Abstract:
An arrangement for recirculation of flotation gas in a mineral flotation process wherein the flotation gas volume fluctuations are handled by a closed pressure equalization loop including an apparatus for storing gas and adsorbing changes of gas pressure; a flushing line for connecting the pressure side of the primary gas recirculation loop to the apparatus for storing gas and adsorbing changes of gas pressure for allowing expulsion of a fraction of the flotation gas from the primary gas recirculation loop; and a suction line for connecting the suction side of the primary gas recirculation loop to the apparatus for storing gas and adsorbing changes of gas pressure, whereby the suction line comprises a pressure reducer for restricting flotation gas flow through the suction line.
Abstract:
Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a agitated flotation cell. The same principal may be employed with other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases, for example, to treat or strip or react a component of the liquid phase.
Abstract:
A process for the recovery of copper and zinc values from copper and zinc containing sulphidic ore includes subjecting ground ore to a flotation operation. An initial copper concentrate is floated in a first flotation step, and the initial copper concentrate is fed to a second flotation step to float a relatively zinc free copper concentrate. Remaining ore from the first flotation step is fed to a third flotation step to float an initial zinc concentrate, and remaining ore from the third flotation step is fed to a fourth flotation step to float a copper and zinc containing material. An intermediate concentrate containing from about 5 to about 25% copper and from about 2 to about 25% zinc, with a total of at least about 12% copper and zinc, is produced by selecting at least the remaining ore from the second flotation step, and a zinc concentrate containing at least about 20% zinc is produced by at least selecting a portion of the initial zinc concentrate.
Abstract:
A method of and apparatus for the flotation of mineral feedstock using the method of froth flotation. The method may be employed with flotation machines having their own air suction, or with flotation machines with subaeration. Pulps pretreated with flotation agents and having a density up to twice the normal density of ore pulps are submitted to a flotation process with a pulsed air flow by means of normal air supply periods alternating with periods wherein the quantity of air ranges from 1-90% of the normal air supply. The apparatus for carrying out said method makes use of known flotation machines with rotor-stator systems, which machines are modified to provide them with an air duct incorporating an air flow regulating member connected to an appropriate control means. With the existing methods of flotation there are obtained about 400 gr/l of solids in the pulp. With the present method with pulsing air supply there can be obtained about 800 gr/l of solids in the pulp.
Abstract:
The process according to the invention relates to the continuous or intermittent removal of suspended particles from sodium aluminate liquor in such a manner that the sodium aluminate liquor is flown under an overpressure of 1-5 at. while gas or preferably air is dissolved in it following which, through a pressure releasing device, it is conducted into a closed tank, the upper part of which is kept at a vacuum of at least 50 Torr; the foamy phase separating there and entraining the suspended grains is drained through a vacuum pipe and sodium aluminate liquor having thus been cleaned from the suspended grains is drained away in the proximity of the liquid level height. The invention can be applied for the removal of suspended impurities in the sodium aluminate liquor denominated in the alumina plant practice as alumina-, spent- and thick-liquor; this process had been previously practiced by means of filtering, settling or centrifuging.
Abstract:
Nanobubbles are employed to bridge microbubbles and non-buoyant particles, thereby creating sufficient capillary forces between the particles and microbubbles such that relatively large, heavy particles can be separated from an aqueous slurry. Nanobubbles are formed on hydrophobic particle surfaces. The microbubbles, which function as collecting air bubbles, form attachments with the particles. The nanobubbles create additional capillary attachment forces between the particles and microbubbles, allowing the microbubbles to rise with the attached particles to the top of the slurry for separation and recovery.
Abstract:
A system is provided for introducing gas bubbles (usually air bubbles) into a liquid stream to coalesce material such as unwanted bits, or particles, of hydrocarbons that lie in the liquid stream along with wanted dissolved bits of metal, for removal of the hydrocarbons. The system is constructed to produce a large number of bubbles of an optimum range such as 60 to 100 μm which best coalesce the hydrocarbons. A controller receives the outputs of sensors such as pressure and flow rate sensors (P, F) and uses them to make changes in other parameters such as the pressure of air introduced into the liquid stream and the pressure in a third conduit of the liquid-bubble stream.