levels than can be achieved without using 
reagents. Some of the reagents have been tested successfully in pilot-scale. 
Various other reagents will be tested to further improve the efficiency and minimize 
the reagent costs. If successful, the use of novel dewatering aids can obviate the 
need to use thermal dryers to dewater mineral and coal concentrates, and help 
mining companies produce valuable materials with greater efficiencies. 
DISC FILTER 
Pilot-scale disc filter used for dewatering tests. 
OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES 
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Project Description 
Objective: To develop novel chemicals used in conjunction with conventional 
mechanical dewatering equipment so that water can be removed more efficiently. 
The use of the reagents will not only allow mining companies to recover the fines 
that are currently being discarded, but also help them recover valuables from 
waste impoundments. 
PROJECT PARTNERS Progress and Milestones 
This project includes the following activities: Minerals and Coal 
Technologies, Inc. 
Blacksburg, VA 
• Conduct dewatering experiments using various candidate chemicals. 
• Develop optimum reagent blends for coal and mineral samples. 
Beard Technology, Inc. 
Pittsburgh, PA 
• Test the reagents on a variety of coal and mineral samples. Peterson Filters Corporation 
Salt Lake City, UT 
Commercialization Plan Boliden AB 
Boliden, Sweden 
Minerals and Coal Technologies, Inc. has acquired exclusive licenses for the 
dewatering technologies. If successful, they will be marketed directly by Minerals 
and Coal Technologies, Inc. and/or licensed to a chemical company serving the 
mineral and coal industries. Several potential users of the technologies are 
working closely with Minerals and Coal Technologies, Inc. 
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, 
PLEASE CONTACT: 
Office of Industrial Technologies 
Clearinghouse 
Phone: (800) 862-2086 
Fax: (360) 586-8303 
clearinghouse@ee.doe.gov 
Visit our home page at 
www.oit.doe.gov/mining 
Office of Industrial Technologies 
Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy 
U.S. Department of Energy 
Washington, D.C. 20585 
June 2001