Experimental analysis of solids and water flow to the coal flotation froths

The importance of solids and water flow to the froths is recognized by the published literature on entrainment of fine hydrophilic particles in flotation. The role of different variables on solids and water flow to the flotation froths are presented in the current paper based on the experiments carried out on conventional (batch) and column cells using coking coal fines. The batch flotation studies were carried out to evaluate the kinetic behavior of solids and water flows to the froths. The kinetic parameters (W∞ and k) were effectively utilized to quantify the process and a ‘rate index’ has been introduced to measure the relative motion of solids to water. The studies show that the solids and water flows are influenced by the design and operating conditions of the flotation units. The quantity of water is higher than the solids quantity reporting to the froths in both conventional and column flotation operations. The mass ratio of solids to water is higher in conventional cell compared to the flotation column, which indicates that the shallow froth depths push more solids to the froths compared to the deep froths. The implications of solids and water flows to the froths need to be known further to use these entities in actual practice.

► Mechanisms of solids and water flow to the flotation froths have been investigated.
► Kinetic parameters provide vital information about the froth characteristics.
► Frother increases froth viscosity and retards rate of water reporting to the froths.
► The ratio of solids to water is higher in conventional cells compared to the columns.