Studying the effect of hydrodynamics on flotation kinetics of complex particles using particle-based separation modelling

Impact of hydrodynamics on flotation kinetics has been heavily studied but research concerning their effect on complex individual particles recovery is lacking. This study aims at understanding the effect of superficial gas velocity (Jg) and impeller tip speed (Vs) on the flotation kinetics of a complex porphyry copper ore by investigating the recovery of individual particles in relation to their particulate properties (size, shape, mineral composition, i.e. surface liberation, mineral association and texture). Experiments were performed on FLSmidth’s 6L nextSTEPTM flotation cell following a full-factorial DoE approach. Jg (0.40–0.50 cm/s) and Vs (4.20–5.50m/s) were used as process parameters at constant pulp density, pH, and reagent dosages. Particle datasets pertaining all products were collected using 2D-automated mineralogy. Logistic regression-based models were trained using experimental data to compute the recovery probabilities of each particle at different operating conditions. This served to quantify the influence of hydrodynamics and particle properties on the process behavior of the main ore mineral (chalcopyrite), and gangue minerals including pyrite, quartz, micas, and other silicates.