Dual gas flow flotation column and mineral separation method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of mineral separation equipment, and discloses a double-gas-flow flotation column and a mineral separation method, the flotation column comprising a pipe flow mineralization system, a column separation system and a lower air charging system, the pipe flow mineralization system converts the pressure energy of the ore pulp into jet energy through a Venturi tube, the jet flow ore pulp wraps gas into a lower guide pipe, due to the high turbulence of the fluid, the gas is sheared into micro-bubbles and continuously collides and adsorbs with the mineral particles to form strong turbulent mineralization, thereby realizing the recovery of fine and micro-fine particles; the column separation system adopts an upper and lower separation column connected through a conical structure, is filled with a plurality of layers of open-pore filling media, and generates bubbles through a gas path distributor in combination with the lower air charging, the bubbles are cut into small bubbles by the filling material to form laminar mineralization, thereby realizing the recovery of coarse, medium and fine particles. The double-gas-flow synergistic effect significantly widens the separation particle size, the processing capacity of a single device reaches more than 1000 m3 / h, the energy consumption is saved by 10-50% compared with a flotation machine, the reagent consumption is saved by 10-20%, and the maintenance cost is low.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of mineral separation equipment, in particular to a double-gas-flow flotation column and a mineral separation method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Flotation is the main recovery process for fine and micro-fine particles. Current research mainly focuses on three aspects: 1) beneficiation process, such as flocculation flotation and carrier flotation, to increase the apparent diameter of the mineral surface, i.e. "size adjustment"; 2) beneficiation equipment, to reduce the bubble diameter, increase the contact surface area, and improve the collision and adhesion probability of mineral particles and bubbles, i.e. "bubble adjustment"; and 3) flotation reagent research, to develop reagents with stronger selectivity, i.e. "reagent adjustment". The flotation column is a flotation device for fine and micro-fine particles. Currently, there are various types of flotation columns, but they are mainly based on three forms: cyclone-static, parallel flow-static, and counter flow-static. These three types of flotation columns have the following main problems: (1) cyclone-static flotation column: it relies on single middling circulation self-suction, and the new feed has no aeration, resulting in high pressure, high energy consumption, severe equipment wear, low processing capacity (compared with Jameson flotation column), and poor separation effect for coarse particles; (2) parallel flow-static flotation column (Jameson flotation column): it has no middling circulation, and the separation of materials with high floatable substances is not complete, requiring additional scavenging operation; the gas splitting process is not perfect, and the lower guide pipe is prone to "air mass", resulting in poor separation stability; and it has no laminar flow mineralization, and the separation effect for coarse particles is poor; and (3) counter flow-static flotation column (MTU filling medium flotation column): it has low processing capacity (compared with Jameson flotation column), poor separation effect for micro-fine particles, equipment height of 10-15 meters, large space occupation, and high difficulty in modification. The above-mentioned flotation column devices cannot meet the requirements of foam mineralization, wide particle size separation, processing capacity, and compact structure. Therefore, a double-gas-flow flotation column and a mineral separation method are developed. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a double-gas-flow flotation column and a mineral separation method.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned application purposes, the technical solutions adopted are as follows:

[0005] The double-gas-flow flotation column comprises:

[0006] The pipe flow mineralization system comprises a variable frequency pump, a nozzle and a lower guide pipe, the lower guide pipe is embedded into the upper end of a flotation column body, the nozzle is installed at the top end of the lower guide pipe, an air guide pipe is connected to the side wall of the lower guide pipe to inhale external air by utilizing the Venturi principle to realize gas-liquid mixing, the variable frequency pump is connected with the top end inlet of the lower guide pipe through a high pressure pipeline, the variable frequency pump inputs the ore slurry from the top of the flotation column body, converts the pressure energy of the ore slurry into a high speed jet flow through the nozzle, forms a negative pressure in the lower guide pipe, the ore slurry realizes cavitation to generate air nucleus precipitation, at the same time, air is inhaled through the air guide pipe, the jet flow ore slurry wraps the gas to enter the lower guide pipe, the gas is sheared into micro-bubbles by fluid height turbulence and collides and adsorbs with mineral particles to complete mineralization.

