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CHARACTERISTICS
OF INDUSTRIAL
COLUMNS
G. S. DOBBY*
FLOTATION
and J. A. FINCH
Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, McGill University, 3450 University Street,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2A7
(Received
12 December
1982; Revised
January 1984;
accepted
13 April
1984)
columns are counter-current bubble columns that have recentlybeen applied to froth
flotation separation of minerals. A unique feature of a flotation column is the water stream applied at
the top of the column for the purpose of washing entrained nonfloatable particles from the floatable
bubble-particle aggregate, consequently permitting high upgrading in a single separation stage. The
Abstract-Flotation
objective of our work is the development of a scale-up methodology for flotation columns, and as a
first step toward this objective we have measured the dispersion parameters of large industrial columns.
Pulsed tracer tests were performed with both liquid and solid tracers on 0.46 and 0.91 m square columns,
each 13 m high. The liquid axial dispersion coefficient appears to be linearly dependent upon column radial
dimension. As well, it is confirmed that the axial dispersion coefficient of mineral particles is the same as that
of the liquid, and that the residence time of solid particles is unaffected by a bubble swarm.
lNTRODUCHON
An inherent limitation with the flotation of fine particles in conventional froth flotation cells is recovery of
hydrophilic (gangue) particles by mechanical entrainment in the water reporting to the froth[ 11. The
method of minimizing entrainment is to create a 5530
cm thick froth at the slurry surface. The froth permits
the gangue to drain back to the pulp while retaining
the hydrophobic particles which are eventually discharged over the cell lip. This cleaning action is seldom
sufficient and sequential stage flotation is necessary.
The alternative approach to the cleaning of
entrained particles has been introduced with column
flotation. Industrial flotation columns are typically 13
m high by 0.45 to 0.91 m square. A schematic diagram
of a flotation column is shown in Fig. 1. Three distinct
zones are indicated. Feed slurry enters the column at
the top of the recovery zone, 9-l 1 m high, and flows
downward against a counter-current flow of l-2 mm
dia. air bubbles. After collision, particles that are
sufficiently hydrophobic will adhere to the bubbles and
the bubble-particle aggregate will rise into the cleaning zone. The cleaning zone incorporates a unique
feature; water is added from an array of perforated
pipes located about 5-10 below the discharge lip. This
washwater drains downward and gives the cleaning
zone the appearance of a packed bubble bed. The
downward velocity of the washwater is regulated by
the difference between the tailings flowrate and the
feed flowrate (or bias).
Gangue particles that are entrained in bubble
wakes or that shortcircuit from the feed point are
washed back from the cleaning zone to the recovery
*Now at Dept. Metallurgy and MaterialsScience, Univer-
THEORY
Liquid
1061
1062
r--Wash
Concentrate
YW
water
Feedy-1
its concentration at an axial distance from the injection point, x, and time, t, is given by:
a%
ac
ac
ax
at
E,----u---=0
ax2
(1)
the
Laplace
transform
of
eqn
(1)
WLI:
F(s)
= exp $
(
1 -
(1 + ~N,T,S))I*
is given
Solid9
II (2)
upper
particle
size, or mass,
for which
this is
NM:
C(r) =[&Jexp[&-k-q)].
(3)
The effect of various physical and operating parameters upon the liquid axial dispersion coefficient
in bubble columns has been reviewed by Shah, Stiegel
and Sharma[8]. They conclude that for cylindrical
columns E, is essentially independent of liquid velocity and liquid properties such as viscosity, surface
tension, density, etc. In a subsequent
review article,
Shah et al.[9] generalize the effect of column diameter, D, and superficial
gas velocity, vs, upon Et
with E, = Dkvgn, where 1 Sk < 1.5 and 0.3 5 n 5 2.
As the present concern is with flotation columns
having a large radial dimension it is worthwhile to
examine the scarce quantity of published data on
large diameter columns.
