Studies on impeller type, impeller speed and air flow rate in an industrial scale flotation cell. Part 5: validation of k-Sb relationship and effect of froth depth

A previous investigation carried out by the authors at the Hellyer concentrator, using a 3 m3 cell fitted with four different impellers treating plant zinc cleaner feed ore, suggested a linear correlation between flotation rate constant k and bubble surface area flux Sb. The relationship between k and Sb was found to be independent of impeller type. This paper describes an investigation at the Scuddles concentrator in Western Australia to validate the findings at Hellyer for a different ore. Unlike the Hellyer work for which only one froth depth was used, the Scuddles work was carried out at different froth depths using the same 3 m3 cell fitted in turn with three different impellers viz. Batequip, Dorr-Oliver and Outokumpu. The results confirmed the strong correlation between k and Sb at three different froth depths used for the study. Moreover, this relationship was found to be practically independent of impeller type. However, at shallow froth depth the kSb relationship was found to be linear, whereas at intermediate and deep froth depths the relationship was found to be non-linear with the froth playing an important role in the overall kinetics.