Arq selects Eriez flotation cavitation tubes for energy technology plant

[caption id="attachment_1003742419" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Cavitation tubes Credit: Eriez[/caption] Arq, an innovator in the recovery and transformation of coal waste into a new source of high-value energy, recently installed eight 18-ft. Eriez CavTube flotation columns in its first commercial facility in Kentucky. The Arq process converts fine coal waste into Arq Fuel, a high value, microfine hydrocarbon with an average particle size of less than 5 microns and less than 1% mineral matter that can be blended into oil products. Arq Fuel behaves like oil, without the costs of the oil industry. Eriez’s CavTube columns, which are especially effective for the recovery of ultra-fine particles, are an integral component of Arq’s micro-separation process.  The cavitation tube sparging system - known as CavTubes - features a design based on hydrodynamic cavitation. This novel approach results in nucleation of ultra-fine bubbles on the particle surface, which facilitate flotation kinetics by improving the subsequent attachment of larger bubbles for separation. As a result, the flotation rate of ultra-fine particles is greatly improved. “In addition to the benefit of our cavitation tube sparging technology, column flotation cells offer superior metallurgical performance due to the use of both wash water and a deep froth phase,” Andrew Hobert, director of operations for Eriez Flotation U.S.A., explained in a release. “In the Arq application, these advantages minimize entrainment of ultra-fine mineral matter into the froth product.” “Arq are able to transform an environmental liability into a cleaner, more efficient source of low-cost energy through the innovative application of world-class technologies from multiple industries,” added Tom Tudor, Arq’s head of brand and communications. Eriez Flotation is a world leader in advanced flotation technology; the company provides advanced testing and engineering services, sparging and column flotation equipment, and innovations in process technology such as HydroFloat and StackCell for the mining and mineral processing industries. Arq is an energy technology company that recycles and transforms coal and coal waste into an entirely new source of high-value energy. For more information, visit www.EriezFlotation.com or www.Arq.com.