2956 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
operation. Following a few weeks of tuning the SFRs and
the original cleaner cells, the new circuit ultimately con-
tributed to a net increase of mill final concentrate grade of
3.5% copper (Swedburg et al. 2016).
REFLUX™ FLOTATION CELL
The Reflux ™ Flotation Cell (RFC) is based on the integra-
tion of three existing technologies: the Jameson Cell, which
improves the recovery of fine particles the HydroFloat ™
Cell, which reduces turbulence to improve the recovery of
coarse particles and an inclined and channeled hydraulic
separator, as discussed by Laskovski et al. (2006), which
enhances liquid-solid segregation. The RFC integrates a
downcomer, a reverse fluidized bed, and an inclined chan-
nel section into one unit, as shown in Figure 14.
The feed enters from the downcomer and mixes with
compressed air, forming fine bubbles. The mixed slurry
exits the bottom of the downcomer onto the inclined sepa-
rator, where the bubbles segregate from the slurry forming a
bubble stream that rises into the reverse fluidized bed while
the remaining slurry leaves from the bottom of the RFC
as the reject. Wash water feeds into the system from top of
the reverse fluidized bed where the rising bubble stream is
fluidized, creating a bubbly zone which is recovered from
top as the concentrate.
Figure 13. Woodgrove Direct Flotation Reactor (Woodgrove
2024)
Figure 14. Reflux™ Flotation Cell, Schematic and Photo (Chen et al. 2022 and FLSmidth 2024d)
operation. Following a few weeks of tuning the SFRs and
the original cleaner cells, the new circuit ultimately con-
tributed to a net increase of mill final concentrate grade of
3.5% copper (Swedburg et al. 2016).
REFLUX™ FLOTATION CELL
The Reflux ™ Flotation Cell (RFC) is based on the integra-
tion of three existing technologies: the Jameson Cell, which
improves the recovery of fine particles the HydroFloat ™
Cell, which reduces turbulence to improve the recovery of
coarse particles and an inclined and channeled hydraulic
separator, as discussed by Laskovski et al. (2006), which
enhances liquid-solid segregation. The RFC integrates a
downcomer, a reverse fluidized bed, and an inclined chan-
nel section into one unit, as shown in Figure 14.
The feed enters from the downcomer and mixes with
compressed air, forming fine bubbles. The mixed slurry
exits the bottom of the downcomer onto the inclined sepa-
rator, where the bubbles segregate from the slurry forming a
bubble stream that rises into the reverse fluidized bed while
the remaining slurry leaves from the bottom of the RFC
as the reject. Wash water feeds into the system from top of
the reverse fluidized bed where the rising bubble stream is
fluidized, creating a bubbly zone which is recovered from
top as the concentrate.
Figure 13. Woodgrove Direct Flotation Reactor (Woodgrove
2024)
Figure 14. Reflux™ Flotation Cell, Schematic and Photo (Chen et al. 2022 and FLSmidth 2024d)