Picobubble enhanced column flotation of fine coal

Froth flotation is widely used in the coal industry to clean -28 mesh or -100 mesh fine coal. A successful recovery of particles by flotation depends on efficient particlebubble collision and attachment with minimal subsequent particle detachment from bubble. A fundamental analysis has shown that use of picobubbles can significantly improve the flotation recovery of particles by increasing the probability of collision and attachment and reducing the probability of detachment. An experimental study of column 1 flotation of fine coal has been conducted to study the effects of picobubbles on flotation recovery, clean coal ash, and reagent consumption. Picobubbles were produced based on the hydrodynamic cavitation principle. Experimental results have shown that the use of picobubbles in flotation increased fine coal recovery by 10-30%, depending on the feed rate, collector dosage, and other flotation conditions. Picobubbles also acted as a secondary collector and reduced the collector dosage by one third to one half.