Assessment of Froth Stability down a Flotation Bank
Froth flotation is a physico-chemical separation process that takes place in two phases; pulp and froth phase. It is widely recognised as a complex process, due to the range of interactions present within the system.Of critical importance is the role of the froth phase within the system. The pulp kinetics governs the maximum potential recovery within a flotation ceil, while the froth phase governs the selectivity via the froths stability. Higher froth stability improves recovery at the expense of grade, and lower froth stability improves selectivity.It is well known that the two major factors affecting froth stability are attached particles and solution chemistry. This paper looks at a flotation bank at different froth depth and frother concentrations. The air recovery to the concentrate is determined at each condition and relates the effect of the operating conditions on froth stability and transport to the amount of solids that are recovered to the froth and concentrate by true flotation.The results presented show that, for a given process objective, which in this case was a consistent mass pull profile, depending on the operating conditions, solids recovery in the pulp is affected by the air rate required to maintain the target mass pull. To a smaller extent, the changes in the pulp composition affect down-stream pulp recovery. The variation in solids recovered into the froth drives the froth stability at the start of the flotation bank, while the frother drives the froth stability at the end of the bank. The performance in between these two extreme conditions arises from an interaction of these two effects. The consequences of these interactions can give rise to counter-intuitive responses that can confound efforts to optimise the performance of the bank.
Flotation banks Froth stability Froth recovery Air recovery
S. H. Morar D. J. Bradshaw M. C. Harris
Centre for Minerals Research, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
国际会议
XXIV International Mineral Processing Congress(第24届国际矿物加工大会)
北京
英文
946-954
2008-09-24（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）