The performance of the flotation process is known to be affected by the presence of fine particles, which display lower flotation rates due to a lower probability of collision with bubbles in the pulp. The objective of the study was firstly to highlight this drop in performance for fine Platinum Group Metals particles in a standard Denver cell and secondly to investigate how the air rate can be manipulated to increase the collection of fine valuable particles and improve the overall performance of the cell. The experiments clearly showed that a smaller particle size caused a drop in both grade and mineral recovery. An increase in air flowrate resulted in a lower proportion of fine particles present in the concentrate, while a reduction in air flowrate proved to be beneficial as the generation of smaller bubbles improved the collection of fine particles and resulted in a significantly higher concentrate grade for a similar mineral recovery.
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