Flotation of blue water

Abstract

Flotation of ions and molecules represents a promising method of separating components from solution, or in our case, gelled copper salt from blue water. The method of flotation of ions and molecules is basically the flotation extraction process which produces different concentration gradients of multicomponent condensed phase system. Different concentration gradients in the flotation extraction are due to the driving forces of participating molecules driven by molecular interactions. Multicomponent condensed phase system, i.e. flotation pulp, consists of water molecules of solute, and a suitable reagent which has the role of connection the liquid and gaseous phases dispersed in a biphasic system. Such a system leads to the interaction of solute with reagent to the formation of coagulated component in water as solvent. Separation in the polyphased system is in accordance with the Van't Hoff equation, and spontaneously occurs in two-phase systems like gaseous-fluid, such as the system of flotation pulp. Using the osmotic pressure in a column flotation machine comes to separation of flotation pulp into heavy and light phase. This allows the water molecules to form their natural distances which are only valid for molecules of pure water or heavy phase. Also, the solute forms its light phase, copper - surfactant salt as insoluble product. For some polyphase systems such as colloidal systems like in the flotation process are sufficient atmospheric pressure conditions, and for others solutions should be applied overpressure while being aerated. This paper presents the results of research the flotation extraction of blue water, i.e. copper solution content of 0.2 g/l. It is concluded from results that there is a possibility of purifying the blue water from the copper mine tailing dump using the flotation extraction technology.