International Journal o f Mineral Processing, 13 (1984) 285--295 285

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

THE EFFECT OF AIR FLOW RATE ON THE KINETICS OF FLOTATION.

P A R T 3: S E L E C T I V I T Y

A.R. LAPLANTE', H.W. SMITH 2 and J.M. TOGURI 2

'Dep. o f Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Que.
H3A 2A 7 (Canada)
2Dep. o f Metallurgy and Materials Science, University o f Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
M5S 1A4 (Canada)
(Received January 1, 1982; revised and accepted December 23, 1983)

ABSTRACT

Laplante, A.R., Smith, H.W. and Toguri, J.M., 1984. The effect of air flow rate on the
kinetics of flotation. Part 3: Selectivity. Int. J. Miner. Process., 13: 285--295.

The flotation rate from the slurry to the froth of a strongly hydrophobic galena and
weakly conditioned chalcopyrite were determined in a batch experimental flotation cell,
as a function of air flow rate (AFR). The selectivity of the transfer from the slurry to
the froth was found to be highest at intermediate AFR, and lowest at very low or very
high AFR. The flotation rate of a strongly conditioned magnetite-galena mixture was
investigated in the same cell as a function of A F R and froth thickness (FT). The rate
constant which characterizes the transfer rate from the froth over the cell lip was found
to be identical for both minerals within experimental errors.

INTRODUCTION

Air flow rate (AFR) and froth thickness (FT) are key variables affecting
t h e r a t e o f p r o d u c t i o n in f l o t a t i o n p l a n t s . T h e y a r e u s e d as i n p u t v a r i a b l e s in
the control system of a number of industrial circuits (King, 1973). McKee et
al. ( 1 9 7 6 ) s t a t e t h a t A F R c o n t r o l s p r i m a r i l y w a t e r r e c o v e r y . A s f i n e h y d r o -
p h i l i c p a r t i c l e r e c o v e r y is p r o p o r t i o n a l t o w a t e r r e c o v e r y , t h e m a i n o b j e c t i v e
o f w a t e r c o n t r o l is t o m i n i m i z e n o n s e l e c t i v e r e c o v e r y b y h y d r a u l i c e n t r a i n -
ment, while avoiding unacceptable losses of hydrophobic particles. When the
r e c o v e r y o f f i n e h y d r o p h i l i c p a r t i c l e s is a d e q u a t e l y c o n t r o l l e d in t h e r o u g h e r
c i r c u i t , t h e r e is l i t t l e s c o p e f o r t h e i r r e j e c t i o n in t h e c l e a n i n g c i r c u i t ( L y n c h
e t al., 1 9 8 1 ) . A F R a n d F T c a n t h e n b e u s e d t o m o d i f y t h e r e s i d e n c e t i m e in
t h e f r o t h , a n d t h u s r e c o v e r f a s t e r f l o a t i n g p a r t i c l e s m o r e o r less s e l e c t i v e l y .
T h i s m e a n s t h a t a n y i m p r o v e m e n t in c o n c e n t r a t e g r a d e w i l l b e a t t h e ex-
pense of recovery. AFR and FT can then be used for stabilizing control --
i.e., t o r e g u l a t e t h e m a s s f l o w r a t e o f c o n c e n t r a t e - - o r o p t i m i z i n g c o n t r o l - -
i.e., t o m o v e t h e o p e r a t i o n o f t h e c i r c u i t a l o n g t h e g r a d e - r e c o v e r y c u r v e a t
the desired point.

0301-7516/84/$03.00 © 1984 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

286

Generally, overall flotation selectivity is measured. Consequently, it is

very difficult to determine whether selectivity changes originate from the
transfer from the slurry to the froth, the transfer from the froth back to the
slurry, the transfer from the froth over the cell lip, the hydraulic entrain-
ment of fine particles to the concentrate, or all of these. In the present
work, an experimental batch flotation cell was used to investigate the
selectivity of material transfer from the slurry to the froth over the cell lip
for mixtures of galena/chalcopyrite and magnetite/galena.