[0007] The column separation system comprises a flotation column body and a concentrate collection tank, the concentrate collection tank is fully welded with the upper separation column body, the flotation column body comprises an upper separation column and a lower separation column, the flotation column body is filled with multiple layers of fillers inside, which are used for cutting bubbles, optimizing bubble rising path, uniformly distributing bubbles and ore slurry in the column section, stabilizing ore bed and foam layer and creating a better laminar flow static separation environment. The upper separation column and the lower separation column are connected through a conical structure, which aims to increase the apparent rising speed of bubbles under the same air supply amount, increase the adsorption probability and the flotation rate, enhance the mineralization efficiency and improve the separation recovery rate.

[0008] The lower air charging system comprises a compressor system and a disc-shaped air path distributor, the air path distributor is installed at the bottom of the lower separation column, the air holes of the air path distributor are distributed in a staggered manner, the compressor is connected with the disc-shaped air path distributor through an air supply pipeline to send air into the bottom of the lower separation column, the air is cut into small bubbles by the fillers and collides and adsorbs with the descending mineral particles for mineralization; wherein, the pipe flow mineralization system is combined with the column separation system to realize the synergistic effect of strong turbulent mineralization and laminar mineralization, and the lower air charging system and the pipe flow flotation system form double air flow air supply.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present application, in order to better exert the respective advantages of the pipe flow mineralization flotation and the column flotation, a feeding ore slurry distributor is further included, the number of the lower guide pipes is uniformly arranged according to the diameter of the separation column, the diameter of the lower guide pipe is determined according to the processing flow and the number, and the maximum number is limited by the ratio of the nozzle diameter to the lower guide pipe diameter. The new feeding ore slurry distributor breaks the traditional solidification of the lower guide pipe diameter of the jet flow flotation column, in the case that the diameter of the separation column is determined according to the given processing flow, more lower guide pipes are uniformly arranged in the column section in principle to ensure the uniform distribution of the ore slurry in the column section, which is beneficial to the column flotation, and the diameter of the lower guide pipe is determined according to the processing flow and the number of the lower guide pipes, and the maximum number of the lower guide pipes is determined according to the suitable ratio of the minimum nozzle diameter to the lower guide pipe diameter under the current processing technical conditions (in principle, a suitable negative pressure is formed by the high speed jet flow).

[0010] As a further improvement of the present application, the outlet of the lower conduit is provided with an adjustable pulp distributor, which is adjusted in distance from the outlet of the lower conduit by bolts. In order to create a more uniform feeding (uniform along the cross section) and static flotation environment for column separation, a pulp distributor is added at the outlet of the lower conduit. The pulp distributor uses movable bolts to adjust the distance from the outlet of the lower conduit, which not only ensures the separation effect of pipe flow mineralization flotation, but also ensures the uniform feeding and feeding buffer of column separation (reduces the settling rate of the pulp and reduces turbulence) to ensure the separation environment of column separation.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present application, the diameter ratio of the upper separation column and the lower separation column is 2-3:1.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present application, the filler is a multi-layer perforated corrugated plate, and the hole diameter and spacing of the perforated corrugated plate are adjusted according to the properties of the ore, which is used to cut bubbles, optimize the bubble rising path, uniformly distribute bubbles and pulp in the column cross section, stabilize the ore bed and foam layer, and create a better laminar static separation environment.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present application, the gas holes of the gas distribution pipe of the lower separation column bottom aeration system are distributed in a network pipe array, the gas hole diameter is 1-1.5mm, the gas hole is large, and there is no need for jet and large aeration pressure, which produces very small turbulence, realizes laminar mineralization, and has a good separation environment. The diameter of the gas hole is matched according to the properties of the ore and the properties of the pulp to achieve better air distribution and gas superficial velocity while avoiding blockage.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present application, the inlet pressure of the pipe flow mineralization system is 0.1-0.3MPa, the gas solubility of the pulp in the lower conduit is 40%-60%, and the proportion of bubbles with a diameter of ≤0.3mm in the total bubbles is greater than 90%.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present application, the included angle between the generatrix of the conical structure connecting the upper separation column and the lower separation column and the vertical axis is 15°-35°, which is to increase the bubble rising superficial velocity under the same gas supply, increase the adsorption probability and flotation rate, and enhance the mineralization efficiency to improve the separation recovery rate.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present application, the double-airflow flotation column has a large processing capacity, and the processing capacity of one device can reach 1000m³ / h or more. The processing capacity of the device is calculated based on the lower conduit as a unit, and multiple lower conduits can be inserted in parallel in the column body to increase the processing capacity of the entire system without affecting the separation index. The total height of the device is reduced by 20%-30% compared with the traditional filling type flotation column.

