Flotation Machine Research Articles

Comparative analysis of cotton oil and fuel oil as collectors in hard coal flotation: Toward sustainable mining practices

ABSTRACT This study investigates cotton oil as an environmentally friendly alternative to fuel oil in the flotation of hard coal from the Zonguldak Kozlu Region, Türkiye. We compared their performance across various operational parameters using a Denver-type flotation machine. Results showed that cotton oil achieved superior combustible recovery in most scenarios. At 1000 g/t, cotton oil achieved 97% combustible recovery compared to fuel oil’s 90% at 2000 g/t. Cotton oil maintained high recovery (94–95%) over a broader pH range (2–10) compared to fuel oil’s stable 90% from pH 2–8. However, fuel oil demonstrated better ash rejection, achieving 50% rejection at 2% solids compared to cotton oil’s 36%. Both oils performed optimally at pH 8.25 and 10% solid ratio. Cotton oil maintained 93% recovery at 1050 rpm compared to fuel oil’s 89% and exhibited less sensitivity to frother concentration. FTIR and zeta potential analyses revealed distinct interaction mechanisms, with cotton oil showing stronger adsorption on coal surfaces. This research contributes to developing sustainable practices in coal beneficiation, highlighting the trade-offs between combustible recovery and ash rejection when choosing between these collectors for industrial applications.

Comparison and selection of flotation processes for the separation of fine and difficult-to-float coal particles

ABSTRACT This work compares the performance of two coal preparation plants (CPPs) with similar flotation feeds to study the compatibility between flotation process and coal slime properties and to guide the design of flotation process and equipment selection. The two plants process coal slimes using “flotation column + flotation machine” and “flotation machine + flotation machine” flowsheet, respectively. The migration rules of different size and density fractions in the flotation were experimentally studied. The operation performance between the two flotation processes was comprehensively compared. The results show that, for feedstocks with high concentration of high-ash fine slimes and intergrown particles, the dual flotation processes can effectively reject intergrown particles and high-ash fine slimes, thereby reducing the ash of flotation concentrate to meet quality requirements. In the rougher flotation column, the flotation perfection index of < 0.045 mm size fraction is 55.67%, which is 4.74% higher than that of the rougher flotation machine. In the sorting of cleaner flotation machine, the particles with low density of < 1.3 g/cm3 are collected preferentially. With the extension of the flotation process, the intergrown particles and high-ash fine slimes gradually report to the clean coal products. The flotation recovery of > 0.25 mm size fraction is relatively poorer compared to other fractions. When the feed has high content of high-ash fine slimes, the process of “flotation column + flotation machine” is preferred. When the feed has high content of middle density fraction, the process of “flotation machine + flotation machine” is preferred for dual flotation. The upper limit of feed size should be strictly controlled in flotation.

High-turbulence fine particle flotation cell optimization and verification

Microfine mineral particles have a small size, light weight, and low inertia, making it difficult for them to deviate from streamlines and collide with bubbles. Conventional flotation operations consume a large amount of reagents and exhibit poor flotation indicators. This study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and hydrodynamic testing to investigate the flow field within a high-turbulence microfine particle flotation machine equipped with a multilayer impeller–stator configuration, and validates the practical application performance of the microfine particle flotation machine through single-batch flotation experiments. Result shows that the impeller region of the traditional mechanical stirring flotation machine has a turbulent energy dissipation rate of 20 m²/s³, whereas that for the microfine particle flotation machine averages over 120 m²/s³. In the flotation verification, the cumulative recovery rate of the fine particle flotation machine is increased by 28% compared with that of the traditional KYF flotation machine. The flotation rate is also 1.3 times that of the KYF, demonstrating stronger selectivity for fine particle concentrates. It has certain guiding significance for the resource utilization of fine particle minerals.

The bubble size produced in a pilot HydroFloat® cell and its effects on flotation

Unlike a traditional mechanical flotation cell, Eriez’s HydroFloat® is a fluidized-bed flotation device that can recover much coarser and less liberated particles. This is a new flotation machine where the effects of parameters such as bubble size are yet to be established. To address this problem, JKMRC has built a pilot HydroFloat® rig which it deployed to a copper–gold plant in New South Wales, Australia. Tests were performed at a range of operating conditions and bubble size images were collected and analysed using a novel newly created bubble size measurement method. In conventional flotation, a finer bubble size increases flotation rates because it increases the probability of bubble-particle collision and attachment. In this pilot HydroFloat® test program, however, flotation performance was optimal at an intermediate bubble size. Using the comprehensive test program data, the operating parameters that significantly affect bubble size were established, and an empirical model to predict bubble size was developed.

