Nickel Sulfide Froth Flotation: 2D Circuit View

Reagents

Collector (xanthate) 100 g/t

Frother 15 ppm

Depressant (guar) 60 g/t

Pulp pH 9.5

Hydrodynamics

Superficial gas rate Jg 1.2 cm/s

Froth depth 10 cm

Residence time per cell 2.5 min

Circuit result

Ni recovery

-

Ni grade (conc.)

-

MgO in conc.

-

Mass pull

-

Bubble size / Sb

-

Froth recovery

-

Verdict

-

k = P Sb, Sb = 6 Jg/db; per cell recovery = k t Rf/(1 + k t Rf); Rf = exp(-0.05 depth/Jg^0.7); gangue enters by entrainment ~ water recovery. pH > 9 depresses pyrrhotite; guar depresses talc/serpentine. MgO above 6% is penalised by smelters.