[0017] A mineral separation method using the double-airflow flotation column according to any one of the above, comprising the following steps:

[0018] (a) The feed pressure is 0.1-0.3 MPa, and the strong turbulent mineralization is carried out through the pipe flow mineralization system;

[0019] (b) The three-phase body after the pipe flow mineralization separation enters the column separation system, and the coarse particles, medium particles, fine particles and refractory mineral particles not recovered are adsorbed by the micro-bubble collision after the micro-bubble is formed by the lower air charging system and float to the concentrate bubble layer to be recovered;

[0020] (c) The concentrate overflows from the top to the foam collection tank for collection, and the tailings are discharged from the bottom.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0022] 1. The present application can effectively improve the collision and adhesion probability of mineral particles and bubbles through the synergistic effect of strong turbulent mineralization and laminar mineralization, thereby significantly improving the flotation efficiency. The separation particle size is wide, which effectively solves the problem of poor separation effect of existing equipment on uneven particle size distribution, and improves the recovery rate of the target mineral.

[0023] 2. The lower air charging system of the present application uses a compressor to charge air, and the air hole is large, without the need for a jet and a large air charging pressure, which produces very small turbulence, realizes laminar mineralization, reduces the use amount of reagents, and reduces the pollution to the environment.

[0024] 3. The present application is internally provided with multiple layers of fillers, which uniformly distribute the air flow and the slurry and stabilize the bubble layer, improve the stability of the concentrate bubble layer, and ensure high yield. The filler, as an ideal gas and fluid distributor, replaces the traditional bubble generator, completely solves the problems of blockage and wear, reduces the equipment maintenance cost, and improves the equipment operation rate.

[0025] 4. The upper separation column and the lower separation column of the present application are connected through a conical structure, which aims to increase the apparent rising speed of the bubbles under the same air supply, increase the adsorption probability and flotation rate, enhance the mineralization efficiency, and improve the separation recovery rate. The air holes of the gas distribution pipe of the lower air charging system are distributed in a mesh tube array to achieve better air distribution. The air hole is large and not easy to block, without the need for a jet and a large air charging pressure, which produces very small turbulence, realizes laminar mineralization, and has a good separation environment. It can match different slurry properties to ensure stable operation of the equipment. The filler is used to cut bubbles, optimize the bubble rising path, uniformly distribute bubbles and slurry in the column cross section, and stabilize the ore bed, to create a better laminar static separation environment, and then stabilize the thickness of the concentrate bubble layer to prevent the fluctuation of the bubble layer from affecting the separation effect.

[0026] 5、The total height of the equipment is reduced by 20-30% than the traditional filling medium flotation column, the processing capacity is large, the processing capacity of one equipment can reach 1000m3 / h or more, has higher processing capacity and smaller space ratio, is strong in adaptability, is convenient for on-site transformation, can be widely applied to the flotation of various minerals of metal and non-metal and the flotation of waste residue and waste liquid enrichment and purification in chemical, smelting, papermaking, environmental protection and other industries, improves the production efficiency and economic benefit of the ore dressing plant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The illustrations are shown to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application in an inappropriate manner. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the feed ore slurry distributor of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 is a second perspective view structural diagram of the feed ore slurry distributor of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of the ore slurry distribution disc of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of the upper annular part of the ore slurry distribution disc of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of the lower disc part of the ore slurry distribution disc of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 is a filling medium actual object diagram of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of the disc-shaped gas path distributor;

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the conical connecting structure Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the conical connecting structure Figure 2 ;

[0038] Figure 11 Capture probability of particles under different turbulent intensities.

