UNIVERSITY OF GHANA DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY MINERAL PROCESSING- CHEM 493 GROUP PRESENTATION (GROUP 8) TOPIC: FLOTATION OF FREE GOLD

AND GOLD-BEARING SULFIDES

GROUP MEMBERS AHIAWODZI JOSEPH KORKU AMEWUGAH PRINCE HENRY ANANE-ADJEI BISMARK AZUMAH FORSTER ELORM L.K. HUMALI LEONARD MORTOXI GODWIN KOBLA NII-ASHITEY MICHAEL SOGLO GERHARDT ZANU FAITH

Free metallic gold and gold-bearing sulfides can generally be recovered very effectively by froth flotation. Gold-bearing sulfides consists of gold intimately associated with the sulfides as fine unliberated grains, or occurs with barren, hydrophobic sulfides. The most common gold bearing sulfides are pyrite (feS2) and arsenopyrite (FeAsS). It has been found that gold also occurs in some antimony sulfides.

INTRODUCTION CONTD
Froth flotation is the process of selectively separating hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic medium. This is used in several processing industries. Historically this was first used in the mining industry. William Haynes in 1869 patented a process for separating sulfide and gangue minerals using oil and called it bulk-oil flotation.

INTRODUCTION CONTD
The first successful commercial flotation process for

mineral sulfides was invented by Frank and Stanley Elmore in 1896. Their process was not froth flotation but used oil to agglomerate pulverized sulfides and buoy them to the surface. By this time they had recognized the importance of air bubbles in assisting the oil to carry away the mineral particles.

INTRODUCTION CONTD
However the process was superseded by more advanced

techniques. The modern froth flotation process was independently invented in the early 1900s in Australia by C.V Potter and around the same time by G.D Delprat. Initially, naturally occurring chemicals such as fatty acids and oils were used as flotation reagents in a large quantity to increase the hydrophobicity of the valuable minerals. Since then, the process has been adapted and applied to a wide variety of materials to be separated, and additional collector agents, including surfactants and synthetic compounds have been adopted for various applications.

Principle of operation
Froth flotation is a process for separating minerals from gangue by taking advantage of differences in their hydrophobicity. Hydrophobicity differences between valuable minerals and waste gangue are increased through the use of surfactants and wetting agents or collector chemicals [ Examples include Potassium ethyl xanthate(KEX) and thiocarbamates.].

Principle contd
The selective separation of the minerals makes

processing complex (that is, mixed) ores economically feasible(Advantage of froth flotation over other gold recovery processes). Froth flotation commences by comminution (that is, crushing and grinding), which is used to increase the surface area of the ore for subsequent processing and break the rocks into the desired mineral and gangue in a process known as liberation, which then has to be separated from the desired mineral

Principle contd
The ore is ground into a fine powder and mixed with

water to form a slurry. The desired mineral is rendered hydrophobic by the addition of a surfactant or collector chemical. Collectors either chemically bond (chemisorption) on a hydrophobic mineral surface, or adsorb onto the surface( physisorption). Collectors increase the natural hydrophobicity of the surface, increasing the separability of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles.

Principle contd
The particular chemical depends on which mineral is being refined. As an example, pine oil is used to extract copper. This slurry (more properly called the pulp) of hydrophobic mineral-bearing ore and hydrophilic gangue is then introduced to a water bath which is aerated, creating bubbles. The hydrophobic grains of mineral-bearing ore escape the water by attaching to the air bubbles, which rise to the surface, forming a foam or a scum (more properly called a froth). The froth is removed and the concentrated mineral is further refined.

Flotation equipment
Flotation can be performed in rectangular or cylindrical

mechanically agitated cells or tanks, flotation columns, Jameson cells or deinking flotation machines. Mechanical cells use a large mixer and diffuser mechanism at the bottom of the mixing tank to introduce air and provide mixing action. Flotation columns use air spargers (sprinklers)to introduce air at the bottom of a tall column while introducing slurry above. The countercurrent motion of the slurry flowing down and the air flowing up provides mixing action. The Jameson cell uses neither impellers (rotators) nor spargers, instead combines the slurry with air in a downcomer (pipe for the downward transport of water) where high shear creates the turbulent conditions required for bubble particle contacting.

Diagram of a cylindrical froth flotation cell with camera and light used in image analysis of the froth surface

Mechanics of flotation
The following steps are followed, following grinding to

liberate the mineral particles: Reagent conditioning to achieve hydrophobic surface charges on the desired particles Collection and upward transport by bubbles in an intimate contact with air or nitrogen Formation of a stable froth on the surface of the flotation cell Separation of the mineral laden froth from the bath (flotation cell)

Mechanics contd
Simple flotation circuit for mineral concentration. To

concentrate the froth(mineral bearing ore), various flotation reagents are added to a mixture of ore and water (called pulp ) in a conditioning tank. The flow rate and tank size are designed to give the minerals enough time to be activated. The conditioner pulp is fed to a set of rougher cells which remove most of the desired minerals as a concentrate. The rougher pulp passes to a set of scavenger cells where additional reagents may be added. The scavenger cell froth is usually returned to the rougher cells for additional treatment, but in some cases may be sent to special cleaner cells. The scavenger pulp is usually barren enough to be discarded as tails. More complex flotation circuits have several sets of cleaner and re-cleaner cells, and intermediate regrinding of pulp or concentrate.

flowchart of the process

comminution

Ore with gangue

Crushed fragment

Grinding +H2O

slurry

Pure Gold

Further refinery

Froth/scum

Addition of surfactants or collectors + Air bubbles

Flotation tailings

Concentration of the froth

Advantages of froth flotation over other gold recovery processes

It is less expensive since it does not include the high energy and process equipment associated with oxidative treating of the whole ore. The selective separation of the minerals makes processing complex (that is, mixed) ores economically feasible The flotation process is used for the separation of a large range of sulfides( sulfides of iron, arsenic, antimony, etc etc) as well as non sulfide ores including carbonates and oxides prior to further refinement

Comminution process

Froth flotation process

REFERENCES
"Wales - The birthplace of Flotation".

http://www.maelgwyn.com/birthplaceflotation.html#top\.

"Historical Note". Minerals Separation Ltd.

http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/guides/mine/historic alnote.htm Beychok, Milton R. (1967). Aqueous Wastes from Petroleum and Petrochemical Plants (1st ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.. LCCN 67019834. Voith EcoCell flotation plant http://www.voithpaper.com/applications/productsearch/fi les/594_VPR-PB-07-0001-GB-07.pdf Wills mineral processing technology, seventh edition ( an introduction to the practical aspects of ore treatment and mineral recovery), B.A. Wills, T.J. Napier-Munn

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