Micro-fine particle mineral flotation device
By setting a guide tube and a degassing bottle in the flotation device, the pH value of the electrolyte is kept stable, the problem of poor bubble uniformity in the electrolysis method is solved, and efficient flotation of fine-particle minerals is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422636137.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-10-30
AI Technical Summary
In existing electrolytic flotation devices, the pH values of the two electrodes vary greatly, resulting in poor uniformity of the generated nanobubbles, which affects the flotation efficiency of fine-particle minerals.
By setting a guide tube in the flotation device to form a circulation pipeline for the electrolyte between the anode end and the cathode end, the pH value of the electrolyte is kept the same, and oxygen bubbles are eliminated through the degassing bottle to ensure that the bubbles are uniform and stable.
It improves the flotation efficiency of fine minerals, enhances the uniformity and stability of bubbles, and improves the recovery rate of fine minerals.
Smart Images
Figure CN223405121U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of micro-fine mineral flotation, in particular to a micro-fine mineral flotation device. Background Art
[0002] With the advancement of ore grinding technology, economic mining of low-grade deposits has become possible, and the flotation separation of fine minerals has become increasingly important. However, the bubble diameter generated by traditional flotation machines is usually in the range of 600-1000μm. These large bubbles are inefficient for flotation of fine mineral particles with a particle size of less than 20μm. Therefore, efficient flotation of fine and ultrafine minerals has always been a technical challenge in the field of mineral processing.
[0003] Related research has shown that fine-grained minerals significantly affect foam stability: on the one hand, fine-grained minerals enhance dynamic foam stability; on the other hand, excessive fine-grained minerals can lead to overstabilization of the foam and increase foam viscosity. The use of microbubbles can effectively improve the recovery rate of fine-grained minerals. The low flotation efficiency of fine-grained minerals is mainly due to the low collision and adhesion efficiency between mineral particles and bubbles. This is due to the small mass and low momentum of fine-grained minerals, which leads to reduced flotation kinetics and recovery rates. Therefore, in the flotation of fine-grained minerals, the use of microbubbles as flotation carriers is an ideal method for achieving efficient flotation of fine-grained minerals.
[0004] Currently, the main methods used to generate microbubbles in this field are physical and chemical. Physical methods include hydrodynamic cavitation, high-speed stirring, and ultrasonic cavitation, while the main chemical method is electrolysis. Hydrodynamic cavitation is prone to causing wear and tear on the flotation pipe during the flotation process, placing high demands on the wear resistance of the bubble generator. Among physical methods, high-speed stirring requires that no gas be trapped in the container, necessitating a very demanding preparation environment. Ultrasonic cavitation is a lengthy process, requires more complex equipment, and is therefore less widely used. Electrolysis primarily operates through redox reactions. The size and concentration of the microbubbles generated by electrolysis can be precisely controlled by adjusting the current, voltage, electrode material type, and electrolyte type and concentration. Electrolysis ensures the number of microbubbles generated and enables precise flotation of fine-grained minerals within a specific size range, making it the most widely used method for generating microbubbles. However, because hydrogen and oxygen are produced at the anode and cathode during the electrolysis process, the pH values of the two electrodes fluctuate significantly, significantly affecting the flotation process of minerals and resulting in poor bubble uniformity. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of the present utility model is to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing technology and propose a flotation device for fine-particle minerals. The flotation device improves the in-situ electrolysis method to produce uniform active microbubbles. It has a simple structure and is easy to clean. It can solve the technical problem that the pH value of the two electrodes of the existing electrolysis flotation device varies greatly, which affects the poor uniformity of the generated nanobubbles.
[0006] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:
[0007] A micro-fine mineral flotation device, comprising:
[0008] A flotation column having an anode end and a cathode end, wherein the flotation column at the anode end is formed with an anode electrode material interface connected to an external power supply, a first electrolyte inlet, and an electrolyte outlet, and the flotation column at the cathode end is formed with a cathode electrode material interface connected to an external power supply and a second electrolyte inlet;
[0009] A feeding bottle, a degassing bottle and a flow guide tube, wherein the flow guide tube sequentially connects the feeding bottle, the first electrolyte inlet, the electrolyte outlet, the degassing bottle and the second electrolyte inlet to form a circulation pipeline for the electrolyte to flow between the anode end and the cathode end, and is used to keep the pH value of the electrolyte at the anode end and the cathode end the same.
[0010] In some embodiments, the flotation column comprises an upper flotation column and a lower flotation column, the upper flotation column forms the cathode end, the lower flotation column forms the anode end, and the bottom of the upper flotation column is detachably connected to the top of the lower flotation column;
[0011] The cathode electrode material interface and the second electrolyte inlet are provided on the upper flotation column, and the anode electrode material interface, the first electrolyte inlet and the electrolyte outlet are provided on the lower flotation column.