Particle motion under turbulent eddies: Inspiration for fine minerals flotation

Turbulent flow ubiquitous in flotation machines and contain multi-scale eddies. Compared to static environments, turbulence can increase particle kinetic energy and promote particle-bubble collision in mineral flotation. However, there have been few quantitative studies on turbulent eddies that affect particle motion, which limits the precise flow control of flotation processes. In this study, the motion characteristics of particles in isotropic turbulence were measured by particle tracking velocimetry, and the relationship between turbulent eddy and particle motion was quantitatively analyzed by 7-scale wavelet transform and fast Fourier transform. The measurement results show that the particle moves upward following a rotating turbulent eddy, and turbulent eddies with sizes of 35–119 µm and 127–288 µm drives the motion of dp = 74 µm and dp = 200 µm particles respectively. The turbulent acceleration of particles within a turbulent eddy can be calculated as aλ=Cε2/3λ-1/3. This study provides an eddy control basis for mineral flotation performance improvement.

Research of Bubble Breakup and Influencing Factors in Flotation Machine

As the core factor of flotation, bubbles have an important effect on flotation. The rotor speed, initial gas parameters and impeller structure of the flotation machine will affect the formation and movement of bubbles. It is very important to study the influence mechanism of operating parameters of flotation machine on the bubble breakup process for flotation machine design and structure optimization. This paper takes KYF-0.2m&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;3&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; flotation machine as the research object, establishes a single bubble analysis model, adopts the VOF (Volume of Fluid) method to analyze the influence of different initial positions of bubbles on the bubble breakup behavior, and studies the influence of impeller speed and initial position of bubbles on the bubble breakup. Result show that the breakup of bubbles mainly occurs near the stator region. With the increase of rotational speed of the impeller, the centrifugal force and the disturbance of the convection field will become greater, the time of the bubble breakup become shorter, more bubbles breakup and generate more smaller ones. With the bubble position is closer to the rotating axis of the impeller, the impact of reflow becomes stronger and the bubble breakup effect will be better, and if the bubble initial position closer to the impeller cover, the influence of impeller on the bubbles become greater and the distribution of bubbles will be more uniform.

A multivariable submersible sensor for monitoring in real-time industrial flotation cells

This paper describes the development and validation of a submersible sensing technology for industrial flotation cells. The sensor provides simultaneous real-time measurements of gas and solid holdups, as well as the density and viscosity of the slurry in the pulp zone of flotation machines. The submersible device comprises a gas exclusion cell, which resembles an inverted truncated cone assembled to a single-straight tube Coriolis meter. When the sensor device is vertically immersed in the aerated slurry, a continuous bubble-free flow of slurry is induced through the device, which allows the Coriolis meter to provide measurements of the slurry flow, density, and viscosity. The magnitude of the induced flow is a primary function of the sensor’s geometry and gas holdup. Applying the Bernoulli equation reveals that gas holdup can be expressed as the square of the induced flow velocity. A discharge coefficient parameter is introduced to compensate for variations in the velocity profile and flow losses. This coefficient is a function of the fluid Reynolds number, calculated in real-time based on the Coriolis measurements. The sensing technology was assessed in a pilot column operated in a water–air system and industrial forced-air and self-aspirated large flotation cells. Results demonstrate the sensor’s capabilities to provide reliable, accurate, real-time, long-term continuous gas dispersion and solid suspension-related variables, which could be used for supervision, control, and optimization applications.

The role of microbubble dose in combined microflotation of fine particles

Flotation of small particles is one of the global challenges facing the mineral raw materials processing industry. Large amounts of non-ferrous and rare metals are lost in the flotation tailings in the form of mineral particles below 15 µm in size as a result of the low effectiveness of their capture by coarse bubbles generated in conventional flotation machines. The method of combined microflotation, developed in recent years, uses conventional coarse bubbles (CB) and microbubbles (MB) produced in the stand-alone generator of air-in-water microdispersion, which serves as the flotation carriers. Depending on the MB dose, the effect of their application may be positive or negative. The theoretical analysis of various mechanisms of particle transfer onto the surface of coarse bubbles and further into the froth layer allowed to obtain the formula for the optimal MB dose f=d&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt;/2d&lt;sub&gt;p&lt;/sub&gt;r&lt;sub&gt;p&lt;/sub&gt;, where d&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; is MB size; d&lt;sub&gt;p&lt;/sub&gt; and r&lt;sub&gt;p&lt;/sub&gt; respectively are the size and the density of particles. Experiments performed on the copper ore flotation tailings at the Atalaya Mining (Spain) and Chaarat Kapan (Armenia) concentrators showed that, besides the optimal MB dose in the range of 1-3 ml/g, there is another optimal MB dose in the range of 10-20 ml/g, where the copper recovery increases by several percent compared to the reference test (f = 0). The deep minimum in copper recovery is observed in the area between the optimal MB doses, which is by several percent lower than the value in the reference test.