Magnussen
and Schumacher [ lo] experimented
with cylindrical columns having 0.04 < D 1. 1 m at
0.01 I vg 5 0.1 m/s while operating in the countercurrent mode. For columns with no internal baffling
u s
where
2!$%[{1 +0.0921(~y-2y2
1 I
(5)
l/3
1
and
p=
w2
[ 4 (Pp -
P/)&g
= (1 -
#)
(6)
DETERMINATION
1/c
[
ktcmi
cfi)2fi
i-l
dioxide
as measured
by
atomic
absorp-
Column
operation
P
9
Tracer
1063
selection
Liquid RTD was determined using the dye fluorescein measured with a portable spectrophotometer. A
problem that is often encountered when using a dye in
Test procedure
For each of the two tests, fluorescein and manganese dioxide were mixed with water and added to
the column at a point close to the interface of zones
1 and 2 by pouring them, from the top of the column,
down a funnel and tube arrangement. Total injection
time was approximately 30 sec. for the 18 in. column
and 60 set for the 36 in. column. Samples of tailings,
concentrate and feed were taken over the next 60 min
at the sampling points indicated in Fig. 1.
To obtain liquid for fluorescein analysis the samples were settled and decanted. Manganese measurements were performed on the tailings form the
18 in. column test only. In preparation for manganese
analysis, each sample was filtered, dried, and screened
into four size classes: +400-270
mesh, +270-200
mesh, +200-150
mesh and + 150-100 mesh.
1064
and J. A. FINCH
G. S. DOBBY
Table
1. Column
operating conditions
18 inch
Feed
flowrate
Washwater
(L/min)
flowrate
flowrate
Tailings
Concentrate
wt%
Volume
liquid
ua(m/s)
solids,
150
530
40
gas
air
velocity,
holdup,
point
to
air
ug(m/s)
D
spargei
(ml
0.006
0.004
0.014
0.018
0.055
RESULTS
. TAILS
a3NC
* FEED
DYE
CONC
@Pm)
0.011
0.013
+Caverage)
Liquid RTD
190
fraction
Estimated
feed
35
(L/min)
velocity,
inch
380
solids
Superficial
L,
IL/min)
flowrate
Interstitial
Feed
(L/min)
36
120
10.0
were normalized
and fitted to the dispersion
mode1
with the procedure
previously
described.
Figure
3
shows that for both columns the fit is good, evidence
that the Laplace solution to the open ended dispersion
mode1 is adequate to describe mixing in large flotation
columns. The fitted parameters
are given in Table 2.
The
flotation
column
dispersion
coefficients
are
compared
with previously
published
data on large
counter-current
bubble columns in Fig. 4. The radial
dimension of the square sectioned columns are characterized by equivalent diameters (0.52 and 1.03m). The
interval-bars
for the Magnussen
and Schumacher[
lo]
data reflect that their measured dispersion coefficients
were average
0.070
9.5
velocity
36
values obtained
(0.01-0.1
m/s).
Gas
velocities
DATA
MODEL :
in the
of gas
18 in.
2=1X
min
N4 = 0.476
36
0-04-
DYE
CONC
(Ppm)
TAILS
CONC
FEED
t
0.08
12
18
0.06
DATA
MODEL :
2= 12.6 min
NC= 0.276
18
004'
oI)2,I
TIME (mid
Fig. 2. Dye concentration vs time for the tailings, concentrate and feed stream of the 18 in. and 36 in. square
columns.
TIME
(min)
1065
fitted
Cmz/sl
T1*
fitted
Cmin)
*l*
estimated
from
L/u,
o18'&36'Flotation
Cciumm
.
0.07-
datP
.Magmhsen
l
Rice
- Rice
dataC5)
data(=)
(m*/s>
Inch
0.476
0.033
0.060
12.6
13.2
12.5
14.7
005-
EI = 0.0630
where D is the equivalent
Soli&
OOI-
36
0.09
-
Cmin)
Inch
0.278
+*
b
02
0*
Q6
ae
la
D (ml
Fig. 4. Liquid axial dispersion coefficient vs column diameter for 18 in. and 36 in. flotation columns, and bubble
columns of Magnussen and Schumacher [lo] and Rice er
al. [5, 61.