[0039] In the diagram: 1. Nozzle, 2. Lower conduit, 3. Air conduit, 4. Concentrate collection tank, 5. Upper separation column, 6. Slurry distribution plate, 61. Upper annular section, 62. Lower material plate section, 63. Bolt, 7. Conical connection structure, 8. Filling material, 9. Lower separation column, 10. Disc-shaped air distributor, 101. Disc fixing frame, 102. Main air inlet pipe, 103. Branch air inlet pipe, 11. Feed slurry distributor. Detailed Implementation

[0040] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the dual-flow flotation column includes:

[0043] The pipe flow mineralization system includes a variable frequency pump (not shown in the figure), a nozzle 1, and a lower conduit 2. The lower conduit 2 is embedded in the upper end of the upper sorting column 5. The nozzle 1 is installed at the top of the lower conduit 2. An air conduit 3 is connected to the side wall of the lower conduit 2. External air is drawn in using the Venturi principle to achieve gas-liquid mixing. The variable frequency pump is connected to the inlet end of the nozzle 1 through a high-pressure pipeline. The variable frequency pump inputs the slurry from the top of the lower conduit 2. The pressure energy of the slurry is converted into a high-speed jet through the nozzle 1, forming a negative pressure in the lower conduit 2. Air is drawn in through the air conduit 3. The jet slurry entrains the gas and enters the lower conduit 2. Through the high turbulence of the fluid, the gas is sheared into microbubbles and collided and adsorbed with mineral particles to complete mineralization.

[0044] The column separation system includes an upper separation column 5, a lower separation column 9, and a concentrate collection tank 4. The concentrate collection tank 4 is fully welded to the upper separation column 5. The flotation column includes an upper separation column 5 and a lower separation column 9. The interior of the flotation column is filled with multiple layers of packing material 8. The upper separation column 5 and the lower separation column 9 are connected by a conical structure 7, which is used to perform secondary mineralization on unrecovered and descending coarse, medium, and fine minerals and difficult-to-process mineral particles, and to cut the gas through the packing material 8 to form microbubbles.

[0045] The lower aeration system includes a compressor system and a disc-shaped air path distributor 10 installed at the bottom of the lower separation column 9, with staggered distribution of air holes. The disc-shaped air path distributor 10 includes a disc fixing frame 101, on which an air inlet main pipe 102 and air inlet branch pipes 103 are installed, and a plurality of air inlet branch pipes 103 are connected to the upper part of the air inlet main pipe 102. The compressor is connected to the disc-shaped air path distributor 10 through an air supply pipeline to send air into the lower separation column 9, and the air is cut into small bubbles by the filling material 8 and collides with the descending ore particles to adsorb mineralization; wherein the pipe flow mineralization system is combined with the column separation system to realize the synergistic effect of strong turbulent mineralization and laminar mineralization, and the lower aeration system and the pipe flow flotation system form a double air flow gas supply.

[0046] In order to better exert the respective advantages of pipe flow mineralization flotation and column flotation, a feed ore slurry distributor 11 is further included, the number of the lower pipes 2 is uniformly arranged according to the diameter of the separation column, and the diameter of the lower pipes 2 is determined according to the processing flow and the number, and the maximum number is limited by the ratio of the nozzle 1 to the diameter of the lower pipe 2. This new type of feed ore slurry distributor breaks the traditional fixed diameter of the lower pipe 2 of the jet flow flotation column. Under the condition that the diameter of the separation column is determined according to the given processing flow, in principle, more lower pipes 2 are uniformly arranged in the column cross section to ensure the uniform distribution of the ore slurry in the column cross section, which is beneficial to column flotation. At this time, the diameter of the lower pipe 2 is determined according to the processing flow and the number of the lower pipe 2, and the maximum number of the lower pipe 2 is determined according to the suitable ratio of the minimum nozzle 1 diameter to the lower pipe 2 diameter under the current processing technical conditions (in principle, a high-speed jet flow is formed to generate a suitable negative pressure).

[0047] An adjustable ore slurry distribution disc 6 is arranged at the outlet of the lower pipe 2, and the ore slurry distribution disc 6 includes an upper annular part 61 and a lower disc part 62, and the upper annular part 61 and the lower disc part 62 are connected by a bolt 63. The distance between the lower disc part 62 and the outlet of the lower pipe 2 is adjusted by the bolt 63. In order to create a more uniform feeding (uniform distribution along the cross section) and static flotation separation environment for column separation, an ore slurry distribution disc 6 is arranged at the outlet of the lower pipe 2. The distance between the distribution disc and the outlet of the lower pipe 2 is adjusted by the movable bolt (adjustable), which not only ensures the separation effect of pipe flow mineralization flotation, but also ensures the uniform feeding and feeding buffer of column separation (reduces the ore slurry settling rate and reduces turbulence) to ensure the separation environment of column separation.

