Track: Automation and Agility

Abstract

Coal with high amount of hydrocarbons and carbon is a brownish rock or black combustible. Its built up depends on the geological origins. The fossil resins are also organic material as natural plant resins. They are polymeric and very similar in appearance to artificial. Hence, the fossil resins are often confused with or mistaken as  with the modern resin. From some African deposts fossil resins are found in coal in economical amount. While industry use resin in decoration and jewellery, resin is also used as a traditional medicines in some rural communities. According to Market insider the market value of resin is R17.61 per kg and coal price is 0.85c per kg. Low recovery of resin from coal has led to resin being discarded with tailing which is not economic for the coal industry.  While coal may be recovered as a by-product when coal bearing resins is processed with microwaves (in multi- mode as well as in single mode)  through selective heating, microwave radiation was used as an effective way of extracting resin from resin bearing coal. The paper discusses the dual optimisation of resin and coal recovery.