The water recovery across the froth phase in flotation controls the recovery of particles not attached to bubbles by the entrainment mechanism. This water recovery may also indirectly control the recovery of attached hydrophobic particles. However, to understand how particles behave and interact within the froth phase, it is first essential to understand the behaviour of the water phase. The amount of water in the thin films between bubbles determines whether particles that are not attached to bubbles will become entrained in the froth or drain back through to the pulp phase. This study uses a novel technique to measure water flows within the froth phase and investigates the effects of frother type and concentration on froth structure. The froth structure is measured in terms of bubble size and gas hold-up, and is compared to froth water recovery.
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