Slurry treatment device, microbubble generating equipment and slurry treatment method

Abstract

Provided are a slurry processing apparatus and a slurry processing method having a simple apparatus configuration and capable of promoting a solid-liquid reaction of a slurry.　The slurry processing apparatus is characterized by comprising a processing tank for performing any one of solid-liquid reaction, solid-gas reaction, gas-liquid reaction, and solid-liquid separation of a slurry including a metal or a metal compound, a first pipe, a second pipe, and a pump, wherein one end of the first pipe is provided with a suction port for sucking the slurry from the processing tank, the other end of the first pipe is connected to an intake port of the pump, one end of the second pipe is coupled to the discharge port of the pump, the other end of the second pipe is connected to a microbubble generator, and the micro bubble generator includes a throttle that throttles the flow of slurry and a gas supply pipe for supplying gas to the throttle, and supplies microbubbles to the slurry in the processing tank.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for treating a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound. [Background technology]

[0002] In the production of non-ferrous metals and inorganic chemical products, it is common to store a slurry containing a solid and a liquid in a storage tank and cause a chemical reaction between the solid and the liquid, a chemical reaction between the solid and a gas, or a chemical reaction between the liquid and a gas (see Patent Document 1). Bubbles with diameters of 1 to 100 μm are called microbubbles (based on the 2013 ISO definition). Compared to typical bubbles with diameters of several hundred μm or more, microbubbles have significantly different physical and chemical properties, such as a longer residence time in liquid, a larger specific surface area, and stronger bactericidal and disinfecting properties, and so are expected to have industrial applications. However, there have been no reports of a slurry treatment device capable of supplying microbubbles to a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound with a simple device configuration in the production of non-ferrous metals or inorganic chemical products. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-42688 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a slurry treatment apparatus and a slurry treatment method which have a simple apparatus configuration, are capable of performing solid-liquid separation of a slurry, or are capable of promoting a solid-liquid reaction, a solid-gas reaction, or a gas-liquid reaction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention is a slurry treatment apparatus comprising: a treatment tank for treating a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound by any one of solid-liquid reaction, solid-gas reaction, gas-liquid reaction, and solid-liquid separation; a first pipe; a second pipe; and a pump, one end of the first pipe is provided with a suction port for sucking the slurry from the treatment tank, and the other end of the first pipe is connected to a suction port of the pump, one end of the second pipe is connected to a discharge port of the pump, and the other end of the second pipe is connected to a microbubble generator, the microbubble generator including a throttle section for throttling a flow of the slurry and a gas supply pipe for supplying gas to the throttle section, and supplies microbubbles to the slurry in the treatment tank.

[0006] The second invention of the present invention is a slurry processing apparatus according to the first invention, further comprising a slurry separation means for separating a slurry containing only particles smaller than the narrow flow path portion of the constriction portion as solid matter from the remaining slurry other than the slurry.

[0007] The third invention of the present invention is a slurry treatment device characterized in that the slurry separation means in the second invention is provided with an intermediate chamber arranged outside the suction port of the first pipe so as to surround the suction port, and an opening is provided on the wall and / or bottom of the intermediate chamber, and the liquid content of the slurry in the intermediate chamber and the solid content of the slurry below a predetermined size are discharged outside the intermediate chamber through the opening.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a slurry treatment apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the maximum diameter of the opening in the wall and / or bottom of the intermediate chamber is smaller than the dimension of the narrowest part of the throttle portion.

[0009] The fifth aspect of the present invention is the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the upper end of the intermediate chamber is located above the slurry liquid surface, and is insulated from the outside air. open The slurry treatment device is characterized in that

[0010] The sixth aspect of the present invention is the slurry separation means according to the second aspect of the present invention, which separates the slurry sent from the pump into a narrower part of the narrowest part of the throttle part. Grain The slurry treatment apparatus is characterized in that it is a cyclone that separates a pretreated slurry containing only particles as a solid content, and a remaining slurry other than the pretreated slurry.

[0011] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the slurry treatment device according to the sixth aspect, characterized in that the slurry separation means further includes a pretreatment slurry tank for storing a pretreatment slurry, and a pretreatment slurry pump for extracting the pretreatment slurry in the pretreatment slurry tank and supplying it to the microbubble generator.

[0012] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a slurry processing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the slurry containing a metal or a metal compound is a slurry used for ore flotation.

[0013] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a microbubble generating apparatus for supplying microbubbles to a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound, the apparatus comprising: a throttle section for throttling a flow of the slurry; and a gas supply pipe for supplying a gas to the throttle section. A microbubble generator comprising: The slurry is then passed through a narrower portion of the narrowest part of the constriction. Grain and a cyclone for separating a pretreated slurry containing only microbubbles as a solid content, and a remaining slurry other than the pretreated slurry.

