XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 3169
Methods
Batch flotation process
Prior to the froth flotation process 5 kg slag powder was
split with a rotary splitter into roughly 600 g and further
into 25 g samples. The batch size froth flotation was per-
formed in a Partridge-Smith cell using the Dynamic Foam
Analyser 100 from KRÜSS GmbH, Germany, with a vol-
ume of 200 ml. (Figure 2)
Flotation was carried out with a mass fraction of 11 %
solids to 200 ml tap water. For conditioning, the slag was
suspended in 100 ml tab water and oleic acid was added
in the concentration of 500 g/t, 750 g/t and 1000 g/t with
a conditioning time of 5 minutes. Afterwards, 70 g/t of
MIBC was added. The batch sized froth flotation was car-
ried out with an air flow rate of 0.8 l/min. Three concen-
trates (C) were taken after 30 seconds (C1), 60 seconds
(C2) and after the flotation stopped (C3). The remaining
suspension in the flotation cell was balanced as tailing.
After flotation, the concentrates and tailing were filtered
and dried at 60°C for approximately 48 hours. The sam-
ples were weighed and deagglomerated with a ball shaking
machine (MIXER MILL MM 400, Retsch GmbH). Small
sample amounts were deagglomerated with a spatula tech-
nique to avoid material loss. For the MLA sample prepara-
tion an amount of 12 g of sample was embedded in epoxy
resin, while the rest was analysed via laser diffraction and
dynamic image analysis. Every reagent setting was repeated
three times. The respective concentrates and tailings of the
three tests of one condition (500 g/t, 750 g/t, 1000 g/t)
were mixed together to obtain an average sample with suf-
ficient mass for analysis.
Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA)
Twelve polished epoxy mounts containing the concentrates
and tailings were analysed by MLA. The MLA is an FEI
Quanta 650F scanning electron microscope equipped with
two Bruker Quantax X-Flash 5030 EDX detectors. The
epoxy mounts were carbon coated using a Leica MED 020
vacuum evaporator to ensure conductivity of the sample
surface. SEM conditions included an accelerating voltage
was 25 kV, specimen current of 10 nA and X-ray calibra-
tion on Cu. The MLA measurement program used for
Figure 1.(left) Slag material after crushing 10 mm, (middle) used sieve ball mill with a
sieve size of 100 µm, (right) slag powder after milling 100 µm
Figure 2. Partridge-Smith cell using the
Dynamic Foam Analyser 100 from KRÜSS
GmbH, Germany, with a volume of 200 ml
Methods
Batch flotation process
Prior to the froth flotation process 5 kg slag powder was
split with a rotary splitter into roughly 600 g and further
into 25 g samples. The batch size froth flotation was per-
formed in a Partridge-Smith cell using the Dynamic Foam
Analyser 100 from KRÜSS GmbH, Germany, with a vol-
ume of 200 ml. (Figure 2)
Flotation was carried out with a mass fraction of 11 %
solids to 200 ml tap water. For conditioning, the slag was
suspended in 100 ml tab water and oleic acid was added
in the concentration of 500 g/t, 750 g/t and 1000 g/t with
a conditioning time of 5 minutes. Afterwards, 70 g/t of
MIBC was added. The batch sized froth flotation was car-
ried out with an air flow rate of 0.8 l/min. Three concen-
trates (C) were taken after 30 seconds (C1), 60 seconds
(C2) and after the flotation stopped (C3). The remaining
suspension in the flotation cell was balanced as tailing.
After flotation, the concentrates and tailing were filtered
and dried at 60°C for approximately 48 hours. The sam-
ples were weighed and deagglomerated with a ball shaking
machine (MIXER MILL MM 400, Retsch GmbH). Small
sample amounts were deagglomerated with a spatula tech-
nique to avoid material loss. For the MLA sample prepara-
tion an amount of 12 g of sample was embedded in epoxy
resin, while the rest was analysed via laser diffraction and
dynamic image analysis. Every reagent setting was repeated
three times. The respective concentrates and tailings of the
three tests of one condition (500 g/t, 750 g/t, 1000 g/t)
were mixed together to obtain an average sample with suf-
ficient mass for analysis.
Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA)
Twelve polished epoxy mounts containing the concentrates
and tailings were analysed by MLA. The MLA is an FEI
Quanta 650F scanning electron microscope equipped with
two Bruker Quantax X-Flash 5030 EDX detectors. The
epoxy mounts were carbon coated using a Leica MED 020
vacuum evaporator to ensure conductivity of the sample
surface. SEM conditions included an accelerating voltage
was 25 kV, specimen current of 10 nA and X-ray calibra-
tion on Cu. The MLA measurement program used for
Figure 1.(left) Slag material after crushing 10 mm, (middle) used sieve ball mill with a
sieve size of 100 µm, (right) slag powder after milling 100 µm
Figure 2. Partridge-Smith cell using the
Dynamic Foam Analyser 100 from KRÜSS
GmbH, Germany, with a volume of 200 ml