Roughing and cleaning flotation behaviour and the realistic simulation of complete plant performance

Data are presented which illustrate a range of flotation behaviour observed for roughing and cleaning operations in industrial plants. Differences are observed in the size by size recoveries in cleaner flotation from those measured in the roughers.The implications of these differences to flotation modelling are discussed, and the importance of conducting confirmatory laboratory batch flotation tests is emphasized.Batch flotation tests have indicated that for certain minerals the flotation characteristics in the cleaner tests are substantially different from those in rougher tests conducted under the same conditions of pulp level, impeller speed, aeration rate and froth removal. The differences are most pronounced for the coarse particles.Computer simulations of a rougher-cleaner circuit have been done to illustrate the effects of these differences on predicted circuit performance. The differences are significant and arise mainly from differences in the behaviour of coarse particles.     

Effects of process variables on the residence time distribution of a solid in a continuously operated flotation cell

Effects of aeration rate, slurry flow rate, stirring rate, pulp density, and particle size on the residence time distribution of a solid in a continuously operated flotation cell under non-flotation conditions (no frother, no concentrate removal) have been examined. The mixing behaviour of the solid in the cell has been quantitatively analysed using a multiple parameter approach. The results indicate that only a part of the cell volume behaves as a perfect mixer, the remaining being dead. The exit residence time distribution E(t) and the mean residence time ( ) of solid are described by: and where Q is the volumetric slurry flow rate. For the variables ranges examined, it is observed that the aeration does not have any significant effect on the mixing behaviour, V_eff increases with increasing slurry flow rate and stirring rate but decreases with increasing pulp density. The mean residence time, on the other hand, increases with increasing stirring rate, decreases with increasing slurry flow rate and pulp density, and exhibits a maximum with respect to particle size. Following empirical equation correlating the effective volume of the cell with the operating variables for a unisize feed is obtained: where B is the weight fraction of solid in the pulp.     

A compartment model for the mass transfer inside a conventional flotation cell

A model is developed by taking into account the simultaneous mechanisms of true flotation and entrainment in a conventional flotation cell. The total volume of the cell is divided into three compartments: pulp collection zone, pulp quiescent zone and froth region, with the mechanisms being modeled as occurring at the same time but originating at different places: true flotation from the collection zone and entrainment from the quiescent one. A particle is referred to as suspended in water or attached to an air bubble, depending upon its original state before crossing the pulp–froth interface (whether or not it remains in that state all the way to the concentrate launder). The model is obtained by solving a set of equations describing the mass conservation of solids and water between adjacent compartments. The principal mass transfer factors are identified as: the flotation rate constant, the mean residence time in the collection zone, the froth recovery of attached particles, the degree of entrainment through the froth and the water recovery from the feed to the concentrate. The development presented here allows the intricate nature of the mass transfer in a flotation cell to be reduced to one single equation, overcoming the need of numerical methods for simulation purposes. Moreover, it is shown that reliable prediction of grade and recovery can be obtained without detailed information on the pulp hydrodynamics or on any froth sub-process either than drainage, bubble bursting and bubble coalescence.     

A rational interpretation of the role of particle size in flotation

From the examination of data from detailed plant surveys and associated laboratory batch testing, the principal effects of particle size in flotation have been identified. The current state of knowledge concerning the role of this variable is discussed in terms of the evidence presented. It is concluded that the minimum degree of hydrophobicity necessary for the flotation of a particle depends upon its size and as a result, recovery-size curves are a valuable diagnostic aid to the assessment of flotation performance. Entrainment is shown to be an important contributory mechanism to the recovery of fine particles which, when coupled with a low rate of genuine flotation, can account for much of the observed behaviour of such fines. The significance of particle size and its consequences in flotation research, in plant operations and in control schemes has been under-rated. The separate conditioning or flotation or both of separate size fractions seems inevitable as ores become increasingly difficult to concentrate.     

The natural flotability of chalcopyrite

In an extensive programme of batch flotation tests on mixtures of purified minerals, it was established that freshly ground chalcopyrite displayed natural flotability in an oxidising environment and non-flotability in a reducing environment. No rational hypothesis to account for this behaviour has emerged. Grinding in an iron mill produced strongly reducing conditions and consequently suppressed flotation which was restored subsequently by raising the potential of the pulp either by aeration or by the addition of oxidants. The coarse particle sizes recovered more slowly than other fractions. The type and addition of frother had a pronouced effect on the natural flotability, but no proven effect on hydrophobicity. There is some evidence that whilst these observations apply to chalcopyrite from several sources when floated from mixtures with quartz, chalcopyrite in real ore samples does not necessarily show the same flotation behaviour.     

