Dr Kathryn Hadler of GSL managed a research project supported by Plymouth University investigating the impact of re-grind particle size on flotation performance. The collaborative research was presented at the Minerals Engineering International Flotation 15 conference in Cape Town.
Findings from the research were as follows:
Mineral liberation analysis by INCAMineral was used to investigate the liberation by size of chalcopyrite in a regrind feed stream
This showed only a small decrease in the proportion of liberated grains when increasing from 14 to 20 μm
An increase in target grind size also results in a 50% energy saving and lower fines production
This yielded a more stable froth and a higher grade and recovery than the finer grind
An increase in target grind size also results in a 50% energy saving and lower fines production
This yielded a more stable froth and a higher grade and recovery than the finer grind
Final conclusions indicated that the trade-off between mineral liberation and particle size effects must be taken into account when considering target grind size and required separation performance.
See a more detailed review of the research work in our free PDF downloads