[0048] The diameter ratio of the upper separation column 5 to the lower separation column 9 is 2-3:1.

[0049] The filling material 8 is a multi-layered open-pore corrugated plate, and the pore size and spacing of the open-pore corrugated plate are adjusted according to the properties of the ore, which is used to cut bubbles, optimize the bubble rising path, uniformly distribute bubbles and ore slurry in the column cross section, stabilize the ore bed and the foam layer, and create a better laminar static separation environment.

[0050] The gas distribution pipe orifice of the bottom aeration system of the lower separation column 9 is distributed in a mesh tube array, the diameter of the gas distribution pipe orifice is 1-1.5 mm, the orifice opening is large, jet and large aeration pressure are not required, very small turbulence is generated, laminar mineralization is achieved, the separation environment is good, the amount of reagent used is reduced, and the pollution to the environment is reduced. The diameter of the gas distribution pipe orifice is matched with the properties of the ore slurry to avoid blockage.

[0051] The feeding pressure of the pipe flow flotation system is 0.1-0.3 MPa, the gas solubility of the ore slurry in the lower guide pipe 2 is 40%-60%, and the proportion of bubbles with a diameter of ≤0.3 mm in the total bubbles is greater than 90%.

[0052] The included angle between the generatrix of the conical structure 7 connected between the upper separation column 5 and the lower separation column 9 and the vertical axis is 15°-35°, which is to increase the apparent rising speed of the bubbles, increase the adsorption probability and flotation rate, and enhance the mineralization efficiency and improve the separation recovery rate under the same gas supply amount.

[0053] The double-airflow flotation column has a large treatment capacity, and the treatment capacity of one device can reach 1000 m³ / h or more. The treatment capacity of the device is calculated based on the lower guide pipe as a unit, and multiple lower guide pipes can be inserted in parallel in the column body to increase the treatment capacity of the entire system. Figure 2 Without affecting the separation index, the total height of the device is reduced by 20%-30% compared with the traditional filling type flotation column.

[0054] A mineral separation method using the double-airflow flotation column described in any one of the above, comprising the following steps:

[0055] (a) The feeding pressure is 0.1-0.3 MPa, and strong turbulent mineralization is carried out through the pipe flow mineralization system;

[0056] (b) The three-phase body after pipe flow mineralization separation enters the column separation system, and the coarse particles, medium particles, fine particles, and refractory mineral particles that are not recovered are mineralized by multiple collisions of micro-bubbles formed by the lower aeration system and then float to the concentrate froth layer for recovery;

[0057] (c) The concentrate overflows from the top to the froth tank for collection, and the tailings are discharged from the bottom.

[0058] Working principle:

[0059] I. Scientific basis of theoretical research

[0060] 1. Theory of bubble mineralization process

[0061] The advantages and disadvantages of bubble mineralization determine the good or bad of the flotation effect, and the bubble mineralization is divided into the following four stages:

[0062] (1) Bubble and mineral particle collision stage, i.e. the stage of contact and collision between mineral particles and bubbles.

[0063] (2) The stage of the attachment of the ore particle and the bubble, which is the process of the further contact of the hydrophobic ore particle and the bubble after the collision of the ore particle and the bubble to make the hydration layer thin and broken, and the formation of the solid-gas-liquid three-phase system.

[0064] (3) The stage of the floating of the gas-solid combination, which is the process of the attachment of the ore particle on the bubble and the carrying of the ore particle into the foam layer under the floating force of the bubble.

[0065] (4) The stage of the formation of the stable foam layer, which is the process of the multiple collision and adhesion between the ore particle and the bubble, the easy-to-fall ore particle into the next mineralization, and the firmly adhered ore particle carried into the foam layer by the bubble to form the stable foam layer. The following formula can be used to express it:

[0066] P f =P c +P a +P n +P e

[0067] In the formula, P f is the capture probability of the whole flotation process; P c is the collision probability of the first stage; P a is the adhesion probability of the second stage; P n is the probability of the formation of the gas-solid combination of the third stage; and P e is the probability of the formation of the stable foam layer of the fourth stage.

