Flotation Cell | Working Principle, Type, Influencing Factors

Flotation cell is a mechanical device that completes the flotation process.

The flotation cell separates hydrophobic minerals and hydrophilic minerals by cooperating with chemicals, so as to achieve the purpose of beneficiation.

Good flotation benefits depend on excellent beneficiation technology, suitable flotation reagents, and efficient flotation cell equipment.

A flotation cell with excellent performance can greatly increase the effect of flotation.

Working Principle Of Flotation Cell

The ore pulp treated by the chemical is added to the flotation cell, the impeller rotates rapidly under the drive of the motor to fully stir, and the centrifugal force is generated to form a negative pressure to inhale sufficient air, so that the minerals, the chemical and the air can fully interact.

Some hydrophilic mineral particles adhere to the bubbles generated by stirring, float to the surface of the pulp, and are scraped out to form a foam product, while the hydrophobic minerals remain in the pulp, thus realizing mineral separation.

Types Of Flotation Cell

The common types of mining flotation cells are mechanical agitation flotation cell, air-inflation agitation flotation cell and air-inflation flotation cell.

(1) Mechanical agitation flotation cell

This flotation machine is a flotation cell with self-air-inflation and self-priming pulp. Common models are BF type, XJB type, SF type, JJF type and so on.

(2) Air-inflation agitation flotation cell

This flotation machine is self-priming pulp, not self-air-inflation, so it needs to be forced to blow air by means of external equipment. Common models are XCF type, KYF type and so on.

(3) Air-inflation flotation cell

This type of flotation cell has no mechanical stirrer and no transmission parts, and is blown into the outside air by a specific compressor. A common type is the flotation column.

Influencing Factors Of Flotation Cell

The main factors affecting the flotation effect of the flotation cell are air inflation amount, grinding fineness, slurry concentration and flotation time.

(1) The air inflation amount is an important factor that directly affects the flotation index of the flotation machine. The amount of aeration determines the amount of air bubbles, which are the medium of the flotation machine and the carrier of hydrophobic minerals. If the air inflation amount is insufficient, the number of bubbles will decrease, and the flotation efficiency will decrease; however, if the air inflation amount is too large, a stable foam layer cannot be formed in the flotation chamber, which is not conducive to the floating of ore particles.

(2) For the minerals with coarse particle size, the bubble bearing capacity is limited, and the separation cannot be well achieved, but if the particle size is too fine, it will sludge, which is not conducive to the floating of the minerals.

(3) During the flotation process, the pulp must maintain a certain concentration of chemicals in order to obtain a good flotation process index, and the recovery rate is also related to the slurry concentration. The ideal slurry concentration depends on the properties of the ore and the specific flotation conditions.