Oxidation-Reduction effects in the flotation of chalcocite and cuprite

A laboratory study of the batch flotation of chalcocite from chalcocite-quartz mixtures and of cuprite from cuprite-quartz mixtures with potassium ethyl xanthate as collector has shown that the oxidation-reduction state of the flotation pulp can have a pronounced influence on mineral floatabilities. At pH 11 chalcocite floated over a relatively narrow Eh range of about 300 mV; pH had no influence on the potential of the lower flotation boundary in reducing conditions but had a significant effect on the potential of the upper boundary in oxidizing conditions. Below this upper limit, the floatability was reversible with respect to Eh. Provided the Eh was in correct region chalcocite could be floated in the absence of measurable concentrations of dissolved oxygen.Cuprite displayed a high level of floatability with ethyl xanthate for which, by contrast with chalcocite, no flotation limit in reducing conditions was found; over a small range of potentials close to zero, its behaviour was strongly pH dependent.An attempt to account for the floatabilities of chalcocite and cuprite in terms of the formation of cuprous ethyl xanthate on their surfaces did not lead to correlations with the observed behaviour in reducing conditions but provided a rough correlation with the upper flotation potential limit. It is believed that more detailed and properly controlled comparative flotation studies of the chalcocite-xanthate and cuprite-xanthate systems could help to resolve some of the uncertainties associated with the effects of Eh, pH and oxygen concentration in sulphide mineral flotation.     

The selective flotation of enargite from other copper minerals — a single mineral study in relation to beneficiation of the Tampakan deposit in the Philippines

The floatability of enargite (3Cu₂S.As₂S₅) has been determined as a function of pulp potential to establish whether the flotation behaviour of the mineral differs sufficiently from that of other copper minerals thus offering the prospect of rejecting arsenic from the Tampakan ore by potential control during flotation.     

Mixing and gangue dispersion in flotation machine pulps

Tracer experiments using quartz in sized ranges to simulate gangue minerals provide information on how impeller speed, air rate, and particle size determine the concentration of gangue in the uppermost pulp layers. Tests with and without a froth will contribute towards an understanding of the selective action of the froth column.Results indicate that the laboratory machine-operating conditions required for flotation coincide with a hydrodynamic region which is responsible for fine-gangue transfer from the pulp into the froth column by elutriation and entrainment process acting in the pulp, thus compromising the selective action of the flotation process itself.Topics are suggested requiring further investigation and mention is made of machine design features to which attention should be paid in attempting to reduce gangue transfer from pulp to froth.     

Development and implementation of a new flowsheet for the flotation of a low grade nickel ore

Low grade nickel ores containing large amounts of serpentine minerals have historically been difficult to process efficiently. The Mt Keith ore was no exception with recoveries in the first five years of operation averaging just 60%.In this research, the factors limiting performance have been identified and a new process has been devised that raises recovery significantly. The process exploits the particle size dependence of nickel sulphide flotation and the different ways that pH change and pulp density influence the response of coarse and fine particles.Implementation of the new process at Mt Keith has raised nickel recovery by 10%. In turn, nickel production has increased by over 6000 t.p.a. and the net present value (NPV) of the operation has increased by over A$300 m. These outcomes illustrate the large commercial benefits that can be gained by understanding particle size effects in flotation.     

Effect of collector, pH and ionic strength on the cationic flotation of kaolinite

The effect of amine collector type, pH, and ionic strength on the flotation behaviour of kaolinite was investigated in a series of laboratory batch flotation tests. In distilled water, ether diamine, a strong collector for silica, does not induce any flotation or only very weak flotation of kaolinite over a wide pH range from pH 3 to pH 10.5. Ether monoamine causes strong flotation of kaolinite in distilled water, especially in acidic solutions, but high dosages of the collector are required. Such observations are in contrast to the flotation behaviour of oxide minerals such as silica for which ether diamine shows stronger collecting power than ether monoamine. The pH dependence of kaolinite flotation is also opposite to that of oxides, with lower flotation recovery obtained at higher pH. In contrast to oxides, the flotation recovery of kaolinite increases with ionic strength. It was demonstrated that the enhanced flotation of kaolinite in NaCl solutions cannot be attributed to the frothing ability of NaCl or the intercalation of kaolinite by alkylamines. It is proposed that the screened zeta potential of kaolinite particles in a high ionic strength environment causes random aggregation of kaolinite particles exposing hydrophobic (001) silica plane in the presence of ether amines.     

