Double-bubble flotation system for fine-fraction minerals

Abstract

The utility model provides a double-bubble flotation system for fine-fraction minerals, which comprises a stirring tank, a flotation tank and a flotation tank, the nanobubble generating part is communicated with the stirring tank and used for generating nanobubbles in the ore pulp, and the nanobubbles adsorb fine-fraction minerals in the ore pulp to form nanobubble aggregates; the micro-bubble generating part is used for generating micro-bubbles; and the flotation column is communicated with the stirring tank and the micro-bubble generating part, so that the nano-bubble aggregate floats upwards through the micro-bubbles, and the fine-fraction minerals are separated from the ore pulp. By means of the system, the problem that the mineral recovery rate is low in traditional bubble flotation or nano-bubble flotation is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of mineral flotation, and in particular to a double-bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals. Background Art

[0002] Poor, fine and mixed are the main characteristics of my country's mineral resources. With the continuous development of resources, most of them are embedded with extremely fine ores. The recovery of fine-grained minerals has always been a major problem that plagues resource recovery. In the traditional bubble flotation process, the probability of collision between minerals and bubbles is low, and the recovery rate of fine-grained mineral flotation is low. For fine-grained minerals, current research has found that nanobubbles have a large specific surface area, high surface energy, and higher selectivity than general bubbles. Nanobubble flotation has a high promoting effect on the recovery of such characteristic minerals.

[0003] However, the floating ability of nanobubbles is very weak and the flotation speed is slow, so there is still a problem of low recovery rate of fine-grained mineral flotation. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a double-bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, which solves the problem of low mineral recovery rate existing in traditional bubble flotation or nano-bubble flotation.

[0005] The technical solution of this application is:

[0006] A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, comprising:

[0007] a stirring tank containing a slurry;

[0008] A nanobubble generating part is connected to the stirring tank and is used to generate nanobubbles in the slurry. The nanobubbles absorb fine-grained minerals in the slurry to form nanobubble aggregates.

[0009] A microbubble generating part, used for generating microbubbles;

[0010] The flotation column is connected to the stirring tank and the microbubble generating part respectively, so as to float the nanobubble aggregates through the microbubbles and separate the fine-grained minerals from the ore pulp.

[0011] As one of the preferred solutions, the nano bubble generating part includes a nano bubble generator and a circulation pump, and the nano bubble generator is connected to the stirring tank through the circulation pump.

[0012] As one of the preferred solutions, the nano bubble generating part further includes a static mixer, and the static mixer is connected to the nano bubble generator and the stirring tank respectively.

[0013] As one of the preferred solutions, the nanobubble generator is a high-pressure jet generator.

[0014] As one of the preferred solutions, the outlet of the stirring tank, the circulation pump, the nano bubble generator, the static mixed gas and the inlet of the stirring tank are connected in sequence to form a circulation pipeline.

[0015] As one of the preferred solutions, the microbubble generating part includes a microbubble generator and an air pump which are connected to each other, and the microbubble generator is connected to the flotation column.

[0016] As one of the preferred solutions, the microbubble generator is a porous vertical tube foamer.

[0017] As one of the preferred solutions, the microbubble generator is located at the bottom of the flotation column.

[0018] As one of the preferred solutions, the stirring tank is connected to the flotation column via a peristaltic pump.

[0019] As one of the preferred solutions, the peristaltic pump is located at the top of the flotation column.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages:

[0021] The present application proposes a double-bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, comprising: a stirring tank containing a pulp; a nanobubble generating part connected to the stirring tank and used to generate nanobubbles in the pulp, wherein the nanobubbles adsorb the fine-grained minerals in the pulp to form nanobubble aggregates; a microbubble generating part, used to generate microbubbles; and a flotation column connected to the stirring tank and the microbubble generating part, respectively, so as to float the nanobubble aggregates through the microbubbles and separate the fine-grained minerals from the pulp.

