Optimizing flotation bank performance by recovery profiling

This paper uses the first-order fully mixed model to argue that operating a bank of cells with a flat cell-by-cell recovery profile yields maximum separation between two floatable minerals with constant relative floatability for a target bank cumulative recovery. The bank optimization problem thus translates into a local problem of selecting cell manipulated variables, such as air rate, to reach that recovery profile. Some properties of the bank that emerge from the analysis are discussed. Recovery profiling appears to contribute to the success of air profiling recently reported.

A flat cell-by-cell recovery profile optimizes metallurgical performance of a flotation bank. Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► How to operate a flotation bank effectively is not well understood.
► Gas distribution management has been proposed to optimize bank performance.
► This paper proves that a flat recovery profile maximizes separation of two minerals.
► Separation efficiency increases with the number of cells in the bank.
► Recovery profiling appears to contribute to the success of air profiling.