Study of the effect of airflow rate and agitation speed on entrainment of ash particles in bottom ash flotation

To enhance the recovery and grade of the final product, reducing the entrainment of the hydrophilic particles during flotation is critical. We conducted the improvement of entrainment to reduce the amount of ash in the concentrate with the purpose of recovering high-quality unburned carbon from the bottom ash and reusing it as fuel in power plant. In this study, we investigated the effects of airflow rate and agitation speed on the entrainment of hydrophilic particles. In the self-aerating flotation machine, it was difficult to independently control the agitation speed and airflow rate, resulting in the degree of entrainment of 0.74. By independently controlling the airflow in which hydrophobic particles can float under conditions of the degree of entrainment with 0.7 (low agitation speed: 900 rpm), the combustible recovery and unburned carbon content of concentrate were 93.71% and 93.60%, respectively. The degree of entrainment was found to be 0.57, and entrainment could be minimized through independent control of airflow rate and agitation speed. To minimize entrainment, it is effective to inject air that can suspend hydrophobic particles in a low agitation speed condition.

Flow Field Characteristics and Flotation Efficacy in a Pulse Jet Flotation Machine: A Comprehensive Investigation

The design and optimization of flotation machines hold significant importance in enhancing the industrial-grade coal beneficiation process. In this research, the flow field characteristics and flotation performance of a novel pulse jet flotation machine (PJFM) were investigated. The results showed that a PJFM equipped with an innovative pulse cavity can improve the mineralization efficiency of coal due to the coupling of multiple jet shapes. The aeration performance of this PJFM also exceeds the usual desired targets of coal flotation machines, which are characterized by an aeration uniformity coefficient higher than 70% and dominant bubbles of 100~200 μm and 200~300 μm, including a small amount of −100 μm bubbles. The cavitation of the pulse jet achieved the modification of the coal particle surface, and subsequently, the electric potential of the coal largely decreased in absolute value, and the floatability of the coal significantly improved. The concentrate yield of step release flotation increased by 12.42%, while the ash content was only 0.45% higher. Furthermore, in the early stage of flotation, the flotation rate of 0~0.074 mm coal slurry is the fastest and is preferentially floated; in the later stage, the flotation of 0.25–0.5 mm particles dominates. The PJFM demonstrates enhanced particle size selectivity and superior performance in selective flotation.

Study on the effect of flow field optimization on flotation efficiency

ABSTRACT With the help of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology, the Eulerian model was used for numerical simulation of XFD type flotation machine. By altering the flow field pattern, analyzing the internal flow characteristics of the flotation machine in terms of velocity field and turbulivity, and optimizing its structure, the relationship between turbulence intensity and turbulent energy dissipation rate in the flotation machine is investigated. The findings demonstrate that altering the flow field pattern enhances the turbulence in the flotation machine’s mixing zone, enhances the velocity distribution of the three-phase fluid at the bottom of the flotation tank, and fosters bubble-particle contact, collision, and adhesion. This can successfully reduce the clean coal ash content.

Research on the Characteristics of Stirring Flow Field of Flotation Separator Based on PIV Technology

In order to explore the distribution characteristics and characteristics of the internal flow field of the flotation machine, and to understand the variation law of the flow field parameters in the process of the internal flow field of the flotation machine, particle image velocimetry was used to measure the flow field of the flotation machine, and four groups of sections were designed, each group of sections had four different revolutions, and there were 16 experimental groups in total. The results show that the vertical plane of the flow field of flotation machine can be roughly divided into four areas. The flow field level of the flotation machine can also be divided into three areas. The effect of rotating speed on the average circulating speed of flotation machine was studied. This paper analyzes the statistical law of vorticity distribution in the internal flow field of flotation machine and the relationship between average speed and rotating speed, and establishes the probability model and influence analysis model related to it.