[0022] By adopting the technical solution of the present application, the ore pulp in the stirring tank preferentially generates nanobubbles on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral under the action of the nanobubble generating part, and promotes the mutual aggregation of fine-grained hydrophobic minerals by nano-air bridges, increases the apparent size, and forms nanobubble aggregates. Finally, the ore pulp carrying the nanobubble aggregates is fed into the flotation column, and combined with the microbubbles generated by the microbubble generating part, the nanobubble aggregates in the hydrophobic minerals are strengthened to float to the top of the flotation column and be collected, thereby enhancing the recovery effect of fine-grained minerals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 It is an overall structural diagram of a double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals described in one embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Description of reference numerals:

[0026] 1. Flotation column; 2. Micro bubble generator; 3. Air pump; 4. Peristaltic pump; 5. Stirring tank; 6. Static mixer; 7. Nano bubble generator; 8. Circulation pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The overall structure diagram of the double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals shown in this application. The purpose of this application is to solve the problem of low recovery rate in both traditional bubble flotation and nano bubble flotation for fine-grained minerals. Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, comprising: a stirring tank 5 containing a pulp; a nanobubble generating part connected to the stirring tank 5 and used to generate nanobubbles in the pulp, wherein the nanobubbles adsorb fine-grained minerals in the pulp to form nanobubble aggregates; a microbubble generating part for generating microbubbles; and a flotation column 1 connected to the stirring tank 5 and the microbubble generating part, respectively, so as to float the nanobubble aggregates through the microbubbles and separate the fine-grained minerals from the pulp.

[0029] Specifically, the stirring tank 5 has a containing chamber, and the slurry is placed in the containing chamber. Before the slurry enters the nanobubble generator 7, the slurry is mixed and evenly distributed by the stirring tank 5 to ensure that the fine-grained minerals in the slurry are evenly distributed. The stirring tank 5 is connected to the nanobubble generating part, and the evenly distributed slurry can generate a large number of nanobubbles through the nanobubble generating part. Specifically, the ore is first crushed and mixed into a slurry, and after the slurry is fed into the stirring tank 5, various flotation reagents (such as collectors, frothers, regulators, etc.) are added according to the reagent system. Under the stirring action of the stirring tank 5, the reagents fully act on the minerals, making the mineral surface hydrophobic, forming hydrophobic minerals.

[0030] The nanobubble generating part is used to generate nanobubbles. The nanobubbles generated by cavitation can be preferentially generated on the surface of hydrophobic minerals, and nano-air bridges will be formed when the nanobubbles are close to each other, so that the fine-grained minerals are agglomerated together to form nanobubble aggregates. It can be understood that the nanobubble aggregates have a certain floating ability.

[0031] The microbubble generating unit can generate microbubbles. The microbubbles are larger in size and have stronger buoyancy. The microbubble generating unit is connected to the flotation column 1, so that the generated microbubbles can enter the flotation column 1 and contact with the nanobubble aggregates in the hydrophobic mineral, and the buoyancy of the microbubbles assists the nanobubble aggregates to float to the top of the flotation column 1.

[0032] The flotation column 1 is the main body of the flotation process, which is used to contain the ore pulp and perform the flotation process. In this embodiment, the flotation column 1 is connected to the stirring tank 5 and the microbubble generating part respectively, so that the ore pulp and microbubbles carrying a large number of nanobubble aggregates enter the flotation column 1, and the microbubbles enhance the floating nanobubble aggregates, and separate the nanobubble aggregates adsorbed with fine-grained minerals from the ore pulp.

[0033] Specifically, the flotation column 1 is generally a vertical cylindrical column with a large height ratio inside the column. A feed port is provided at the middle and upper part or the top of the flotation column 1, and the slurry enters the flotation column 1 through the feed port. Microbubbles attached with nanobubble aggregates float to the top of the flotation column 1 due to buoyancy, and can be collected by a scraper or a foam collector as a flotation concentrate. A discharge port is provided at the bottom of the flotation column 1, and the hydrophilic mineral particles not attached to the microbubbles sink to the bottom and are discharged through the discharge port as flotation tailings.

