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Flotation Recovery of Fine Gold Using Pneumatic Imhoflot™
G-Cells
Duong Huu Hoang
Maelgwyn Mineral Services Ltd, Ty Maelgwyn, Cathays, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Germany
Ekin Gungor, Rainer Imhof
Maelgwyn Mineral Services Ltd, Ty Maelgwyn, Cathays, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Kanat M. Murzabekov, Bakhtiyar A. Abubakirov, Roza K. Baygunakova,
Daniyar Bektemirov, Aliya Almukhanova
Altyntau Kokshetau JSC, Kazzinc, Konysbay Village, Zerendy District, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan
Martin Rudolph
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Germany
ABSTRACT: This study presents the pilot test results using two Imhoflot™ G-14 cells on the following three
different streams, 1) scavenger froth concentrate 2) final tailings and 3) cleaning feed from the Altyntau
Kokshetau gold concentrator. For scavenger concentrate, the pneumatic Imhoflot G-Cell achieved a high-grade
concentrate of 20.8 g/t at a recovery up to 66% (average recovery of about 54.2%) from the average scavenger
concentrate feed grade of 5.8 g/t Au. From the final tailings contains 0.40–0.46 g/t Au, an average concentrate
grade of 3.5 g/t Au at a recovery of up to 48% compared to the laboratory mechanical cell with 1.4 g/t at a
recovery of only 10.7%. For the cleaning feed, an excellent concentrate contains an average of 31.32 g/t at a
very high recovery of 91.67%. It demonstrated that G-Cell types are suitable for recovering fine and ultrafine
particles, in which the current conventional tank cells do not work adequately.
Keywords: pneumatic Imhoflot, fine particle flotation, tailings, entrainment, fine bubbles
INTRODUCTION
Gold ore is often refractory and fine intergrowth in nature,
prior to physical separation processes, fine grinding is
required to achieve liberation. However, even though suf-
ficiently liberated, the flotation separation of ultrafine
and fine particles has been one of the principal challenges
(Leistner et al., 2016 Leistner et al.,2017 Trahar and
Warren, 1976 Trahar, 1981 Hoang et al., 2018 and 2019,
Hassanzadeh et al., 2022). Pneumatic flotation has demon-
strated that it is more effective than conventional cells in
terms of recovering fine and ultrafine particles (Battersby, et
al., 2011, Young, 2006 and 2019, Hoang et al., 2022, Pyle
et al., 2022, Iveson et al. 2022, Yáñez et al., 2024).
Imhoflot ™ cells have great success in coal (Mohanty,
2005), potash (Imhof et al., 2002), and other base metal
applications like copper, molybdenum, zinc, reverse iron
ore flotation using H-Cell, V-Cell and GCell types, which
Flotation Recovery of Fine Gold Using Pneumatic Imhoflot™
G-Cells
Duong Huu Hoang
Maelgwyn Mineral Services Ltd, Ty Maelgwyn, Cathays, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Germany
Ekin Gungor, Rainer Imhof
Maelgwyn Mineral Services Ltd, Ty Maelgwyn, Cathays, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Kanat M. Murzabekov, Bakhtiyar A. Abubakirov, Roza K. Baygunakova,
Daniyar Bektemirov, Aliya Almukhanova
Altyntau Kokshetau JSC, Kazzinc, Konysbay Village, Zerendy District, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan
Martin Rudolph
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Germany
ABSTRACT: This study presents the pilot test results using two Imhoflot™ G-14 cells on the following three
different streams, 1) scavenger froth concentrate 2) final tailings and 3) cleaning feed from the Altyntau
Kokshetau gold concentrator. For scavenger concentrate, the pneumatic Imhoflot G-Cell achieved a high-grade
concentrate of 20.8 g/t at a recovery up to 66% (average recovery of about 54.2%) from the average scavenger
concentrate feed grade of 5.8 g/t Au. From the final tailings contains 0.40–0.46 g/t Au, an average concentrate
grade of 3.5 g/t Au at a recovery of up to 48% compared to the laboratory mechanical cell with 1.4 g/t at a
recovery of only 10.7%. For the cleaning feed, an excellent concentrate contains an average of 31.32 g/t at a
very high recovery of 91.67%. It demonstrated that G-Cell types are suitable for recovering fine and ultrafine
particles, in which the current conventional tank cells do not work adequately.
Keywords: pneumatic Imhoflot, fine particle flotation, tailings, entrainment, fine bubbles
INTRODUCTION
Gold ore is often refractory and fine intergrowth in nature,
prior to physical separation processes, fine grinding is
required to achieve liberation. However, even though suf-
ficiently liberated, the flotation separation of ultrafine
and fine particles has been one of the principal challenges
(Leistner et al., 2016 Leistner et al.,2017 Trahar and
Warren, 1976 Trahar, 1981 Hoang et al., 2018 and 2019,
Hassanzadeh et al., 2022). Pneumatic flotation has demon-
strated that it is more effective than conventional cells in
terms of recovering fine and ultrafine particles (Battersby, et
al., 2011, Young, 2006 and 2019, Hoang et al., 2022, Pyle
et al., 2022, Iveson et al. 2022, Yáñez et al., 2024).
Imhoflot ™ cells have great success in coal (Mohanty,
2005), potash (Imhof et al., 2002), and other base metal
applications like copper, molybdenum, zinc, reverse iron
ore flotation using H-Cell, V-Cell and GCell types, which