2728 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Copper Flotation
The authors of the present communication have been
studying the effect of the hydrophobic force in bubblepar-
ticle interaction and, hence, the recovery of porphyry cop-
per ores (Huang et al., 2022 Gupta et al., 2022, 2023,
2024). The main objective of the instant investigation was
to study the effects of the EDL force by simulation using
the simplified model represented by Eqs. [13]–14].
Figure 6 shows the results of changing the double-layer
potential of Figure 6. Simulation of the first cell of a rougher
flotation bank at an operating porphyry copper flotation
plant. particles (ψ1) from –50 to –20 mV while keeping
the double-layer potential (ψ2) of air bubbles at –15 mV.
Other model parameters used for the simulation were: θ =
70°, A132= –1.3×10–20J, к–1 =9.6 nm. K232 =4.07×10–17 J,
Wa= 4.4×10–10 J, and Ek’ =2.3×10–9 J which is provided by
the turbulent fluctuation. The liberation (mij) matrix and
other parameters were taken from Gupta et al. (2022). The
results presented in Figure 6 show that control of the EDL
force by control of ψ1 can increase the copper recoveries
by ~5%. The improvement is due to the decrease in energy
barriers (E1) for bubble-particle interaction. The E1 values
plotted in Figure 6 were calculated for the fully liberated
copper-bearing minerals at the 75–150 µm size range. The
recovery calculations were done by simulating all classes of
particles in the mij matrix.
DISCUSSION
In the present work, the roles of the HP and EDL forces
in flotation have been studied using the simplified flota-
tion model represented by Eqs. [13]–[14] The results
showed that the HP force is the main driver of the bub-
ble-particle interactions occurring in flotation. The results
also showed that control of the EDL force can increase the
copper recovery in the first cell of an industrial-scale flota-
tion bank. In flotation, both minerals and air bubbles are
negatively charged, contributing to energy barriers (E1) and
hence slower kinetics. It has been shown previously that
this problem can be overcome by reversing the ζ-potentials
of air bubbles using a cationic surfactant (Huang and Yoon,
2020). However, the use of air bubbles with excessively
high ζ-potentials dampens the HP forces and gives adverse
effects in selectivity. Nevertheless, control of ζ-potentials
can greatly improve the kinetics and recovery.
Figure 4. Comparison between the simulated (red) and
experimental (black) flotation recoveries. The experimental
data were obtained by Fuerstenau (1957)
Figure 5. Comparison between simulated (Red) and
experimental (black) data for the flotation of molybdenite
(Chander and Fuerstenau, 1972)
Copper Flotation
The authors of the present communication have been
studying the effect of the hydrophobic force in bubblepar-
ticle interaction and, hence, the recovery of porphyry cop-
per ores (Huang et al., 2022 Gupta et al., 2022, 2023,
2024). The main objective of the instant investigation was
to study the effects of the EDL force by simulation using
the simplified model represented by Eqs. [13]–14].
Figure 6 shows the results of changing the double-layer
potential of Figure 6. Simulation of the first cell of a rougher
flotation bank at an operating porphyry copper flotation
plant. particles (ψ1) from –50 to –20 mV while keeping
the double-layer potential (ψ2) of air bubbles at –15 mV.
Other model parameters used for the simulation were: θ =
70°, A132= –1.3×10–20J, к–1 =9.6 nm. K232 =4.07×10–17 J,
Wa= 4.4×10–10 J, and Ek’ =2.3×10–9 J which is provided by
the turbulent fluctuation. The liberation (mij) matrix and
other parameters were taken from Gupta et al. (2022). The
results presented in Figure 6 show that control of the EDL
force by control of ψ1 can increase the copper recoveries
by ~5%. The improvement is due to the decrease in energy
barriers (E1) for bubble-particle interaction. The E1 values
plotted in Figure 6 were calculated for the fully liberated
copper-bearing minerals at the 75–150 µm size range. The
recovery calculations were done by simulating all classes of
particles in the mij matrix.
DISCUSSION
In the present work, the roles of the HP and EDL forces
in flotation have been studied using the simplified flota-
tion model represented by Eqs. [13]–[14] The results
showed that the HP force is the main driver of the bub-
ble-particle interactions occurring in flotation. The results
also showed that control of the EDL force can increase the
copper recovery in the first cell of an industrial-scale flota-
tion bank. In flotation, both minerals and air bubbles are
negatively charged, contributing to energy barriers (E1) and
hence slower kinetics. It has been shown previously that
this problem can be overcome by reversing the ζ-potentials
of air bubbles using a cationic surfactant (Huang and Yoon,
2020). However, the use of air bubbles with excessively
high ζ-potentials dampens the HP forces and gives adverse
effects in selectivity. Nevertheless, control of ζ-potentials
can greatly improve the kinetics and recovery.
Figure 4. Comparison between the simulated (red) and
experimental (black) flotation recoveries. The experimental
data were obtained by Fuerstenau (1957)
Figure 5. Comparison between simulated (Red) and
experimental (black) data for the flotation of molybdenite
(Chander and Fuerstenau, 1972)