Study of a Novel Fluidized Bed Flotation Column with Enhanced Bubble Dispersion

Flotation machines and flotation columns are widely used as separation equipment for coal sludge. In order to obtain better flotation results for different particle sizes, the bubble distribution and size in the flow field need to be studied. In this paper, a novel three-phase fluidized bed flotation column (TFC) was designed, and the shear effect of liquid velocity (0.198 m/s, 0.226 m/s, and 0.254 m/s) and static bed height (0.1 m, 0.2 m, and 0.3 m) on the bubbles in the mineralized flow field region was investigated and evaluated for the formation of bubbles by shear in laboratory and semi-industrial experiments. The results show that the increase in filling bed height has a very obvious strengthening effect on the reduction of bubble diameter, and after the filling bed height reaches a certain value, the filling bed height will weaken the effect of apparent gas velocity on bubble diameter. The apparent gas velocity has different influencing effects on bubble diameter, and under conditions of low water velocity, the increase in the apparent gas velocity contributes to the reduction of bubble diameter. The conclusions of this study are expected to optimize the operating parameters of the flotation mineralization process and enrich the study of TFC, which can provide a reference for the design of future TFC studies.

Оптимизация технологии обогащения бедной технологически упорной золото-углеродсодержащей руды

The processing of refractory gold ores is a challenging task. Refractory ores include ores that cannot be easily processed due to the fine dissemination of gold in sulphide minerals and the presence of preg-robbing carbonaceous matter. Two processes have been studied: flotation of low-grade double refractory gold ore ­using new carbon depression reagents; gravity – cleaner flotation of rougher flotation concentrate followed by pressure oxidation and the CIL treatment of POX cakes. The study is aimed to optimize the processing of low-grade (Au 0.6 g/t) refractory gold ore and achieve high process parameters. The study included the following steps: the reduction of organic carbon mass fraction (&lt; 0.6 %) in concentrates reporting to hydrometallurgical treatment; experiments on the hydrometallurgical treatment of flotation concentrates using two process options: pressure oxidation (POX) of the initial flotation concentrate followed by the CIL treatment of POX cakes and preliminary gravity – cleaner flotation of the initial flotation followed by pressure oxidation and the CIL treatment of POX cakes. The research methodology is based on studying the influence of carbon depressant reagents on the flotation properties of organic carbon during the flotation process. When carrying out flotation experiments, the equipment of JSC Irgiredmet was used, installed at the semi-industrial testing site (laboratory mills, mechanical flotation machines and auxiliary equipment). The study is carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods of ore preparation and flotation concentration. The mass fraction of organic carbon in the flotation concentrate decreased from 2.0 to 0.5 %. It has been achieved by the use of new reagents for carbon depression (carbon depression reagents). The products of refractory gold ore flotation using new reagents for carbon depression were flotation concentrates suitable for further hydrometallurgical treatment. According to the experiments on rougher flotation concentrate pressure oxidation and subsequent POX cake cyanide leaching, the recovery of gold on the carbon adsorbent was 83.5 %. Preliminary gra­vity – cleaner flotation of the concentrate before pressure oxidation improved the loading of gold on the carbon adsorbent to 96.6 %.

The impact of batch flotation tests on the industrial plant prediction

To predict the metallurgical results of industrial plants, laboratory batch flotation tests are carried out, relating both operations through scale-up factors. However, robust scale-up procedures and well-defined laboratory protocols are necessary to reach reliable results at industrial scale. In this paper, results from different flotation batch tests are presented, analysing the effect of batch protocol in terms of operating conditions, operator, ore type, water quality, and others on the metallurgical response. Additionally, the ability of batch responses to describe industrial operations and determine scale-up factors was analysed. Then, a sensitivity analysis was carried out, considering the effect of batch and industrial conditions on the estimation of scale-up factors. Results showed that the batch response significantly changes, depending on the operating conditions, flotation operator, and batch flotation machine, even for the same cell design. Additionally, it was observed that the batch recovery significantly changes when modifying ore type and water quality, which can cause changes in batch and/or industrial operation, affecting the scale-up factors. In addition, results showed that the scale-up factors varied significantly by changing operating conditions in a batch cell. This also occurs in plants when metallurgical performance changes, for example, due to a modification in launder design and/or operating condition, to increase recovery, or due to control limitations that prevent efficient metallurgical performance.

