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3-1-1982

Evaluation of Dissolved Air Flotation for the

Treatment of Mineral Slimes
Alan Jospeh Melnyk

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Melnyk, Alan Jospeh, "Evaluation of Dissolved Air Flotation for the Treatment of Mineral Slimes" (1982). Open Access Dissertations
and Theses. Paper 3646.

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Evaluation of

Di~solved

Air Flotation

for the Treatment of Mineral Slimes

,

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B.Eng. (McMaster University)

A Thellis
Submitted to the Faculty, of Graduate Studies
in Partial Fulfilment of,.t.he

"

R~quirements.

. for the Degree

,Master of ",Ene;Jineer.ing

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McMaster University
March 1982

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DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION'
OF MINERAL

SLI~S

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MASTER OF ENGINEERING
(Chemical Engineering)

McMASTER UNIVERSITY
Hamilton, Ontario

TITLE:

EVALUATION OF DISSOLVED AIR

TREA~ENT OF MINERAL SLIMES

FLOTATION

FOR

AUTHOR:

ALAN JOSEPH MELNYK. ,B. El!g. (McMaster lJ!liversity)

SUPERVISOR:

Professor D. W. Woods

NUMBER OF PAGES:

xi. ,209

THE

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ABSTRACT

The recovery. of Ba'S04 mineral

slimes (-10' inicrons)

using dispersed and dissolved air flotation, was studied.

from

silica

Experiments

were performed in a modified commercial batch flotation machine.

influence of flotation

vari~bles

such as

The

collecto~c~ncentration,

concentration of silica depressant, pH, aeration and mineral purity on

"-;-_

flotation parameters were also examined.

Experimental eyidence suggests that dissolved air flotation results
in ,enhanced BaS0

r,e.covery over that normally achieved using dispersed

air, flotation for a limited range of elCperimental conditions.

This

range is character;zed by poor BaS0 4 flotation conditions such as low pH

or' collector concentration;'

The flotation of BaS0 4 was found to be'

.strongly influenced by variables which regulate the surface chemistry of

~

..

the mineral, such as collector concentration, pH, .,silica depressant and

ml'neral purity.

It was also speculated that D1echanical transfer or.

gangue into' the froth may be a critical factor

" barite ores.

..\

.
i11

:tn the upgrading of

.",~'~""1.,

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",

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my sincere thanks

to

Dr. D. R. Woods

for his encouragement and effort during the course of this study.
I

would like to thank Dr. Muthuswarni for his, informative

discussions.
The technical assistance of Mr. L. Suggett, Mr. H. Behrnann
and Mr. L. Salemi is also

~eatly appreciat~d.

Financial assistance provided by, McMaster University and the

National Science and Engineering Research Council
I

~~

appreciated.

would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Valerie and

Henry Meng, Mehrnet Carnurdan, Kevin Smith, Mark costin and the
many other graduate students who

hav~

provided invaluable friendship

over' the last two years.

Most of all,

would like to express my gratitude and appreciation

to my wife, Janet for her help and comfort

. "A. J. Melnyk

Hamilton, March 1982

iiie!!)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIO~

l,i

Treatment Difficulties

1.2

S~rvey

of New Slime Treatment

Techniques

1. 2.1

Piggy Back Flotation

1.2.2

Electrophoresis

1.2.3

Magnetic and Electrostatic

5
6
S~paration

1.2.4 -L~quid-Liquid Extraction

1.2.5

Selective Flocculation

DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION

11

2.1

Mechanism and Factors Influencing

Dissolved Air Flotation

13

2.1.1

Factor& Influencing the, Size and Rate

of Precipitation of Air Bubbles

13

2.1.2

Factors Influen~ing the Attachment

'of Precipitating Air to ~he Mineral
Surface

23

2.1.3

Mineral Surface Activation by

P~ecipitation of ~!ne Bubbles

2.2

Summary of a Pre~lous Investigation in

Dissolved Air'Flotation of Mineral
Slimes

35

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

47

3.1

f\ppar.atus

48

3.2

Experimen~al

Procedure.

