5
FloatForce+ Industrial Scale Assessment Results
The FloatForce+ trial at industrial scale was performed in
a copper plant concentrator located in the Nordics and
involved the assessment of the FloatForce+ rotor only. The
concentrator has two parallel rougher-scavenger lines, lines
1 and 2, enabling flotation performance comparison for
this purpose. The FloatForce+ rotor was installed in the
first rougher cell of the rougher line No 1. First rougher
cell of the second line was refurbished with a brand-new
FloatForce mixing mechanism. Both cells included the
standard FloatForce stator. Both rotors were installed dur-
ing a plant maintenance shutdown which took place in
early September 2021.
Both tested rougher cell mechanisms are VFD (Variable
Frequency Drive) operated, enabling adjustment of rota-
tion speed. Testing work was carried out in late September
2021. Sampling campaigns were carried out with several
different operating parameters. The parameters varied were
rotation speed and air feed, each at three settings. All rota-
tional speeds were tested with all different air feeds. Plant
stability varied as expected after a large maintenance shut-
down and ore shortages to the plant, but sampling was done
when the feed to both flotation lines was stable without
major interruption. FloatForce+ rotor industrial installa-
tion is shown in Figure 6.
Test results for copper recovery are shown in Figure 7.
More than 80% of the different rotor speed-air flow assessed
combinations showed a higher FloatForce+ recovery.
Due to both feed grade and concentrate grade varia-
tions, any visible pattern for copper concentrate grade and
recovery changes was difficult to ascertain. Therefore, eval-
uation of relative change in grade and recovery, to show
increasing or decreasing performance, was plotted to allow
visual analysis of recovery and grade changes. Over 90%
of the tested data show an improvement in recovery, with
Figure 4. FloatForce+ turbulent kinetic energy CFD modelling
Figure 5. FloatForce®+ rotor shape
Figure 6. FloatForce+ industrial installation on a 160 m3
volume TankCell
FloatForce+ Industrial Scale Assessment Results
The FloatForce+ trial at industrial scale was performed in
a copper plant concentrator located in the Nordics and
involved the assessment of the FloatForce+ rotor only. The
concentrator has two parallel rougher-scavenger lines, lines
1 and 2, enabling flotation performance comparison for
this purpose. The FloatForce+ rotor was installed in the
first rougher cell of the rougher line No 1. First rougher
cell of the second line was refurbished with a brand-new
FloatForce mixing mechanism. Both cells included the
standard FloatForce stator. Both rotors were installed dur-
ing a plant maintenance shutdown which took place in
early September 2021.
Both tested rougher cell mechanisms are VFD (Variable
Frequency Drive) operated, enabling adjustment of rota-
tion speed. Testing work was carried out in late September
2021. Sampling campaigns were carried out with several
different operating parameters. The parameters varied were
rotation speed and air feed, each at three settings. All rota-
tional speeds were tested with all different air feeds. Plant
stability varied as expected after a large maintenance shut-
down and ore shortages to the plant, but sampling was done
when the feed to both flotation lines was stable without
major interruption. FloatForce+ rotor industrial installa-
tion is shown in Figure 6.
Test results for copper recovery are shown in Figure 7.
More than 80% of the different rotor speed-air flow assessed
combinations showed a higher FloatForce+ recovery.
Due to both feed grade and concentrate grade varia-
tions, any visible pattern for copper concentrate grade and
recovery changes was difficult to ascertain. Therefore, eval-
uation of relative change in grade and recovery, to show
increasing or decreasing performance, was plotted to allow
visual analysis of recovery and grade changes. Over 90%
of the tested data show an improvement in recovery, with
Figure 4. FloatForce+ turbulent kinetic energy CFD modelling
Figure 5. FloatForce®+ rotor shape
Figure 6. FloatForce+ industrial installation on a 160 m3
volume TankCell