Enhanced coarse particle flotation: A novel approach

Size reduction is one of the most energy-intensive operations in mineral processing, often accounting for most of the energy consumption in a beneficiation plant. Despite its high energy demand, it is a necessary step to achieve adequate mineral liberation for traditional separation methods such as flotation. To reduce energy usage and improve process efficiency, alternative technologies are being developed to overcome the particle size limitations of conventional flotation equipment. A novel coarse particle flotation (CPF) device was designed to recover particles up to 1 mm in size, significantly extending the upper limit of conventional flotation, which typically operates effectively in the 20–150 µm range. The CPF device shares core operational principles with standard mechanical flotation cells but features a distinctive feed system that delivers the slurry directly into or onto the froth phase, enhancing the recovery of coarse particles while maintaining performance for fine particles. This study presents laboratory-scale results using the novel CPF cell applied in the grinding circuit with copper ore at P80: 360 µm without feed classification to evaluate the effect of key operating variables, superficial gas velocity (Jg), froth depth, collector dosage, and frother concentration, on the performance of the CPF unit. The highest overall Cu recovery achieved was 89.6%, with 81.9% recovery in the +150 µm. These results were obtained without the use of fluidized water. The findings support the potential of this technology to improve coarse particle recovery and reduce energy consumption in modern flotation circuits.