Flotation circuits for poorly floating coals

A number of flotation circuits for the recovery of a poorly floating coal were investigated by laboratory batch testing. Analysis of the size and ash distributions of the products and tailings showed that the circuits which would allow an equitable distribution of collector between the coarse and fine size fractions were superior. These circuits were two-stage reagent addition, reflotation of classified tailings and split feed flotation. The reflotation of classified tailings circuit not only gave the best metallurgical performance, it also was the least affected by pulp density variations and imperfect size classification.     

Modelling transport phenomena in a flotation de-inking column: Focus on gas flow,pulp and froth retention time

A laboratory flotation column using Venturi aerators and a vacuum system to remove froth was used to investigate the contribution of gas flow, pulp flow, cell volume and froth retention time on the ink removal efficiency and on cellulose fibres and mineral fillers loss. The increase in the gas flow from 4 to 8 L/min gave a general rise of particle transport from the pulp slurry to the froth with an ensuing strong increase in ink removal, from 75% to 85%, and water and total loss, from 10% to 40% and 15% to 30%, respectively. Whereas, the increase of the cell volume from 14 to 24 L improved ink removal from 72% to 80% without considerably affecting flotation loss. The rise of the froth retention time in the flotation cell from 5 to 20 s before removal gave a general decrease in the flotation loss from 20% to 11% without a corresponding decrease in ink removal. This trend was interpreted as reflecting poor ink drainage through the froth. The increase of both pulp and froth retention time in the flotation cell appeared as the most favourable way to improve ink flotation selectivity. A mathematical model, describing particle removal during flotation in terms of true flotation, entrainment and drainage, was proposed and used to fit experimental data.     

Upgrading of calcareous phosphate ores by flotation: Effect of ore characteristics

Sedimentary phosphates contain-besides the phosphate minerals-, various associated gangue minerals such as: clays, silica, calcareous minerals (mainly calcite and dolomite), carbonaceous matter, iron oxides and/or pyrite. The common practiced flow-sheets for concentrating these types of phosphate ores consist of a combination of various mineral processing units such as: crushing and screening, attrition, washing, magnetic separation, and/or flotation. However, none of these combinations was successfully efficient to upgrade the calcareous ores because of the close similarity of the physical properties (density, particle size, particle shape, etc.) as well as the surface physico-chemical properties of the carbonate and phosphate minerals. For the last five decades extensive efforts have been spent to adopt flotation for separating carbonates from phosphate ores. These efforts include thermodynamic analysis, modification of the technique, controlling the pulp environment, and finding new reagents that can specifically differentiate between carbonates and phosphates.This paper reviews some of the published work on the separation of carbonates from phosphate ores by flotation and presents the flotation results of phosphate ore samples different in their physical properties and mineralogical composition. The results obtained reflect the effect of ore nature on the flotation performance and the reagents consumption.     

ToF-SIMS-derived hydrophobicity in DTP flotation of chalcopyrite: Contact angle distributions in flotation streams

Particle hydrophobicity has been derived from Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) measurements and its impact on the flotation behaviour of chalcopyrite investigated. Batch flotation tests were performed using a dithiophosphate-type of collector in different concentrations. Three flotation regimes were studied using particle size ranges of 20–38 μm, 75–105 μm and 150–210 μm. The individual particle contact angle, and hence, the distribution of contact angles of chalcopyrite within feed, concentrate and tail flotation samples has been determined using ToF-SIMS secondary ions. The effects of particle size and hydrophobicity on the flotation behaviour have been investigated using this new approach. The hydrodynamic effects of the particle size were highlighted by the different distributions of contact angles obtained for each concentrate size fraction, with fine and coarse sizes requiring higher average contact angles to float. This effect was overtaken by hydrophobicity when a high collector concentration was used. The broad distribution of contact angles observed in all samples, i.e. heterogeneity in hydrophobicity, has significant consequences for interpreting flotation behaviour. The methodology of analysis conducted in this study was applied to real ore and can be used as a quantitative, diagnostic tool for examining surface chemical factors affecting hydrophobicity. This new technique has promise and may advance the understanding of mechanisms, which may lead to better control strategies for improving flotation performance. Furthermore, any mineral–collector system can be targeted, provided appropriate calibration is performed.     

