Separation and Concentration Techniques

The separation and concentration of the valuable mineral can take place after the ore is crushed, ground, and classified into the required particle size distribution. There a number of different techniques are employed in concentrating the valuable minerals. These techniques exploit differences in physical or chemical properties of the valuable and gangue minerals.

Basically, there are four kinds of separation and concentration techniques:

i. Sorting – based on appearance, colour, texture, optical properties and radioactivity

ii. Gravity and Dense-Medium Separation – Separation based on specific gravity of the valuable mineral relative to the gangue and the carrying medium such as water. In dense-medium separation, the a carrying medium is a mixture of water, magnetite, or ferrosilicon. The paramagnetic properties of the medium allow it to either remain in suspension at a predetermined slurry density or to be separated from water for cleaning and reuse.

iii. Magnetic Separation – separation based upon natural or induced differences in magnetic susceptibility of the minerals within the ore.

iv. Froth Flotation – separations based on the surface chemistry properties of a mineral. The natural or modified surface property of the mineral determines its ability to attach to an air bubble and float to the surface.

Physical Mineral Concentration Methods

Physical Mineral Concentration Methods :

l. Separation dependent on optical and radioactive properties of minerals, i.e. hand pickling, optical sorting, radioactive sorting, etc.

2. Separation dependent on specific gravity (density) difference of minerals, i.e. heavy-media separation, gravity concentration by use of tables, jigs, cones, etc.

3. Separation utilizing the different surface properties (i.e. surface chemistry) of the minerals, i.e. froth flotation, etc.

4. Separation dependent on magnetic properties of the minerals, i.e. low and high, dry and wet magnetic separation, etc.

5. Separation dependent on electrical conductivity properties of the minerals, i.e. electrostatic separation, etc.

So mineral processing is concerned mainly with the physical methods of separation of minerals.

Principles of flotation

Principles of flotation
Flotation is a physico-chemical separation process that utilises the difference in surface properties of the valuable minerals and the unwanted gangue minerals. The theory of froth flotation is complex, involving three phases (solids, water, and froth) with many subprocesses and interactions, and is not completely understood.
The process of material being recovered by flotation from the pulp comprises three mechanisms:
(1) Selective attachment to air bubbles (or “true flotation”).
(2) Entrainment in the water which passes through the froth.
(3) Physical entrapment between particles in the froth attached to air bubbles (often referred to as “aggregation”).

The attachment of valuable minerals to air bubbles is the most important mechanism and represents the majority of particles that are recovered to the concentrate. Although true flotation is the dominant mechanism for the recovery of valuable mineral, the separation efficiency between the valuable mineral and gangue is also dependent on the degree of entrainment and physical entrapment. Unlike true flotation, which is chemically selective to the mineral surface properties, both gangue and valuable minerals alike can be recovered by entrainment and entrapment. Drainage of these minerals occurs in the froth phase and controlling the stability of this phase is important to achieve an adequate separation. In industrial flotation plant practice, entrainment of unwanted gangue can be common and hence a single flotation stage is uncommon. Often several stages of flotation (called “circuits”) are required to reach an economically acceptable quality of valuable mineral in the final product.

True flotation utilises the differences in physicochemical surface properties of particles of various minerals. After treatment with reagents, such differences in surface properties between the minerals within the flotation pulp become apparent and, for flotation to take place, an air bubble must be able to attach itself to a particle, and lift it to the water surface. The following picture illustrates the principles of flotation in a mechanical flotation cell. The agitator provides enough turbulence in the pulp phase to promote collision of particles and bubbles which results in the attachment of valuable particles to bubbles and their transport into the froth phase for recovery.The process can only be applied to relatively fine particles, because if they are too large the adhesion between the particle and the bubble will be less than the particle weight and the bubble will therefore drop its load. There is an optimum size range for successful flotation.

In flotation concentration, the mineral is usually transferred to the froth, or float fraction, leaving the gangue in the pulp or tailing. This is direct flotation and the opposite is reverse flotation, in which the gangue is separated into the float fraction. The function of the froth phase is to enhance the overall selectivity of the flotation process. The froth achieves this by reducing the recovery of entrained material to the concentrate stream, while preferentially retaining the attached material. This increases the concentrate grade whilst limiting as far as possible the reduction in recovery of valuables. The relationship between recovery and grade is a trade-off that needs to be managed according to operational constraints and is incorporated in the management of an optimum froth stability. As the final separation phase in a flotation cell, the froth phase is a crucial determinant of the grade and recovery of the flotation process. The mineral particles can only attach to the air bubbles if they are to some extent water-repellent, or hydrophobic. Having reached the surface, the air bubbles can only continue to support the mineral particles if they can form a stable froth, otherwise they will burst and drop the mineral particles. To achieve these conditions it is necessary to use the numerous chemical compounds known as flotation reagents.

Froth Flotation Introduction

Flotation is undoubtedly the most important and versatile mineral processing technique, and both its use and application are continually being expanded to treat greater tonnages and to cover new areas. Originally patented in 1906, flotation has permitted the mining of low-grade and complex ore bodies which would have otherwise been regarded as uneconomic. In earlier practice the tailings of many gravity plants were of a higher grade than the ore treated in many modern flotation plants.
Flotation is a selective process and can be used to achieve specific separations from complex ores such as lead-zinc, copper-zinc, etc. Initially developed to treat the sulphides of copper, lead, and zinc, the field of flotation has now expanded to include platinum, nickel, and gold-hosting sulphides, and oxides, such as hematite and cassiterite, oxidised minerals, such as malachite and cerussite, and nonmetallic ores, such as fluorite, phosphates, and fine coal.