UNLOCKING OPTIMAL FLOTATION: is the AIR RECOVERY the key?
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UNLOCKING OPTIMAL FLOTATION:
is the AIR RECOVERY the key?
Jan CilliersRoyal School of Mines
Imperial College London
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Outline
The Origins of Air Recovery• Modelling Flotation Froths• Useful froth equations
Air Recovery Application• Measuring air recovery• Air rate effect and flotation performance• Bank air profiling using air recovery
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•Air leaves a flotation cell by bursting on the top of the froth or overflowing into the concentrate.
•The AIR RECOVERY is the fraction of the air that that overflows (and does not burst)
Air leaving froth by bursting at top surface
Air into the cell
Air overflowing the weir as froth
Froth concentrate
What is the Air Recovery?
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The Origins of Air Recovery
• Modelling Flotation Froths• Useful froth equations
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Froth Flotation and Froth Physics
The surface chemistry determines whether the minerals can be separated
The froth physics determines how well the separation happens
Requires a froth-phase model describing the physics
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A Flowing Froth Model - components
• Froth motion
• Liquid flow in the froth
• Solids motion
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Froth Structure:The Physics of the Froth
Films between bubbles
Plateau borders
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Froth motion from pulp to concentrate
Laplace equation gives velocity
Boundary conditions:
1. Shape of tank and launders
2. Air entering the froth that overflows:
AIR RECOVERY (%)
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Froth Flow in Radial Equipment Designs
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Liquid Flow in the Froth
Three balanced forces act on the liquid in Plateau borders:
Gravity, capillary and viscous dissipation
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Liquid Motion and Content
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Solids Motion1. Attached SolidsParticles attached to bubbles
move with the frothMost particles are detached due
to coalescence (>95%)
2. Unattached Solids:
Particles move in the Plateau borders
Follow the liquid, settle and disperse
Overflow into concentrate
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Mineral and Waste Particles Example of motion in Plateau borders
Valuable Mineral
Gangue Minerals
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Mineral grade in froth
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Froth Launder Design:Effect of forcing froth to flow inwards or outwards
INTERNAL INTERNAL CHANNELCHANNEL
CHANNEL 1CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2CHANNEL 2
Internal Launder Two Launders
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Tracking particles in flotation using PEPT
Model validation
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Tracking particles in flotation using PEPT
Model validation
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Simplified Equations for Flotation Modelling
Water flowrate to concentrate
Entrainment factor
Froth recovery
(α<0.5)
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Water flowrate to concentrate
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ENTRAINMENT FACTOR Ratio of gangue recovery to water recovery
)1(exp
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hvEnt
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Froth Recovery
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Froth Modelling Summary
• Froth physics determines the effectiveness of the flotation separation
• Complex froth zone simulators are available for operation and design
• Simplified models have been developed for liquid recovery, froth recovery and
entrainment, based on the physics
All the froth models include THE AIR RECOVERY
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Air Recovery Application
• Measuring air recovery• Air rate effect and flotation performance
• Bank air profiling using air recovery
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Air leaves a flotation cell by bursting on the top of the froth or overflowing into the concentrate.
The AIR RECOVERY is the fraction of the air that that overflows (and does not burst)
Air leaving froth by bursting at top surface
Air into the cell
Air overflowing the weir as froth
Froth concentrate
Air recovery.. a reminder
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Measuring the air recovery
Air Recovery =
Volumetric flowrate air overflowing
Air flowrate into cell
Volumetric flowrate air overflowing
= overflowing velocity x overflowing froth height x lip lengthAir In
Air leaving through bursting
Air flowing over lip
Overflowing velocity
Overflowing froth height
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Air Recovery shows a maximum (PAR) at a specific air rate
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Air Recovery
Bubbles heavily loadedStable, but move slowly
Bubbles under-loadedUnstable, burst quickly
Optimum balance between froth stability and motion
Air Velocity into Flotation Cell
Why is there a Peak in Air Recovery (PAR)?
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Predicting air recovery – theory
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Air Recovery and flotation performance
Air rate that gives highest air recovery also gives highest mineral recovery
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Froth appearance
• Air rate 8m3 min-1
• Air recovery 70%
• Air rate 12m3 min-1
• Air recovery 40%
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Air Recovery
Metallurgical Recovery
Bubbles heavily loadedStable, but move slowly
Bubbles under-loadedUnstable, burst quickly
Optimum balance between froth stability and motionHigh recovery and grade
Air Velocity into Flotation Cell
REDUCE AIRIncrease gradeIncrease recovery
INCREASE AIRReduce gradeIncrease recovery
Why does the Air Recovery affect flotation?
