A dynamic model of fluidized-bed flotation

Abstract

Abstract The concept of fluidized-bed flotation (FBF) (e.g. HydroFloatTM) was recently introduced to improve the recovery of coarse particles (425 to 1180 µm). In spite of encouraging results from the first industrial applications dating back more than a decade, FBF still remains an emerging technology in the global mining industry. This paper presents a dynamic model of a FBF cell based on first principles describing volume conservation balances and macro hydrodynamic conditions. It was specifically developed to address process design, monitoring, and control problems. The model relies on the drift-flux theory to predict the flow of three populations (free particles, attached particles and bubbles) throughout the proposed vertical mixer-in-series framework. A calibration of empirical parameters on literature data demonstrates the ability to reproduce the effect of operating parameters (airflow rate, fluidization water flow rate and bed height) on steady-state recovery as long as the equipment operates at low turbulence.