[0034] In this way, the ore pulp in the stirring tank 5 generates nanobubbles preferentially on the surface of the hydrophobic minerals under the action of the nanobubble generating part, and promotes the aggregation of fine-grained hydrophobic minerals by nano-air bridges, increases the apparent size, and forms nanobubble aggregates. Finally, the ore pulp pre-treated with nanobubbles is fed into the flotation column 1, and combined with the microbubbles generated by the microbubble generating part, the nanobubble aggregates in the hydrophobic minerals are strengthened to float, and the recovery of fine-grained minerals is promoted.

[0035] Among them, nanobubbles increase the probability of collision and attachment of fine and micro-fine minerals, and can be preferentially adsorbed on the surface of hydrophobic minerals, so that fine-grained minerals are aggregated into larger nanobubble aggregates, effectively processing micro-fine minerals that are difficult to recover by traditional flotation methods. Microbubbles enhance the buoyancy of nanobubbles attached to micro-fine minerals, and can quickly lift nanobubble aggregates attached with fine-grained minerals to the top of the flotation column 1, which helps to speed up the flotation process and increase the flotation speed, thereby improving the overall performance and recovery efficiency of the flotation column 1. Therefore, the system provided by the present application can be widely used in the sorting of fine and micro-fine materials in various fields such as metal minerals, non-metallic minerals and chemical raw materials.

[0036] In addition, by adding the nanobubble generator 7 in the stirring tank stage, nanobubbles are only generated on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral, and there is no need to generate large-sized bubbles. The flotation is assisted by the microbubbles in the flotation column 1, so there is no need to increase the slurry flow rate to generate sufficient negative pressure to inhale gas to meet the buoyancy required for the flotation of the mineral. The system of the present application requires lower energy consumption and reduces wear on equipment pipelines.

[0037] In a further technical solution, the nanobubble generating part includes a nanobubble generator 7 and a circulation pump 8, and the nanobubble generator 7 is connected to the stirring tank 5 through the circulation pump 8. The circulation pump 8 is responsible for extracting the slurry in the stirring tank 5, and sending it into the nanobubble generator 7 to generate a large number of nanobubbles, and then returning to the stirring tank 5. Through the circulation of the circulation pump 8, the fine-grained minerals in the slurry can fully contact the nanobubbles to form a more stable nanobubble aggregate.

[0038] In some embodiments, a large number of nanobubbles are generated in the slurry under the action of the nanobubble generator 7, and a part of the nanobubbles are preferentially generated on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral. In order to allow more nanobubbles to be adsorbed on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral, the present embodiment is provided with a static mixer 6, and the static mixer 6 is respectively connected to the nanobubble generator 7 and the stirring tank 5. Specifically, the static mixer 6 is used to further evenly mix the slurry and the nanobubbles during the flow of the slurry, to ensure that the nanobubbles can be evenly distributed in the slurry, to increase the contact opportunity between the nanobubbles and the fine-grained mineral particles, and to enhance the adhesion effect of the nanobubbles, thereby forming more nanobubble aggregates for subsequent flotation.

[0039] More specifically, the outlet of the stirring tank 5, the circulation pump 8, the nano bubble generator 7, the static mixed gas and the inlet of the stirring tank 5 are sequentially connected to form a circulation pipeline. In this embodiment, the outlet of the stirring tank 5 is connected to the inlet of the circulation pump 8, the outlet of the circulation pump 8 is connected to the inlet of the nano bubble generator 7, the outlet of the nano bubble generator 7 is connected to the inlet of the static mixer 6, and the outlet of the static mixer 6 is finally connected to the inlet of the stirring tank 5 to form a cycle.

[0040] During the slurry circulation process, the slurry in the stirring tank 5 is pumped out by the circulation pump 8, and the slurry first flows through the nanobubble generator 7 to generate a large number of nanobubbles and form nanobubble aggregates. The slurry carrying nanobubbles and nanobubble aggregates then flows into the static mixer 6, and the nanobubbles are evenly distributed in the slurry to form more nanobubble aggregates. Then, the slurry carrying a part of nanobubbles and more nanobubble aggregates returns to the stirring tank 5 to form a closed loop.

