To stay profitable while complying with environmental regulations requires that the coal industry not only improve fine coal recovery but also finds better ways for its utilization. This is the first monograph on the processing of fine coal which recognizes that all unit operations that handle fine coal depend on coal surface properties, and which in one single volume provides a comprehensive introduction to coal surface chemistry, using it rigorously in treating coal flotation fundamentals and engineering, fine coal manipulation, pelletization and briquetting, and coal-water slurries. Readers involved in mineral processing, chemical engineering, mining and metallurgical engineering; technical personnel working for reagent suppliers; and scientists researching the field of coal surface chemistry, flotation and fine coal utilization will find this volume of great interest.

In the lifetimes of the authors, the world and especially the United States have received three significant “wake-up calls” on energy production and consumption. The first of these occurred on October 15, 1973 when the Yom Kippur War began with an attack by Syria and Egypt on Israel. The United States and many western countries supported Israel. Because of the western support of Israel, several Arab oil exporting nations imposed an oil embargo on the west. These nations withheld five million barrels of oil per day. Other countries made up about one million barrels of oil per day but the net loss of four million barrels of oil production per day extended through March of 1974. This represented 7% of the free world’s (i. e. , excluding the USSR) oil production. In 1972 the price of crude oil was about $3. 00 per barrel and by the end of 1974 the price of oil had risen by a factor of 4 to over $12. 00. This resulted in one of the worst recessions in the post World War II era. As a result, there was a movement in the United States to become energy independent. At that time the United States imported about one third of its oil (about five million barrels per day). After the embargo was lifted, the world chose to ignore the “wake-up call” and went on with business as usual.

Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat is a component of Encyclopedia of Energy Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat with contributions from distinguished experts in the field discusses matters of great relevance to our world such as: Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat; Coal Geology and Geochemistry; Coal Technology; Oil Shale; Natural Bitumen (Tar Sands) and Heavy Oil; Peat and Peatland. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

More than 100 papers originating from 24 countries report the most recent advances in mineral processing and related fields. They represent a coherent combination of subjects from such diverse areas as communication classification, gravity, magnetic and electrostatic separation, flotation fundamentals and technology, hydrometallurgy, coal processing, industrial minerals, gold and silver, modeling, simulation and control, dewatering, agglomeration. Conventional and column flotation, reagent-surface interactions, handling of cyanide containing leach liquors in gold recovery processing of industrial minerals, especially boron minerals, and of coal receive special emphasis. The book is anticipated to be a reference material for those who practice mineral processing, coal preparation, hydrometallurgy, surface chemistry and environmental remediation. .