Surface forces of structural origin in micro-fine gold flotation

For increasing metal recovery in rougher flotation, the best floatable rougher concentrate is used. In this case, the effect of the higher metal recovery is added with the effect of hydrophobic interaction between hydrophobic crude ore minerals and rougher concentrate minerals (minerals–bearers). The hydrophobic interaction initiates attraction of hydrophobic particles because of sliding of water over a hydrophobic surface and due to change in the energy state of water in the boundary layers of the particles. The backward process of departure of particles from each other needs the transferal of water molecules at the point of contact. For this reason, the particles behave as if there are the attractive forces between them (negative wedging pressure) with an action radius equal to the water boundary layer thickness. The increase in the magnitude of the forces of hydrophobic adhesion is used in the process of flotation with the wetting film heating. The heat flow can be ‘delivered’ to the wetting film from the side of the liquid phase by means of heating the whole flotation system (which requires much energy), or from the side of gas phase by filling bubbles with a heat carrier (this is an energy-saving approach). In the latter case, the air fed for the pulp aeration in flotation is mixed with steam. The case-study of gold-bearing ore flotation proves the efficiency of the new process designs.

Evdokimov S. I., Gerasimenko T. E., Kondratiev Y. I. Surface forces of structural origin in micro-fine gold flotation. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2023;(5-1):17-35. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2023_51_0_17.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 23-27-00093.

S.I. Evdokimov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: eva-ser@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2960-4786,
T.E. Gerasimenko¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Intellectual Property Department, e-mail: gerasimenko_74@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7048-4379, 
Y.I. Kondratiev¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor,
¹ North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), 362021, Vladikavkaz, Russia.

T.E. Gerasimenko, e-mail: gerasimenko_74@mail.ru.

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