Flotation of copper-bearing shale at different pH values of solutions and sodium chloride concentrations

Flotation of copper-bearing shale in aqueous solutions of NaCl at their different pH values was investigated. The tests were carried out in a laboratory flotation machine. The pH range was between 5 and 10 while NaCl concentrations were 0.5M, 1.0M and 2.0M. It was observed that the flotation recovery of the copper shale was increasing with the increase of pH and concentration of the salt solution. On the basis of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic considerations it was postulated that the increasing surface tension was responsible for better shale flotation observed with increasing salt concentration. The observed improved shale flotation caused by increasing pH is most likely due to changes in the properties of the thin film between particle and bubble including mosaic structure of water on the surface of shale. It was shown that the zeta potential of shale particles, zeta potential of air bubbles, solution surface tension, and shale hydrophobicity were not responsible for the increasing with pH recoveries.

Comparative characteristics of efficiency of pneumatic and pneumo-mechanical flotation machines in copper–gold ore processing

Comparative characteristics of efficiency of pneumatic and pneumo-mechanical flotation machines in copper–gold ore processing

A discussion on the limitations of image analysis for determining bubble size in industrial flotation when using algorithms successfully tested from idealized images

This paper evaluates the capacity of an automated algorithm to detect bubbles and estimate bubble size (Sauter mean diameter, D32) from images recorded in industrial flotation machines. The algorithm is previously calibrated from laboratory images. The D32 results are compared with semi-automated estimations, which are used as "ground truth". Although the automated algorithm is reliable to estimate bubble size at laboratory scale, a significant bias is observed from industrial images for D32 &gt; 3.0-4.0 mm. This uncertainty is caused by the presence of small and large bubbles in the same population, with large bubbles forming complex clusters and being observed incomplete, limited by the region of interest. Flotation columns are more prone to this condition, which hinders the estimation of Sauter diameters. The results show the need for bubble size databases that include industrial images. As several image processing tools are currently available, software calibration from ideal bubble images (synthetic or from laboratory rigs) will mostly lead to biased D32 estimations in industrial flotation machines.

Effect of energy input on flotation of particles with different sizes: Perspective of hydrodynamics characteristics

By employing a torque sensor to measure energy input in a flotation machine, this paper investigates the flotation behavior of modified quartz particles with different sizes but similar surface hydrophobicity under various energy input conditions. Numerical simulations of the mechanical flotation machine were conducted to obtain the fluid dynamic characteristics including the flow velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, and turbulent eddy scale. With the flotation results and numerical simulations combined, the potential collision, attachment, and detachment behaviors of fine particles (―45 µm), intermediate particles (45―74 µm), and coarse particles (74―125 µm) were analyzed. The results demonstrate that under different conditions of energy input, the recovery of intermediate-sized particles was optimal for the above size fractions. As the particle size increases, the energy input required to achieve optimal recovery decreases. The flotation rate constants increase nearly linearly with energy input. Compared to the medium-sized particles in the range of 45―74 µm, finer and larger particles exhibit lower floatability. When the energy input exceeds a certain range, no stagnation zone is observed. The rupture of bubble-particle aggregates becomes more pronounced, which may be a reason why flotation recovery begins to decrease. Increasing energy input enhances turbulence energy dissipation and reduces the Kolmogorov turbulence length scale, in this study, the ―45 µm, 45―74 µm, and 74―125 µm particle sizes reached the optimal flotation performance at dp / η values of 1.35, 1.83, 2.54, respectively. The particle diameter-to-integral length scale ratio (dp/L) is also discussed as an important parameter for turbulent dispersion.

Effects of operating parameters on residence time distribution in a REFLUX flotation cell

Residence time distribution (RTD) is a critical parameter in design and optimization of flotation processes and machines. RTD measurements provide valuable indication into the distribution of residence times experienced by particulates (e.g., particles, oil droplets) within the system, enabling the identification of flow regimes and potential issues such as short-circuiting, dead zones or inadequate mixing. While previous studies in the literature have generally focused on RTD measurements in mechanical flotation cells, there are limited experimental studies available for pneumatic flotation cells. In this study, RTD measurements were performed to characterize the type of flow regime in the REFLUXTM Flotation Cell (RFC), and to investigate the impacts of operational parameters, including bias, feed flux, and gas flux, using a laboratory-scale RFC-100. An impulse-response methodology was employed with a KCl solution used as a tracer in a two-phase (liquid–gas) system. Large and Small Tanks in Series (LSTS), N-mixer in Series, and Perfect Mixer models were applied to a database created by experimental results. The results revealed that the fluid behavior in RFC-100 approached a plug-flow pattern rather than perfect mixing in the two-phase (liquid–gas) system. Furthermore, an increase in bias resulted in a decrease in mean residence time (MRT), and the tracer concentration inside the cell could be adjusted by varying the gas flux under the same feed flux.