Flotation device with defoaming mechanism

Abstract

This utility model discloses a flotation device with a defoaming mechanism, including a flotation cell with a foam tank on the right side. A foam outlet is located at the upper right end of the flotation cell, and a scraper assembly running in a front-to-back direction is positioned above the foam outlet. A scraper motor is driven to the rear end of the scraper assembly. The opening of the foam tank corresponds to the foam outlet, and a roller brush, parallel to the scraper assembly, is installed inside the foam tank and driven to the scraper motor. This utility model employs a three-stage defoaming strategy, consisting of the roller brush, a multi-stage water spray pipeline at the bottom of the foam tank, and a water spray device above the pump tank. This strategy significantly eliminates mineralized foam generated during the flotation process, effectively reduces "overflow" (foam overflow), and improves the operating efficiency of the flotation system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of flotation technology, and to a flotation device, specifically a flotation device with a defoaming mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Flotation is a method of separating minerals by utilizing the differences in the physicochemical properties of their surfaces. After grinding, the slurry enters the flotation cell. First, a modifier is added to adjust the pH value of the slurry and suppress gangue minerals. During flotation, the aeration rate in the slurry needs to be increased to generate stable bubbles. Hydrophobic gold-bearing minerals adhere to the bubbles to form mineralized foam, which is the flotation concentrate.

[0003] Flotation equipment is a crucial component of mineral processing, and its operational status directly impacts beneficiation indicators. Firstly, during mineral processing, factors such as changes in ore properties, the introduction of oily substances into the slurry, and fluctuations in the pH of the production water often alter the physicochemical properties of the froth, increasing its stability and viscosity. This causes the total volume of bubbles entering the flotation cell to exceed the volume of bubbles smoothly scraped from the cell opening. The resulting accumulation of bubbles within the cell forces the slurry and foam out, a phenomenon known as "overflow," leading to gold loss. Secondly, in the flotation of gold-loaded minerals, as the ore grade increases, the density of the gold-loaded minerals increases, making them prone to deposition at the bottom of the froth tank and in the pipelines. This affects pipeline flow, and significant accumulation at bends and other points where flow velocity decreases can cause system blockages, increasing the difficulty of subsequent cleaning. Chinese utility model patent CN213435061U discloses a defoaming spray device for flotation cells. This device achieves large-scale defoaming by installing several spray nozzles at the top of the foam tank. While this method is low-cost, its effectiveness is difficult to guarantee, and it increases the system's water volume, inevitably affecting subsequent concentration control. Furthermore, although adding defoaming agents is effective, it increases chemical costs and can have unpredictable impacts on subsequent smelting processes. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model proposes a flotation device with a defoaming mechanism, the purpose of which is to solve the problems of "overflow" and concentrate loss caused by excessive stability of flotation mineralization bubbles, as well as the problem of system pipeline blockage caused by poor slurry fluidity and sedimentation.

[0005] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows: A flotation device with a defoaming mechanism includes a flotation cell with a foam tank on the right side; a foam outlet is provided at the upper end of the flotation cell, and a scraper assembly with a front-to-back orientation is rotatably connected above the foam outlet, with a scraper motor drivenly connected to the rear end of the scraper assembly; characterized in that: a roller brush is provided in the foam tank, which is parallel to the scraper assembly and is drivenly connected to the scraper motor.

[0006] As a further improvement of this utility model, the foam tank includes a bottom plate that slopes from back to front and side plates fixed around the bottom plate. The side plates and the bottom plate together enclose a slurry storage cavity. The side plates include a left side plate and a right side plate that are parallel to each other, as well as a front end plate and a rear end plate that are parallel to each other, and the left side plate is lower than the right side plate. The roller brush is rotatably connected between the front end plate and the rear end plate, and the roller brush is connected to the scraper assembly by a belt drive.

[0007] As a further improvement of this utility model, an arc-shaped baffle with a front-to-back orientation is fixed to the upper end of the right side plate of the foam tank. The front and rear ends of the baffle are fixed to the front end plate and the rear end plate respectively to form a shielding part.

