Floating process

[andypurnomo]

I am interested in studying the process control in mining industries specially in floating process. In floating process, gold and cooper floated using additive clay and giving air bubling through the water. What kind of the variabel of process must be controlled except the flow of water and the concentration of the clay.
Am I overlooking any other important control parameter and how to ensure that operated in optimum condition?

I request the forum professionals to throw some light on this subject.

Thanks

 

[bimr]

It is a simple process. Suggest you talk to Wemco and they have a lot of experience:

http://www.mining-technology.com/contractors/filtering/dorr_oliver/dorr_oliver1.html

 

[itdepends]

It's not that simple.........

Control parameters include
Grind size (particle size)
pH
Additives (froth stabiliser, collector, suppressors)
Air flow rate
Bubble size
Retention time
Froth/slurry depth
Wash water
Recycle streams and middling (unliberated material) regrinding
Concentrate and tails grade
Conditioning time

and that's from memory from my first post uni job- I haven't worked in flotation since- but I'm sure there's a lot more involved I'm not aware of.

Cheers,

Daniel

 

[bimr]

Only a few of those items are control parameters, the rest are system design design paramters and quality control factors.

 

[PBroad]

The first step is to grind it fine enough to seperate the mineral to be recovered from the waste (gangue).

You then want to make the mineral hydrophobic (repelled away from water) and add air so that the minerals have something to attach to when they are repelled. This will also lift them out of the slurry.

Read some writings of US President Herbert Hoover, especially his translation of the 16th century metallurgist Georgius Agricola's De Re Metallica.