[0041] Finally, the circulation is repeated many times, ensuring that the slurry passes through the nanobubble generator 7 many times, which not only increases the amount of nanobubbles generated, but also makes the nanobubbles more evenly distributed in the slurry through the static mixer 6, so that the fine-grained minerals in the slurry can contact the nanobubbles many times, and improve the probability and efficiency of nanobubbles adhering to the surface of fine-grained minerals. Finally, the slurry carrying a small amount of nanobubbles and enough nanobubble aggregates returns to the stirring tank 5. After the slurry circulation is completed, it is transported to the flotation column 1, and the aggregated fine-grained minerals are more easily captured and lifted by the microbubbles in the flotation column 1.

[0042] In a further technical solution, the microbubble generating unit includes a microbubble generator 2 and an air pump 3 which are connected to each other, and the microbubble generator 2 is connected to the flotation column 1. In this embodiment, the air pump 3 is connected to the microbubble generator 2, and the microbubble generator 2 is connected to the flotation column 1. The air pump 3 provides air to the bubble generator so that the microbubble generator 2 generates bubbles.

[0043] Preferably, the nano bubble generator 7 is a high-pressure jet generator. The bubble size generated by the high-pressure jet generator through the Venturi effect belongs to the nanometer level, is small in size, has a large specific surface area, and is easily attached to the mineral surface. Preferably, the micro bubble generator 2 is a porous vertical tube foamer. The bubble size generated by the porous vertical tube foamer belongs to the micrometer level, is large in size, has stronger buoyancy, and can quickly lift the fine-grained mineral particles attached with nano bubbles.

[0044] In some embodiments, the stirring tank 5 is connected to the flotation column 1 through a peristaltic pump 4. In combination with the above embodiments, after the slurry circulation is completed, the slurry carrying a small amount of nanobubbles and a sufficient number of nanobubble aggregates returns to the stirring tank 5, and the slurry is transported from the stirring tank 5 to the flotation column 1 through the peristaltic pump 4, and microbubbles are input into the flotation column 1 through the microbubble generating part.

[0045] In another preferred embodiment extended from this embodiment, the microbubble generator 2 is located at the bottom of the flotation column 1. In this embodiment, the microbubble generator 2 is located at the bottom of the flotation column 1, so that the microbubbles rise from the bottom to the top, gradually contacting the fine-grained minerals and nanobubble aggregates in the slurry, so that the hydrophobic mineral particles and nanobubble aggregates are attached to the microbubbles and rise with them, while the hydrophilic mineral particles sink to the bottom due to gravity, thereby enhancing the flotation effect.

[0046] The peristaltic pump 4 is located at the top of the flotation column 1. The ore pulp treated with nanobubbles is transported to the upper end of the flotation column 1 through the peristaltic pump 4. The peristaltic pump 4 ensures that the ore pulp can smoothly enter the flotation column 1 without destroying the nanobubbles and the formed mineral aggregates therein.

[0047] While the microbubble generator 2 is arranged at the lower end of the flotation column 1, the peristaltic pump 4 is arranged at the top or the side of the top area of ​​the flotation column 1. The microbubbles generated by the microbubble generator 2 rise from the bottom to the top of the column. After the slurry is fed from the top, it moves from the top to the bottom of the column under the action of gravity. In this process, the rising microbubbles will meet and collide with the descending slurry, maximizing the contact opportunity between the microbubbles and the slurry, promoting the effective attachment of microbubble and nanobubble aggregates and their subsequent floating.

[0048] In combination with the above embodiments, the present application provides a double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, including two main parts: a flotation part and a nano bubble generating part. The flotation part mainly includes a flotation column 1, a micro bubble generator 2, an air pump 3, and a peristaltic pump 4, and the nano bubble generating part mainly includes a stirring tank 5, a static mixer 6, a nano bubble generator 7, and a circulation pump 8. The stirring tank 5 is connected to the peristaltic pump 4, and the peristaltic pump 4 is connected to the flotation column 1. The lower end of the flotation column 1 is provided with a micro bubble generator 2, and the micro bubble generator 2 is connected to the air pump 3. The stirring tank 5 is connected to the circulation pump 8, and the circulation pump 8 is connected to the nano bubble generator 7 and the static mixer 6. The static mixer 6 is finally connected to the stirring tank 5 to form a cycle.

