Evdokimov S.I., Gerasimenko T.E., Gorlova O.E., Orekhova N.N. Development of a Bubble Size Measurement Method and System Under Conditions Simulating the Vapor-Air Flotation Mode

DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2024-22-3-33-42

Abstract

Problem Statement (Relevance). The research is aimed at improving the selectivity of mineral separation by a flotation method and increasing the completeness of recovery of a valuable component due to new methods of flotation chart design and a pulp aeration mode. Objectives. The article presents the study on changes in the size of vapor-air bubbles at their sudden contact with cold liquid in flotation processes. Methods Applied. The authors developed a bubble size measurement method and system under conditions simulating the vapor-air flotation mode. Originality. The article contains the rationale describing that the size of a bubble can be determined by the volume of the gas phase related to the number of induction signals caused by the motion of a vapor-air bubble (“nonmagnetic hole”) along the turns of inductance coils in a magnetic liquid made quasi-heavy by an external inhomogeneous magnetic field. The value of the induction signal depends on the size of the vapor-air bubble. Result. It has been experimentally established that with increasing temperature at the gas-liquid interface due to the heat of condensation of water vapor, the size of bubbles decreases by 2.0-2.5 times. The authors developed technology of gold-bearing ore enrichment, whose distinctive feature was the separation of a rough concentrate in “three steps” using the mode of pulp aeration with a vapor-air mixture for a short time (15-25% of the total period). Field experiments were performed on ore from the Olimpiada deposit. Practical Relevance. Using the developed technology, the increase in gold recovery was 2.72 % (due to the reduction of gold content in tailings from 0.514 to 0.409 g/t) with an increase in the concentrate quality from 72.94 to 97.07 g/t. An important advantage of the new technology is a 24.9% reduction in the relative yield of the concentrate supplied for expensive hydrometallurgical processing.

Keywords

ore, gold, flotation, jetting scheme, vapor-air mixture, bubble size, measurement, magnetic fluid, flotation performance

For citation

Evdokimov S.I., Gerasimenko T.E., Gorlova O.E., Orekhova N.N. Development of a Bubble Size Measurement Method and System Under Conditions Simulating the Vapor-Air Flotation Mode. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2024, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 33-42. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2024-22-3-33-42

Sergey I. Evdokimov – PhD (Eng.), Lead Researcher, North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0002-2960-4786

Tatiana E. Gerasimenko – PhD (Eng.), Lead Researcher, North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0001-7048-4379

Olga E. Gorlova – DrSc (Eng.), Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Geology, Surveying and Mineral Processing, Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Magnitogorsk, Russia; Melnikov Institute of Comprehensive Subsoil Development, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Natalia N. Orekhova – DrSc (Eng.), Associate Professor, Lead Researcher, Melnikov Institute of Comprehensive Subsoil Development, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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