The Heart of the Mine: The Breaker

A look at the processing and cleaning process of anthracite coal from inside an operational anthracite preparation plant. Like coal mining? Then join the PA world today and get exposed to the COAL side!
Chapter List:
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Raw Coal Input/ Main Crusher
01:19 Heavy Media Drum
02:06 Vibrators/ Refuse Circuit
03:53 No. 4 Coal Circuit
04:31 Magnetic Separators
05:38 Cogen Circuit
06:20 Clean Coal Transfer Tube
07:23 Wood Removal/ Daniels Bath System
08:03 Sizing Screens/ Vibrators
08:55 No. 5 Coal Circuit
10:17 Clean Coal Pockets
11:15 Finished Products
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[@lowercherty]

I'm a former "plant rat" in a Minnesota iron mine. Glad to hear some respect for us. It's always impressive to see a 2014 haul truck dumping into a 1967 crusher. You mine guys always get to play with the new equipment.

[@farmin4468]

This was a amazingly cool video! That is definitely not something most people will ever get to see. It's nice to be able to understand the process and what all goes onto it. Thank you!!

[@PAmining]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! This is a new kind of video to my Channel, and I'm pleased to see it's going over well!

[@mrrolandlawrence]

Good to see PAmining back! We've missed the regular posting of videos!

[@chadrides914]

Really cool look at the screening setup, shakers, and spray bars and gravity hoppers. I've been hoping at some point the gravel pit I work at will get spray bars to wash our finished product before the material comes off the head pulley onto the stock pile but the wastewater is too much of a hassle to deal with :/ And for some reason I've always been kind of mesmerized by the magnetite. I love that you showed the big magnets seperating it. Really neat. You Sir, obviously love what you do and your proud to be part of your outfit. Nice to see someone who prides themself in their work and is willing to share some of it.

[@PAmining]

Thanks. This is what I've wanted to work around since I was a kid, so yeah, I love it!

[@jeffreyholtz7723]

@@PAmining just wanted to ask your opinion on Coal Fire plants. Do you ever see in the near future the power company's going with Clean Coal Fired power plants. I've actually written a letter to this current Administration stating my concern with handing out permits for natural gas power plants. I've explained in the letter to them the fact that we have close to 350 years of coal where we only have around 80 years of natural gas at the current rate in which the consumer depends on. Plus the major fact it creates a lot more jobs then gas. Just wanted your thoughts on it considering your biggest customers is the power company followed by the steel industry.

[@calraines6931]

Thanks much for the tour. Reminds me some of the old foundry at Dresser in Olean, NY. Dark and dirty. Back in the 50's my Dad would order 1 ton of coal for the colder periods. That stuff was around 3-5 inches, but it looks like that's all changed. Enjoyed the vid!

[@gmtrucks1207]

I think its great your educating people about coal mining

[@lidsman2221]

Thanks for that tour. That was really cool. I was unaware that people still heated their houses with coal. I know my granddaddy said when he was a kid and even older they had coal in their house.

[@markstengel7680]

Thoroughly enjoyed this episode on Coal. In 1960s had friend in sussex county, nj his home was Coal heated. He was embarrassed because the Coal discolored the walls & ceiling inside his 1883 built home. Enjoyed Tour🚜👍

[@pressureworks]

?????? He must have been doing something way wroong Grandparents burned rice coal. Coal bin in 1/4 of the basement. Coal was delivered wet, no dust.scooped by shovel & bucket into the furnace. No dust.

[@Trucker316]

Great video and I enjoyed watching it! I drive a tri-axle dump truck and a good percentage of my loads are processed coal. It was nice to see how it's prepared before I pick up a load!

[@PAmining]

+Trucker316 Cool and glad you enjoyed the video!

[@victortenma5512]

Very informative video. Thank you for making this.

[@mccormickchainsaw]

thanks for the upload i have been wanting to show my brothers how a plant worked

[@stnicholas54]

Excellent and informative.

[@13frontrow]

as always excellent stuff buddy..

[@urgbos]

Great video.

[@wilsonmthethwa5797]

Wonderful experience, i am also interested on how coal properties are measure like calorific value, ash content, and others.

[@ddf414]

Grate video.

[@canvids1]

All I can say is thanks for your tour of the processing plant for coal. You must have good connections or friends that would let you in there to video the operation. I worked for the railway for over 30 years and this before 9/11 could be done with special permission. Now after I worked there for the many years I am not aloud to enter the property. It is so bad I can't even go in there and visit the workers that I worked with. Thanks so much America for all your scare tactics it is working very well.

