Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

This project concerns a study of the froth phase in a mechanical flotation machine. It involves bench flotation studies on well defined hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles (quartz treated with a cationic collector, and hematite treated with a polysaccharide depressant), and their mixtures, as well as a Cu-Mo ore sample from Highland Valley Copper, Teck Cominco Metals Ltd. The flotation study will be conducted using a Leeds open-top flotation machine, and the flotation cell will be modified so that the froth properties and air recovery can be determined from both image analysis of the froth and dynamic froth height measurement. The recovery of hydrophobic minerals in the froth phase, i.e., the froth recovery, will be correlated to air recovery. In the meantime, the entrainment of hydrophilic gangue minerals will be correlated to water recovery, with and without polymeric depressants. The above correlations will be established at different flotation conditions, such as air flowrate, impeller speed, collector and frother dosages, pulp solid content, feed particle size, flowrate of wash water, and the type and dosages of polymer depressants. The novelty of the proposed research lies in 1) the correlation between froth recovery of value minerals (hydrophobic particles) and air recovery, and 2) the effect of polymeric depressants on froth behavior and on the relations between water recovery and gangue entrainment (hydrophilic particles), as well as on froth recovery.