Advanced Techniques on Fine and Coarse Particle Flotation

FlotationFlotation is a physicochemical process that is used for the separation of hydrophobicHydrophobic particles from hydrophilicHydrophilic ones. This method is widely used in mineral processingMineral processing for the selective separation of valuable mineralsMineral. It is also used in water treatment and recyclingRecycling processes. In the flotationFlotation of mineralsMineral, hydrophobicHydrophobic particles form bubble-particle aggregates as a result of micro-events, namely collisionCollision, attachment, and detachment. The aggregatesAggregates float to the top of the flotation cellFlotation cell as a concentrateConcentrate, while the hydrophilicHydrophilic particles, which are not attached to bubblesBubble, sink to the bottom of the cell and are taken out as tailings in direct flotationFlotation. The concentrateConcentrate and tailing positions in the cell are reversed for reverse flotationReverse flotation applicationsApplications. To achieve high flotation recoveriesFlotation recovery, particles shall securely attach to air bubblesAir bubble and stay attached as they rise to the top of the cell inside the flotation cellFlotation cell. The most critical parameterParameter affecting the stabilityStability of bubble-particle aggregatesBubble-particle aggregates is the sizeSize of the particles. The optimum sizeSize range for traditional mechanicalMechanical flotation cellsFlotation cell is typically between 20 and 150 µm for metal sulfidesMetal sulfides. The flotation recoveryFlotation recovery decreases outside this range due to high turbulenceTurbulence within the cell for coarser particles and low bubble-particle collision probabilityCollision probability for the finer end of the particle sizeParticle size spectrumSpectrum. In recent years, however, many studies have become available that promise improvement in recovery for finer and coarser ends of the particle sizeParticle size spectrumSpectrum. In this chapter, the developmentDevelopment of new technologies to increase the efficiencyEfficiency of the flotationFlotation of fineFine and coarse particlesCoarse particle is discussed. General flotationFlotation theory and parametersParameter affecting the recovery of particles are explained in detail. Relatively new technologies such as the Jameson cellJameson cell, Concorde cellConcorde cell, Hydrofloat, Jet Diffuser Flotation ColumnJet Diffuser Flotation Column, NovaCellNovacell and Reflux flotation cellReflux flotation cell have significant potential for both fineFine and coarse particleCoarse particle sizesSize.