Abstract
Pulsation of air sparged into the flotation cell of a complex sulphide ore led to vibration of the bubbles in the pulp, and enhanced bubble–particle collision. The thinning and destruction of the intervening thin liquid film between the particle and the bubble decreased the energy barrier, as a result of which the particle–bubble attachment rate increased. In addition, bubble surface vibration stripped mechanically entrapped hydrophilic particles and weakly attached aggregates form the bubble surfaces. Image analysis of the froth showed that the froth formed with bubble vibration was more stable, bubble sizes were smaller and the bubble loading was markedly higher. Under proper vibration intensities, better sulphide recoveries and higher grades of concentrates could be obtained. The flotation recovery and grade increased by about 2.3 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively for a sample of 60%/−75 μm and by about 3.5 and 2.0 percentage points for a sample of 85%/−75 μm.
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