Measuring and modelling entrainment in rougher and cleaner batch flotation

Abstract

A study was carried out to measure the recovery by entrainment from batch rougher and cleaner flotation tests. A non-floatable tracer component (ferrosilicon, FeSi) was added to milled Merensky ore in the flotation test work and used to measure the recovery by entrainment. Conventional entrainment models such as the linear model and the exponential probability model gave poor model fits. A new entrainment model is therefore proposed in this study. A three-parameter Weibull probability model was fitted simultaneously to the rougher and cleaner entrainment recovery data. The model gave a good fit and returned parameters that are a logical description of the recovery by entrainment in both rougher and cleaner batch flotation.