EXPERIMENTALPROCEDURE

The effect of air flow rate on the selectivity of material transfer from the
slurry to the froth

The experimental cell and flotation procedure were described previously

(Laplante et al., 1983a). A 3-kg specimen of massive chalcopyrite was crush-
ed to minus 1 cm and stored in a desiccator. 600-g samples were ground for
30 min in a 25 cm X 25 cm diameter mill at 60% solids. The ground product
was then filtered and split into three 200-g sub-samples, to be floated sepa-
rately. Each chalcopyrite sub-sample was then combined with a 200-g
deslimed galena sample previously conditioned and floated with a strong
collector, according to the procedure described by Laplante et al. (1983b)
and deslimed. The size distribution of both minerals, as determined by
cyclosizing, is shown in Table I. The major difference between the two size
distributions is the presence of a large quantity of chalcopyrite slimes (31%
minus 11 pm).

TABLEI

Particle size distribution of the chalcopyrite-galena feed

Chalcopyrite Galena

Particle size (urn) Wt.% Particle size (urn) Wt.%

+36 12.9 +29 22.2

28--36 23.4 22--29 25.9
19--28 15.8 16--22 22.9
15--19 11.5 12--16 21.8
11--15 5.7 9--12 7.2
--11 30.7 --9 --

The 400-g chalcopyrite-galena sample was then added to the experimental

flotation cell, and conditioned for 5 min, in 5.2 litres of tap water, in the
presence of 8 X 10 -4 g of potassium ethyl xanthate. At the end of the con-
ditioning period, 2 X 10 -4 g of Cyanamid A-65 (a short-chained alcohol)
was added to the slurry, and air and washing water -- at a flow rate of 2.8 1
 287

min -1 -- were turned on. The floated p r o d u c t was collected in pans changed
every 12 s. Each sample was then filtered, dried, weighed and analyzed for
copper and lead by atomic absorption.

The effect o f air flow rate on the selectivity o f material transfer from the
froth over the cell lip

To evaluate the selectivity of the transfer from the f r o t h over the cell lip,
its rate was determined using the m e t h o d described earlier (Laplante et al.,
1983b). Finely ground magnetite was pre-conditioned at 70°C and 67%
solids, at a dosage o f 500 g t -1 of a highly refined fat t y acid (Cyanamid
Aero 67 Promoter) for 10 min. The magnetite was then filtered, dried, and
stored in a desiccator. For each flotation test, a 200-g sample of the con-
ditioned magnetite was combined with an equal weight of galena previously
conditioned and floated according to the procedure described in Laplante
et al. (1983b). The size distribution o f the two minerals as det erm i ned by
cyclosizing is shown in Table II. The magnetite is slightly coarser than the
galena.

TABLE II

Particle size distribution of the magnetite-galena feed

Magnetite Galena

Particle size (t~m) Wt.% Particle size (urn) Wt.%

+33 27.9 +26 28.4

25--33 27.3 20--26 28.0
17-25 19.9 14--20 23.0
13-17 7.1 10-14 6.0
10-13 3.2 8--10 2.1
-10 14.6 -8 12.5

The 400-g magnetite-galena sample was then added to t he experimental

flotation cell, and conditioned in 5.2 1 o f tap water, in the presence of 0.13
g o f a phosphoric acid based collector (Cyanamid A-31 Promoter). At the
end o f the conditioning period, 0.02 g o f a short-chained alcohol (Cyanamid
A-65 Frother) was added to the slurry, and air was turned on. FT was
regulated by monitoring slurry level and controlling water addition, using
the procedure described in Laplante et al. (1983b). Floated product s were
recovered in pans replaced at measured time intervals varying from 9 to 30 s.
T h e y were then filtered, dried, weighed and analyzed for iron/lead ratio by
X-ray diffraction.
288

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The effect o f air flow rate on the selectivity o f transfer from the slurry to
the froth

T y p i c a l results for one f l o t a t i o n test are s h o w n in Fig. 1, w h e r e the per-

