Abstract
The effect of hydrophobic and magnetic plastic particles having a contact angle of around 83° on flotation performance was evaluated using coal particles of varying degrees of floatability. The magnetic plastic material were recovered by a low intensity magnetic separator and recycled back to the flotation feed for re-use. Flotation rate tests conducted on coal using a conventional cell proved that combustible recovery and flotation rate were significantly enhanced with the addition of the plastic particles, especially for difficult-to-float coals, which was corroborated by flotation column tests. Carrying capacity and particle size-by-size flotation tests further showed that the magnetic plastic particles preferentially increased the recovery of coarse particles by as much as 35 absolute percentage points due to froth stabilization which reduced the selective detachment of coarse and/or weakly hydrophobic particles. The enhanced flotation recovery was attributed to the influence on liquid drainage rate in the froth zone, froth stability, bubble coalescence and flotation rates.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 223-231 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Minerals Engineering |
| Volume | 98 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- Froth flotation
- Froth stability
- Hydrophobic particles
- Kinetics
- Magnetic particles
- Recovery
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Control and Systems Engineering
- General Chemistry
- Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
- Mechanical Engineering