Mixtures of Organic and Inorganic Salts to Prevent Coal Freezing

Abstract

Methods are proposed for the production of effective new reagents: binary salt systems that form low-temperature eutectics with water and readily melt ice, thereby preventing the freezing of coal in autumn and winter. Considerations of availability, cost, and physicochemical properties are of most importance in the selection of mixtures of organic and inorganic salts that are able to prevent the freezing of coal at temperatures down to–40°C. Research shows that the freezing point of solutions of organic-salt mixtures are lower than those of the individual mixture components. This may be explained by a synergetic effect. The consumption of the proposed salt mixtures for the prevention of coal freezing is considerably less than that of comparable systems containing only a single salt.