CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN COPPER FLOTATION CIRCUITS (original) (raw)

As part of the Australian Mineral Industries Research Association (AMIRA) P9 project, methods of characterising both the ore and the machines in flotation circuits have matured considerably over the past 15 years. Machine characteristics include gas dispersion measurements, such as bubble size, gas hold-up and superficial gas velocity. Ores can be characterised in terms of floatability parameters on a size and mineral basis. Measurements have been performed on various copper plants in many countries around the world over the last 5 years. This paper outlines the cell and ore floatability characteristics of each copper plant and provides a discussion on the differences between these plants. In general, most porphyry copper ore bodies are processed at high tonnage through several parallel banks of cells at each stage of flotation. The floatability parameters of these copper ores are very similar in terms of rate of flotation and proportion of fast, slow and non-floating material. The cell characteristics are also similar, with superficial gas velocity, bubble sizes, and gas hold-up values being of similar magnitude.

Sign up for access to the world's latest research.

checkGet notified about relevant papers

checkSave papers to use in your research

checkJoin the discussion with peers

checkTrack your impact