Effect of Surfactant on Bubble Size and Air Holdup on Column Flotation

Abstract

Flotation is a complex process in which is present physicochemical and hydrodynamic phenomena. The flotation performance is related to the probability of bubble-particle collisions and stability of aggregate formed. The collision efficiency is a function of particle and bubble diameters. Currently one of the biggest challenges of the mining industry is the flotation of fine and ultrafine particles and a possible solution to increase the recovery of these fine particles is the use of bubbles with intermediate size (100-1000μm). Therefore, determining and controlling the bubble size is very important for further recoveries in the flotation of fine particles. It is known that the bubble size and air holdup are influenced by variations on the superficial gas velocity and by addition of surfactants. Thus this work aimed to study the effect of adding surfactants on bubbles formation. The results showed that the addition of surfactant was a good alternative to decrease bubble size and increase the air holdup in a bubble column. Three different surfactants had similar behavior on bubble size and holdup. It was possible to define the range of concentration values which are sufficient for forming bubbles with intermediate size and holdup within the range recommended for mineral flotation.