cent mass in the cell o f galena, galena and c h a l c o p y r i t e c o m b i n e d , and
c h a l c o p y r i t e is p l o t t e d as a f u n c t i o n o f t i m e o n a vertical logarithmic scale.
F l o t a t i o n kinetics were characterized using the following e q u a t i o n :
in [ m s ( t ) / m s ( 0 ) ] = - K t (1)
w h e r e ms(t) = mass o f the h y d r o p h o b i c f r a c t i o n o f a given mineral in the
slurry at t i m e t (g); t = time (min); and K = FRC o f the given mineral (min -1).
T h e FRC's o f b o t h galena and c h a l c o p y r i t e were o b t a i n e d b y regression o f
eq. (1), and are p l o t t e d as a f u n c t i o n o f A F R in Fig. 2. Galena displays the
familiar b e h a v i o u r previously observed in the same s y s t e m ( L a p l a n t e et al.,
1983a), with a m a x i m u m FRC at an A F R o f a b o u t 4 1 min -1. It was f i t t e d
to t h e expression ( L a p l a n t e et al., 1983a):
K1 = 2.341 G e x p ( - 0 . 2 4 0 G ) (2)

loo ...
where: K1 = FRC o f galena (min-1); and G: A F R (1 rain-l).
T h e FRC o f c h a l c o p y r i t e shows less d e p e n d e n c e o n A F R . This is because
the c h a l c o p y r i t e contains a significant f r a c t i o n o f very fine particles (30.7%

1 0 ~ 4

21-•/o o ~ o _
o1 , °
¢Y

I @ ,
10- .5 1.0 0 5
TIME (min) AFR <L r a i n ~)
Fig. 1. M a s s o f h y d r o p h o b i c s o l i d s in t h e s l u r r y as a f u n c t i o n o f t i m e . A F R : 7 . 1 8 1 m i n a ;
a: C u F e S ; , b: t o t a l s o l i d s , c: P b S .
Fig. 2. F R C o f g a l e n a ( c u r v e 1) a n d c h a l c o p y r i t e ( c u r v e 2) as a f u n c t i o n o f A F R .
 289

minus 11 /~m), whose FRC is largely unaffected by AFR in the present sys-
tem (Laplante et al., 1983a). The FRC was fitted to the parabola:
K2 = - 0 . 4 2 1 + 0.210 G - 0.0183 G2 (3)
where: K2 = FRC of chalcopyrite (rain-l); and G = AFR (1 min-m).
Figure 1 shows that galena displays little deviation from first order kinetics,
but chalcopyrite exhibits the typical fast and slow floating characteristics
reported by Kelsall (1961). Flotation kinetics can then be characterized by
the simple model:
ms(t) = Cf exp{-kft) + (1 - el) e x p ( k s t ) (4)
where: ms(t ) and t are as previously defined; and Cf = fraction of fast float-
ing mineral; kf = FRC of the fast floating fraction (min -1); and ks = FRC of
the slow floating fraction.
The presence of the slow floating chalcopyrite can be attributed to the
slime fraction (30.7% minus 11 gin).
Flotation data was fitted to eq. (4) using Rosenbrock's algorithm {1960).
Only four tests out of ten showed a significantly improved fit over that of
eq. (1). In the present system, 85--90% of the mass was recovered in the first
minute of flotation, yielding 5 data points per test. This data proved numeri-
cally ill-suited to accurately determine the parameters of eq. (4). Conse-
quently, eq. (1) was retained to characterize selectivity.
Flotation selectivity is usually expressed in terms of a grade-recovery
curve. However, in the present system it can be shown that a single param-
eter, the ratio of the FRC's, can be used (Appendix 1). Figure 3 shows the
ratio of the FRC of galena to that of chalcopyrite as a function of AFR.
The fitted curve is the ratio predicted by eqs. (2) and (3). It suggests that
selectivity is higher at intermediate AFR's, but this is only weakly support-
ed by experimental points. It may be argued that the behaviour of the sys-
tem at very low or very high AFR's is not of great practical importance, as
it would be operated at 3--6 1 min -1, corresponding to air flow numbers of
0.01---0.02 (Harris, 1976), and in good agreement with o p t i m u m operating

2 I

0 I
0 AFR 5 (L min -~) 10
Fig. 3. Ratio o f the F R C o f galena over the FRO o f c h a l c o p y r i t e as a f u n c t i o n o f A F R .
( F i t t e d line: ratio o f the fitted F R C ' s . )
290

conditions suggested by Schubert and Bischofberger (1978) for fine particles.

Within these limits, experimental scatter masks whatever effect AFR might
have on selectivity.

The effect o f air flow rate on the selectivity o f transfer from the froth over
the cell lip

Typical results for two flotation tests are shown in Fig. 4, where the
percent mass in the cell of magnetite and galena is plotted on a vertical
logarithmic scale as a function of time. As in Laplante et al. (1983b), produc-
tion of concentrate begins after an induction period during which the froth
phase is formed. As both minerals displayed little deviation from the first

100

r.

