METHOD OF FOAM SEPARATION AND FLOTATION Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: mineral concentration, in particular, flotation; applicable in processing of ore and nonmetalliferous raw materials. SUBSTANCE: method includes conditioning of initial raw material with reagents in the presence of oily reagents; preparation of foam layer by introduction into pulp of foaming agent and gas in form of finely dispersed bubbles; supply of conditioned raw material onto foam layer and into pulp body; separation in foam layer and in pulp body; production and removal of foam and cell products with their concurrent dewatering to obtain solid and liquid phases. Conditioning of initial material with reagents is carried out with use of finely dispersed in aerohydraulic mixture surfactants and oily substances simultaneously with separation of initial material into coarse-grained, medium-grained and fine-grained products. Conditioning of coarse-grained, medium-grained and fine-grained products is effected by jet stirring of pulp with finely dispersed aerohydraulic mixture of water, air, surfactants and oily substances. After this, medium-grained product is supplied for flotation separation to pulp body from below upward in central part of pulp body, in direction of action of Archimedean forces, and fine-grained product is supplied in distributed state over periphery part, at angle to direction of action of Archimedean forces. Liquid phase after dewatering of cell product is supplied together with coarse-grained, medium-grained and fine-grained products for their distribution in pulp. Liquid phase from dewatering of foam product is supplied as pressure water for pneumohydraulic preparation of finely dispersed aerohydraulic mixture of water, air, surfactants and oily substances with subsequent introduction of obtained mixture in form of high-velocity jets into operation of conditioning of initial material with reagents. Supplied onto foam layer is coarse-grained product. Excessive liquid phase of pulp and reagent mixture formed in coarse-grained product conditioning, are transferred to fine-grained product. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 2 cl, 7 dwg