Local and global assessment of flotation kinetics

Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw

^a Corresponding author: tomasz.ratajczak@pwr.edu.pl

Abstract

Most flotation data can be approximated with the first order kinetic equation. However, this equation frequently provides two, not one, parameters, that is the first order flotation rate constant k and maximum flotation recovery R_max. Currently, the most often way of evaluation of a set of flotation data is by using efficiency e_to = k·R_max, being the slope of flotation kinetic curve at zero flotation time (t=0). This parameter has a local character and is useful only in very limited cases. It was proposed in this work to use a global flotation kinetic efficiency (e) which can characterize the whole set of kinetic curves. For the considered in this work flotation data, a simple relation R_max = e·k was used. For other sets of flotation data, the global flotation kinetics efficiency very likely will be represented by another equation with the one-adjustable parameter.