THE DESIGN OF THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF COLUMN-TYPE APPARATUS WITH DOWNWARD PULP-AIR MOVEMENT

摘要

A theoretical design of the structural members and operating regimes of equipment that function in heterogeneous media, e.g., column-type apparatus with downward movement of pulp-air spray, is carried out. It is shown that under the physical conditions of flotation pulp, the integrity of flotation complexes in steady-state downward flow depends only on the hydrophobicity of the mineral particles. In particular, selection of these particles is determined by the decrease in the diameter of the gas inclusions (i.e., by the increase in the capillary pressure of the bubbles) relative to the movement of the downward flow and the difference in the hydrophobicity of different minerals. That is, separation of mineral particles is governed by a process of selective demineralization the degree of which may be regulated by the depth of the steady-state downward pulp-air flow. The diameter and height of the latter constitute structural parameters based on which a primitive theoretical design of a column-type flotation apparatus as a whole for a particular type of ore may be realized.