A Review and Update on

Coarse Particle Recovery Using Fluidized-Bed Flotation

8-March-2013
 Introduction…
Eriez
•Established in 1942
•Family Owned
•Headquartered in Erie, PA., USA
•10,000 square foot Central Test Lab
•100,000 square foot Manufacturing Facility

International Divisions
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•Brazil
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Metal Detection, Magnamation, Minerals & Materials
Processing, Separation, Vibratory & Screening,
 Introduction

• Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Erie, PA, USA
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• Santiago, Chile
• Campbellfield, Australia
• Lima, Peru

CONFIDENTIAL
 Introduction
Flotation Limitations: 100
•Coal
• Probability of detachment 80 •Iron Ore
is high for coarse particles.
•Copper

Recovery (%)
• Impeller mechanisms are
•Phosphate
60

turbulent, but necessary

to maintain particles in 40
Copper
suspension. Lead-Zinc

•
Coal
Convention cells are often 20
Phosphate
flooded to ensure coarse
recovery, sacrificing 0
1 10 100 1000
selectivity.
Particle Diameter (Microns)
• Column and conventional
cells pose buoyancy
restrictions when
maintaining a deep froth.
CONFIDENTIAL
 Introduction
Fluidization Limitations:
• Coarse particles in a TBS system may
be of significant size that their total
mass prevents them from reporting to
the overflow launder.

Product
Tail

Feed
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 HydroFloat Concept
Concept:
• The HydroFloat overcomes this effect by
altering the density of one of the mineral
phases - i.e., attachment of an air bubble to
change the particle’s apparent density.

• In addition, buoyancy limitations are

minimized by operating without a froth level
and having attachment of multiple air bubbles.

• Either the heavier or lighter SG material can be

the target species.

• Top-to-bottom size ratio of 6:1 work well. Low SG

Wider size distributions may require screening High SG
to maintain float grade. Acceptable given float
product typically requires some form of
CONFIDENTIAL
dewatering.
 History
• Concept originally devised in early 1990’s
during a visit to a coal preparation plant
after inspection of an idled TBS.
• Development work conducted from 1997-
2002, a significant portion under a FIPR
test program (#99-02-137).
• US Patent granted July 30, 2002 and
described as an air-assisted density
separator (US 6,425,485 B1) – flotation
within the presence of a teeter or
fluidized bed.
• First industrial order received April-2004
for recovery of coarse potash (+3.5x0.8-
mm). 43 units in service/sold to date.
• Presented internationally at the Flotation
Centenary Symposium, Brisbane,
Australia, 2005 and then again at the
CONFIDENTIAL
2010 IMPC Conference.
 Full-Scale Design

CONFIDENTIAL
 In Operation…

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 Theory of Operation
Recovery is a Function of…
• Flotation Rate Constant (Pc, Pa, Pd)
• Retention Time
• Mixing
The Aerated Teeter-Bed Promotes…
• High-solids bed improves Pc.
• Teeter-bed systems are low turbulence devices
with little short-circuiting (Pd).
• Literature shows TBS units are plug-flow devices
which limits mixing.
• Counter-current design increases retention time.
• Overflow design (froth layer, but no froth depth)
and multiple bubble attachment overcomes

CONFIDENTIAL
buoyancy limitations.
 Flotation Response
100 Float Rec. Tails Grade

Fluidization
80
Float Recovery (%)

Air
60

40 Level

20 Collector

0 Frother
0 20 40 60 80 100
Float Grade (%)

CONFIDENTIAL
 Application of Technology
Mineral

Phosphate

Potash

Diamonds

Vermiculite

Graphite

Coal

Feldspar

Silica Sand

Iron Ore

Heavy Mineral

Mica

Sulfides

CONFIDENTIAL
 Phosphate – Coarse
Coarse Circuit

Stirred-Tank
Conditioning

(2) Primary

• Nominally 1.000x0.425-mm
• Mean Size: 0.554-mm
(2) Secondary • 2.4-meter diameter cells
• Original Circuit: Rougher-Scavenger

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Product
Tails Tails
 Phosphate – Ultra-Coarse
Ultra-Coarse Circuit

Stirred-Tank
Conditioning

(8) Primary

• Nominally 1.200x0.0.710-mm
• Mean Size: 0.911-mm
• 1.2-meter diameter cells
• Original Circuit: Rougher-Only