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Air Recovery Application
• Measuring air recovery• Air rate effect and flotation performance
• Bank air profiling using air recovery
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The air rate profile in a flotation bank affects the performance
• Two strategies:
1. Determine the best air rate profile– Vary distribution of a set total air addition
1. Determine the optimal total air addition– Vary the total air addition with a set air profile
Air rate profiling
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Air rate profiling approaches
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1. Different air profiles with same total addition (e.g. Cooper et al., 2004)
2. Different air addition with the same profile
(Hadler et al., 2006)
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Air Profiling Strategies
1. Determine the best air rate profile– Vary distribution of the total air addition
– Increasing profile typically improves performance e.g. Cooper et al., 2004; Gorain, 2005; Hernandez-Aguilar and Reddick, 2007; Smith et al., 2008
1. Determine the optimal total air addition
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Determining the air rate profile
• Increasing profile typically yields better performance Higher cumulative grade for same cumulative recovery (e.g. Cooper et al., 2004)
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Introduction: Previous work
1. Determine the best air rate profile
1. Determine the optimal total air addition– Best performance at air rate giving
Peak Air Recovery (PAR)
e.g. Hadler et al., 2006; Hadler and Cilliers, 2009
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25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%
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Cumulative Recovery (% Cu)
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Cu Rougher Performance: Grade-Recovery and Air Recovery
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Cumulative recoveries:
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Study performed in two stages
1. Air rate profiling tests
2. Air recovery optimisation (PAR) tests
First direct comparison of the two approaches
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Stage 1: Air rate profiles
1. Air rate profiling tests– Three profiles tested, the ‘Standard’ and
two others, all adding same total air
2. Air recovery optimisation
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Air rate profiling: Air rate profiles
0
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Standard Stepped Sawtooth
Air
flo
wra
te /
m3 m
in-1
Profile
Total air addition
(m3 min-1)
Standard 30.3
Stepped 28
Sawtooth 29.5
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Air rate profiling: Performance
0
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20 30 40
Cumulative recovery / %
Cu
mu
lati
ve u
pg
rad
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tio
Standard
Stepped
Sawtooth
0
20
40
60
D
Cu
mu
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Re
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/ %
Stepped Sawtooth Standard
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Air rate profiling: Findings
• Order of cumulative Cu recovery is same as cumulative air recovery
– Sawtooth > Stepped > Standard
Mineral recovery and air recovery qualitatively linked
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Stage 2: Peak Air Recovery test
1. Air rate profiling test
2. Air recovery optimisation– Preliminary tests to find PAR air rates– Test conducted at PAR air rates– Total air added same as ‘Standard’ profile
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Air recovery optimisation: Preliminary tests
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Air
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Air recovery optimisation: Air rate profiles
0
2
4
6
8
10
Standard Stepped Sawtooth PAR
Air
flo
wra
te /
m3
min
-1 Profile
Total air addition
(m3 min-1)
Standard 30.3
Stepped 28
Sawtooth 29.5
Peak Air
Recovery
28
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Air recovery optimisation: Air recovery
0
20
40
60
80
A B C DCell
Cu
mu
lati
ve a
ir r
eco
vere
y / %
Standard Stepped
Sawtooth PAR
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Air recovery optimisation: Performance
0
40
80
120
160
20 30 40 50
Cumulative recovery / %
Cu
mu
lati
ve u
pg
rad
e ra
tio
Standard
Stepped
Sawtooth
PAR
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Air recovery optimisation: Performance of first cell
• Effect of air rate:– Recovery
maximum at PAR air rate
– Upgrade ratio decreases with increasing air rate
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Air profiling using air recovery: Summary
• Air profiling can significantly improve flotation performance• The performance improvement is a froth effect; rate kinetics alone cannot explain it
• The air rate giving the highest air recovery (PAR) also gives the best flotation • The PAR method simultaneously determines the optimal bank air rate and distribution
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• Froth physics determines the effectiveness of flotation• Froth models indicate important variables – this is the
origin of AIR RECOVERY
• Air recovery is affected by air rate; there is an air rate at which the air recovery is a maximum (PAR)
• The Peak Air Recovery (PAR) methodology simultaneously establishes the correct air addition rate and the best air rate profile for a flotation bank
• Significant improvements observed; plant control strategy
Summary and Conclusions
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Acknowledgements
• Rio Tinto Centre for Advanced Mineral Recovery at Imperial College London
• Froth and Foam Research team
• Intellectual Property Rights • The peak air recovery-based froth flotation optimisation
methodology is protected by a PCT-stage patent application, covering most of the countries of the world, with additional protection in Chile and Peru
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Questions?
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UNLOCKING OPTIMAL FLOTATION:
is the AIR RECOVERY the key?
Jan CilliersRoyal School of Mines
Imperial College London