[0008] As a further improvement of this utility model, a water spraying pipeline is provided in the foam tank. The water spraying pipeline includes a main pipe laid forward at an incline along the bottom plate, and several branch pipes are connected to the main pipe. The main pipe and each branch pipe are provided with a water outlet at their ends.

[0009] As a further improvement of this utility model, each outlet of the water spray pipeline is equipped with a stainless steel fan-shaped nozzle.

[0010] As a further improvement of this utility model, a pump pool is provided in front of the foam tank, and the foam tank and the pump pool are connected by a conveying pipeline. A water spraying device for defoaming is provided above the pump pool.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) This device adopts a linkage defoaming mechanism composed of a roller brush and a scraper assembly. It uses the needle-punching defoaming principle, that is, the fine bristles of the brush mechanically destroy the bubble liquid film at multiple points in a concentrated manner. This method is particularly effective for destroying bubbles with strong liquid film stability, thereby significantly reducing the occurrence of "overflow". At the same time, the roller brush, the water spray pipe at the bottom of the foam tank and the water spray device above the pump pool together constitute a three-stage defoaming system to achieve the step-by-step elimination of foam in the entire flotation process. Furthermore, this three-stage defoaming system can flexibly configure start-stop strategies according to different causes of "overflow", realize defoaming on demand, and effectively reduce the system's water and electricity consumption.

[0012] (2) This device connects the roller brush and the pulley on the scraper shaft through belt drive, so that the scraper motor can drive the roller brush and scraper assembly to run synchronously without the need to add a power mechanism, which improves the integration and structural compactness of the device.

[0013] (3) The main pipe of the bottom water spray pipeline of this device is equipped with multiple branch pipes, forming multiple water streams with different spray heights and angles. This structure can, on the one hand, expand the defoaming range and improve the defoaming efficiency, impact the residual concentrate foam, and promote its rapid breakage and conversion into slurry; on the other hand, it can mix and dilute the slurry, reduce its viscosity, and increase the flow rate, thereby effectively preventing slurry deposition. Compared with the large-scale top water spraying, this multi-angle, multi-layer water spraying method significantly reduces water consumption, thereby reducing the impact on slurry concentration.

[0014] (4) By setting an arc-shaped baffle on the foam tank, this device can effectively prevent splashing caused by bubble bursting, and further reduce the loss of gold. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the foam tank structure in an embodiment of the present invention (the diagram also shows the positional relationship between the roller brush, the water spray pipe, and the pump pool and the foam tank).

[0016] 1. Flotation cell; 1-1. Foam outlet; 1-2. Flotation machine mounting platform; 2. Scraper assembly; 2-1. Rotating shaft; 2-2. Scraper blade; 3. Drum brush; 3-1. Drum shaft; 3-2. Brush body; 4. Foam tank; 4-1. Baffle; 5-1. Main pipe; 5-2. Branch pipe; 6. Conveying pipeline; 7. Pump pool; 8. Water spray device. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solution and effects of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0018] like Figure 1 The illustration shows an embodiment of a flotation device with a defoaming mechanism. This embodiment includes a flotation tank 1 with an arc-shaped bottom, a flotation machine mounting platform 1-2 above the tank, a foam tank 4 on the right side of the flotation tank 1, and a pump tank 7 in front of the foam tank 4. The foam tank 4 and the pump tank 7 are connected by a conveying pipeline 6. This embodiment also includes a scraper motor.

[0019] The upper right side of the flotation cell 1 is a foam discharge port 1-1, and a scraper assembly 2 with a front-to-back orientation is provided above the foam discharge port 1-1. The scraper assembly 2 includes a rotating shaft 2-1 that is driven and connected to the output shaft of a motor. The rotating shaft 2-1 is mounted on the tank body through bearings, and scraper blades 2-2 are fixed on the rotating shaft 2-1. The rear end of the rotating shaft 2-1 is driven and connected to the scraper motor through a coupling.

