Abstract
Ths U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted fundamental coal fragmentation studies to evaluate the effects of impact energy and direction of bedding plans on dust generation, size distribution, and impact-output energy relationships. Product size distributions were obtained for the fragmented samples by screening to minus 150 mesh. The minus 150-mesh fines were analyzed with a light- scattering photometer with a measurement range of 176 to 1.9 Um. Increased input energy produced a significant increase in the weight of plus 3/8-in material for impact perpendicular to the bedding planes. No significant trend was observed for parallel impact. Impact direction had little influence on dust size distribution, and input versus output energy relationships. As expected, total airborne dust measured at time of impact and percent particulates below 11 um in size generally increased wtih increased input energy for both directions of impact. Energy used for sample fragmentation increased with increased energy input.
