Flocculation is an essential phenomenon in mineral beneficiation. This method has shown promise for the use of polysaccharide-based flocculants derivative for flocculation of fine coal particles. Both inorganic and organic synthetic flocculants are used in a number of studies. The purpose of this work is to gain a deeper understanding of the interaction mechanism between guar gum derivative flocculants and low quality lignite tailings suspensions. The adhesion of the flocculants to the coal surface and subsequent flocculation has been investigated in detail. The effect of time, pH, flocculation dose, and solid content on adhesion and settling efficiency has been studied.