flotare

Flotare is a term used in Romanian to denote the flotation process, a method of mineral processing that separates valuable minerals from gangue based on differences in surface properties. In flotation, hydrophobic mineral particles attach to air bubbles injected into a slurry and rise to form a froth on the surface, where they can be collected as a concentrate. Hydrophilic particles remain in the liquid phase and are discarded as tailings.

The flotation process is widely employed in mining to concentrate sulfide and oxide ores, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel, and interest in coal processing. It is typically performed after ore is crushed and ground to a fine particle size, producing a slurry. Chemical reagents are added to promote or depress the attachment of certain minerals to bubbles: collectors enhance the surface affinity of target minerals, frothers help control bubble size and froth stability, and modifiers adjust the pulp chemistry to improve selectivity.

A standard flotation circuit may include conditioning tanks, flotation cells or banks, and a froth handling system. Variants of the method include roughing, scavenging, and cleaning stages, which improve metal recovery and concentrate grade by applying multiple passes and different reagent regimes.

In technical Romanian usage, flotare also appears as a general reference to flotation processes in ore treatment, laboratory testing, and process optimization. The concept is closely related to related terms such as froth flotation, mineral processing, and ore concentration.

See also: flotation, froth flotation, mineral processing, ore concentration, flotation reagents.