Cell-Specific Relationships Between Froth Parameters and Flotation Performance: Insights from the Flash and Rougher Cells

Recent advances in machine vision systems make froth image analysis a promising tool for real-time monitoring, evaluating, and controlling flotation performance. This study investigates the characteristics of the froth in two mechanical industrial flotation cells: a Flash Cell and Cell 6, which is the final cell in the rougher stage of a gold-bearing sulfide ore processing plant. Froth parameters, including bubble velocity (BV) and bubble size (BS), were measured online using the Stone Three Froth Camera System under varying operating conditions such as air flow rate and froth height. The results showed that BV was the most predictive froth parameter in both cells. BS exhibited predictive value only in the Flash Cell, where gold grade increased linearly with BS. In Cell 6, however, no significant relationship was found between BS and performance. These findings demonstrate that froth monitoring strategies must be cell-specific. BS is a useful control parameter in Flash flotation, but not in Cell 6, where entrainment dominates. Overall, the study shows that, effective optimization requires simultaneous consideration of froth parameters and feed characteristics, rather than reliance on a single indicator.