Flotation arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960408-B2
Application number	US-201916535680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A flotation arrangement for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry includes a primary flotation line with a rougher part including at least two rougher primary flotation cells and a scavenger part including at least two scavenger primary flotation cells, and a secondary flotation line including at least two secondary flotation cells. A first secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from the at least one rougher primary flotation cell, and a further secondary flotation cell to receive primary overflow from the at least one further rougher primary flotation cell. The further secondary flotation cell is arranged in fluid communication with a previous secondary flotation cell, and underflow from the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow into the further secondary flotation cell, or arranged to be combined with secondary underflow of the further secondary flotation cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flotation arrangement for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry, comprising flotation cells for the separation of slurry into underflow and overflow wherein the separation is performed with the help of flotation gas, and wherein the flotation arrangement comprises a primary flotation line and a secondary flotation line, underflow of each preceding flotation cell of the primary flotation line being directed to a subsequent flotation cell of the primary flotation line as infeed until a last flotation cell of the primary flotation line, the primary flotation line comprising:
a rougher part with at least two rougher primary flotation cells connected in series and arranged in fluid communication, the at least two rougher primary flotation cells comprising a first rougher primary flotation cell and a further rougher primary flotation cell, overflow from the first rougher primary flotation cell arranged to flow directly into the secondary flotation line, and
a scavenger part with at least two scavenger primary flotation cells connected in series and arranged in fluid communication, overflow from the scavenger primary flotation cells arranged to flow back into the rougher part of the primary flotation line, or into a regrinding step and then into a scavenger cleaner flotation line,
wherein the secondary flotation line comprises at least two secondary flotation cells, the at least two secondary flotation cells comprising a first secondary flotation cell and a further secondary flotation cell, wherein the first secondary flotation cell is arranged in direct fluid communication with the first rougher primary flotation cell, and primary overflow from the first rougher primary flotation cell is directed to the first secondary flotation cell via a first conduit for the recovery of a first concentrate, and
the further secondary flotation cell is arranged in direct fluid communication with the further rougher primary flotation cell, and primary overflow from the further rougher primary flotation cell is directed to the further secondary flotation cell via a further conduit for the recovery of the first concentrate, and
wherein the further secondary flotation cell is arranged in fluid communication with the first secondary flotation cell, and underflow from the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow into the further secondary flotation cell or to be combined with secondary underflow of the further secondary flotation cell.

2. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the number of secondary flotation cells in series in the secondary flotation line is the same or lower than the number of primary flotation cells in series in the primary flotation line.

3. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from one or two rougher primary flotation cells other than the first rougher primary flotation cell.

4. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from at most one rougher primary flotation cell other than the first rougher primary flotation cell.

5. The flotation arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from no rougher primary flotation cell other than the first rougher primary flotation cell.

6. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from at least one rougher primary flotation cell other than the further rougher primary flotation cell.

7. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein underflow from the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow back into the rougher part of the primary flotation line at a point downstream from the further rougher primary flotation cell.

8. The flotation arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein underflow from the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow back into any rougher primary flotation cell downstream from the further rougher primary flotation cell.

9. The flotation arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein underflow from the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to be combined into overflow from any at least one rougher primary flotation cell downstream from the further rougher primary flotation cell.

10. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary flotation line further comprises an additional secondary flotation line comprising at least one additional secondary flotation cell arranged to receive primary overflow from a yet further rougher primary flotation cell.

11. The flotation arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein underflow from the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow into the additional secondary flotation cell.

12. The flotation arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from the first rougher primary flotation cell, and the additional secondary flotation cell is arranged to receive primary overflow from at least one rougher primary flotation cell other than the yet further rougher primary flotation cell.

13. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein underflow from the further secondary flotation cell is arranged to flow to a last of any rougher primary flotation cells from which primary overflow is arranged to flow to the further secondary flotation cell or to any rougher primary flotation cell downstream of the last of the any rougher primary flotation cells from which primary overflow is arranged to flow to the further secondary flotation cell.

14. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell of the secondary flotation line has a volume larger than the volume of the further secondary flotation cell of the secondary flotation line.

15. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further secondary flotation cell of the secondary flotation line has a volume larger than the volume of the first flotation cell of the secondary flotation line.

16. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first rougher primary flotation cell has a volume of at least 150 m3.

17. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further rougher primary flotation cell has a volume of at least 100 m3.

18. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further rougher primary flotation cell has a volume equal to the volume of the first rougher primary flotation cell or a volume smaller than the volume of the first rougher primary flotation cell.

19. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first secondary flotation cell has a volume in a range from 100 m3 to 2000 m3.

20. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further secondary flotation cell has a volume in a range from 100 m3 to 2000 m3.

21. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the volume of the first secondary flotation cell is 2-50% of the aggregate volume of any at least one rougher primary flotation cell in fluid communication with the first secondary flotation cell.

22. The flotation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the volume of the further secondary flotation cell is 2-50% of the aggregate volume of any one or more rougher primary flotation cells in fluid communicat

Assignees

• Outotec Finland Oy

Inventors

• Rinne Antti
• Bourke Peter

Classifications

• B03D1/14 Primary

  Flotation machines (devices for feeding measured quantities of reagents B01J4/02; flotation apparatus for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/09) · CPC title

• B03D2203/025

  Precious metal ores · CPC title

• C02F1/24

  by flotation (C02F1/465 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B03D1/1406 Primary

  with special arrangement of a plurality of flotation cells, e.g. positioning a flotation cell inside another · CPC title

• B03D1/24 Primary

  Pneumatic {(mixing gases or vapours with liquids B01F23/20)} · CPC title