GRANULATION OF COAL

PURPOSE:To prevent admixture of ash and to successfully granulate coal, by separating and removing the ash and moisture from the coal, and then granulating it in a hydrophobic liquid using water as a binder, in granulating hydrophilic coal. CONSTITUTION:Heavy liquid which is heavier than coal but lighter than ash, such as carbon tetrachloride, is charged to a separator 10 and a hydrophobic liquid such as kerosine to a granulation vessel 13. Then slurry 20 of crushed and finely divided coal such as brown coal is introduced into the separator 10, in which the contained ash is separated and settled, and the ash is discharged via a conduit 21. The coal slurry 20 freed from the ash is introduced into a vacuum dehydrator 11, and after moisture is removed to such an extent that the moisture remains only on the surface of the coal particle, the coal particle is introduced into the granulator 13 and mixed under agitation in kerosine. Thus the coal particles are allowed to collide with each other and granulated using as a binder the moisture adhering to and remaining on the surface of the coal particle, to obtain the purpose granulated coal 26.