Bubble-Distribution Measurement in a Flotation Column

With improvement in mineral processing, column flotation technology has undergone enormous changes, and various flotation columns have emerged in large numbers. In this study, three types of laboratory-scale flotation columns, including countercurrent, cyclone, and jet flow, were designed, and their bubble sizes were measured by using an image-analysis technique. The effect of circulating rates on bubble distribution was discussed. The bubble sizes decreased as the circulating rate increased. The bubble diameters in the countercurrent and jet flow mineralization environments were the maximum and minimum, respectively, when the circulating rate was the same.