The Effect of Bubble Surface Area Flux on Flotation Efficiency of Pyrite Particles

Abstract

<em>In this research, the effect of bubble surface area flux, S_b, and particle size on flotation rate constant, k, of pyrite (FeS₂) particles was studied using bubble-particle interactions. The bubble-particle collision, attachment and detachment efficiencies were calculated under different flow regimes. The k increased with increase in the collision efficiency and decrease in the detachment efficiency. Also the bubble-particle collection efficiency increased with increase in the S_b. Thus difficulty in the floating of fine particles was attributed to low efficiency of the bubble-particle collision efficiency while difficulty in the floating of coarse particles was due to high efficiency of bubble-particle detachment. Maximum collision, attachment and detachment efficiencies were obtained as 81.57%, 50.60% and 51.89%, respectively.</em>