The effects of particle size and feed rate on the flotation rate distribution in a continuous cell

Abstract

An algorithm and computational procedure, suitable for steady state data from a continuous flotation cell, are presented for estimation of the apparent flotation rate distribution of particulate species in a narrow size range. It is shown that these distribution, which are not constrained by any a priori assumption concerning their mathematical form and provide a reasonably accurate description of the flotation kinetics, are independent of the slurry flow rate. The size distributions reduce to a self-similar form when the apparent flotation rate constant is rescaled by the median flotation rate constant. The scale parameter quantifies the role of particle size in the structure of the flotation rate constant and exhibits a characteristic maximum at an intermediate size. Some implications of these results for identification of continuous flotation systems and analysis of flotation kinetics are discussed.