[@PAmining]

Thanks. I do have a lot of contacts in the mining industry. The issue today is that mining is viewed as a bad omen in the eyes of the public. Regulations are getting tighter and tighter on this industry and visitors are often frowned upon because of the risk of people taking pictures or videos of something that should not be posted online, such as a mine accident. My videos are for education and to promote mining in a positive way.

[@mikewhipkey6863]

PAmining Thank God for Donald Trump!!

[@nthabisengm6010]

wow! great video...

[@desimirbobinac7073]

great video

[@timkis64]

very interesting & informing video, thank you sir.

[@SmokeStack684]

I'm so glad your back. And with a really great video. Fascinating!

[@PAmining]

SmokeStack684 I never left lol. Thanks

[@gangesexcavating]

AWESOME view of a seldom videoed subject. Real cool video man.

[@PAmining]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@gangesexcavating]

PAmining I really did. Your video quality is just superb! I wish I could pull off the video quality that you always do. It`s a real treat when your video come up on my subscriptions list. A neat angle of view on the industry. Wish I could do half of what you do, on my video of coastal industry here.

[@PAmining]

Tax me I'm Canadian Thank you! The video quality will get better soon as I am now shooting in 1080p. Haha, yeah I get that a lot...everybody wants to be me lol. I appreciate fans like you who appreciate my work and enjoy it. This hobby wouldn't be fun for me without the fans!

[@swn02]

a lot more work than I was guessing, to get to a finished product

[@michaelchamberlain4618]

I love the coal and my coal stove burner died 3 weeks ago. Time to rebuild it or replace it.

[@AllanLoveJr]

I LOVE COAL. I SUPPORT COAL 100%

[@conantdog]

Interesting 👍

[@bigmike690smc]

I kinda miss hauling coal met some good people at those mines..

[@philliplee980]

Interesting

[@pauldillinger2286]

Would like to see more videos.

[@Drew6709]

COOL! Do you work there to have such access? I didn't know there were so many grades made.

[@Mariusdubose]

I noticed the use of water in the plant. Is it a closed loop system, recycled, or an open system, sent to sewer once used?

[@PAmining]

Yes it is a closed loop system. The dirty water exits the plant and runs in what is called a settling tank. Here, a large set or rakes under the water turn to agitate the water, which thus will help the dirt particles to sink to the bottom of the tank where they are them pumped out the bottom of the tank and discharged. The particles that exit the tank, which often looks like thick muddy water, is called a sludge. After completing the settling process, the clean water runs over an overflow at the top of the tank and is then pumped back into the plant and recycled.

[@DavidC1]

Does co-gen coal go to power plants? What size is that coal? Like a dust or sand?

[@andrewasbra5996]

Do a lot more processing plants video by the way my name is Andrew asbra

[@8068]

Are there plants that recover finer than No. 4 coal? Or is not economically viable to recover smaller than No. 4?

[@PAmining]

No. 4 and 5 are the finest coals produced in the anthracite market. I don't know of anything finer that's produced

[@arym1108]

Think it’s loud in there?

[@Yesquiet]

Your voice sounds like Dustin Hoffman ...... did you like The Graduate , maybe Midnight Cowboy ..... not Tootsie though

[@Yesquiet]

Videos are v well done ..... enjoy watching thank you

[@frutt5k]

wowwww I walked over a cokes furnace but never inside such machine.

[@anthonylucibello67]

whys there wood in the coal is it just not turned into coal yet

[@PAmining]

Almost all surface coal mines in PA today are re-mining areas that were once underground mined. The wood is from old sprags and timbers from underground workings.

[@anthonylucibello67]

oh thats interesting so is this thing portable in the sense that its like an erector set

[@PAmining]

Anthony Lucibello Some processing plants are, however larger ones like this one are non-modular and are built to remain in one location for decades.

[@anthonylucibello67]

thanks for the response

[@pressureworks]

Why not tell us the company and location??

[@PAmining]

That's called being respectful to the company who gave me the permission and access to visit their operations and not want their name plastered on the internet. Furthermore, what business is it of yours?

[@WrenB111]

If it was the 1850's that palce would be full of boys breaking and seperating it all by hand. How come there are no workers? Place looks deserted

[@bellboy407]

You really should invest in a better camera.

[@PAmining]

Thanks for reminding me on what I've already done. I am now shooting in 1080p and am in the process of running out the rest of my 720p videos. In the future, all action videos will be shot in 1080p, however documentaries will remain in 720p.