Froth carry rate and mass recovery of a semi-continuous flotation system with acoustic sound

Abstract

Column flotation is widely used to upgrade ores in fine and ultrafine size fractions. One of the challenges for column flotation operations is to increase the froth carry rate without the need for extensive capital and additional operating expenditure. The present work addresses this challenge by dynamic stabilization of the froth using acoustic sound at a frequency of 400 Hz. Quartz particles (with an 80% passing size of 40.3 µm) were used as model particles to demonstrate this approach, with the experimental variables being feed solids content, feed volumetric flowrate and superficial air velocity, and flotation tests were conducted at laboratory scale, in semi-continuous mode, with and without acoustic sound. The results showed that applying the acoustic sound to the column flotation could increase froth carry rate by as much as 20% and mass pull by up to 19%.