CONFIDENTIAL Product
 Phosphate

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 Phosphate
300
Coarse Circuit
270
Ultra-Coarse Circuit Balance of Coarse Cells
240 Installed
Circuit Feed Rate (tph)

First Coarse Cell

210
Installed
180 Balance of U-Coarse
Cells Installed
150
First Four U-Coarse Cells
120 Installed

90
60
Eight U-Coarse Cells
30 Decommissioned
0
Jun-03 Jan-04 Aug-04 Feb-05 Sep-05 Mar-06 Oct-06
Date (Mon-Yr)

CONFIDENTIAL
 Phosphate
100 100

90 90
BPL Recovery (%)

BPL Recovery (%)

80 80

Historical Historical
Laboratory-Scale Laboratory-Scale
70 70
Pilot-Scale Pilot-Scale
Full-Scale Full-Scale
A. Coarse B. Ultra-Coarse
60 60
30 40 50 60 70 80 30 40 50 60 70 80
Product Grade (% BPL) Product Grade (% BPL)

Circuit Feed (Rate) FA/FO (%) FO (%) Surfactant (%)

Coarse +56% -9.8% -8.6% -56.7%

U-Coarse +86% -37.4% +100%* -17.3%

* Non-optimal conditioning. No secondary fuel oil added prior to retrofit.

CONFIDENTIAL
 Phosphate

100 40

35

95 30

Product Insols (%)

BPL Recovery (%)

25

90 20

15

85 10
Discrete Recovery
Discrete Grade 5
Cumulative Grade
80 0

Size Class (mm)

CONFIDENTIAL
 Potash
Conditioner Typical
Flotation
Flow Sheet
Feed Primary
Classification
Rougher Cell
Conditioner
Conditioner
Concentrate

Refloat Cell

Concentrate
Tail
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 Potash
100
90
80
K2O Recovery

70
60
50
40 1-Foot Cell
30 3-Foot Cell
20 Existing Cells
10 Current with TBS Sizing
0
0 20 40 60 80
Product Grade (% K2O)
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 Potash
Size-by-Size Recovery for Coarse Potash Ore
100

90

80
Potash Recovery (%)

70

60

50

40

30

20
HydroFloat
10 Conventional Cells

0
+6 6x8 8x10 10x14 14x20 Overall
Size Class (Mesh)

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 Iron Ore (1.0x0.1-mm)

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 Copper / Lead / Zinc (0.212x0.800-mm)

100% 100%

90% 90%

80% 80%

70% 70%
Recovery (%)

Recovery (%)
60% 60%

50% 50%

40% 40%

30% 30%

20% 20%
Zn
10% Cu
10% Pb
A B
0% 0%
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
Float Grade (%) Float Grade (%)

CONFIDENTIAL
 Gold Flotation (0.600x0.150-mm)

100%

90%

80%

70%
Au Recovery (%)

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%
HydroFloat - Lab

10% HydroFloat - Pilot

0%
0 200 400 600 800

CONFIDENTIAL Product Grade (g/tonne)

 Gold Flotation (0.600x0.150-mm)

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 Copper Ore
100%

90%

80%

70%

Recovery (%)
60%

50%

40%

30%
0.600x0.125-mm
20%
1.20x0.600-mm

10% Bench Denver Cell (1.2x0.6-mm)

0%
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0
Float Grade (%)

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 Copper Ore
A

15.0
B

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 Sample Videos

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 Summary and Conclusions
 Applying flotation fundamentals to hindered-bed
separation has a synergistic effect and provides a means of
•Coal
overcoming the limitations of either of these approaches
when used alone. •Iron Ore
 This patented approach (The HydroFloat) allows for
significantly higher recoveries of coarse particles, especially
•Copper
when compared to conventional or column flotation cells.
•Phosphate
 Bench-, pilot-, full-scale data have shown that the higher
flotation rate offered by this approach results in higher
feed rates and significantly lower lower reagent rates and
other ancillary requirements (i.e., compressed air).
 The HydroFloat technology has been successfully applied
to coarse and ultra-coarse phosphate in addition to other
minerals (potash, diamonds, etc.).
 Full-scale data shows that the scale-up of this technology is
straightforward and that the performance of small-scale
units can accurately predict that of industrial-scale units.
 The ability to successfully float material up to 3-mm allows
for flexibility in circuit design. This is obvious in mineral
applications where liberation is achieved at coarse sizes,
but also in other applications where significant grinding is
carried-out to either achieve liberation or produce a feed
that is suitable for conventional flotation.
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