XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 2943
high recovery of 91.67% was achieved. The cleaner
tails contain an average Au content of only 2.9 g/t.
Pneumatic flotation G-cells are demonstrated to be excel-
lent in selectively recovering fine and ultrafine particles.
It generates tiny bubbles that selectively collect the fine
particles at a high shear turbulence zone within the aera-
tor. The observation of the bubble size at the top of the
froth indicates the high performance of the Imhoflot G-cell
reactor producing very small bubbles that improve the fre-
quency between fine particle-bubble collisions within the
high shear reactor and also increase the bubble surface area
(affecting the recovery). The separator without any mov-
ing parts reduces the turbulence in the pulp-froth interface
resulting in lower entrainment of the fine gangue particles
(affecting the grade).
The interactions of particles and bubbles occur in a
high-shear environment within only a few milliseconds,
leading to a very short residence time of approximately 1.5
min for each 1 m3 G-14 cell. Hence, only a small footprint
is required.
REFERENCES
Alejandro Yáñez, Nathalie Kupka, Berivan Tunç, Janne
Suhonen, Antti Rinne, Fine and ultrafine flotation
with the Concorde CellTM—A journey.
80
85
90
95
100
0 10 20 30 40
Au grade in g/t
Au grade and recovery Average Au feed grade
Figure 8. Gold grade and recovery of the pilot Imhoflot G-14 cells tests on cleaning feed
Battersby, M., Flatman, S., Imhof, R., Sprenger, H.,
Bragado, T., 2011. Recovery of ultrafine using Imhoflot
pneumatic flotation–Two pilot plant case studies recov-
ering nickel and zinc from tailings streams. https://
www.maelgwyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/
Recovery_of_Ultra_fines.pdf.
Hassanzadeh, A., Safari, M., Hoang, D. H., Khoshdast, H.,
Albijanic, B., Kowalczuk, P. B., Technological assess-
ments on recent developments in fine and coarse particle
flotation systems, Minerals Engineering, Volume 180,
2022, 107509, doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107509.
Hoang, D.H., Hassanzadeh, A., Peuker, U.A., Rudolph,
M., 2019. Impact of flotation hydrodynamics on the
optimization of fine-grained carbonaceous sedimen-
tary apatite ore beneficiation. Powder Technol. 345,
223–233.
Hoang, D.H., Imhof, R., Sambrook, T., Bakulin, A.E.,
Murzabekov, K.M., Abubakirov, B. A., Baygunakov,
R.K., Rudolph, M. 2022, Recovery of fine gold loss
to tailings using advanced reactor pneumatic flotation
Imhoflot ™, Minerals Engineering, 184, 107649. doi:
10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107649.
Hoang, D.H., Kupka, N., Peuker, U.A., Rudolph, M.,
2018. Flotation study of fine grained carbonaceous
sedimentary apatite ore—Challenges in process miner-
alogy and impact of hydrodynamics. Miner. Eng. 121,
196–204.
Imhof, R.M., Battersby, M., Cioernioch, G., 2002.
Pneumatic flotation—An innovative application in
the processing of potash salts, in SME Annual Meeting.
Arizora, Phoenix.
Au
recovery
in
%
high recovery of 91.67% was achieved. The cleaner
tails contain an average Au content of only 2.9 g/t.
Pneumatic flotation G-cells are demonstrated to be excel-
lent in selectively recovering fine and ultrafine particles.
It generates tiny bubbles that selectively collect the fine
particles at a high shear turbulence zone within the aera-
tor. The observation of the bubble size at the top of the
froth indicates the high performance of the Imhoflot G-cell
reactor producing very small bubbles that improve the fre-
quency between fine particle-bubble collisions within the
high shear reactor and also increase the bubble surface area
(affecting the recovery). The separator without any mov-
ing parts reduces the turbulence in the pulp-froth interface
resulting in lower entrainment of the fine gangue particles
(affecting the grade).
The interactions of particles and bubbles occur in a
high-shear environment within only a few milliseconds,
leading to a very short residence time of approximately 1.5
min for each 1 m3 G-14 cell. Hence, only a small footprint
is required.
REFERENCES
Alejandro Yáñez, Nathalie Kupka, Berivan Tunç, Janne
Suhonen, Antti Rinne, Fine and ultrafine flotation
with the Concorde CellTM—A journey.
80
85
90
95
100
0 10 20 30 40
Au grade in g/t
Au grade and recovery Average Au feed grade
Figure 8. Gold grade and recovery of the pilot Imhoflot G-14 cells tests on cleaning feed
Battersby, M., Flatman, S., Imhof, R., Sprenger, H.,
Bragado, T., 2011. Recovery of ultrafine using Imhoflot
pneumatic flotation–Two pilot plant case studies recov-
ering nickel and zinc from tailings streams. https://
www.maelgwyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/
Recovery_of_Ultra_fines.pdf.
Hassanzadeh, A., Safari, M., Hoang, D. H., Khoshdast, H.,
Albijanic, B., Kowalczuk, P. B., Technological assess-
ments on recent developments in fine and coarse particle
flotation systems, Minerals Engineering, Volume 180,
2022, 107509, doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107509.
Hoang, D.H., Hassanzadeh, A., Peuker, U.A., Rudolph,
M., 2019. Impact of flotation hydrodynamics on the
optimization of fine-grained carbonaceous sedimen-
tary apatite ore beneficiation. Powder Technol. 345,
223–233.
Hoang, D.H., Imhof, R., Sambrook, T., Bakulin, A.E.,
Murzabekov, K.M., Abubakirov, B. A., Baygunakov,
R.K., Rudolph, M. 2022, Recovery of fine gold loss
to tailings using advanced reactor pneumatic flotation
Imhoflot ™, Minerals Engineering, 184, 107649. doi:
10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107649.
Hoang, D.H., Kupka, N., Peuker, U.A., Rudolph, M.,
2018. Flotation study of fine grained carbonaceous
sedimentary apatite ore—Challenges in process miner-
alogy and impact of hydrodynamics. Miner. Eng. 121,
196–204.
Imhof, R.M., Battersby, M., Cioernioch, G., 2002.
Pneumatic flotation—An innovative application in
the processing of potash salts, in SME Annual Meeting.
Arizora, Phoenix.
Au
recovery
in
%