Development of a reactor-separator flotation machine designed by the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys

• Published in: Metallurgist (New York) Vol. 54; no. 5-6; pp. 394 - 400
• Main Authors: Samygin, V. D., Panin, V. V., Filippov, L. O., Stenin, N. Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-09-2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alloys; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; COPPER SULFIDE; Copper sulfides; FLOTATION; Flotation machines; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Metallurgy; Nickel; Reactors; STEELS; SULFIDES; Vibration; selectivity; hydrodynamic regime; rate of separation; reactor-separator; residence time; ultrasound
• ISSN: 0026-0894; 1573-8892
• DOI: 10.1007/s11015-010-9311-4

A new flotation machine of the reactor-separator type has been designed based on the creation of compatible hydrodynamic conditions for control of the main stages of the flotation process in spatially separated zones of the machine. The dependence of the efficiency of the flotation process on the time of residence of the pulp in the reactor is shown to be of an extreme nature and is determined by the ratio of the rates of formation and destruction of flotation complexes and the rate of coalescence of the bubbles. The manner in which the zones in reactor-separators are organized and connected to one another for the selective flotation of mineral particles should be significantly different than for the treatment of waste water. The application of external vibrations (ultrasound) to mineralized air bubbles in the reactor zone makes it possible to independently regulate the process of particle separation and enhances selectivity in the division of copper sulfides from nickel sulfides.