Centrifugal immersion technique for characterizing the wettability of coal particles

Abstract

An approach which enables the determination of the distribution of wettability regions on heterogeneous rough particles by centrifugal immersion is described. Wettability site distribution obtained with centrifugal immersion is a function of surface chemistry, shape of the particles, and the dynamics of the wetting process. Surface chemistry plays a predominant role in the wetting of particles of low hydrophobicity, whereas the shape of the particle is critical in the case of wetting of more hydrophobic particles.