4D particle tracking velocimetry to analyze bubble-particles collisions and flotation recovery at low Stokes numbers


4D particle tracking velocimetry to analyze bubble-particles collisions and flotation recovery at low Stokes numbers

Sommer, A.-E.; Heitkam, S.; Eckert, K.

Froth flotation is a fundamental technique to separate minerals. Hydrophobized target particles attach to the fluidic interface of gas bubbles rising in a suspension. The success of the process depends on both the surface chemistry for the hydrophobization of particles and the hydrodynamics for an encounter between bubble and particle. In the first part of the talk on overview about flotation research and modeling is given.
The second part of the talk is devoted to own research on the hydrodynamics in model cells. To quantify this performance in terms of recovery, the number of target particles at various times in a reference volume is measured. One of the remaining challenges in this field is the flotation of fine particles with a size below 10 µm. Caused by their small inertia, the particles follow the streamlines around the bubble and no collision occurs [1]. This work focuses on the measurement of the collision probability of particles with a small inertia at the bubble surface to advance our understanding of relevant microprocesses and its influence on the flotation recovery. With a 4D particle tracking velocimetry device the particle and bubble trajectories were measured simultaneously with a high temporal (1000 fps) and spatial resolution (0.03 mm/pixels). We developed an algorithm to evaluate the flotation recovery based on the collision and attachment probability [2]. The three-phase flow within a rectangular bubble column consisted of fluorescent polystyrene particles (33 µm, 1.05 g/cm3), a bubble chain (1-7 mm) and deionized water with methanol. The variation of the bubble diameter and methanol concentration led to a change of the fluid flow around the bubble (Re = 100 - 1200) and the particle hydrophobization. The results show the preferred collision of the particles at the rear of the bubble due to a higher acceleration within the vortices in the wake.

[1] Yoon and Luttrell, Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review 5, 101 (1989).
[2] AE Sommer, M Nikpay, S Heitkam, M Rudolph, K Eckert, Minerals Engineering 124, 116-122 (2018)

Keywords: flotation; particle image velocimetry

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    Permsker Wissenschaftliche Lesung, 24.-28.9.2018, Perm, Rusland

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Publ.-Id: 28805