This work presents the influence of dispersants on coal-water slurry (CWS), which was prepared from the solid residue of plasma pyrolysis of coal. The effects of dispersant type, solid concentration, dispersant content, and temperature on the theological properties of CWS are examined. A suitable empirical model regarding the relation between viscosity and temperature is proposed. Through the sedimentation experiment of CWS, dispersants are found to significantly promote the stability of CWS. (C) 2019 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.