Mitigation of microplastic pollution by blending with products of metallurgical coal processing

Microplastic pollution is a serious environmental concern, which requires innovative solutions. This study investigates the incorporation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polycarbonate (PC) microplastics into the products of coal processing, specifically clean coal concentrates from flotation, to evaluate their effect on coal coking properties. After flotation, microplastics were blended with the flotation concentrates at varying concentrations and tested for caking properties by Free Swelling Index (FSI) and fluidity by Gieseler Fluidity (GF). The results show that while FSI remained largely unaffected, fluidity was significantly reduced, indicating that coal concentrates mixed with plastic will not be suitable for metallurgical coke production. However, blending the microplastics with coal middlings reduced ash content while maintaining high calorific value. This suggests a promising alternative for use in thermal coal applications such as power generation, gasification, or even hydrogen production.