This research addresses two important issues confronting coal flotation plants in Australia, the use of saline water and the processing of clayey coal. Two coal samples obtained from BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and Xstrata were tested to represent coarse coal flotation and fine coal flotation, respectively. Saline water with low, medium and high ionic strengths and individual electrolytes encountered in the flotation plants were used. It was found that saline water had a more pronounced effect on fine coal flotation than coarse coal flotation despite similar mineral compositions and clay mineral types present. Although saline water increased froth stability in both fine and coarse coal flotation, coal particle aggregation only occurred between fine coal particles resulting in an increased recovery of coal particles as well as the entrapment of fine gangue minerals. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.