[0020] Combination Figure 2As shown, the foam tank 4 includes a bottom plate that slopes from back to front and side plates fixed around the bottom plate. The side plates and the bottom plate together enclose a slurry storage chamber. The side plates include a left side plate and a right side plate that are parallel to each other, as well as a front end plate and a rear end plate that are parallel to each other. The left side plate of the foam tank 4 is lower than the right side plate, forming a slot corresponding to the foam outlet 1-1. The scraped mineralized foam enters the foam tank through the slot. Due to the slope of the bottom plate, the slurry can flow smoothly out from the slurry outlet of the front end plate under the action of gravity and enter the pump pool 7 for subsequent concentrate recovery through the conveying pipeline 6.

[0021] A roller brush 3, parallel to the scraper, is installed inside the foam tank 4. The roller brush 3 includes a roller shaft 3-1, with a brush body 3-2 connected to the roller shaft 3-1. The roller shaft 3-1 is rotatably connected between the front and rear plates of the foam tank 4 via bearings. The roller shaft 3-1 passes through the rear plate and is then connected to the scraper motor for transmission. Specifically, a pulley is provided at the end of the roller shaft 3-1, which is connected to a pulley mounted on the motor output shaft via a belt. The motor can simultaneously drive the scraper assembly 2 and the roller brush 3 to rotate. The transmission connection includes, but is not limited to, belt drive, gear drive, chain drive, and other equivalent alternatives.

[0022] Preferably, an arc-shaped baffle 4-1 with a front-to-back orientation is fixed to the upper end of the right side plate of the foam tank 4. The front and rear ends of the baffle 4-1 are fixed to the front end plate and the rear end plate respectively to form a shielding part, which can prevent bursting bubbles from splashing out.

[0023] Furthermore, to prevent the slurry from settling at the bottom of the foam tank 4 and in the subsequent pipelines, a water spray pipeline is installed inside the foam tank 4. The water spray pipeline includes a main pipe 5-1 laid inclined forward along the bottom plate, with several branch pipes 5-2 connected to the main pipe 5-1. The branch pipes 5-2 are inclinedly connected to the main pipe 5-1 via tees. Each end of the main pipe 5-1 and each branch pipe 5-2 has a water outlet. These outlets form a three-dimensional spray network in space, generating multiple streams of water with different spray angles and heights. This not only provides a three-dimensional impact to residual foam, achieving efficient defoaming, but also continuously propels the slurry forward with the forward water flow, preventing sedimentation.

[0024] As an embodiment of the present invention, the branch pipe 5-2 includes a first branch pipe 5-2 and a second branch pipe 5-2 arranged sequentially along the length direction of the main pipe 5-1. The first branch pipe 5-2 is located behind the second branch pipe 5-2, and its installation height is higher than that of the second branch pipe 5-2.

[0025] Specifically, each outlet of the water spray pipeline is equipped with a stainless steel fan-shaped nozzle, which sprays water in a fan shape, further expanding the defoaming range and improving the defoaming efficiency, thereby reducing the amount of water used for defoaming and minimizing the impact on the subsequent concentration process.

[0026] Furthermore, a defoaming spray device 8 is provided above the pump pool 7 to eliminate bubbles that may be generated again due to air mixing during the flow of slurry into the pump pool 7.

[0027] Based on the characteristics of flotation foam at different stages, this embodiment adopts a staged defoaming strategy, the working principle of which is as follows: 1. Use roller brush 3 for initial defoaming.

[0028] When the raw ore contains oily substances or the production water is alkaline, the stability of the bubbles themselves increases, producing a large number of unmineralized gas-liquid two-phase bubbles. At the same time, some of the mineralized solid-liquid-gas three-phase bubbles are too stable, merging to form large bubbles, leading to an increase in the content of large bubbles. The scraper motor is started, synchronously driving the scraper and the roller brush 3 to rotate. The rotating scraper scrapes the mineralized foam into the foam tank 4, and the large, highly stable bubbles are punctured by the roller brush 3, releasing the concentrate particles within.