[0014] The tenth aspect of the present invention is a slurry treatment method, characterized in that a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound is subjected to any one of a solid-liquid reaction, a solid-gas reaction, a gas-liquid reaction, and solid-liquid separation using a slurry treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to promote the solid-liquid reaction or solid-liquid separation of the slurry, and further, it is possible to supply microbubbles into the slurry with a simple device configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a slurry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a slurry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an ejector type microbubble generator. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a slurry treatment apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the structure of a cyclone. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] In the following, a typical example of equipment that supplies microbubbles into a slurry while circulating the slurry in a slurry treatment tank will be described. There are two types of microbubble generators: ejector type, pressure dissolution type other than ejector type, and static mixer type. In the case of the pressure dissolution type microbubble generator, bubble generation is intermittent and the device configuration is complicated. In addition, it is difficult for the static mixer type microbubble generator to supply high concentration microbubbles. Taking the ejector type microbubble generator as an example, the microbubble generator according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0018] (First embodiment) As shown in Fig. 1, the slurry processing apparatus 10 is for processing a slurry S containing a metal or a metal compound, and includes a piping system 2 and a pump (circulation pump) P for circulating the slurry S in a processing tank 1. The metal compound may include at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound of a metal and sulfur, a compound of a metal and oxygen, and a compound of a metal and nitrogen, and the slurry processing apparatus 10 is particularly suitable for processing a slurry used in ore flotation.

[0019] The piping system 2 includes a first pipe 2-1 and a second pipe 2-2. The first pipe 2-1 and the second pipe 2-2 are connected to a pump P. One end of the first pipe 2-1 is provided with a suction port for sucking the slurry from the treatment tank 1, and the other end of the first pipe 2-1 is connected to the suction port of the pump P. One end of the second pipe 2-2 is connected to the discharge port of the pump P, and the other end of the second pipe 2-2 is connected to the microbubble generator 3.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the microbubble generator 3 includes a constriction section 3-7 that constricts the flow of the slurry S and a gas supply pipe 4 for supplying gas to the constriction section 3-7, and supplies microbubbles to the slurry in the treatment tank 1.

[0021] The microbubble generator 3 can be, for example, an ejector type microbubble generator. Bubbles with diameters of 1 to 100 μm are called microbubbles (based on the 2013 ISO definition), and because their physical and chemical properties are significantly different from those of typical bubbles with diameters of several hundred μm or more, they are expected to be used in industry. There are various methods for generating microbubbles, but the ejector type is particularly useful because of its simple device configuration.

[0022] One end of the gas supply pipe 4 is connected to the microbubble generator 3, and the other end is exposed to the atmosphere as a gas suction port. openSlurry is supplied to the microbubble generator 3 from the pump P, the flow rate of the slurry is maximized at the throttle section (narrow section) 3-7 in the microbubble generator 3, and air is supplied to the microbubble generator 3 from the gas supply pipe 4 in a self-priming manner. When a gas other than air is to be turned into microbubbles and supplied to the processing tank 1, the gas suction port of the gas supply pipe 4 can be connected to a desired gas cylinder or gas supply device.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the ejector type microbubble generator, in which 3-1 is the ejector body, 3-2 is a liquid supply port such as slurry, 3-3 is a liquid flow path with a conical cross section, 3-4 is a microbubble flow path with an inverted conical cross section, 3-5 is a microbubble outlet, and 4 is a gas supply pipe for air or gas provided at a right angle to both flow paths at the connection part between the liquid flow path 3-3 and the microbubble flow path 3-4. That is, this ejector type microbubble generator is configured such that slurry S is supplied from a liquid supply port 3-2 with a conical cross section provided on the ejector body 3-1. By At the connection between the liquid flow path 3-3 and the microbubble flow path 3-4, gas G such as air or gas supplied from a gas supply pipe 4 is blown away to generate fine bubbles, i.e., microbubbles (fine bubbles) 3-6, which are ejected from the microbubble flow path 3-4.

[0024] According to the slurry processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to supply microbubbles into the slurry. The slurry processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has an advantageous effect of effectively suppressing clogging of the throttle section 3-7 in the microbubble generator 3 even in the case of a slurry containing a high concentration of solids.

[0025] (Second embodiment) Hereinafter, the slurry processing apparatus 20 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The second embodiment further includes a slurry separation means for separating a slurry containing only particles smaller than the narrowed portion of the flow path of the throttle unit 3-7 in the microbubble generator 3 as solid matter from the remaining slurry.

