Mixing and hydrodynamics in flotation cells

Abstract

The flotation process is a complex interaction between the physicochemical characteristics of the species involved and the hydrodynamic and operating conditions in flotation cells. Efficient cell design requires knowledge about the power to be provided and the time to be spent in the cell by each one of the phases. A review of new work in terms of mixing is presented, with particular attention to the effects of turbulence on flotation. The experimental and theoretical work on residence time distributions in flotation cells is also presented. (A)