[0012] In some embodiments, the flotation device further comprises a proton exchange membrane, which is disposed at the connection between the upper flotation column and the lower flotation column and is used to prevent oxygen bubbles generated at the anode end from entering the cathode end.
[0013] In some embodiments, the angle α between the connecting surface of the upper flotation column and the lower flotation column and the horizontal plane is 30° to 60°.
[0014] In some embodiments, an overflow trough is formed on the upper portion of the upper flotation column, and the overflow trough is arranged along the circumference of the upper flotation column.
[0015] In some embodiments, a ore outlet is formed on one side of the overflow trough, and the height of the ore outlet is lower than the height of the overflow trough.
[0016] In some embodiments, a tailings discharge port is formed at the lower portion of the upper flotation column.
[0017] In some embodiments, the upper flotation column and the lower flotation column are both transparent structures made of organic glass.
[0018] In some embodiments, the flotation device further includes a first peristaltic pump, which is disposed on the flow guide tube connecting the electrolyte outlet and the degassing bottle.
[0019] In some embodiments, the flotation device further includes a second peristaltic pump, which is disposed on the flow guide tube connecting the feeding bottle and the first electrolyte inlet.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention mainly include:
[0021] The utility model provides a fine-particle mineral flotation device, which connects a feeding bottle, a first electrolyte inlet, an electrolyte outlet, a degassing bottle, and a second electrolyte inlet in sequence through a flow guide pipe, thereby forming a circulation pipeline for the electrolyte to circulate between the anode end and the cathode end of the flotation column. The pH value of the electrolyte at the anode end and the cathode end of the flotation column can be kept the same and stable, eliminating the influence of pH value changes on flotation during the flotation process, making the bubbles uniform and stable, and improving the flotation efficiency of fine minerals. At the same time, the degassing bottle can eliminate oxygen bubbles generated at the anode, solving the technical problem that oxygen causes liquid surface faults and proton exchange cannot occur. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the micro-particle mineral flotation device of the utility model;
[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the flotation column of the utility model;
[0024] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the flotation column of the utility model;
[0025] Figure 4 This is a comparison of the yield of the flotation device of the utility model and that of ordinary flotation;
[0026] Figure 5 This is a comparison of the concentrate particle size between the flotation device of the utility model and that of ordinary flotation;
[0027] Figure 6 This is a comparison of the yield of the flotation device of the utility model and that of conventional flotation (graphite, mica and dolomite);
[0028] Figure 7 This is the effect of the flotation device of the utility model on the graphite flotation yield under different currents.
[0029] The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals:
[0030] 100, flotation column, 101, anode electrode material interface, 102, first electrolyte inlet, 103, electrolyte outlet, 104, cathode electrode material interface, 105, second electrolyte inlet, 110, upper flotation column, 111, overflow trough, 112, ore outlet, 113, tailings discharge outlet, 120, lower flotation column;
[0031] 200, feeding bottle;
[0032] 300, degassing bottle;
[0033] 400, diversion pipe;
[0034] 500, first peristaltic pump;
[0035] 600. Second peristaltic pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0037] Aiming at the technical problem that the pH value of the electrolyte at both ends of the anode and cathode of the current device using electrolysis to generate fine bubbles for fine mineral flotation varies greatly, thereby affecting the uniformity of the generated nanobubbles, the utility model provides a fine mineral flotation device.
[0038] See also Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a fine-grained mineral flotation device provided by the utility model, as shown in Figure 1 As shown, the flotation device includes a flotation column 100, a feeding bottle 200, a degassing bottle 300 and a flow guide tube 400. The flotation column 100 has an anode end and a cathode end. The flotation column 100 located at the anode end is formed with an anode electrode material interface 101 connected to an external power supply, a first electrolyte inlet 102 and an electrolyte outlet 103. The flotation column 100 located at the cathode end is formed with a cathode electrode material interface 104 connected to an external power supply and a second electrolyte inlet 105. The flow guide tube 400 is sequentially connected to the feeding bottle 200, the first electrolyte inlet 102, the electrolyte outlet 103, the degassing bottle 300 and the second electrolyte inlet 105 to form a circulation pipeline for the electrolyte to circulate between the anode end and the cathode end, so as to maintain the pH value of the electrolyte at the anode end and the cathode end to be the same.
[0039] The flotation device provided by the present invention can sequentially connect the feeding bottle 200, the first electrolyte inlet 102, the electrolyte outlet 103, the degassing bottle 300, and the second electrolyte inlet 105 through the flow guide tube 400, thereby forming a circulation pipeline between the anode end and the cathode end of the flotation column 100. In this way, when the electrolyte circulates in this circulation pipeline, the pH value thereof is the same and stable at each location, thereby eliminating the influence of pH value changes on the generation of bubbles during the flotation process, making the generated bubbles uniform and stable, and improving the flotation efficiency of fine minerals. At the same time, the degassing bottle 300 provided in the present invention can eliminate oxygen bubbles generated at the anode end, thereby solving the technical problem that oxygen causes liquid level faults and proton exchange cannot occur.
