Flotation of low grade talc was carried out in a laboratory flotation column with fine air bubbles. Recovery of talc was approximately 83% with a mean residence of 73 s and a whiteness of 84, which was significantly higher than that of a conventional agitation-type flotation cell. A mathematical model was developed to predict the recovery of talc, based on the rate constant calculated by Kelsall's method and the residence time distribution of solids and liquids obtained from experiments. Agreements between predicted and experimental values were excellent, and the simulated results indicated that the air bubble diameter was the most important parameter to enhance the recovery in column flotation.