Leaching of coal by trioxoboric acid for coal cleaning

Abstract

Trioxoboric acid (H3BO3) is a white weakly soluble acid produced from boron minerals. This acid type was used for the first time in this study for ash and sulfur removal from coal. Ash and sulfur are the most important impurities in the content of coal and have significant effects on environmental pollution. It is possible to remove ash and sulfur by H3BO3 leaching. However, there have not been enough studies in this area and the performance of trioxoboric acid has not been fully demonstrated. In this study, leaching performance of trioxoboric acid and other strong acids (hydrofluoric, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids) has been demonstrated. Trioxoboric acid removed ash and sulfur from coal by 41.18% and 32.16%, respectively. This acid can compete especially with hydrochloric and sulfuric acid in sulfur removal. However, hydrofluoric acid provided the best results in ash and sulfur removal.