[0040] In one embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flotation column 100 includes an upper flotation column 110 and a lower flotation column 120, wherein the upper flotation column 110 forms the cathode end, and the lower flotation column 120 forms the anode end. The bottom of the upper flotation column 110 and the top of the lower flotation column 120 are detachably connected via a flange to facilitate installation and disassembly, and to facilitate cleaning.
[0041] In one embodiment, the cathode electrode material interface 104 and the second electrolyte inlet 105 are opened on a side wall of the upper flotation column 110, and the anode electrode material interface 101, the first electrolyte inlet 102 and the electrolyte outlet 103 are opened on both side walls of the lower flotation column 120.
[0042] In one embodiment, the anode electrode material interface 101 and the cathode electrode material interface 104 are provided with an anode electrode material and a cathode electrode material, respectively. When an external power supply is connected to the anode electrode material and the cathode electrode material, oxygen and hydrogen are generated. Then, during the flotation process, hydrogen bubbles are formed at the cathode and oxygen bubbles are formed at the anode. The hydrogen bubbles are used to capture valuable minerals. The hydrogen either enters the growing bubbles attached to the cathode or diffuses directly into the bulk electrolyte. The bubble size is affected by factors such as the electrode material, electrode geometry, electrode surface treatment, current density, current intensity, and pH of the electrolyte solution. The hydrogen diffused into the solution forms a supersaturated condition in the area near the cathode surface. Therefore, the dissolved hydrogen diffuses into the separated hydrogen bubbles, causing the bubbles to increase in size during the rising process. The final bubble volume is the combined result of the bubble nucleation, growth, separation process, and the volume change when the bubble passes through different saturation areas during the rising process. This electrolytic method produces smaller, more uniform bubbles, with diameters ranging from 22-55 μm. The hydrogen and oxygen bubbles produced during electrolysis are more active than those produced during mechanical dispersion flotation, as oxygen and hydrogen can adsorb on mineral surfaces, initiating various electrochemical reactions, particularly on sulfide mineral surfaces. Therefore, the presence of electrolytically generated oxygen and hydrogen bubbles may facilitate the selective recovery of specific minerals. Another advantage of electrolytic flotation is that hydrogen and oxygen bubbles can be generated separately and used for different flotation conditions, increasing process flexibility. Furthermore, the fine bubbles produced during electrolytic flotation have lower buoyancy, resulting in a longer residence time in the slurry and a greater chance of collisions between mineral particles and bubbles. This increased collision probability is particularly beneficial for the electroflocculation recovery of fine-grained minerals. This is primarily due to the extremely low sedimentation rate of fine-grained minerals, and their low mass prevents particles from detaching from the bubble surface.
[0043] Based on the above principle, by connecting the anode electrode material and the cathode electrode material to different external power sources, replacing the anode electrode material and the cathode electrode material with meshes of different diameters and sizes, and changing the type and concentration of the electrolyte, bubbles of different sizes, stability and uniformity can be generated, which can be used for the flotation of fine-grained minerals of different particle sizes, providing an important theoretical basis for microbubble flotation.
[0044] In one embodiment, the flotation device further includes a proton exchange membrane, which is disposed at the connection between the upper flotation column 110 and the lower flotation column 120. The provision of the proton exchange membrane prevents oxygen bubbles generated at the anode end from entering the cathode end, thereby avoiding the presence of oxygen in the electrolyte at the cathode end, thereby avoiding the presence of oxygen blocking the electrolyte surface, avoiding the problem of protons not being able to be exchanged, and further improving the flotation efficiency.
[0045] In one embodiment, the proton exchange membrane is a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, which can separate the electrode material cathode mesh and the graphite anode.
[0046] In one embodiment, the angle α between the connecting surface of the upper flotation column 110 and the lower flotation column 120 and the horizontal plane is 30° to 60°, preferably 45°, so as to facilitate the outflow of fine particles at the flotation site.
[0047] In one embodiment, an overflow trough 111 is formed on the upper portion of the upper flotation column 110 , and the overflow trough 111 is arranged along the circumference of the upper flotation column 110 .
[0048] In one embodiment, a ore outlet 112 is formed on one side of the overflow trough 111 . The height of the ore outlet 112 is lower than that of the overflow trough 111 , so as to facilitate the outflow of the flotation-selected fine particles.
[0049] In one embodiment, a tailings discharge port 113 is formed at the lower portion of the upper flotation column 110 .
