The smallest coal in the world: Coal Mill makes unique multidust Black coal is a traditional energy commodity, but it has recently been used less and less in the manufacturing industry due to the need for reducing emissions. But there are still some applications that require black coal, even in its special form: as coal dust. In the Czech Republic, this product is made by Coal Mill of the MTX Group. Its products are used by industries that still completely rely on coal dust. However, the company is also trying a new generation of products, which will make it less dependent on coal. Written by: Luděk Vokáč, photography by: Barbora Mráčková
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t its plant in Dětmarovice, Coal Mill manufactures products called CF1 and CF2. CF stands for carbo-fuel, which is basically nothing more than ground coal. It is ground so finely it becomes basically a liquid, which is an essential property of these products that are also sometimes called hard coal multidust. But you cannot actually see this ultra-fine dust anywhere at the Coal Mill plant – unless you come here during the regular overhaul, which takes place once every three years, during which the machines are disassembled. “The powder is very fine, but it can sand almost anything like sandpaper," says Coal Mill director Petr Labuzík. Therefore, it is necessary to disassemble everything once every three years, replace the worn parts (such the giant grinding pendulum and the grinding circle in a concrete bed), reassemble everything again and weld it carefully. The routes through which the powder travels and where it is finally stored (two silos in the area) must be sealed perfectly.
