AN EMPIRICAL-MODEL FOR ENTRAINMENT IN INDUSTRIAL FLOTATION PLANTS

The entrainment and drainage of particles in a flotation froth have lo ng been recognised as important factors affecting both concentrate gra de and recovery. In this paper,an empirical partition curve is propose d that describes the degree of entrainment within a conventional flota tion cell. Two empirical parameters are defined: entrainment parameter (xi)-the particle size for which the degree of entrainment is 20%. dr ainage parameter (delta)-related to the preferential drainage of coars e particles. The model is flexible enough to fit a broad data set publ ished in the flotation literature. Results from a case study indicate that the model is sufficiently detailed to describe the entrainment an d drainage mechanisms. This being so, the effect of process variables which affect the degree of entrainment can he properly quantified and then included in a simulation package, assisting in the optimisation o f existing flotation circuits and the design of future ones. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.