flotaatioon

Flotaatio, also known as flotation, is a physico-chemical separation process used to selectively separate hydrophobic particles from hydrophilic particles. This technique is widely employed in mineral processing, where it is used to concentrate valuable minerals from ores. The fundamental principle behind flotation is the difference in surface properties of the particles.

In a typical flotation process, finely ground ore is mixed with water to form a slurry. Chemical reagents, known as collectors, are added to the slurry. These collectors selectively adsorb onto the surface of the desired mineral particles, making them hydrophobic, or water-repellent. Frothers are also added, which stabilize air bubbles introduced into the slurry.

Air is then bubbled through the conditioned slurry. The hydrophobic mineral particles attach themselves to the air bubbles and rise to the surface, forming a froth. This froth, containing the concentrated valuable minerals, is then skimmed off. The remaining hydrophilic gangue particles, which did not attach to the air bubbles, sink to the bottom of the flotation cell and are discharged as tailings.

Flotation is a versatile process and can be modified to separate a wide range of minerals, including sulfides, oxides, and non-metallic minerals. The choice of reagents and operating conditions depends on the specific ore and the minerals being targeted. It is a crucial step in the production of many metals and industrial minerals.