FLOTATION

By: Raheel Memon

 Introduction
2

 Flotation is a physico-chemical separation process that

utilizes the difference in surface properties of the
valuable minerals and the unwanted gangue minerals.
 flotation has permitted the mining of low-grade and
complex ore bodies which would have otherwise been
regarded as uneconomic.
 In earlier practice the tailings of many gravity plants
were of a higher grade than the ore treated in many
modern flotation plants.
 The theory of froth flotation is complex, involving three
phases (solids, water, and froth) with many subprocesses
and interactions.
 Principles/Mechanism of Flotation
3

The process of material being recovered by flotation

from the pulp comprises three mechanisms:
1. Selective attachment to air bubbles (or “True
flotation").
2. Entrainment in the water which passes through the
froth.
3. Physical entrapment between particles in the
froth attached to air bubbles (often referred to as
"aggregation").
 Principles of Flotation
4

Schematic view of flotation industrial flotation cell

 Principles of Flotation
5

 True flotation utilises the differences in physicochemical

surface properties of particles of various minerals.
 After treatment with reagents, such differences in
surface properties between the minerals within the
flotation pulp become apparent, for flotation to take
place.
 An air bubble must be able to attach itself to a
particle, and lift it to the water surface.
 The agitator provides enough turbulence in the pulp
phase to support collision of particles and bubbles.
 which results in the attachment of valuable particles to
bubbles and their transport into the froth phase for
recovery.
 Principles of Flotation
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 In this process, the water repellent particles are termed

as hydrophobic and water lover (absorbent) are termed
as hydrophilic.
 The process can only be applied to relatively fine
Particles.
 If they are too large the adhesion between the particle
and the bubble will be less than the particle weight and
the bubble will therefore drop its load.
 There is an optimum size range for successful flotation.

(Trahar and Warren, 1976; Crawford and Ralston, 1988; Finch and Dobby,1990).
 Principles of Flotation
7

 In flotation concentration, the mineral is usually

transferred to the froth, or float fraction, leaving
the gangue in the pulp or tailing this is direct
flotation.
 The opposite is reverse flotation, in which the
gangue is separated into the float fraction.
 Theory of Flotation
8

 The activity of a mineral surface in relation to

flotation reagents in water depends on the forces
which operate on that surface.

 The tensile forces lead to the development of an

angle between the mineral surface and the bubble
surface. (Contact angle)
 Theory of Flotation
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 where s/a, s/w and w/a are the surface energies

between solid and air, solid and water and water
and air, respectively.
  is the contact angle between the mineral surface
and the bubble.
 The force required to break the particle-bubble
interface is called the work of adhesion(Ws/a).
 Theory of Flotation
10

 The work of adhesion is equal to the work required

to separate the solid-air interface and produce
separate air-water and solid-water interfaces
2

Combining eq: 1 and 2, gives

 It can be seen that, the greater the contact angle

the greater will be the work of adhesion between
the particle and bubble.
 Theory of Flotation
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 The hydrophobicity of a mineral therefore increases

with the contact angle; minerals with a high contact
angle are said to be aerophilic.
 They have a higher affinity for air than for water.
 The terms hydrophobicity and floatability are often
used interchangeably;
1. Hydrophobicity = Thermodynamics characteristics
2. Floatability = kinetic characteristics
 Theory of Flotation
12

 In flotation process, the mineral are classified as polar

and non-polar minerals.
1. Non-Polar minerals:
 Relatively weak molecular bonds.
 Composed of covalent molecules held together by van der
Waals forces.
 Their surfaces do not readily attach to the water dipoles,
and in consequence are hydrophobic.
2. Polar minerals:
 Strong covalent or ionic surface bonding.
 It exhibit high free energy values at the polar surface.
 The polar surfaces react strongly with water molecules, and
these minerals are naturally hydrophilic.
 Flotation reagents
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 Flotation reagents are divided into three

categories;
1. Collector
2. Frother
3. Regulator OR Modifying Agents (According to Perry)
1. Activator
2. Regulator
3. Depressants
4. Dispersants and Flocculants
 Collectors
14

 Adsorbed in the surface of the solid as very thin film

of several molecules.
 Due to their properties, they are able to increase
the contact angle between the solid and gas.
 As much as 1lb of reagent/ton of solids treated.
 The longer the non-polar or hydrocarbon part of
the molecule, the greater the contact angle.
 time is allowed for adsorption during agitation, is
known as the conditioning period.
 Collectors
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 Frothers
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 Frothers are added to stabilise bubble formation in

the pulp phase, to create a reasonably stable froth.
 Prevents the coalescene of air bubbles at the
surface of water.
 0.05-0.3lb of frothing agent per ton of solid
material treated.
 it may reduces the surface tension of water,
absorbing in water-air interface
 It is soluble in water without appreciable ionization.
 Frothers
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 Frothers must be to some extent soluble in water,

otherwise they would be distributed very unevenly
in an aqueous solution and their surface-active
properties would not be fully effective.
 Examples of frothers are;
1. Pine-oil
2. Terpineol
3. Cresol
 Regulators
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 Regulators, or modifiers, are used extensively in

flotation to modify the action of the collector, either
by increasing or by reducing its water-repellent
effect on the mineral surface.
 They thus make collector action more selective
towards certain minerals. Regulators can be classed
as;
 Activators
 Depressants
 pH modifiers.
 Regulators
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 A regulator reacts directly with the mineral surface

and provides conditions for interaction of this
mineral with the collector. These reagents are known
as activators. E.g Xanthates

 Some regulators may reduce conditions for

hydrophobicity of a particular mineral with the
collector, or they can make the surface hydrophilic.
These reagents are called depressants. Both
activators and depressants can be either inorganic
or organic compounds.
 Regulators
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 The third group of modifiers is pH regulators. The

purpose of these is to regulate the ionic composition
of the pulp by changing the concentration of the
hydrogen ion in the pulp.
 This results in improvement in collector interaction
with the selected mineral and reduces collector
interaction with undesirable minerals.
 DISPERSION
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 Dispersion is uniform mixture of solids particles in a liquid,

where the solids are insoluble in that liquid.
 In dispersion, the suspended particles are uniformly distributed
in suspension with the individual particles being essentially
separate.
 In dispersion the suspended particles remain in suspension for
longer period of time during which the pulp or slurry is
processed.
 Dispersants or dispersing agents are used to improve the
separation of the particles and to prevent settling or clumping
of the particles.
 DISPERSION
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Dispersants include:
 Sodium silicate

 Sodium hexametaphosphate

 Sodium polyacrylate
 Flocculation
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 Mineral industry worldwide need to process finely mineralized ores

and recover mineral values from slimes.
 Mostly desired minerals in the form of concentrate of coarse
particles are recovered where as slimes may be discarded while
containing mineral values.
 Because of losses of mineral values, it is necessary to convert slimes
into coarser particles by the process of flocculation.
 Flocculation refers to the process by which fine particles are caused
to clump together to form flocs.
 In this process the suspended particles in slurry come closer to each
other, making cluster and settle at the bottom of the liquid or float
at the top of the liquid depending on their weight.
 Flocculation is achieved by agitation and flocculants which
encourage the clumping of slimes. Once suspended particles are
flocculated into larger particles, they can usually be removed from
liquid by filtration.
 Flocculation
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 Flocculants or flocculating agents are chemicals used to

facilitate the settling of suspended particles in slurry.
Flocculants includes:
 Lime
 Starch
 Lime+starch
 Alum
 Gypsum
 Ferric chloride
 Ferric sulfate
 Aluminium sulfate