[0026] In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the slurry processing apparatus 20 according to the second embodiment includes an intermediate chamber 5 that is disposed outside the suction port of the first pipe 2-1 so as to surround the suction port and has an upper end located above the slurry liquid level. Among the configurations of the slurry processing apparatus 20 according to the second embodiment, those having the same configurations and functions as those of the slurry processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] The intermediate chamber 5 may be made of metal, resin, or cloth. Furthermore, a metal or resin framework may be covered with a wall made of metal, resin, cloth, or paper, as long as it has corrosion resistance against the acid concentration of the slurry, the liquid temperature, and other liquid properties. The intermediate chamber 5 has an opening 5-1 on the side surface and / or bottom, and the shape of the opening 5-1 may be circular, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape, and is not particularly limited.

[0028] The maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 is made smaller than the throttle part (narrowest part) 3-7 of the slurry flow path inside the ejector type microbubble generator. The maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 depends on the shape of the slurry solid particles. For example, when the slurry solid particles are spherical, the maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 may be smaller than the size of the throttle section 3-7 of the slurry flow path inside the ejector type microbubble generator. When the maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 is about 0.9 times the size of the throttle section 3-7, clogging of the microbubble generator (the ejector type microbubble generator) 3 having the throttle section 3-7 can be prevented.

[0029] In addition, when the shape of the slurry solid particles is needle-like, the maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 is selected so that only particles whose longitudinal dimension is smaller than the dimension of the throttle section 3-7 pass through the ejector type microbubble generator. For example, the maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 can be set to 0.9 times the maximum diameter of the body of a needle-like particle of the slurry solid particles whose longitudinal dimension is the same as the dimension of the throttle section 3-7.

[0030] As described above, the maximum diameter of the opening 5-1 may be appropriately selected depending on the size of the throttle portion (narrowest portion) 3-7 and the shape and size of the particles of the slurry solid content.

[0031] The upper end of the intermediate chamber 5 is located above the slurry surface and is in contact with the outside air. open In this way, when the pump P having the function of circulating the slurry sucks the liquid in the intermediate chamber 5 through the first piping 2-1, the liquid level in the intermediate chamber 5 becomes lower than the slurry level in the treatment tank 1. Due to this difference in liquid level, the slurry flows from outside the intermediate chamber 5 into the intermediate chamber 5 to make the liquid level the same. At this time, the solid content of the slurry larger than the diameter of the opening 5-1 of the intermediate chamber 5 cannot pass through the outer wall (basket) of the intermediate chamber 5, so that the solid content of the slurry larger than the diameter of the opening 5-1 of the basket can be prevented from being supplied to the microbubble generator 3.

[0032] When considering the case where a strainer is installed at the suction port of a pipe, the slurry solids are filtered by suction filtration through the strainer. In general, the solids filtered by suction filtration are tightly packed and piled up on the filter surface, which makes it difficult for the liquid to pass through. In addition, suction filtration makes it easier for the solids in the slurry to get caught in the openings, which increases clogging and further worsens the liquid's pass through.

[0033] On the other hand, in the method for removing solids from a slurry using the intermediate chamber 5 according to the present embodiment, the upper end of the intermediate chamber 5 is located above the liquid surface of the slurry and is exposed to the outside air. open This allows filtration to be performed in a manner similar to natural filtration, which suppresses the solid content in the slurry from flowing into the intermediate chamber 5 and prevents the slurry solid content from being tightly packed and accumulated on the surface of the intermediate chamber 5, and also prevents the slurry solid content from getting caught in the opening 5-1, thereby reducing deterioration of liquid permeability and clogging.

[0034] The size of the intermediate chamber 5 can be adjusted appropriately depending on the speed of the liquid passing through the opening 5-1 on the wall surface and / or bottom surface of the intermediate chamber 5. The size of the intermediate chamber 5 may be selected so that the area of ​​the wall surface and / or bottom surface of the intermediate chamber 5 does not fluctuate, so that the difference in the liquid level between the inside and outside of the intermediate chamber 5 does not fluctuate. The shape of the intermediate chamber 5 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a triangular prism shape, a square prism shape, a bowl shape, etc. Furthermore, a part of the intermediate chamber 5 may be integrated with the treatment tank 1.

[0035] Since the top of the intermediate chamber 5 is open, the liquid level inside the intermediate chamber 5 can be visually confirmed, and therefore, if the surface of the intermediate chamber 5 becomes clogged due to operation of the slurry treatment device for a long period of time, the clogging can be immediately confirmed visually.

[0036] The treatment tank 1 may be provided with an agitator for agitating the slurry (not shown), or the slurry may be agitated by utilizing a fluid discharged from a slurry treatment device.

[0037] The slurry processing apparatus 20 according to the second embodiment can achieve the following advantageous effects, for example.

