The correlation between the pulp rheology and the flotation performance in a scheelite ore: from the flotation kinetic perspective

Pulp rheology plays a very important role in deciding the subtle process of flotation. Here the correlation between the flotation kinetics of a scheelite ore and the pulp rheology was studied through batch flotation test and rheology measurement with data fitting. The pulp rheology was controlled by pulp concentration, adding surface inert gangue mineral-andradite with different size and content. Afterwards, the cumulative flotation grade and recovery as a function of flotation time was recorded with further kinetic analysis corresponding to their rheological properties including the yield stress and the degree of deviation from Newtonian fluid (D). The results showed that adding the coarse andradite (+75~-100 μm) at the mass ratio of 20/6 could selectively increase the flotation rate co-efficient for the slow floating fractions (from 0.24 min<sup>-1</sup> to 0.63 min<sup>-1</sup>), which was responsible for the increased concentrate grade. In the meantime, the yield stress was in positive correlation with the degree of deviation from Newtonian fluid, indicating that the ideal Newtonian fluid type flotation slurry might exhibit high separation performance. The flotation kinetic for the fast floating fractions was hardly influenced by the D value, and was decided by k<sub>f</sub> = 0.00084D + 0.3911. However, the flotation kinetic for the slow floating fraction was quite dependent of the D value, and was decided by k<sub>s</sub> = -0.0092D+0.72593