EXPERIMENT NO – 6

1.0 CONTEXT
1.1 Subject : Mechanical operation Date of performance
1.2 Chapter : 2
1.3 Topic : Size Separation In complete for : observation/
1.4 Subtopic : Froth floatation cell Calculation/ Review Question/
1.5 Title of the Experiment: Other (of any)
Demonstration operation
of froth floatation cell. Complete
1.6 Environment Location: Mark’s Awarded ____________
Mechanical operation
laboratory. Sign Of student
2.0 AIM OR THE EXPERIMENT:
2.1 Demonstrate operation of froth Sign of Lecture
floatation cell.
2.2 Concentrate the given coal sample and find out the ash present
after and before concentration.
3.0 OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT:
On completion of the experiment, the students will be able to:
 Identify the component of froth floatation unit.
 Understand the concept of floatation.
 Operate a floatation cell to concentrate a given sample.

4.0 DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT:

4.1 List of tools and Instruments required.

Name of the tools/Instruments Range/Specification Quantity

Mixing pan
Measuring cylinder
Weight box
Screen

4.2 List of equipments required:

4.2.1 Apparatus required : froth floatation cell
4.2.2 Chemical required : Pine oil / Castor oil
Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7)
Potassium cyanide (KCN)
4.3 Diagram
5.0 THEORY:
The process by which the impurities com removed by
powered ore by creating froth is called Froth floatation.
 Froth floatation is used for treating the metallic ore that
are finer than 48 to 65 than 10 to 48 meshes. It is not possible to
treat the coarser feed.
Heavy mineral particles with high specific gravity are
made to float by selective hydrophobicity. The aurophilic heavy
solid particles attaches to fine air bubbles of size 0.2 mm
diameter maximum whose specific gravity is less than pulp and
hence floats. Gangue which is relatively hydrophilic and has high
specific gravity do not adhere to air bubbles, even if the collector,
fails float and sinks to the bottom. In general flotation operates
by virtue of a number of inter related physico-chemical factors
including.

(i) The relative degree of wettability with water of

different mineral particles.
(ii) The relative degree pf readiness with which the
particles of different minerals adhere to air bubbles
in an ore pulp.
(iii) The affinity of mineral particles for certain types
of chemical compounds or reagents.
Theories of flotation involve the structure of
the solid-liquid interface, interfacial reactions, the
relation on surface composition to wettability and finally
the separation process.
Flotation undoubtedly is the most important
technique in the field of mineral dressing. This new field
has given unprecedented impetus to the concentration of
low grade and complex ores. Flotation is opted because
of its simplicity, selectivity and flexibility.
The success of the flotation operation
depends manly on two factors, namely:
(i) Particle size of the ore.
(ii) Establishing and maintenance of suitable
chemical weather.
The importance of flotation in modern ore-dressing
practice results from a number of factors that have caused
it to supplement gravity concentration in the great
majority of cases. Some of then are as follows:
(i) ore minerals that are finely disseminated require
finer and finer grinding to liberate the values. The
resulting slimes are difficult to handle by gravity
methods. In modern flotation practice, fine
materials can be successfully treated.
(ii) In many complex ores, it is desirable to separate
the valuable ore minerals into two or more separate
concentrates to facilitate subsequent chemical
 (iii)
treatment. When the spread of density between the
minerals is very small, gravity concentration is in
satisfactory viz. Galena-sphalerite, pyrite-
sphalerite etc. differential flotation has solved
many of the milling problems connected with
complex ores.
(iv) The natural tendency of finely ground sulphide
minerals to float on the surface or water was a
hindrance to gravity operations such as tabling
while the tendency was turned to good advantage
in the flotation process. Most of sulphide minerals
respond readily to flotation treatment.
(v) Flotation concentrating can be used successfully
over a wide range of particle sizes and flotation
feed does not ordinarily require elaborate
preliminary treatment such as screening, hydraulic
classification etc.
A good collecting agent must have the following properties:-

(i) They must contain two parts, one that is non-polar and
another that is polar and be capable of adhering by virtue
of adsorption or chemical reaction to the surfaces of
specified minerals.

(ii) In solution, they must be able to ionize to give a large

positive ion.
(iii) They must possess high chemical stability.
(iv) They must be readily soluble in water.
(v) They must have lack of frothing effect.
The frothing agents must have the following
properties for successful flotation:
(i) They must shows at very low concentrations, are
latively large rate of decrease of surface tension with
the concentrator.
(ii) They must not have direct effect on the actual flot-
abilities of the various minerals present.
(iii) Frothing action should be in affected by the condition
of the pulp. pH and the presence of other reagents or of
any ore constituents.
(iv) They must be stable and persistent enough so that
reasonable depth of froth layer can be maintained and
that the froth may be satisfactorily removed from the
machine on the other land, they should not be so tough
and stable that they can not be broken down easily
after removal from the machine.
 Recovery:-
The recovery is the percentage of the total metal
contained in the ore that is recovered in the concentrate. A
recovery of 95% means that 95% of the metal in the ore is
recovered in the concentrate and 5% is lost in the tailings.
The recovery of metals in tailings and middlings are also
referred but in general, the term recovery refers to the amount
of metal recovered in concentrates the valuable products.
Essentially, the purpose of calculating recovery is to
determine the distribution of the metal in the feed among the
various products of the ore-dressing operations
Ratio of concentration:-
The ratio of concentration is the ratio of the weight of the
heads to the weight of the concentrates. The ratio of
concentration can be regarded as a measure of the efficiency
as a concentrating operation and it is closely related to the
grade of concentrate, higher will be the value of the ratio of
concentration. For evaluation of a given operation, it is
necessary to know both the ratio of concentration and
recovery.