[0050] In one embodiment, the upper flotation column 110 and the lower flotation column 120 are both transparent structures made of organic glass to facilitate observation.
[0051] In one embodiment, the flotation device further includes a first peristaltic pump 500 , which is disposed on the flow guide tube 400 connecting the electrolyte outlet 103 and the degassing bottle 300 .
[0052] In one embodiment, the flotation device further includes a second peristaltic pump 600 , which is disposed on the flow guide tube 400 connecting the feeding bottle 200 and the first electrolyte inlet 102 .
[0053] The beneficial effects of the present invention are described below through specific embodiments:
[0054] Example 1
[0055] The flotation object of this embodiment is pure graphite mineral, whose particle size d (0.5) is 35 μm. The particle size d (0.5) after grinding is 10 μm. The graphite particles after grinding are placed in the flotation column 100 of the present invention. The test conditions are: the concentration of sodium sulfate in the electrolyte is 1 mol / L, the pH value is 11, the current size is 1 A, and no reagent is added. Figure 4 As shown, compared with the common flotation device, the flotation recovery rate of graphite with a particle size of -20μm to 10μm can reach about 68%.
[0056] Example 2
[0057] By comparing the particle size of concentrates after the utility model and the traditional flotation method, graphite, mica and dolomite were used as test objects. Figure 5 It can be seen that after flotation using the flotation device of the utility model, the particle size of the graphite, mica and dolomite concentrates is smaller than that of the traditional flotation method, indicating that the particle size of the microbubbles generated by the flotation device of the utility model is small, and the particle size d (50) of the fine-grained minerals is 10 μm, indicating that the flotation effect of the fine-grained minerals is better.
[0058] Example 3
[0059] By comparing the yield of graphite, mica and dolomite after flotation by the utility model and the traditional flotation method, it is found that Figure 6 It can be seen that the yield of graphite, a hydrophobic mineral, increased by 11.9 percentage points, while that of mica and dolomite increased by 21.5 and 18 percentage points respectively, indicating that the flotation performed by the electrolytic microbubble of the flotation device of the present invention can better enhance the recovery rate of minerals and increase the flotation effect.
[0060] Example 4
[0061] The current can control the gas production and bubble size of electrolysis bubbles. By comparing the different yields of graphite at different current intensities, Figure 7 As can be seen, the graphite yield gradually increases with increasing current, reaching its maximum and fastest rate of increase at a current of 1A. After four minutes of grinding at a current of 1A, the graphite yield increased by 33.2% compared to the original ore graphite, significantly improving recycling efficiency.
[0062] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A micro-particle mineral flotation device, characterized in that: include: A flotation column having an anode end and a cathode end, wherein the anode end is formed with an anode electrode material interface connected to an external power supply, a first electrolyte inlet, and an electrolyte outlet, and the cathode end is formed with a cathode electrode material interface connected to an external power supply and a second electrolyte inlet; A feeding bottle, a degassing bottle and a flow guide tube, wherein the flow guide tube sequentially connects the feeding bottle, the first electrolyte inlet, the electrolyte outlet, the degassing bottle and the second electrolyte inlet to form a circulation pipeline for the electrolyte to flow between the anode end and the cathode end, and is used to keep the pH value of the electrolyte at the anode end and the cathode end the same.
2. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flotation column comprises an upper flotation column and a lower flotation column, the upper flotation column forms the cathode end, the lower flotation column forms the anode end, and the bottom of the upper flotation column is detachably connected to the top of the lower flotation column; The cathode electrode material interface and the second electrolyte inlet are provided on the upper flotation column, and the anode electrode material interface, the first electrolyte inlet and the electrolyte outlet are provided on the lower flotation column.
3. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flotation device further comprises a proton exchange membrane, which is arranged at the connection between the upper flotation column and the lower flotation column and is used to prevent oxygen bubbles generated at the anode end from entering the cathode end.
4. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The angle α between the connecting surface of the upper flotation column and the lower flotation column and the horizontal plane is 30° to 60°.
5. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: An overflow trough is formed on the upper portion of the upper flotation column, and the overflow trough is arranged along the circumference of the upper flotation column.
6. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A ore outlet is formed on one side of the overflow trough, and the height of the ore outlet is lower than the height of the overflow trough.
7. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A tailings discharge port is formed at the lower portion of the upper flotation column.
8. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper flotation column and the lower flotation column are both transparent structures made of organic glass.
9. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flotation device further includes a first peristaltic pump, which is arranged on the flow guide pipe connecting the electrolyte outlet and the degassing bottle.
10. The fine-particle mineral flotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flotation device further includes a second peristaltic pump, which is arranged on the flow guide tube connecting the feeding bottle and the first electrolyte inlet.