944 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
selective reagents, and kinetically using different dosing of
reagents dynamically.
CONCLUSIONS
Flotation is governed by fundamental laws, following for
examples the Exponential Growth &Decay or 1st order
kinetic, Michaelis-Menten or 2nd order kinetic and
Gompertz models, in the bench-scale kinetic flotation tests
on complex Pb/Zn/Cu ore that feeds Buick Mill.
The presence of these fundamental laws, thermody-
namic and kinetic, can be revealed even in the complexity
of the industrial flotation process like in Buick Mill’s Pb/
Zn/Cu flotation circuits, via comprehensive multivariant
statistical analyses and predictive modeling. Such flotation
follows fundamental multivariate response surface, arti-
ficial neural network, and decision tree prediction mod-
els, but with changing factors and factor interactions and
model parameters at different times—highly dynamic but
pseudo-stochastic.
Response surface modeling reveals statistically signifi-
cant factors and factor interactions among reagents, bub-
bles, air and MIBC, mill feed rate and XRF assays, inferring
wide ranges of hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and kinet-
ics in flotation and opportunities for process optimizations
and innovations.
Complex and dynamic industrial flotation precludes
describing, not to mention real-time optimizing, it with a
fixed general and universal formula, equation, or model,
empirical or phenomenal logical. Comprehensive and
intelligent expert control on the flotation production line
is needed, and so is developed the Digital One Enterprise
Expert Control and Operating System at Buick Mill.
Flotation tends to become stochastic on its own, due to
varying feed and hydrodynamic behavior of the cells, and
the complex interactions among individual components
and many process factors. Digital One, embedded in DCS,
is designed to first stabilize, and then optimize flotation.
We may define thermodynamics and kinetics of flota-
tion as consisting of bubbles, reagent properties, and par-
ticle characteristics and their complex interactions, from
which Digital One evolves and ever expands in develop-
ment and applications.
Digital One utilizes bubbles through VisioFroth and
hybrid reagents through the second modern reagent sys-
tem, integrates bubbles and reagents, and adjusts air and
MIBC to regulate complex hydrodynamics deep inside flo-
tation cells and guide bubble and reagent interactions. It
has therefore become critical for Digital One to interact
particles with bubbles and reagents through expert grind-
ing currently underway.
We may define thermodynamic phase equilibria of
flotation as process froth and tail XRF assays, which are
dynamic and conditional, often wide open, full of oppor-
tunities, and therefore can be optimized in real time, as
illustrated by the On/Off and Advanced Dosing of modern
reagents in DCS.
Digital One can use comprehensive online XRF stream
assays as phase equilibria of flotation, both as goals and soft
sensors to guide and optimize various processes and equip-
ment from flotation to grinding, increasing metal recovery
or concentrate grade or both.
Digital One is specifically built to encode flotation
hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and kinetics into the
control scheme, utilizing machine learning and expert con-
trol to exploit the large and changing thermodynamic and
kinetic windows real-time in flotation process.
Building Digital One from the ground up, digitally
emersed in DCS, has created a robust system capable of
both stably controlling the entire flotation plant (since late
2022) and additionally optimizing the performance of the
plant overall towards target production goals (e.g., process-
ing 200,000 tons of marcasite Pb/Cu ores in 2023).
Each individual module is separate within the Digital
One enterprise system and can be turned on or off as nec-
essary without interfering with other modules, but which
are also connected to form a comprehensive interconnected
EoT (Expert of Things) system where each part of the pro-
cess can work together to achieve production targets most
effectively.
CURRENT AND FUTURE WORK
AT BUICK MILL—DIGITAL ONE
APPLICATIONS
Expert Grinding—Completing Hydrodynamics,
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Flotation
• Digital One detects ore hardness and indirectly the
complex mineralogy behind it and changes feed rate
and cyclone water to adjust grind size.
• XRF assays can be utilized to refine feed rate and
cyclone water, change particle characteristics and
dynamically match particles, bubbles and reagents,
reaching target phase equilibria (specified XRF
assays) of flotation and best possible recoveries and
concentrate grades.
• Expert grinding as such is fully integrated with
expert flotation, therefore completing, and optimiz-
ing flotation hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and
kinetics.
selective reagents, and kinetically using different dosing of
reagents dynamically.
