COAL HANDLEABILITY - A GOOD OR A BAD COAL

The avalanching behaviour of two coal types was determined, one of goo d and the other of poor handleability characteristics. This revealed s ignificant differences in the nature of dow of the coals. Analysis of the strange attractors of the weight series of avalanches enabled quan itification of this difference, and the establishment of practical, re lative criteria for the measurement of coal handleability. These crite ria will now enable a structured study of the variables that affect ha ndleability, for example proportion of fines and moisture content, and industrial consumers of coal to specify minimum acceptable limits for its transport characteristics.