Study On Aeration Performance And Application Of Flotation Column Bubble Generator

The history and state of the art of research and application of flotation column is discussed systematically, and further development of flotation column is predicted also. The two different buble generators of sparger and micropore are designed and manufactured, the aeration performance of them are studied in laboratory flotation column. The flotation performance of them in various gauge flotation column is examined. The initial simulation of fluid dynamics of flotation column is conducted.There are three gauges of caliber of sparger nozzle, 1mm, 1.5mm and 2mm.The foaming materials adopted in micropore include fiber, furriery and ceramic. In order to study the variation rule of total gas holdup and upper gas holdup and bubble diameter and distribution, we alter the bubble generator type, gas velocity and frother concentration. The result shows that the greater gas velocity, the greater gas holdup and bubble diameter for both bubble generators. The frother concentration has a trivial influence on gas holdup, on the other hand, it can improve the bubble diameter and distribution dramatically. However, when frother concentration got up to a critical value, the bubble diameter would maintain a fixed value. In the same condition, there is little difference between the gas holdup generated by two different bubble generator. But bubble diameter generated by sparger is markedly smaller than the one generated by micropore. The average bubble diameter generated by sparger varied between 0.22mm and 0.47mm, the one generated by micropore varied between 1.25mm and 2.25mm. So the sparger bubble generator gained an advantage than micropore on forming micro bubble.The desliming operation of nickel ore is conducted in a laboratory flotation column, which gauge is 140 2700rnm.The circuit, which combined flotation column and flotation machine, adopted in getting rid of SiO2 in bauxite flotation obtained some index equivalent to the one obtained by the circuit of flotation machine totally. The gauge of flotation column used in this operation is 0400x4000mm. In separation of copper and molybdenum, the application of flotation column, which gauge is600 6000mm, achieved good performance. One stage of flotation column operation is equivalent to two or three stages of flotation machine operation. The application of flotation column can simplify the flotation circuit, and can obtain flotation performance that equivalent to or exceed the one of traditional flotation machine. During the whole experiment period, the bubble generator worked well, and the blockage of it didn't occur.