.~=

10 0

0
(,o
a

d
f
1 0 I

o i o 6
TIME (rain) FROTH THICKNESS (cm)
Fig. 4. Mass (%) of h y d r o p h o b i c m a t e r i a l in t h e slurry a n d t h e f r o t h phases as a f u n c t i o n
o f time. Test 320: ( A F R : 2.52 l m i n -1, f r o t h t h i c k n e s s : 3.2 cm), a: PbS; b: Fe304. Test
315: ( A F R : 9.02 1 m i n -1, f r o t h t h i c k n e s s : 1.6 cm), c: PbS; d: Fe304.
Fig. 5. O R C ' s o f m a g n e t i t e and galena as a f u n c t i o n o f f r o t h thickness.
A F R (1 m i n 1) Magnetite Galena
2.5 e f
4.5 c d
9.1 a b
 291

order behaviour, flotation kinetics were characterized using the following

equation:
ln[msf(t)/msf(O)] - * - - g ' ( t - to) (5)
where: msf(t) --- mass of the hydrophobic fraction of a given mineral in the
cell (slurry and froth) at time t (g); t = time (min) (air is turned on at t = 0);
to = induction time (min); and K ' = overall rate constant (ORC), (min-1).
The effect of FT on the ORC's of magnetite and galena are shown in Fig. 5
at AFR's of 2.5, 4.5 and 9.1 1 min -1, respectively. Using the procedure and
assumptions outlined previously (Laplante et al., 1983b), the kinetics of
transfer from the froth over the cell lip were characterized by the follow-
ing first-order equation:
d m f / d t = --K* m f (6)
where: drn~ = mass of a given mineral being transferred from the froth over
the cell lip (g); dt = time differential (min), mf = mass of the given mineral in
the froth (g); and K* = froth transfer constant (FTC), (rain-').
Curves a, b and c (Fig. 6) show the calculated FTC of magnetite and
galena as a function of FT, for AFR's of 9.1, 4.5 and 2.5 litres per minute,
respectively. The FTC of both species is identical well within experimental
error. Thus the effect of AFR and FT on the selectivity of the transfer
from the froth over the cell lip is negligible in the present system. AFR and
FT have a significant effect on the FTC, but this effect is identical for
strongly hydrophobic minerals. The FTC was fitted to:
K '= 1.86 (G/D) °'s' (7)
(correlation coefficient = 0.963)

where: K ' = FTC (min-1); G = AFR (1 min-~); and D = FT (cm).

v Fe304
vPbS
~c

I-

froth thickness (cm)

Fig. 6. F T C ' s o f magnetite and galena as a f u n c t i o n o f f r o t h t h i c k n e s s . (a) A F R = 9.1 1

m i n - l ; ( b ) A F R = 4.5 1 m i n - ~ ; ( c ) A F R = 2.5 1 m i n -~.
292

Harris and R i m m e r ( 1 9 6 6 ) suggest t h a t t h e FTC should be equal to the

ratio o f t h e airless c o n c e n t r a t e f l o w r a t e divided b y t h e airless f r o t h volume.
T h e i r h y p o t h e s i s c o u l d be tested in a system w h e r e t h e f r o t h can be isolated
f r o m t h e slurry (i.e., Watson and Grainger-Allen, 1 9 7 4 ) and t h e F T C measur-
ed. In a large f l o t a t i o n cell, w h e r e b o t h h o r i z o n t a l and vertical t r a n s p o r t
paths in the f r o t h can be very long, the a s s u m p t i o n o f f r o t h h o m o g e n e i t y
breaks d o w n , and o t h e r f r o t h t r a n s p o r t m o d e l s m u s t be used.
In the p r e s e n t case, the transfer f r o m t h e slurry to the f r o t h is selective,
as the FRC o f m a g n e t i t e is larger t h a n t h a t o f galena. This is because fine
m a g n e t i t e f o r m s aggregates (Read and Hollick, 1 9 7 6 ) which float faster t h a n
t h e individual fine particles, as d e m o n s t r a t e d for scheelite b y K o h and Warner
(1977). This e f f e c t b e c o m e s a p p a r e n t w h e n the ORC o f the d i f f e r e n t size
classes o f m a g n e t i t e and galena is m e a s u r e d at very low F T (0.4 cm), for
which the transfer f r o m the slurry to t h e f r o t h is rate limiting. Table III
shows t h a t the ORC o f galena generally decreases as particle size decreases,
because b u b b l e / p a r t i c l e collision e f f i c i e n c y decreases w i t h decreasing particle
size. T h e F R C o f m a g n e t i t e does n o t decrease with decreasing particle size,
p r e s u m a b l y because o f particle magnetic flocculation.
Thus, the overall transfer selectivity will be m a x i m u m w h e n t h e t r a n s f e r
f r o m t h e slurry t o t h e f r o t h is rate limiting, and m i n i m u m w h e n t h e t r a n s f e r
f r o m the f r o t h over the cell lip is rate limiting. Figure 7 c o n f i r m s this ob-
servation, as overall selectivity, expressed as t h e ratio o f t h e ORC's, increases
as the average FTC o f galena and m a g n e t i t e increases. These findings are n o t

