The smaller the valuables, the poorer the recovery – Is that always true?


The smaller the valuables, the poorer the recovery – Is that always true?

Schach, E.; Leistner, T.; Rudolph, M.

The recovery of valuables in a flotation process is known to depend on the particle size and to drop for very small particles. The lack of floatability of such particle fractions is often objected to poor particle-bubble collision efficiencies due to low inertial energies. We recently showed that very fine valuable particles do float well and that the overall flotation performance depends more on the size of the gangue particles. Those findings are in contradiction to many classic collision models in which the influence of fine gangue particles is neglected. In this study the effect of the fine gangue particles on the flotation process is investigated and discussed in more detail. Therefore flotation tests with different solid concentrations, particle size fractions and different hydrodynamic conditions are conducted, measuring the energy dissipation and analysing the obtained flotation products. In addition, the wettability of the valuables and the gangue particles is characterized.

  • Poster
    Flotation '17, 13.-16.11.2017, Cape Town, South Africa

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-29405
Publ.-Id: 29405