Role of hydrophobic fine particles in coarse particle flotation: An analysis of bubble-particle attachment and detachment

Abstract

It is widely accepted that hydrophobic fine particles improve froth stability and thus increase the recovery of coarse particles in the froth phase. In fact, the presence of fine particles also enhances coarse particle recovery in the collection zone. It is not yet known what causes this, nor is it known how fine particles affect interactions between bubbles and coarse particles (collision, attachment, and detachment). In the present study, the role of hydrophobic fine particles in improving the recovery of coarse particles in the pulp phase was discussed from the perspective of bubble-particle interaction. Flotation tests of coarse particles with different fine particle contents were first carried out. The bubble collision-attachment test, bubble-particle aggregate stability test, and interaction force test were used to further explain the effects of fine particle coverage on bubble-particle interactions. The results show that the recovery of coarse particles increases as the fine particle content in the flotation feed increases. Although the presence of hydrophobic fine particles prevents the rupture of the liquid film and the formation of the contact line between bubble and coarse particle, it can also greatly increase contact angle hysteresis, increasing the maximum force required to pull coarse particle from the gas-liquid interface into the aqueous phase. Furthermore, the coverage of fine particles helps to improve the energy dissipation during the bubble collision and reduce the oscillation of the bubble-particle aggregates. As a result, the increase in coarse particle recovery in the presence of fine particles is due to the decrease in the detachment of the bubble-particle aggregate. The important findings of this study are expected to provide a basis for understanding the interaction between multiple particles and bubbles in actual flotation.