Newcastle Innovation Limited

The University of Newcastle Research Associates Limited

Noel William Alexander Lambert

Graeme John Jameson

A flotation cell for separating hydrophobic particles from hydrophilic particles uses a mixer () with an air inlet () and slurry feed () to form a bubbly mixture in a u-tube mixer () and feed the mixture into a separation vessel (). Plant cost and operating efficiencies are optimised by gravity feed of slurry and admitting air at atmospheric pressure. The separation vessel () has an upper inclined plate () which guides the froth layer () containing the hydrophobic particles to an overflow launder () without any significant turbulence or change in direction optimising the retention of hydrophobic particles in the froth, while the hydrophilic particles drop down in the liquid layer () guided along a lower inclined plate () to a tailings outlet ().

Flotation cell

The present invention provides a device () for detecting the frothing ability of a fluid, said device including: an inlet () for receiving a portion of said fluid; means () for entraining air into said fluid portion; a mixing chamber () for receiving said air entrained fluid portion, said mixing chamber () being adapted for mixing said fluid portion and said air; and a detector () for detecting the amount of froth () generated in said mixing chamber (). The invention also provides a method for detecting the frothing ability of a fluid.

Device and method for detecting the frothing ability of a fluid

The present invention provides a method of online analysis of mineral waste content of a slurry in a mineral separation process, said method including the steps of: measuring the density of said slurry (); measuring the concentration of solids in said slurry (); calculating the density of solids in said slurry from said slurry density and said solids concentration (); and calculating said mineral waste content from said solids density (). The present invention also provides an online analyzer for mineral waste content of a slurry in a mineral separation process.

Method of analysis and an analyzer

A froth flotation process typically used to separate particulate materials such as coal, has a mixed size feed () separated in a sieve bend () into a stream of relatively fine particles () and a stream of relatively coarse particles (). The fine particles are fed to a flotation cell () in the normal manner, while the coarse particles are mixed with wash water () and distributed onto or into the froth layer () by wash water distribution apparatus (). Alternative variations of wash water distribution apparatus able to handle coarse particles are also described.

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Lower Belford, Australia

Noel William Alexander Lambert