ON THE MODELING OF THE FLOTATION PROCESS

A mathematical model of the flotation process has been developed. The flotation rate constant includes the hydrophobicity of the particles, collision efficiency, relative velocity between particles and bubbles and bubble concentration in the pulp. The effect of metal content of ore and concentrate has also been considered in one of the models. The equation for the distributions of the radii of the particles and the bubbles is also presented. The mathematical model is tested experimentally by sulphide flotation of a galena ore and by amine flotation of balotinis. Both experimentally and theoretically, it has been estimated that the efficiency of particle attachment onto a bubble is E = 1 - costheta. Partial and cumulative values of the recovery have been used for this purpose. The small differences between both types of values for 1 - costheta confirm the validity and good quality of the model developed by the authors of the present paper. The complete confirmation of any mathematical model of course requires considerable effort from numerous workers over a long time period. We therefore present investigators in the area of flotation and the opportunity to either refute or to confirm our model.