Feed air jet - A cavitation sparger system for enhanced flotation recovery

Nilce Alves Santos, Fábio Duarte, Maoming Fan, Rick Honaker, Adriana Baldessin, Cezar De Paula Pinheiro

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cavitation is a process of formation, growth and subsequent collapse of gas and/or vapor-filled cavities, or microbubbles, in a fluid. Several fundamental studies about this phenomenon have shown that microbubbles generated on mineral surfaces facilitate bubble-particle attachment, and ultimately improves flotation performance. This work presents the Feed Air Jet, a feed pre-aeration cavitation sparger system developed by Eriez. Using coal, cavitation was applied to a flotation feed stock studied in laboratory setting in the USA. This feed pretreatment technique resulted in a significant increase in recovery and flotation kinetics. The Feed Air Jet was also installed at an industrial plant in Brazil and enhanced the overall metallurgy by increasing the mass recovery of the iron (Fe) values while reducing the amount of entrained iron in the tailings stream.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication6th International Congress on the Science and Technology of Ironmaking 2012, ICSTI 2012 - Including Proc. from the 42nd Ironmaking and Raw Materials Seminar, and the 13th Brazilian Symp. on Iron Ore
Pages2713-2724
Number of pages12
StatePublished - 2012
Event6th International Congress on the Science and Technology of Ironmaking 2012, ICSTI 2012 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Duration: Oct 14 2012Oct 18 2012

Publication series

Name6th Int. Congress on the Science and Technology of Ironmaking 2012, ICSTI 2012 - Including Proceedings from the 42nd Ironmaking and Raw Materials Seminar, and the 13th Brazilian Symp. on Iron Ore
Volume4

Conference

Conference6th International Congress on the Science and Technology of Ironmaking 2012, ICSTI 2012
Country/TerritoryBrazil
CityRio de Janeiro
Period10/14/1210/18/12

Keywords

  • Cavitation
  • Feed air jet
  • Flotation
  • Pre aeration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Metals and Alloys

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