The effect of high intensity conditioning on the flotation of a nickel ore. Part 1: Size-by-size analysis

High Intensity Conditioning improved pentlandite flotation from a nickel ore. Specifically, High Intensity Conditioning increased the flotation rate of pentlandite contained in the 8 to 75 mu m particle size range. There was also a significant increase in the maximum recovery of pentlandite over the same particle size range. By contrast, the rate and maximum recovery of pentlandite contained in particles less than 8 Crm were not significantly increased by High Intensity Conditioning. Desliming was affected by hydrocycloning to remove particles less than 8 mu m in size from the ground ore. Desliming caused similar changes in the size-by-size flotation behaviour of pentlandite as High Intensity Conditioning. Mechanisms of High Intensity Conditioning are discussed in terms of the particle size dependent flotation behaviour of pentlandite. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.