51

iv

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Page
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5~.

54' .

4.1

Introd\lction

4.2

D.A.F.

4.3

Collector Concentration

63

4.4

Depressant

69

4.5

73

4.6

purity of'BaS0 4
pH

4.1

Aeration

83

4.8

Celestite Flotation

93

54

76

100

CONCLUSIONS

References

lOG.

Nomenclature

11Q

Al DEVELOPMENT
OF E~UATION TO PREDICT VOLUME OF
, .
AIR PRECIPITATINGFROM SOLUTION

114

A2 EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS

117

A2.a

Expe~imental

Procedure

118

A2.a.l Mineral Preparation

118 .

A2.a.2 Pre-Flotation Procedure

119

A2.a.3 Flotation Procedure

120

A2.a.4 Analysis of ,Flotation Products

121

A2.b

Equipment Description

122

A3 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

I29

M STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

167

A4.a

Estimate of Variance

168

M.b

Hypothesis Tests

169

4_

...

Page

.,

A4.b.l Randomized Block Test

169

A4.b.2 Hypothesis ~est for Comparing Two

Population Means

171

A4.b.3. Hypothesis Test for Comparison of -:'

an Experimental,Value to an'Ex~cted

,/ 173

Value
ALc

Factorial

Desig~

Analysis

'174

M.c.l 2.' Factorial Design

175

A4.c.2 2' Fa'ctorial,. Design.

176

M'.c.3.

Dete~ination

AS SAMPLE CALCULATION OF
AS.a

of

~ignificant

~LOTATION

Effects'\

RES,ULTS .

Determination of Maximum Vo~ume of

Dissolved Air AVailable for'

"176

1'95
196

Precipitation
AS.b

Determination of Solid Weight to

196

Slurry Volume Ratio

AS.c

Determination of Weight % Nloated

AS.a

Determination of % BaS04 Recovered

199

AS.e

Determination of the Upgrading Factor

200

AS.f

Determination
Efficiency

oft~e

%"Separation

A6 PARTICLE SIZE DETERMINATION

, A6.a
'A6.b'

1
"i

1198

201

.203

Procedure

202

Particle Size Distribution

205

vi

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LIST OF TABLES

Table

Title

Page

Klassen.'s Comparative Results of

Flotation Experiments

44

Klassen's Size Analysis of Flotation

Products of Barite Slimes

46

Random Block Analysis of the qbserved

Differences between D.A.F. and
Dispersed Air .Flotation

61

Mineral solubiiity ,Data

71

Comparison of Klassen's Results and

Current 'Experimental. Obse;vations for
the Flotation of Ba~e Slimes

96

Magnitude of Effects of Flotation

Variables Relative to:D.A.F.

99

'1

A2-l

Equipment Specification apd Suppliers

123

M-l

Individual and Pooled Variance

Estimates for Each Flota~ion Parameter

180

Observed Differences 'between D.A.F.

and Dispersed Air Flotation

181

Calculated T Values for the Effect

of Dissolved Air Concentration on

182

M-3

..

Flotation.Parameter~

M-4

Calculated T Values for the 'Difference

'between ~.A.F. and Dispersed Air
Flotation

183

M-5

Calculated T Values for the Effect of

Collector Concentration on Flotation
Parameters

184

vii

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Table
A4-6' J

Calculated T Values for'the Effect of

Depressant on Flotation Parameters

A4-7

Page

Title

Calculated T Values for.Effects~oj

Purity of BaS04 on Flotation

lB5

lB6
(

Param~ters

A4-B

Calculated T Values for the Difference

in Flotation Parameterll for the
Flotation of gelestite and Barite from
Silica

187

A4-9

Calculated T Valu~s for the'Effect of

pH on Flotation Parameters

lBB

'A4-l0

Calculated T,~alues for tpe Effect of

Aeration (RPM) on F1otat1on Parameters

189

Calculatl:!d~ T

Values for the 'Difference

between Klassen's Results and Current
Experimental Observations for the
Flotation of Barite Slimes

190

A4-11

E~fects

of Collector Concentration,
pepressant and D.A.F.

