Mechanism of Froth Flotation
A number of procedures are involved in the froth flotation process, which functions to extract valuable minerals from gangue material. The detailed description of the mechanism of Froth Flotation method is discussed below:
Preparation: The first step in the procedure is to crush the ore and combine it with water in a flotation cell or tank to create a finely ground ore slurry.
Air’s Introduction: The flotation cell is filled with air, commonly by means of mechanical agitation or mechanisms for sparging. The air is distributed throughout the slurry by the agitation, which produces a froth-forming environment.
Connectivity of Air Bubbles: As the air bubbles rise through the slurry, they come into contact with the hydrophobic mineral particles coated with collector molecules.
Creation of Froth: Because of its low density, the froth carries the hydrophobic mineral particles to the surface of the flotation cell. The more air bubbles that adhere to the mineral surfaces, the more of this froth layer is created.
Skimming: Mechanical devices such as paddlers or scrappers are used to continually remove the froth containing the hydrophobic mineral particles from the top of the flotation cell. After that, this froth—which contains the important minerals—is collected as the concentrate.
Rejecting Gangue: The gangue minerals stay in the flotation cell as part of the tailings or waste stream because they are hydrophilic and do not stick to the air bubbles. These gangue minerals are released from the cell.
Froth Flotation Process
Froth Flotation is a very important process in the field of mineral processing which is utilized for the purpose of extraction of minerals from Ore. It is a part of surface chemistry in which we selectively separate the minerals from the unwanted material. This process is used in a variety of industries and is very crucial in each one of them. In this article we will look at this process in great detail.
Table of Content
- What is Froth Flotation ?
- Principle of Froth Flotation
- Mechanism of Froth Flotation:
- Technique of Froth Flotation
- Froth Flotation Equipment
- Conclusion