Cyclonic separation effect of metallic ores in cyclonic-static micro-bubble flotation column

Cyclonic-static micro-bubble flotation column (FCSMC)is a new column separation method and device and have been patented in China, America and Australia. Since the 90s in last century, it has been successfully applied in the coal preparation, metallic mineral flotation, non-metallic mineral flotation and iron ores reverse flotation. FCSMC is composed of three parts: column separation part, cyclone separation part and pipe floatation part. In the cyclone separation part the feeding is divided into two products: middlings and tailings. In coal preparation, theoretical analyse and the measure of the ash distribution determine the cyclone field can enhance the column separation performance, but little work has been done to understand the effects of this technology in metallic minerals flotation. In this paper, the particle size distribution and metal quantity distribution of circulation middlings and tailings of FCSMC were analysed, and the particle liberation degree was tested by MLA (Mineral Liberation Analyzes) system. It is showed that the circulation middlings size is coarser than tailings, and more than floatability minerals were concentrated in middlings rather than in tailings. So in gas-liquid-solid three phase system the feed was separated according to the specific gravity of particle-bubble combo rather than the particle specific gravity.