A modified laboratory cell for the flotation of coal

The need to obtain accurate, operator-independent data from small-scale laboratory flotation tests has become particularly apparent in the treatment of fine coal. The work described suggests a method for reducing operator dependency by removing the flotation froth uniformly. This is achieved using a perspex insert to change the geometry of the cell, by maintaining a constant pulp level height and by removing froth from the full width of the cell and at a fixed depth.A comparison is made between the modified cell and a conventional Denver cell by obtaining equilibrium and kinetic data for each cell from two independent operators.The comparison shows a reduction in the variability of the results obtained from the modified cell.     

The collectorless flotation of chalcopyrite ores using sodium sulfide

The collectorless flotation process has been tested on six different chalcopyrite ores while monitoring the potentials ($\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>h</mtext>}}$) of the pulp. The results show that collectorless flotation is effective only under oxidizing conditions. In addition, the flotation requires that the chalcopyrite surface be relatively free of hydrophilic oxidation products, which can be accomplished by treating the ore pulp with sodium sulfide (Na₂S). On the basis of these findings, methods of improving the collectorless flotation process are discussed.     

Rejection of arsenic minerals in sulfide flotation — A literature review

Arsenic is one of the most dangerous inorganic pollutants and thus a penalty element in many base metal concentrates. Arsenic removal in sulphide flotation has been studied extensively with various approaches, including pre-oxidation of flotation pulp, E_h control during flotation and the use of selective depressants/collectors. Pre-oxidation of flotation pulp using oxidizing agents or aeration conditioning represents a simple approach in arsenic removal and was found effective in many cases. Selective flotation of arsenic minerals through E_h control has made significant advances in recent years with promising results achieved. In addition, various depressants and collectors have also been studied in arsenic removal. In this communication, the various approaches used in selective flotation of arsenic minerals are reviewed with emphasis on the development in recent years.     

Interactive effects of the type of milling media and CuSO4 addition on the flotation performance of sulphide minerals from Merensky ore Part II: Froth stability

The limitations of pulp chemistry measurements in the flotation of a platinum group mineral (PGM) bearing Merensky ore were demonstrated in Part 1 of this article. In this paper the importance of the contribution of the froth structure due to changing froth stability is analysed using the batch flotation data. The effects of mild steel (MS) and stainless steel (SS) milling media and the addition of copper sulphate on the flotation performance of the sulphide minerals in Merensky ore have been evaluated in relation to the changes in stability of the froth phase. The effects of pulp chemistry and froth stability on the flotation of sulphide minerals were distinguished by using two different rate constants (k_t and k_w). The rate constant (k_w) calculated as a function of cumulative water recovery was used to describe characteristics of froth phase and k_t was calculated as a function of flotation time. The results revealed that the type of grinding media and copper sulphate addition had an interactive effect on the froth stability. While mild steel (MS) milling increased the froth stability due to the presence of hydrophilic iron hydroxides and colloidal metallic iron, the addition of copper sulphate reduced the stability, especially with stainless steel (SS) milling. Copper sulphate addition had a dual role in the flotation of Merensky ore in that it caused destabilisation of the froth zone as well as activation of selected sulphide minerals. The dominant effect was found to depend on the type of milling media and floatability of the mineral in question and this work has demonstrated the importance of using a combination of measurements to evaluate flotation performance holistically.     

Backmixing in industrial flotation banks. 2. Effect upon metallurgical performance

Liquid-tracer measurements in industrial flotation banks have indicated extensive backmixing between adjacent cells in those banks where there are no weirs between the individual cells. The effect that this backmixing has upon metallurgical performance is examined for both rougher-scavenger and recleaner banks in an industrial zinc circuit. The main effects are decreased recovery of valuable mineral and increased concentrate flows from the later cells in the bank. These effects are more detrimental to the performance of the rougher-scavenger bank than that of the recleaner bank.The performance of a bank in the presence of backmixing is measured by detailed sampling at steady state. This is compared with estimates of its performance without backmixing provided by simulations using a first-order flotation rate model with rate coefficients determined from plant sampling.     

Species interaction in flotation: A laboratory-scale semi-batch study

Semi-batch flotation tests were performed using different narrow size fractions of three different xanthate-conditioned sulphides floated singly and together in all possible combinations. To ensure proper selective flotation conditions a gangue mineral was included in all tests. Within the reproducibility of the experimentation no significant interaction among the mineral species is indicated, a result which has useful implications in distributed rate coefficient models of flotation kinetics.The conditions under which the present findings may be valid in industrial flotation are discussed, and suggestions are made for further work.