A modified model based on CFD simulation and experiments of chalcopyrite flotation

Abstract

The increasing attention to enhancing flotation performance in strong turbulent environment has become a focal point in research and practical applications. To predict turbulent flotation process, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and flotation experiments were investigated on pure chalcopyrite in both smooth and vortex generator (VG) mineralized tubes. These investigations aimed to analyze flotation kinetics and flotation rate constant under conditions of 0.4–0.7 m³/h slurry flow rate and 0–45 μm, 45–75 μm, 75–125 μm, 125–180 μm particle classes. In the simulation, the user-defined functions (UDFs) and user-defined scalar (UDS) transport equations were used to model the collision, attachment and detachment of bubble-particle, thereby predicting the flotation rate constant. The results showed that the existing flotation kinetic model exhibited unsatisfactory prediction at various particle class and slurry flow rate. It was attributed to the insufficient consideration of turbulence in attachment model. Finally, a modified attachment model adopting a back-calculated method was proposed. This model predicted the flotation rate constant and its trends with changes in slurry flow rate, and the average prediction error is within 26 %. External validation of the model using pure mineral cassiterite demonstrated a prediction error of only 12 %.