Mathematical Representation:-
Let F, T and C represent the weights of feed, tailing and
concentrate respectively. Let f, t and c be the corresponding
metal assay values. Then,
Cc X 100
% Recovery =
Ff
& Ratio of concentration = F/C
Recovery can also be expressed in terms of metal
assay values only.
Feed = Concentrate + Tails.
i.e. F = C + T
Ff = Cc + Tt ------------------ (1)
And Ft = Ct + Tt ----------------- (2)
eqn 1 – eqn 2 gives : F(f-t) = C(c-t)
F c–t
= ----------- (3)
C f–t
i.e. Ratio of concentration = (e – t ) / (f – t )
Substituting this value in the recovery equation.
c( f – t )
We have % recovery = X 100
f( c – t )
Flotation technique:-
The success of the flotation operation depends mainly on
two factors, as follows:
(i) The ore has been ground to the proper size.
(ii) Establishing and maintenance of suitable chemical
“weather”.
Reagents:-
The reagents used in flotation are the frothers, collectors
and controllers. In order to cause a layer of froth to form on the
surface of the pulp, it is necessary to add a reagent that serves
to stabilize the froth and hold the mineral until the froth can be
scraped off into the concentrate launder. The most common
frothers are pine oil and cresylic acid. Frothers practically have
no effect on the flotability of the minerals in the pulp. The
function of frothers is lowering the surface tension of the liquid
in the pulp and causing bubbles to form a stable froth. Frother
as such is added directly to the box of the rougher flotation
cells.
The object of collector additions in flotation is to form a
water repellent surface on the minerals to be floated. The most
common collectors in the use are alkaline xanthates, viz. alkali
ethyl and amyl xanthates. Activators accelerate the flotation of
the minerals. Addition of these in flotation facilitates
attachment of collector atoms thus causing easy flotation of
minerals, for example, CuSo4 acts as activator for ZnS. The
depressors exhibit opposite effect of activators. Those inhibits
flotation of the mineral for example, NaCN is depressor for
pyrite FeS2.
Conditioner:-
Lime is used as a pH control. Additional of lime in the
solid state or in slurry is largely a matter of local convenience.
Generally lime is added to the grinding device ahead of
flotation in solid state to have a long conditioning time.
Reagents Addition:-
For success of flotation operation, addition of optimum
quantities of each reagent is very essential. Little excess or
lower values will have either beneficial or sometimes adverse
effects.
Order of magnitude of reagent addition can be given as
follows:-
Froather ----- pine oil ------- 0.01 to 0.10 Kg/T
Collector ----- Xanthate ------- 0.02 to 1.10 Kg/T
pH regulators ---- Lime ----------- 0.20 to 4.11 Kg/T
Activators ----- Copper Sulphate --- 3.50 to 6.00 Kg/T
Depressant ---- Cyanide ------------- 0.02 to 0.22 Kg/T
Froth – Flotation machines:-
Schematic representation of a mechanical flotation cell is
shown in fig 1.1. the flotation cell consists of a tank in which
pulp is agitated by the impeller mounted at the bottom of the
vertical shaft. The rotating impeller creates vacuum, enough to
draw air down the sandpipe surrounding the impeller shaft, and
the impeller disperses the air through out the pulp in the form of
small bubbles. The flotable minerals are carried upward by the
bubble and eventually collect in the froth above the pulp in the
machine. Non-flotable minerals in the body of the pulp, since
they have no tendency to adhere to the rising bubbles.
Automatic scrappers remove the mineral laden froth which
contains the concentrate and after the values have been
removed, the barren pulp containing the tailing flows out of the
cell. Flotation cells are usually operated in series with the pulp
flowing continuously from one cell to the next giving up some
flotable mineral in each cell. The size and number of adjusted
so that the last cell in the series makes a finished tailing. i.e.
practically all the flotable minerals are removed from the pulp
before it discharges from the last cell.
Many types of flotation machines are in use. They differ
mostly in the mode of introduction of the gas. The principal
types of flotation machines in use are the following:-
(i) Agitation cells in which air is drawn by a vortex
caused by a rotating impeller.
(ii) Subaeration cells in which air is introduced by
suction or by blowing through or to the base of a
rotating impeller.
(iii) Cascade cells in which air is introduced by
tumbling of the pulp.
(iv) Pneumatic cells in which air is introduced directly
blowing.
Construction:-
The figure 1.2 shows froth flotation cell. The
mechanically agitated cell consists of a tank having square or
circular cross-section. It is provided with an agitator which
violently agitates the pulp. The air from the compressor /
blower is introduced in to the system through the down pipe
surrounding the impeller shaft. The bottom with discharge for
tailings. An overflow is provided at the top for mineralized
froth removal.
 Working:-
Water is taken into the cell, material is fed to the cell. The
promoters and frothers are added. The agitations are given and
air is bubbled in the form of fine bubbles. Air-avid particles due
to reduction in their effective density, will rise to the surface
and beheld in the froth before they are discharged from the
overflow. Hydrophilic particles will sink to the bottom and
removed from the discharge for tailings.

6.0 WORKING PROCEDURE:-

7.0 SAFETY AND PRECAUTION:-
8.0 OBSERVATION TABLE:-
9.0 REVIEW QUESTIONS:-
9.1 What is the definition of froth flotation?
9.2 What are the operational principles of flotation?
9.3 What are the essential properties of a good collecting agent?
9.4 Distinguish between recovery and ratio of concentration of a
flotation process. How are they related.
9.5 Write the two factors of success of the flotation.
REFERENCE BOOK:-
(i) HAND BOOK ON MENERAL DRESSING
( H. G. VIJAYENDRA)
(ii) UNIT OPERATIONS – I
( K.A. GAVHENE)
(iii) CHEMICAL ENGINEERING.
(COULSON & RICHARDSONS)