Interval
(mesh)
+400-270
dAVE(WI)
44
TPO
tmin)
9.7
RTD
N
PO
CL,
RMS Error
(x10=)
0.239
0.037
0.31
0.32
+270-200
63
9.0
0.174
0.029
+200-150
88
7.3
0.186
0.038
0.43
+lSO-100
125
6.0
0.143
0.036
0.38
0.035
0.36
12.6
0.278
0.033
0.13
Solids
Average
water
TGeometric
mean
of
because
means
are
screen
series).
mesh
then
interval
related
(7)
m/s
(typically
by
JT as
in
selected
original
Predicted
- Measured
.
8-
*
\.
6-
d,
0.
(urn)
Flow split
A material balance of the fluorescein split and
hence water split between the tailings stream and the
concentrate stream can be obtained with the use of
the flowrates (Table 1) and RTD curves (Fig. 2). In
the 18 in. column, 99.8% of the measured fluorescein
reported to the tailings stream and in the 36 in.
column, 99.2% reported to the tailings. (In both
cases, approximately
18% of the dye was unaccounted for and is assumed to have been adsorbed
by solids.) From a flow balance it was determined
that the concentrate water from the 18 in. column
was composed of 5% original feed water and 95%
wash water, while concentrate water from the 36 in.
column was 8% original feed water and 92% wash
water. The washwater is evidently very effective in
preventing feed water, and thus gangue particles,
from reaching the concentrate.
DISSCUSSION
TIME (min)
44
-0033
.0032
.82
-0026
-83
10.5
9.7
63
-0064
.0062
-77
-0048
-73
9.1
9.0
88
-0116
.0113
.76
.0086
.60
7.5
7.3
125
-0210
.0205
.70
-0144
.47
5.9
6.0
Mixing characteristics
of industrial
flotation columns
1067
m/s.
(8)
tracer concentration
measured concentration, normalized
fitted concentration, normalized
column diameter, 111(for a square column, D is
the diameter of a circle with equivalent area)
particle diameter, cm (unless otherwise noted)
liquid axial dispersion coefficient, m2/s
solids axial dispersion coefficient, m*/s
acceleration due to gravity, cm/s*
column length, from tracer injection point to
the bubbler at the bottom of the column, m
liquid vessel dispersion number, E,/uJ
solids vessel dispersion number, E,,/u,,+L
particle Reynolds number, ap~,d/p
maximum t of RTD
interstitial liquid velocity, m/s
relative velocity of particles in a slurry with
volume fraction solids c$, m/s
velocity of single spherical particle, m/s
velocity of spherical particles in a slurry with
volume fraction solids C#I,m/s
superficial liquid velocity, m/s
superficial gas velocity, m/s
axial distance from tracer injection point ( + ve
downward)
fractional air holdup
liquid viscosity, p
liquid specific gravity, g/cm3
particle specific gravity, g/cm3
liquid mean residence time, min
mean residence time of solids in a slurry with
volume fraction solids $I, min
volume fraction solids in a slurry
particle sphericity =
surface area of volume equivalent sphere
surface area of particle
1068
[ 131 Akita K. and Yoshida F., Ind. Engng Chem. Proc. Des.
Dev. 1973 12(l) 76.
[14] Imafuku K., Wang T. Y., Koide K. and Kubota H., J.
Chem. Engng Japan 1968 l(2) 153.
[ 151 Argo W. B. and Cova D. R., Znd. Engng Chem. Proc.
Des. Dcv., 1965 4 352.
[16] Concha F. and Almendra E. R., Znt. J. Mineral Proc.,
1979 5 349.
[17l Richardson J. F. and Zaki W. N.. Trans. Inst. Chem.
Engrs 1954 32 35.
[18] Govier G. W. and Aziz K., The Flow of Complex
Mixtures in Pipes. p. 12. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New
York 1972.
[19] Hopkins M. J., Sheppard A. J. and Eisenklam P.,
Chem. Engng Sci. 1969 24 113 1.
[20] Smart P. L. and Laidlaw I. M. S., Water Resources
Research 1977 13(l) 15.
[21] Wills, B. A., Mineral Processing Technology, 2nd Edn.,
p. 42 Pergamon Press Oxford 198 1.