XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 2811
where a balance of the feed and underflow flowrates are
required to maintain good selectivity.
Effect of Feed Flow Rate
The recovery of nickel and silica at varying feed flow rates
is shown in Figure 6. Nickel recovery was 82% at 10 L/
min feed flowrate, 53% at 6 L/min and 41% at 7 L/min.
This is consistent with literature where enhanced shearing
in the downcomer at higher flow rates supports higher flo-
tation recovery (Cole et al., 2021). At a feed rate of 10 L/
min, a low wash water rate of 0.3 L/min yielded a nickel
recovery of 80% similar to a wash water flowrate of 3 L/
min. It is noteworthy, however, that recovery of silica and
consequently the enrichment ratio of nickel was high at the
Figure 4. Cumulative nickel recovery and silica recovery under varying airflow rates. Feed rate of
6 L/min, wash water of 3 L/min and pulp density of 2 wt.% were kept constant
Figure 5. Cumulative nickel recovery and silica recovery under varying wash water conditions,
with the feed rate of 6 L/min, airflow rate of 6 L/min, and pulp density of 2 wt.%
where a balance of the feed and underflow flowrates are
required to maintain good selectivity.
Effect of Feed Flow Rate
The recovery of nickel and silica at varying feed flow rates
is shown in Figure 6. Nickel recovery was 82% at 10 L/
min feed flowrate, 53% at 6 L/min and 41% at 7 L/min.
This is consistent with literature where enhanced shearing
in the downcomer at higher flow rates supports higher flo-
tation recovery (Cole et al., 2021). At a feed rate of 10 L/
min, a low wash water rate of 0.3 L/min yielded a nickel
recovery of 80% similar to a wash water flowrate of 3 L/
min. It is noteworthy, however, that recovery of silica and
consequently the enrichment ratio of nickel was high at the
Figure 4. Cumulative nickel recovery and silica recovery under varying airflow rates. Feed rate of
6 L/min, wash water of 3 L/min and pulp density of 2 wt.% were kept constant
Figure 5. Cumulative nickel recovery and silica recovery under varying wash water conditions,
with the feed rate of 6 L/min, airflow rate of 6 L/min, and pulp density of 2 wt.%