Investigation of bubble-particle attachment, detachment and collection efficiencies in a mechanical flotation cell

Abstract

The paper presents the effect of impeller speed and superficial gas velocity on bubble-particle attachment, detachment and collection efficiencies using pure quartz particles in a mechanical flotation cell. Detachment and collection efficiencies in different parts of cell were calculated by local turbulent energy dissipation rate measurements using high speed stereoscopic particle image velocimetry technique. In addition to high detachment efficiency, low attachment efficiency is also one of the reasons for low collection efficiency for coarse particles. The flotation rate constant increased with an increase in superficial gas velocity. However, the effect of superficial gas velocity on collection efficiency was negligible. This means that any effect of superficial gas velocity on flotation rate constant was due to changes in the number of bubbles and collision frequency. The flotation rate constant, collision frequency, and the number of bubbles increased with increasing impeller speed. However, collection efficiency decreased with increasing impeller speed.