Characterizing flocculation in pulp suspensions from batch flotation and pulp sedimentation experiments

The loss of wood fibers and fines in the foam phase during notation was modeled by assuming that fibers present as flocs could would not fit in the inter-bubble spacing in the foam. Thus predicting the loss was reduced to predicting the fraction of fibers and fines that were not flocculated. Flocculated fiber suspensions were assumed to be a binary aqueous suspension of uniform flocs and un-flocculated fibers and fines. The volume fraction of flocs, the solids concentration in the flocs, and the fraction of fines in the flocs were modeled using three empirical adjustable parameters. In an effort to account for the variation of flocculation behavior with fiber type, the volume fraction of flocs was related to experimentally-determined sedimentation behavior of quiescent fiber suspensions. A variety of experimental entrainment behaviors were predicted by the model.