Synthetic bubbles or beads having hydrophobic surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327294-B2
Application number	US-201214117946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2012
Priority date	May 25, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A synthetic bead for use in mineral separation is described. The synthetic bead has a surface made of or coated with a synthetic material such as a polymer that is naturally hydrophobic or a polymer that is hydrophobically modified. The synthetic bead can be made of glass having a coating or polysiloxane. The synthetic beads can be placed in flotation cell containing a mixture of water, collector molecules, valuable material and unwanted material or in a pipeline where the mixture is transported from one location to another. The collector chemical can be xanthates. The enriched synthetic beads carrying the mineral particles are separated from the unwanted materials in the mixture. The mineral particles are then released from the synthetic beads by means of low pH treatment, ultrasonic agitation, thermal or electromagnetic treatment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A synthetic bead, said synthetic bead comprising:
a solid-phase body comprising a surface; and
a synthetic material provided on at least a portion of the surface, the synthetic material comprises a plurality of molecules configured to render at least said portion of the surface hydrophobic, and the molecules also being configured to attract to the surface solid hydrophobic particles having mineral particles contained in an aqueous mixture, the mineral particles having hydrophobic element attached thereon, wherein the solid-phase body comprises an outer part made of glass, ceramic or a polymer for providing the surface and wherein the synthetic material comprise a siloxane derivative, or polysiloxanates, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, or is selected from a group consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane), hydrophobically-modified ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose polysiloxanates, alkylsilane and fluoroalkylsilane.

2. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-phase body comprises an outer part made of metal for providing the surface.

3. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic bead has a different density than the aqueous mixture so as to float or sink therein.

4. The synthetic head according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic bead has substantially the same density as the aqueous mixture so as to neither float nor sink therein.

5. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises physical structures configured to trap the mineral particles.

6. The synthetic bead according to claim 5 , wherein the physical structures comprise grooves or dents.

7. The synthetic bead according to claim 6 , wherein the physical structures comprise hair-like structures.

8. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral particles have a maximum size and the solid-phase body has a body size greater than the maximum size.

9. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral particles have a minimum size and the solid-phase body has a body size smaller than the minimum size.

10. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the surface is also configured with a functional group so as to be a collector for also attracting the mineral particles to the surface.

11. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size less than 100 μm for attracting to mineral particles having a substantially similar size, including in applications related to flotation cells.

12. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size of about 100 μm for attracting or attaching to mineral particles having a substantially similar size, smaller size or larger size.

13. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size in a range of about 50-500 μm for attracting or attaching to mineral particles having a substantially similar size.

14. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size about 200 μm for attracting or attaching to mineral particles having a substantially similar size.

15. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size in a range of about 1 mm to 10 mm, including in applications related to a tailings pond.

16. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic beads are configured with a size in a range of about 50 μm to 10 mm.

17. A method comprising:
receiving an aqueous mixture in a processor, the mixture comprising solid hydrophobic particles having mineral particles with hydrophobic elements attached thereon;
causing a plurality of synthetic beads to contact with the aqueous mixture in the processor,

said synthetic bead comprising:
a surface; and
a synthetic material provided on the surface, the synthetic material comprising a plurality of molecules configured to render the surface hydrophobic, the molecules being configured to attract to the surface the solid hydrophobic particles in the aqueous mixture, wherein the solid-phase body comprises an outer part made of glass, ceramic or a polymer, and wherein the synthetic material comprise a siloxane derivative, or polysiloxanates, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, or is selected from a group consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane), hydrophobically-modified ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose polysiloxanates, alkylsilane and fluoroalkylsilane.

18. A method comprising:
arranging a plurality of synthetic beads to contact with an aqueous mixture comprising solid hydrophobic particles having mineral particles with hydrophobic elements attached thereon, said synthetic bead comprising:
a surface, and
a synthetic material provided on the surface, the synthetic material comprises a plurality of molecules configured to render the surface hydrophobic, the molecules also being configured to attract the solid hydrophobic particles to the surface in the aqueous mixture, wherein the solid-phase body comprises an outer part made of glass, ceramic or a polymer, and wherein the synthetic material comprise a siloxane derivative, or polysiloxanates, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, or is selected from a group consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane), hydrophobically-modified ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose polysiloxanates, alkylsilane and fluoroalkylsilane;
allowing the solid hydrophobic particles to attach to the synthetic beads for providing a plurality of enriched synthetic beads, the enriched synthetic beads comprising at least some of the solid hydrophobic particles attached to the surface of the synthetic beads; and
releasing said some of the solid hydrophobic particles from the surface of the enriched synthetic beads.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of releasing comprises washing the enriched synthetic beads with water so as to remove at least some of the solid hydrophobic particles from the surface.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method comprises removing the enriched synthetic beads from the aqueous mixture.

21. A hydrophobic synthetic structure comprising:
a solid-phase body comprising a surface; and
a synthetic material provided on the surface, the synthetic material comprises a plurality of molecules configured to render the surface hydrophobic, and the combination of the molecules and the surface being configured to attract to the surface solid hydrophobic particles having mineral particles contained in an aqueous mixture, wherein the synthetic material comprises a siloxane derivative, or polysiloxanates, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, or is selected from a group consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane), hydrophobically-modified ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose polysiloxanates, alkylsilane and fluoroalkylsilane.

22. The hydrophobic synthetic structure according to claim 21 , wherein the hydrophobic synthetic structure takes the form of either a mesh-like structure, a membrane-like structure, a grooved structure, a grate-like structure, a tubular structure, a hairy structure, a course structure, a smooth structure, a rectangular structure, a honeycomb-like structure, a solid bead, or a two-part bead structure with an inner core and an outer covering, and the surface having a corresponding characteristic based at least partly on the configuration of the corresponding structure.

23. The synthetic bead according to claim 1 , comprising a

Assignees

• Rothman Paul J
• Fernald Mark R
• Didden Francis K
• O'Keefe Christian V
• Kersey Alan D
• Adamson Douglas H
• Cidra Corporate Services Inc

Inventors

• Rothman Paul J
• Fernald Mark R
• Didden Francis K
• O'Keefe Christian V
• Kersey Alan D
• Adamson Douglas H

Classifications

• C02F1/24

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

• B07B1/00

  Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like {(ash-sifters for domestic stoves or ranges F24B15/007)} · CPC title

• B03D1/14

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

• B03D1/023

  Carrier flotation; Flotation of a carrier material to which the target material attaches · CPC title

• B03C1/01

  by addition of magnetic adjuvants · CPC title