Coarse Particle

Flotation System

HydroFloat™ Separator
ALS has developed extensive expertise in 100
90
Fraction Cu Recovery - percent
Denver Cell Test
coarse particle flotation testing using Eriez 80 HydroFloat Test
HydroFloat™ technology. The HydroFloat™ 70
separator is an aerated fluidized-bed 60
50
device that combines flotation with gravity/
40
elutriation techniques, allowing for recovery 30
of relatively coarse particles with low target 20
10
mineral exposures.
0
Feed Slurry 0 200 400 600 800
Fraction Mid-Point (μm)

Air bubbles are dispersed by the fluidization system, percolate

through the hindered-settling zone and attach to the hydrophobic
component of coarse particles, rendering them sufficiently
buoyant to float and report to the concentrate launder.
Rise Rate
Testing is conducted using a 140mm diameter laboratory unit,
Concentrate
typically fed at rate of 1-2kg/hr. The feed sample is generally
ground to a coarse sizing in the range of 80% passing 600µm,
Teeter Bed Pressure Sensor and screened to remove -150µm material.
Teeter Water
The resulting <850>150µm HydroFloat feed is then fed into the
vessel in a continuous manner, establishing a stable fluidized
(teeter) bed which is controlled by a pressure sensor and tailings
Flotation Air
pinch valve. Variations in operating parameters such as teeter
water rate, air rate and reagent dosages can be investigated.
Testing can be conducted on 20 kg of prepared feed.
Significant recovery gains over conventional flotation technology
can be achieved in coarse fractions of a flotation feed.
Pinch Valve Conventional flotation recovery often decreases significantly in
fractions coarser than 200µm, whereas HydroFloat techniques
can enhance recovery of base and precious metals in particles up
to 600 to 800µm in size.
Tails

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alsglobal.com Metallurgy Technical Note 1
Mineralogy – Surface Exposure Examples of coarse particles reporting to HydroFloat™ concentrate
Mineralogical analyses of concentrate
and tailings products indicate that
relatively high recoveries can be
achieved on particles with target
mineral surface exposures as low as
15 percent, across a wide range of size
fractions.
ALS Metallurgy has developed efficient
techniques to assess exposure Copper Sulphides
Pyrite
characteristics in coarse particles using
Gangue 600.0 μm
QEMSCAN technology.

Flow Sheet These diagrams show how HydroFloat™ could be included in a split flowsheet arrangement with a coarse
Applications primary grind sizing (top), and in a scavenging duty for an existing conventional flotation circuit (bottom).

Conventional Rougher Flotation

Feed Rougher
Tails
Rougher
Hydrocyclone
Concentrate
Grinding
450µm P80
Cleaner Flotation
HydroFloat™ Cleaner
HydroFloat™ Tails
Concentrate
Teeter Water
Regrinding
Concentrate
HydroFloat™ Tails
Split Flowsheet

Fine
Conventional Rougher Flotation Rougher
Feed Tails

Hydrocyclone
Grinding Rougher
200µm P80 Concentrate

Regrinding & Cleaner HydroFloat

Flotation
HydroFloat
Concentrate

HydroFloat
Existing Circuit with HydroFloat™ Added Tails

Please contact us for any testing 2957 Bowers Place +1 250 828 6157
enquiries you may have. Kamloops, British Columbia
V1S 1W5 Metallurgy.Kamloops@alsglobal.com

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