[0049] This system can be used to study the effect of nanobubbles on the flotation of fine-grained minerals in experiments. The steps for use are as follows:

[0050] After the slurry is fed into the stirring tank 5, various flotation reagents are added according to the reagent system. Under the stirring action of the stirring tank 5, the reagents fully react with the minerals, making the surface of the useful minerals hydrophobic;

[0051] The circulation pump 8 is turned on to allow the slurry to be sucked from the stirring tank 5 through the nanobubble generator 7. A large number of nanobubbles are generated in the slurry under the action of the nanobubble generator 7, and a part of the nanobubbles are preferentially generated on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral. Then, the static mixer 6 is used to increase the collision and adhesion between the mineral particles and the nanobubbles, so that more nanobubbles are adsorbed on the surface of the hydrophobic mineral, and then return to the stirring tank 5. After a certain period of time, the circulation pump 8 is turned off.

[0052] The peristaltic pump 4 is turned on to feed the slurry into the flotation column 1, and the air pump 3 is turned on at the same time to make the bubble generator generate a large number of bubbles. The mineral particles with a large number of nano-bubbles adsorbed on the surface move from top to bottom in the flotation column 1, collide with the micro-bubbles generated by the bubble generator and move from bottom to top, and adhere to each other. Under the action of buoyancy, they float to the upper end of the flotation column 1 to become concentrate products.

[0053] In summary, nanobubbles increase the probability of collision and attachment of fine and micro-fine minerals, and can be preferentially adsorbed on the surface of hydrophobic minerals, so that fine-grained minerals are aggregated into larger nanobubble aggregates, effectively processing micro-fine minerals that are difficult to recover by traditional flotation methods. Microbubbles enhance the buoyancy of nanobubbles attached to micro-fine minerals, and can quickly lift nanobubble aggregates attached with fine-grained minerals to the top of the flotation column 1, which helps to speed up the flotation process and increase the flotation speed, thereby improving the overall performance and recovery efficiency of the flotation column 1. Therefore, the system provided in this application can be widely used in the sorting of fine and micro-fine materials in various fields such as metal minerals, non-metallic minerals and chemical raw materials.

[0054] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0055] It should also be noted that, in this article, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Moreover, the term "include" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device.

[0056] The above is a detailed introduction to a double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals provided by the present application. The principle and implementation method of the present application are described in detail using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the present application, and the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the present application, there will be different forms of changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here, and the obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals, characterized in that: include: a stirring tank containing a slurry; A nanobubble generating part is connected to the stirring tank and is used to generate nanobubbles in the slurry. The nanobubbles absorb fine-grained minerals in the slurry to form nanobubble aggregates. A microbubble generating part, used for generating microbubbles; The flotation column is connected to the stirring tank and the microbubble generating part respectively, so as to float the nanobubble aggregates through the microbubbles and separate the fine-grained minerals from the ore pulp.

2. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nano bubble generating part includes a nano bubble generator and a circulation pump, and the nano bubble generator is connected to the stirring tank through the circulation pump.

3. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The nano bubble generating part further includes a static mixer, and the static mixer is respectively connected to the nano bubble generator and the stirring tank.

4. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The nano bubble generator is a high-pressure jet generator.

5. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outlet of the stirring tank, the circulation pump, the nano bubble generator, the static mixed gas and the inlet of the stirring tank are connected in sequence to form a circulation pipeline.

6. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microbubble generating part comprises a microbubble generator and an air pump which are communicated with each other, and the microbubble generator is communicated with the flotation column.

7. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 6, characterized in that: The microbubble generator is a porous vertical tube foamer.

8. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 6, characterized in that: The microbubble generator is located at the bottom of the flotation column.

9. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring tank is connected to the flotation column through a peristaltic pump.

10. A double bubble flotation system for fine-grained minerals according to claim 9, characterized in that: The peristaltic pump is located at the top of the flotation column.

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