TABLE III

ORC of galena and magnetite as a function of particle size

(FT: 0.4 cm; AFR: 4.5 1 min -~)

Particle size (~m) --8 8--10 10--14 14--20 20--26 +26

ORC of galena (min ~) 1.4 1.1 1.7 3.3 4.5 3.7
ORC of magnetite (min -~) 4.1 3.7 4.0 4.5 3.8 3.6

1.5
~k
o
n~

o
n¢

O /0 0 0
1.o___
avg. F T C (rain-1)
Fig. 7. Ratio of the ORC of magnetive over that of galena as a function of their average
FTC.
 293

in contradiction with industrial flotation behaviour, for which selectivity in-

creases with decreasing AFR and increasing FT (i.e., decreasing FTC's). In-
dustrial flotation selectivity is mostly affected by hydraulic entrainment of
fine hydrophilic particles in the concentrate. In the present experimental sys-
tem, the quantity of hydrophilic particles in the feed is minimal. Hydraulic
entrainment is also minimized by the geometry of the experimental cell.

CONCLUSIONS

AFR has a very limited effect on the selectivity of the transfer of particles
from the slurry to the froth by particle-bubble collision and attachment. Its
effect on the selectivity of transfer from the froth over the ceil lip is also
very limited, for strongly hydrophobic minerals. Weakly hydrophobic
minerals may display a dissimilar behaviour because of the increased proba-
bility of their detachment from bubbles or drainage from the froth.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AFR: Air flow rate

FT: Froth thickness
FRC: Flotation rate constant
ORC: Overallrate constant
FTC: Froth transfer constant

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are indebted to the Minist~re de l'l~ducation du Quebec, the

Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada for their financial assistance The
authors also wish to thank the D~partement de G~nie mineral de l']~cole
Polytechnique de Montreal, the Mine Louvem Lt~e and Inco Metals Co., for
providing mineral samples and experimental facilities.

APPENDIX 1

Demonstration that the grade-recovery curve of a two-mineral system can

be represented by the ratio of the FRS's. Given the following notation:
K1, K2: FRC of minerals 1, 2 (min -1)
fl: fraction of mineral I in the feed
hi, h2: fraction of minerals 1, 2 which is hydrophobic
c~: fraction of mineral 1 in the floated product
R1, R2: fractional recovery of minerals 1, 2
t: time (min).
294

Flotation kinetics are described as follows:

R1 = hi [1 - e x p ( - k l t)] (A1)
R2 = h2 [1 -- exp(--k2 t)] (A2)
For a given R~, t is given as:

t = 1kl In
=-R1 (A3)

R : is then:
h: [1 -- R~/(h: - R~)] (A4)
The fraction of mineral 1 in the floated product, c~ is:
f:R
f~R~ + (1 -- f~)R~ (A5)

Replacing R: with its value in eq. (A4), and rearranging:

cl =
fiR: (A6)
f,R,+(1--m,)h2 t 1 - - ( h - -R~
-R,) "
-k'/k' f
In the galena/chalcopyrite system, h~, h~ and m: are constant for all tests.
Thus for any given recovery RI, c: will be determined by the ratio of the
FRC's. The grade-recovery curve, and hence selectivity, can be characterized
by the FRC ratio.

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