A strategy for the identification of optimal flotation circuits

This article presents a strategy for the identification of optimal flotation circuits based on experimental data and the assumption that the flotation circuit structure are not very sensitive to stage recovery. The main objective is to find a set of optimal flotation circuit configurations, including the best metallurgical conditions for the process and cell design. The optimization process maximizes the Net Present Value (NPV). This methodology consists of two steps. The first step of the methodology entails obtaining data from the laboratory. Different metallurgical conditions are tested for different flotation stages. Each metallurgical condition is evaluated to determine its kinetics. The second step of the methodology is the optimization process. The optimization process achieves the best solution by optimizing cell design, flotation circuit structure and metallurgical conditions. The optimization process has three phases. The first phase assumes that every flotation stage has the same residence time and calculates feasible flotation circuits, metallurgical conditions and cell volumes. This process is performed for several residence times and, therefore, a set of feasible solutions is generated. The second phase takes the previous set of feasible solutions and calculates the residence time at each flotation stage. Then, for each phase two solution, the optimal flotation circuit, metallurgical conditions and cell design are calculated. The final product is a set of optimal solutions than can be considered for further study. The procedure is illustrated by the design of a zinc flotation plant, considering seven flotation stages and five species.