- Title
- Experiments on the flotation of coarse composite particles
- Creator
- Jameson, Graeme J.
- Relation
- International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC 2014). IMPC2014: Online Proceedings (Santiago, Chile 20-24 October, 2014)
- Relation
- http://www.gecaminpublications.com/impc2014
- Publisher
- Gecamin Digital Publications
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2014
- Description
- When mineral particles are floated in a mechanical flotation cell, it is found that the rate constant, after reaching a maximum value, starts to decline as particle size increases. It had been thought that the reduction in rate constant had been due to the increased prevalence of composite particles in natural ores, for larger particles. However, Jameson (2012) showed that the rate constant for composites is certainly a function of the surface liberation, but the reduction in flotation rate is independent of particle size. Thus all particles are equally affected by reduced surface liberation, independently of their size. He further argued that the classical peak observed in the rate constant with increasing particle size, is a function of machine hydrodynamics. Thus in mechanical cells, the peak may be due to the high energy dissipation rate and its effects on the detachment of particles from bubbles (Goel and Jameson, 2012). Consequently, in a different flotation environment, it may be possible to float large composite particles that cannot be floated in mechanical cells. This paper describes the flotation of large composite particles in a fluidized bed flotation cell. The particles to be floated are fed to a column in which there is a continuous upflow of liquid. A conventional froth layer of controlled depth is formed at the top of the vessel. A fluidized bed of particles is established which provides a gentle environment for the contacting of large particles with bubbles. An example is given where a porphyry copper ore was prepared at a top size of 710 μm, and floated with conventional collector (PAX) and frother (MIBC). The concentrate was separated into size fractions and examined by photography. Composites were observed at all size fractions, but above 400 μm, all particles were composites. The implications for future flotation circuits will be described.
- Subject
- flotation machines; particle shape and size
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1322341
- Identifier
- uon:24565
- Language
- eng
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