CONCLUSIONS
Flotation is governed by fundamental laws, following for
examples the Exponential Growth &Decay or 1st order
kinetic, Michaelis-Menten or 2nd order kinetic and
Gompertz models, in the bench-scale kinetic flotation tests
on complex Pb/Zn/Cu ore that feeds Buick Mill.
The presence of these fundamental laws, thermody-
namic and kinetic, can be revealed even in the complexity
of the industrial flotation process like in Buick Mill’s Pb/
Zn/Cu flotation circuits, via comprehensive multivariant
statistical analyses and predictive modeling. Such flotation
follows fundamental multivariate response surface, arti-
ficial neural network, and decision tree prediction mod-
els, but with changing factors and factor interactions and
model parameters at different times—highly dynamic but
pseudo-stochastic.
Response surface modeling reveals statistically signifi-
cant factors and factor interactions among reagents, bub-
bles, air and MIBC, mill feed rate and XRF assays, inferring
wide ranges of hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and kinet-
ics in flotation and opportunities for process optimizations
and innovations.
Complex and dynamic industrial flotation precludes
describing, not to mention real-time optimizing, it with a
fixed general and universal formula, equation, or model,
empirical or phenomenal logical. Comprehensive and
intelligent expert control on the flotation production line
is needed, and so is developed the Digital One Enterprise
Expert Control and Operating System at Buick Mill.
Flotation tends to become stochastic on its own, due to
varying feed and hydrodynamic behavior of the cells, and
the complex interactions among individual components
and many process factors. Digital One, embedded in DCS,
is designed to first stabilize, and then optimize flotation.
We may define thermodynamics and kinetics of flota-
tion as consisting of bubbles, reagent properties, and par-
ticle characteristics and their complex interactions, from
which Digital One evolves and ever expands in develop-
ment and applications.
Digital One utilizes bubbles through VisioFroth and
hybrid reagents through the second modern reagent sys-
tem, integrates bubbles and reagents, and adjusts air and
MIBC to regulate complex hydrodynamics deep inside flo-
tation cells and guide bubble and reagent interactions. It
has therefore become critical for Digital One to interact
particles with bubbles and reagents through expert grind-
ing currently underway.
We may define thermodynamic phase equilibria of
flotation as process froth and tail XRF assays, which are
dynamic and conditional, often wide open, full of oppor-
tunities, and therefore can be optimized in real time, as
illustrated by the On/Off and Advanced Dosing of modern
reagents in DCS.
Digital One can use comprehensive online XRF stream
assays as phase equilibria of flotation, both as goals and soft
sensors to guide and optimize various processes and equip-
ment from flotation to grinding, increasing metal recovery
or concentrate grade or both.
Digital One is specifically built to encode flotation
hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and kinetics into the
control scheme, utilizing machine learning and expert con-
trol to exploit the large and changing thermodynamic and
kinetic windows real-time in flotation process.
Building Digital One from the ground up, digitally
emersed in DCS, has created a robust system capable of
both stably controlling the entire flotation plant (since late
2022) and additionally optimizing the performance of the
plant overall towards target production goals (e.g., process-
ing 200,000 tons of marcasite Pb/Cu ores in 2023).
Each individual module is separate within the Digital
One enterprise system and can be turned on or off as nec-
essary without interfering with other modules, but which
are also connected to form a comprehensive interconnected
EoT (Expert of Things) system where each part of the pro-
cess can work together to achieve production targets most
effectively.
CURRENT AND FUTURE WORK
AT BUICK MILL—DIGITAL ONE
APPLICATIONS
Expert Grinding—Completing Hydrodynamics,
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Flotation
• Digital One detects ore hardness and indirectly the
complex mineralogy behind it and changes feed rate
and cyclone water to adjust grind size.
• XRF assays can be utilized to refine feed rate and
cyclone water, change particle characteristics and
dynamically match particles, bubbles and reagents,
reaching target phase equilibria (specified XRF
assays) of flotation and best possible recoveries and
concentrate grades.
• Expert grinding as such is fully integrated with
expert flotation, therefore completing, and optimiz-
ing flotation hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and
kinetics.