Research on bubbles mineralization based on high-speed dynamic microscopic test

Modified glass beads with hydrophobic surface were used to simulate mineral particles in this paper. The interaction between bubbles and particles in mineralization were measured by a high-speed dynamic video microscopy system. Then, the collision and adhesion between hydrophobic particles and bubbles, the process of bubble film rupture, and the formation of gas-liquid-solid three phase boundary were observed. Analysis on sliding velocity of particles show that before the contact between the particle and bubble, the velocity grows steadily till the terminal velocity. When the particle contacts the bubble surface, particle slides into the liquid film and the sliding speed gradually slows down. In the sliding process, bubble film ruptures, then gas, liquid and solid contacts with each other. Visually,the particle plunges into the bubble surface. Numerically, a jump point appears on the sliding velocity curve, namely the speed first increases sharply and then falls back quickly to a certain value. After that the particle continues to slide in the three-phase combination until it stops at the bubble bottom. The particle sliding on the bubble surface in different solution systems were also explored. © 2016, Editorial Board of Journal of CUMT. All right reserved.