[0029] 2. Secondary defoaming is achieved through multi-layer water flow at the bottom of foam tank 4.

[0030] Under conditions of high slurry grade or increased slime content, a large number of gas-liquid two-phase bubbles that should have burst in flotation cell 1 are mineralized, forming solid-liquid-gas three-phase bubbles, thus increasing their stability. This results in an increase in the number of stable bubbles entering froth tank 4. Even after being impacted by the roller brush 3, a large number of unburst mineralized bubbles still enter the bottom of froth tank 4. At this time, water is supplied to the spray pipe, forming a multi-layered fan-shaped water flow at the bottom of froth tank 4 that sprays towards the slurry outlet, impacting the remaining stable bubbles and achieving secondary defoaming. At the same time, the water flow can dilute the slurry, reduce its viscosity, and prevent it from settling at the bottom of the tank and in the pipes.

[0031] 3. Three-stage defoaming is carried out by spraying water above pump pool 7.

[0032] As the grade of the slurry increases and its viscosity rises, air is easily incorporated into the slurry as it flows into and impacts the surface of pump pool 7, generating a large number of bubbles. These newly formed bubbles mix with the pumped slurry, and during long-distance pumping, the entrained gas in the slurry is compressed, leading to unstable pipeline pressure and flow rate, exacerbating the settling of the gold concentrate, and consequently affecting the pipeline flow rate. In severe cases, it may even cause pipeline blockage and shutdown. At this time, spraying water into pump pool 7 can effectively defoam and expel the gas in the slurry, ensuring that a dense liquid-solid two-phase flow enters the delivery pipeline 6, thus guaranteeing the stable operation of the pumping system.

[0033] It should be noted that, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this utility model is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this utility model. The scope of this utility model is defined by the claims rather than the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A flotation device with a defoaming mechanism, comprising a flotation cell (1), a foam tank (4) on the right side of the flotation cell (1); a foam outlet (1-1) is provided at the upper end of the flotation cell (1), a scraper assembly (2) oriented forward and backward is rotatably connected above the foam outlet (1-1), and a scraper motor is driven to the rear end of the scraper assembly (2); characterized in that: The foam tank (4) is equipped with a roller brush (3) arranged parallel to the scraper assembly (2), and the roller brush (3) is connected to the scraper motor drive.

2. The flotation device with a defoaming mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The foam tank (4) includes a bottom plate that slopes from back to front and side plates fixed around the bottom plate. The side plates and the bottom plate together enclose a slurry storage cavity. The side plates include a left side plate and a right side plate that are parallel to each other, as well as a front end plate and a rear end plate that are parallel to each other, and the left side plate is lower than the right side plate. The roller brush (3) is rotatably connected between the front end plate and the rear end plate. The roller brush (3) is connected to the scraper assembly (2) by belt drive.

3. The flotation device with a defoaming mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The upper end of the right side plate of the foam tank (4) is fixed with an arc-shaped baffle (4-1) that runs in a front-to-back direction. The front and rear ends of the baffle (4-1) are fixed to the front end plate and the rear end plate respectively to form a shielding part.

4. The flotation device with a defoaming mechanism as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A water spraying pipeline is provided in the foam tank (4). The water spraying pipeline includes a main pipe (5-1) laid forward along the bottom plate. Several branch pipes (5-2) are connected to the main pipe (5-1). Water outlets are provided at the ends of the main pipe (5-1) and each branch pipe (5-2).

5. The flotation device with a defoaming mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that: Each outlet of the water spray pipeline is equipped with a stainless steel fan-shaped nozzle.

6. The flotation device with a defoaming mechanism as described in claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that: A pump pool (7) is provided in front of the foam tank (4). The foam tank (4) and the pump pool (7) are connected by a conveying pipeline (6). A water spraying device (8) for defoaming is provided above the pump pool (7).

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