Recent Trends in Flotation of Fine Particles

Fine particles are generated at the mines due to the mechanization and automation in the mining processes. Also, the occurrence of valuable minerals in a finely disseminated form necessitates fine grinding for liberation and subsequent physical separation. Because of the extremely complicated physico‐chemico‐mechanical conditions existing in the flotation process, the problems associated with the presence of fine particles are most pronounced in flotation. New trends to flotation of fine particles are carrier flotation, column flotation and bioflotation. The carrier flotation technique is applied for upgrading of Egyptian kaolin and graphite. The carrier flotation technique has the advantage of reducing the long conditioning time needed for the pulp with the reagents in the conventional technique. But, the main draw backs of carrier flotation process in mineral beneficiation operations, are high reagent consumption and the necessity for subsequent separations of valuables from the carrier particles (when the valuable minerals are being recovered in the froth). There is a great potential to recover of fine particles from their gangue using the recent technology such as column flotation or Air Sparged Hydrocyclone (ASH), after its modification to be suitable for flotation of very fine particles to beneficiate many ores such as kaolin, talc, graphite, phosphate and hematite. Bacteria and enzyme were used in the bio‐flotation process to beneficiate the dolomitic phosphate to decrease MgO%.

並列關鍵字

Fine Particles ； Column Flotation ； Carrier Flotation ； Bio‐Flotation

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