191

A4-13

Effects of BaS04 Purity, Depressant

\
and D.A.F. on Flotation Parameters

192

.,

A4-14

Effects of Celes~ite Flotation, pH

and D.A.F. on'Flotation Parameters

193

A4-15

Effects of Aeration and D.A.F. on

Flotation Parameters'

194

A6-1

Particle Size Distribution

206

..
viii

.,.

A4-12

.)

..

"

LIST OF FIGURES
Title

Figure
1

The-Various Aspects of the Slimes

Problem with Particular Reference to
Flotation

..

Effect of Frother Concentration on

the Precipltati~n of Gases from
Solution

14

Effect of Saturation of the Solution

and of Frother on the Average Size
of Gas Bubbles Precipitating from
Solution

16

-.

Total Surface Area of Gas Bubbles

Precipitating from 1 L of Solution
~
at Different Pressures

Volume of Gases Precipitating from

Solution at Different Pressures

2l~

Variation of Wl/W2 with Contact Apgle

27

and Direct Attachment

, ofCoalescence
a Bubble to a Solid Surface
.

19

'31

"9
10

Activation of Flotation by
Precipitation of Gas Bubbles from
Solution

33

Flotation of a Mixture of Fluorite

and Quartz of, Size
less than 10 micron,
I
with Different Additions of Sodium
Silicate

37

Effect ofPUlp Density on the

Flotation of a Mixture of Fluorite
and Quartz of a Size less than
10 microns

ix

39

,.

.>I-

Figure

--

Page

Title

Flotation of Barite and Quartz

of a Size less than 10 microns with
Different Add~tions of Sodium
Silicate

41

12

Flotation Cell and Pressure Chamber

49

13

Batch Dissolved/Dispersed Air

Flota~o~ Apparatus

50

14

Distribution of Differenes in Weight

% Floated between D.A.F. and Dispersed
Air Flotation

56

Distribution of Differences in

15

57

BaS04 Recovery between D.A.F. and

Dispersed Air Flotation
16

Differences in Upgrading Factor

between D.A.F. and Dispersed Air
Flotation

58

17

Distribution of Differences in
Separation Efficiency between D.A.F.
and Dispersed Air Flotation

59

18

Effect of 'Collector Concentration on

the 'Weight % Floated

64

19

Effect of Collector Concentration on

% BaS04 Recovery
,./--

65

20

Effect on Collector Concen~ration on

the Upgrading Factor
,i

66

Effect of Collector Concentration on

, Separation EfficienfY

67

"

21

22

Effect of pH on weigh~ Floated

79

23

Effect of pH on % BaS04 Recovery

80

24

Effect of pH on the

81

Upgr~ding

Factor

.... ,_

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xi

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, fNTRQDUCTION

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CHAPTER 1 .
INTRODUCTION

, ,
Mineral

slimes ~s

derogatory

term

used

to

nuisance characteristics of fine mineral' particles.

g~neral

indicate

the

An acceptable

definition describes slimes as "the fraction of 'ore that is

too fine to, be commercially exploited by the conventional' processes

developed for coarser size fractions" [1].
The. upper size limit used to define slimes varies, dependinll on
the

ore

being

treated

(i.e.

an

upper

size

limit

of

~m

for

Cassiterite [2.3] to an' upper size limit of 50 ~m for fluorite'[4]

has' been observed) and actual

treatment proces~

(i.e.

upper size

limi~s for gaiena have been. industrially observed to be between 7 ~m

[5] and 20

~m

Primary
decomposition

[6]).
slimes
of

are, those

certain

rock

caused, by
components.

the

weathering

Secondary

and

slimes are

produced as a result of comminution of ore.

Presently many large ore bodies are not being exploi'ted since
the liberation size of the de!l!red mineral

is

below 30

~m

[7];

Furthermore. often conventional mineral processes reject slimes which

may contain

an

appreciable mineral

content

because

of treatment

difficul ties.
However. with the continued exhaustion of natural reso,urces it
is important that problems in recovering

2'

slimes be resolved.