[0068] Therefore, to improve the flotation efficiency, the four stages must be comprehensively considered, and only by improving the probability of each stage can a good flotation effect be achieved.

[0069] 2. The theory of the capture of the ore particle

[0070] The probability of the capture of the particle in the ore slurry by the bubble is:

[0071] E=E c E a (1-E d )

[0072] In the formula, E is the capture probability; E c is the probability of the collision of the ore particle and the bubble; E a is the adhesion probability of the ore particle and the bubble; and E d is the falling probability of the ore particle and the bubble.

[0073] The probability of particles being captured by bubbles in the slurry is proportional to the collision probability and the adhesion probability. According to the Yoon-Luttrell collision probability equation and the B. Shahbazi bubble size effect equation, the collision probability is improved by 2 times as the bubble diameter decreases, and the particle adhesion probability increases as the bubble diameter decreases, so reducing the bubble diameter is an effective way to improve the capture probability. The traditional flotation column generally uses a bubble generator to produce microbubbles, and the jet flotation column uses a Venturi tube to produce microbubbles. The double-gas-flow flotation column uses a Venturi tube to produce microbubbles at the top, and the column uses two microbubble generation methods: filling medium and cutting gas.

[0074] 3. The influence of the sorting environment on the capture probability

[0075] Strong turbulence is beneficial to the mineralization of fine particles-bubbles, but it also causes coarse particles to detach. There is an optimal matching relationship between particle size and turbulent vortex, as shown in FIG. 1, i.e., different particle sizes require different degrees of turbulent environment. Laminar flow environment is beneficial to the recovery of coarse particles, medium-coarse particles, and fine particles, intermediate flow (transition flow) is beneficial to the recovery of medium-coarse particles and fine particles, and strong turbulent environment is beneficial to the recovery of fine particles. Figure 11

[0076] The traditional flotation column generally uses laminar flow or strong turbulent flow to provide a sorting environment for the device, while the double-gas-flow flotation column uses both laminar flow and strong turbulent flow to provide a more optimal sorting environment for the flotation device.

[0077] II. Working principle of double-gas-flow flotation column

[0078] The pressurized slurry (the inlet pressure is generally 0.1-0.3 MPa) is fed from the top of the column, and the pressure energy of the slurry is converted into a high-speed jet through the nozzle 1, forming a negative pressure in the lower guide pipe 2. The air guide pipe 3 connected to the lower guide pipe 2 inhales air, and the jet slurry wraps the gas into the lower guide pipe 2. Due to the high turbulence of the fluid, the gas is sheared into countless small bubbles and continuously collides and adheres with mineral particles, completing the mineralization process. The uniformly mixed three-phase body flows into the upper sorting column 5 from the bottom of the lower guide pipe 2. The purpose mineral carried by the mineralized bubbles floats to the top of the flotation column and overflows into the concentrate collection tank 4. The coarse mineral, refractory middlings, and tailings freely sink and collide with the microbubbles generated by the filling medium installed in the column. After multiple repeated collisions and adhesion, the purpose mineral is enriched for the second time and floats to the top of the flotation column with the mineralized bubbles, and the tailings are directly discharged from the bottom tailings pipe. Field industrial application and industrial test results:

[0079] Experiment 1: Semi-industrial test of gold tailings for sulfur selection in a certain gold mining company in Henan

[0080] Table 1: Indexes of gold tailings for sulfur selection ​

[0081]

[0082] The test started on March 1, 2025 and ended on March 31, 2025, using one double air flow flotation column, and the sulfur concentrate grade reached 49.53% with a recovery rate of 91.05%, which is a good index. Compared with the laboratory experiment of sulfur separation done by the company in a certain technology company in Xi'an, which adopts one roughing + one cleaning + one scavenging, the index of sulfur concentrate grade is 49.85% and the sulfur recovery rate is 91.81%. Compared with the same index, the process flow is greatly simplified, and it has entered the industrial application implementation stage.

