INVESTIGATION OF THE ENTRAINMENT OF FINE SIZED CALCITE AND CHROMITE PARTICLES BY A FLOTATION COLUMN WITH NEGATIVE BIAS REGIME

Negatively Biased Flotation Column (NBFC) is a tool, which is developed for the flotation of coarse-sized ores. Unlike the conventional flotation column, in this column, there is no froth zone and wash-water is usually not used. Therefore, hydrodynamically entrainment of fine-sized particles into the concentrate is possible, and this may result in a decrease in the grade or yield of the concentrate. In this study, operating parameters that can affect the entrainment of fine-sized particles were investigated. Calcite with a grade of 99.4% (CaCO3) and chromite concentrates with a grade of 54.8% (Cr2O3) were used in the experiments. Parameters such as superficial water flowrate, particle size, air flow rate, frother dosage and particle density were used in the experiments. As a result of the experiments, it was determined that the amount of entrainment increased as the particle size and density decreased, and decreased with increasing superficial water flowrate, air flow rate and frother dosage.
Anahtar Kelimeler:

Entrainment, Calcite, Chromite

INVESTIGATION OF THE ENTRAINMENT OF FINE SIZED CALCITE AND CHROMITE PARTICLES BY A FLOTATION COLUMN WITH NEGATIVE BIAS REGIME

Negatively Biased Flotation Column (NBFC) is a tool, which is developed for the flotation of coarse-sized ores. Unlike the conventional flotation column, in this column, there is no froth zone and wash-water is usually not used. Therefore, hydrodynamically entrainment of fine-sized particles into the concentrate is possible, and this may result in a decrease in the grade or yield of the concentrate. In this study, operating parameters that can affect the entrainment of fine-sized particles were investigated. Calcite with a grade of 99.4% (CaCO3) and chromite concentrates with a grade of 54.8% (Cr2O3) were used in the experiments. Parameters such as superficial water flowrate, particle size, air flow rate, frother dosage and particle density were used in the experiments. As a result of the experiments, it was determined that the amount of entrainment increased as the particle size and density decreased, and decreased with increasing superficial water flowrate, air flow rate and frother dosage.

___

  • Aliaga, W., & Soto, H. (1993). Application of Column Cells to Potash Flotation in Brines. Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy Section C-Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 102, C70-C73.
  • Attia, Y. A., & Shaning, Y. (1988). Feasibility of separation of coal flocs by column flotation. Column Flotation, 88, 249-253.
  • Barbery, G., Bouajila, A., & Soto, H. (1989). A method for separation of coarse particles: Google Patents.
  • Bilir, K. (1997). Entrainment of fine particles and enrichment of coarse particles in modified flotation column. (Ph.D. Thesis), Eskisehir Osmangazi University. (100)
  • Finch, J. A., & Dobby, G. S. (1990). Column flotation: Pergamon Press.
  • Oteyaka, B., & Soto, H. (1995). Modeling of Negative Bias Column for Coarse Particles Flotation. Minerals Engineering, 8(1-2), 91-100.
  • Patil, D. P., Parekh, B. K., & Klunder, E. B. (2010). A Novel Approach for Improving Column Flotation of Fine and Coarse Coal. International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization, 30(2-5), 173-188.
  • Schulze, H. J. (1977). New theoretical and experimental investigation on stability of bubble/particle aggregates in flotation: a theory on the upper particle size of floatability. Int. J. Min. Proc., 241-259.
  • Schulze, H. J. (1984). Physico-chemical elementary processes in flotation: Elsevier. Soto, H. (1989). Column flotation with negative bias. Paper presented at the Processing of Complex Ores: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Processing of Complex Ores, Halifax, August 20-24.
  • Soto, H., & Barbery, G. (1991). Flotation of coarse particles in a counter-current column cell. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, 16-21.