FLOTATION IN INORGANIC ELECTROLYTES - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECOVER OF HYDROPHOBIC PARTICLES, SURFACE-TENSION, BUBBLE COALESCENCE AND GAS SOLUBILITY

The influence of a series of aqueous solutions of inorganic electrolyt es on the flotation performance of graphite particles was determined. The results were related to the electrostatic interaction (as expresse d in terms of the thickness of the electrostatic double layer) the sur face tension and the solubility of gases in the electrolyte solutions. Overall, high flotation recoveries were attributed to an increase in the bubble-particle collision probability and possibly bubble entrainm ent flee flotation. This resulted from the higher concentration of sma ller stable bubbles and also a reduction in the electrostatic interact ions between particle and bubble. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.