XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 2715
To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes
the use of flotation systems that generate a highly sheared
environment, combined with strong counter-current wash-
ing. This methodology is designed to provide the neces-
sary energy for effective particle contact and facilitate
the removal of gangue particles into the tailings. A key
approach involves a downcomer configuration, which cre-
ates a high shear environment to promote bubble-particle
collision. For instance, the Jameson Cell utilizes a plunging
jet stream that entrains gas, leading to bubble formation
in the flow. The REFLUX Flotation Cell, a novel flotation
cell, employs an innovative downcomer configuration. This
system passes a solid-liquid slurry through the interior of a
sparger tube surrounded by compressed gas. The high slurry
flow rate shears the bubbles formed on the internal surface
of the sparger, causing them to entrain with the fluid and
create a permeable foam flow. The RFC uses inclined chan-
nels, allowing for operation at higher gas and liquid fluxes
than conventional methods. Strong washing applied at the
top of the cell enables a substantial bias flux within the cell,
generating a reverse fluidized bed where the gas bubbles act
as the suspended solids. This paper aims to demonstrate
the impact of salt addition and counter-current washing on
the recovery of fine hydrophilic silica particles, serving as a
model for gangue minerals in an RFC.
EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL
METHODS
Materials
Mined quartz silica was used as the bulk solids mate-
rial, classed as “200G” sized. This was purchased from
Blackwattle Pottery, while originally sourced from Holcim.
The silica was used as delivered, with no additional screen-
ing, conditioning, or washing. The size distribution of the
silica, as measured for each run, is presented in Figure 3.
The solids feed concentration was maintained at 3 wt.%
for every run.
Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) was used as the
frother reagent, dosed at 20 ppm for every run condition.
The NaCl salt was purchased from All Chemical manufac-
turing, with 99.6% purity.
Experimental Setup
A single stage Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC) was used
throughout the experiments, as presented by the schematic
in Figure 1.
The RFC consists of a 1 m long rectangular vertical
chamber that sits above a 1 m section of inclined chan-
nels, angled 70° to the horizontal. The internal dimensions
of both sections are 8 by 10 cm, resulting in a cross-sec-
tional area of 80 cm2. Feed enters at the top of the column
Figure 1. Schematic of the Reflux Flotation Cell
To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes
the use of flotation systems that generate a highly sheared
environment, combined with strong counter-current wash-
ing. This methodology is designed to provide the neces-
sary energy for effective particle contact and facilitate
the removal of gangue particles into the tailings. A key
approach involves a downcomer configuration, which cre-
ates a high shear environment to promote bubble-particle
collision. For instance, the Jameson Cell utilizes a plunging
jet stream that entrains gas, leading to bubble formation
in the flow. The REFLUX Flotation Cell, a novel flotation
cell, employs an innovative downcomer configuration. This
system passes a solid-liquid slurry through the interior of a
sparger tube surrounded by compressed gas. The high slurry
flow rate shears the bubbles formed on the internal surface
of the sparger, causing them to entrain with the fluid and
create a permeable foam flow. The RFC uses inclined chan-
nels, allowing for operation at higher gas and liquid fluxes
than conventional methods. Strong washing applied at the
top of the cell enables a substantial bias flux within the cell,
generating a reverse fluidized bed where the gas bubbles act
as the suspended solids. This paper aims to demonstrate
the impact of salt addition and counter-current washing on
the recovery of fine hydrophilic silica particles, serving as a
model for gangue minerals in an RFC.
EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL
METHODS
Materials
Mined quartz silica was used as the bulk solids mate-
rial, classed as “200G” sized. This was purchased from
Blackwattle Pottery, while originally sourced from Holcim.
The silica was used as delivered, with no additional screen-
ing, conditioning, or washing. The size distribution of the
silica, as measured for each run, is presented in Figure 3.
The solids feed concentration was maintained at 3 wt.%
for every run.
Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) was used as the
frother reagent, dosed at 20 ppm for every run condition.
The NaCl salt was purchased from All Chemical manufac-
turing, with 99.6% purity.
Experimental Setup
A single stage Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC) was used
throughout the experiments, as presented by the schematic
in Figure 1.
The RFC consists of a 1 m long rectangular vertical
chamber that sits above a 1 m section of inclined chan-
nels, angled 70° to the horizontal. The internal dimensions
of both sections are 8 by 10 cm, resulting in a cross-sec-
tional area of 80 cm2. Feed enters at the top of the column
Figure 1. Schematic of the Reflux Flotation Cell