A FEED-LINE AERATED FLOTATION COLUMN .1. BATCH AND CONTINUOUS TESTWORK

A systematic procedure has been developed for feed-line aerated potati on column evaluation in laboratory and plant. Slurry in batch operatio n is continuously recirculated from the column bottom through an exter nal aerator and then incremental froth products are collected. In cont inuous operation, a grade-recovery curve is generated by changing feed and gas rate. The selectivity data from these two modes of column ope ration are compared. The experimental procedures are described in this paper with an example application to chalcocite-heazlewoodite separat ion at INCO's Matte Separation plant. The significance of the experime ntal procedure for column design and scale-up as well as general colum n testwork is discussed.