An Empirical Correlation for Maximum Penetration Depth of a Particle Impacting on a Free Surface at its Critical Velocity Condition

Abstract

Film flotation is a process which consumes much lower energy than mechanical cells. The extended film flotation technique is to separate mineral mixtures by different critical impact velocities. In this study the maximum penetration depth of a particle at its critical condition was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Experiments were performed using spherical glass beads of different diameters and hydrophobicities and different liquids. The penetration depth at critical condition was recorded and measured using high speed video camera. Buckingham’s PI theorem was applied to analyse the dimensionless groups, and then an empirical correlation for penetration depth was obtained by partial least squares method. It was found that the prediction results of the empirical equation were in good agreement with the measurements. Also, the influence factors were analysed. It was noticed that the hydrophobicities of particle and particle-liquid density ratio had most significant effects on the penetration depth.