Prediction model of slurry pH based on mechanism and error compensation for mineral flotation process

A suitable pH value of the slurry is a key to efficient mineral flotation. Considering the control delay problem of pH value caused by offline pH measurement, an integrated prediction model for pH value in bauxite froth flotation is proposed, which considers the effect of ore compositions on pH value. Firstly, a regression model is obtained for alkali (Na2CO3) consumed by the reaction between ore and alkali. According to the first-order hydrolysis of the remaining alkali, a mechanism-based prediction model is presented for the pH value. Then, considering the complexity of the flotation mechanism, an error prediction model which uses time series of the error of the mechanism model as inputs is presented based on autoregressive moving average (ARMA) method to compensate the mechanism model. Finally, expert rules are established to correct the error compensation direction, which could reflect the dynamic changes during the process accurately and effectively. Simulation results using industrial data show that the presented model meets the needs of the industrial process, which laid the foundation for predictive control of pH regulator.