[0083] Experiment two: comparison of molybdenum separation with conventional flotation column in Henan

[0084] Comparison of double air flow flotation column and ordinary flotation column in cleaning operation

[0085] The comparison data is shown in the table below

[0086] Table 2 Comparison of double air flow flotation column and ordinary flotation column in cleaning operation

[0087]

[0088] Under the condition of basically the same grade of raw ore and concentrate, the recovery rate of molybdenum separation using double air flow flotation column is increased by 4.75 percentage points compared with ordinary flotation column. The double air flow flotation column semi-industrial test adopts three cleaning, and the on-site ordinary flotation column production adopts six cleaning, which proves that the recovery and enrichment effect of double air flow flotation column is better than that of ordinary flotation column.

[0089] Experiment three: comparison of double air flow flotation column and conventional flotation column semi-industrial test of certain chalcopyrite in Jiangxi

[0090] The comparison data is shown in the table below

[0091] Table 3 Comparison of double air flow flotation column and conventional flotation column semi-industrial test data of copper roughing operation

[0092]

[0093] As shown in the above table, the comprehensive index of A and B two kinds of ore samples by double air flow flotation column and conventional flotation column once roughing: compared with conventional flotation column, the concentrate grade of double air flow flotation column is increased by 4.1 percentage points, the recovery rate is increased by 16.34 percentage points, the enrichment ratio is 1.2 times, and the concentrate grade and recovery rate are doubled.

[0094] The application is suitable for the flotation of waste slag and waste liquid enrichment and purification in the metal, non-metallic mineral and chemical, smelting, papermaking, environmental protection and other industries, can efficiently recover the poor, fine and miscellaneous minerals which are difficult to handle by traditional equipment, and has the advantages of stable separation index, small occupied area and wide adaptation range.

[0095] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, component disassembly or combination made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A dual-flow flotation column, characterized in that, include: Pipeline mineralization system: includes a variable frequency pump, nozzle and lower guide tube. The lower guide tube is embedded in the upper end of the flotation column and the nozzle is installed at the top of the lower guide tube. The side wall of the lower guide tube is connected to an air duct and the variable frequency pump is connected to the top of the lower guide tube through a high-pressure pipeline. Column separation system: includes flotation column body and concentrate collection tank, the concentrate collection tank is fully welded to the upper separation column; the flotation column body is composed of a large-diameter upper separation column and a small-diameter lower separation column connected by a conical structure, and the flotation column body is filled with multiple layers of packing material; The lower inflation system includes a compressor inflation system and a disc-shaped air distributor. The air distributor is installed at the bottom of the lower sorting column, and its air holes are staggered. The compressor is connected to the air distributor through an air delivery pipe.

2. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a feed slurry distributor. The number of lower guide pipes is evenly distributed according to the diameter of the separation column. The diameter of the lower guide pipes is determined according to the processing flow rate and the number of pipes. The maximum number of pipes is limited by the ratio of the nozzle diameter to the lower guide pipe diameter.

3. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: An adjustable slurry distribution plate is provided at the outlet of the lower guide pipe, and the distance between the slurry distribution plate and the outlet of the lower guide pipe is adjusted by bolts.

4. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter ratio of the upper sorting column to the lower sorting column is 2-3:

1.

5. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filling material is a multi-layer perforated corrugated plate.

6. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air distribution pipes of the air distributor are arranged in a mesh-like array with a diameter of 1-1.5 mm.

7. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet pressure of the pipe flow mineralization system is 0.1-0.3 MPa, the slurry gas dissolution rate in the lower pipe is 40%-60%, and the proportion of bubbles with a diameter ≤0.3 mm in the total bubbles is greater than 90%.

8. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the generatrix of the tapered structure and the vertical axis is 15°-35°.

9. The dual-flow flotation column according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower conduit adopts a parallel multi-conduit structure, and the processing capacity of a single device is ≥1000m³ / h.

10. A mineral separation method using a dual-flow flotation column as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (a) The slurry is fed into the pipeline flotation system at a pressure of 0.1-0.3 MPa for strong turbulent mineralization; (b) The three-phase body after mineralization separation in the upper pipe flow enters the column separation system. The unrecovered coarse, medium, fine and difficult-to-separate mineral particles descend and collide and adsorb with the microbubbles formed by the lower aeration system multiple times to complete the secondary mineralization. (c) The concentrate overflows from the top to the foam collection tank for collection, and the tailings are discharged from the bottom.

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