[0038] In the case where the microbubble generator 3 is an ejector type microbubble generator, it is difficult to pass a slurry through it due to the problem of clogging, since the liquid flow path has a narrow section. For example, when a slurry containing solids with a particle size distribution of several μm to several hundred μm is passed through a general ejector type microbubble generator, clogging occurs in the ejector within several tens of seconds, and microbubbles cannot be supplied.

[0039] Although it is possible to install a filter at the suction port of the suction piping, this will prevent the slurry particles from being supplied to the ejector and prevent clogging of the ejector, but the filter at the slurry supply port will become clogged with continuous operation, making it impossible to operate continuously for long periods of time.

[0040] Furthermore, when a filter device having a clogging prevention function is used between the ejector type microbubble generator and the suction port of the slurry supply pipe, there is a problem that the device configuration becomes complicated.

[0041] In contrast, according to the second embodiment, since the intermediate chamber 5 is provided, the above problems can be reduced or avoided.

[0042] For example, in order to prevent the narrowest part 3-7 (1.9 mm) of the microbubble generator 3 from being blocked, an intermediate chamber 5 including an opening 5-1 may be provided with a mesh size of 0.84 mm. In this case, the intermediate chamber 5 has a diameter of 100 mm and a height of 250 mm, and the slurry particle diameters are D90 60 μm, D50 20 μm, and D10 5 μm. The slurry particle shape does not need to be spherical, and may be asymmetric with different dimensions in length, width, and height.

[0043] The equipment in which the slurry processing device 20 of the present embodiment is used is not particularly limited. For example, the device can be used in a reaction device in which a gas is blown into a slurry containing solids to cause a chemical reaction between the gas and the solids, or in a device in which gas bubbles are adsorbed on the solids of the slurry and the solids are floated to perform solid-liquid separation. The slurry processing device according to the present embodiment can be applied to, for example, slurry processing in metallurgy, slurry processing in the manufacture of nickel powder used as a material for electronic components, and slurry processing for use in flotation.

[0044] (Third embodiment) The slurry processing apparatus 30 of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. The third embodiment is different from the embodiment exemplified in the second embodiment in that it further includes a slurry separation means for separating a slurry containing only particles smaller than the narrowed flow passage portion of the throttle portion in the microbubble generator as solid matter from the remaining slurry other than the slurry.

[0045] In this embodiment, the slurry separation means uses a cyclone 14. In this cyclone 14, the slurry S sent from the pump is separated into a pre-treated slurry S which is smaller than the size of the throttle section 3-7 in the microbubble generator 3 and contains only particles smaller than the narrowest part of the throttle section as solids. Q , and the pre-treated slurry S Q The remaining slurry S R A third pipe 2-3 is connected to this cyclone 14 for transporting the slurry S from the treatment tank 1 to the cyclone 14. A pump P is connected to the end of the third pipe 2-3 opposite to the end connected to the cyclone 14, and a first pipe 2-1, one end of which is connected to the side wall of the treatment tank 1, is further connected to this pump P. By operating the pump P, the slurry S in the treatment tank 1 can be supplied into the cyclone 14 via the first pipe 2-1 and the third pipe 2-3.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the cyclone 14 is composed of a conical section 51 which is open at both ends and has a conical-shaped space K (hereinafter also referred to as a centrifugal separation section) formed therein, and an upper lid 52 which has a flange 53 formed on the side surface of a cylindrical body, and the upper lid 52 is fitted into one end of the conical section 51 which has a larger opening diameter. In the portion where the top lid 52 is fitted, a gap M (hereinafter also referred to as a centrifugal acceleration portion) that is spiral-shaped when viewed from the axial direction is formed, and by supplying slurry S into this gap M, centrifugal force can be applied to the slurry S. Here, the size of the gap M can be adjusted by the fitting depth h of the top cover 52 into the conical portion 51, i.e., the formation position of the flange 53 that abuts the end of the conical portion 51 on the side where the top cover 52 is fitted, and the supply speed of the slurry S supplied to the centrifugal separation section (space K) can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the gap M and further the supply pressure of the slurry S.

[0047] Now, the slurry S to which the centrifugal force has been applied is supplied to the centrifugal separation section K, where particles smaller than a predetermined size are separated by the centrifugal force, and the pre-treated slurry S containing these particles as solids is obtained. Q is discharged through the inside of the upper cover 52, while the pre-treated slurry S Q The remaining slurry S R is discharged from the end of the conical portion 51 with a smaller diameter and returned to the treatment tank 1.

[0048] In this embodiment, the dimensions of the centrifugal separator K and the centrifugal acceleration section M and the supply pressure of the slurry S are set so that only particles smaller than the narrowed flow passage of the throttle section 3-7 in the microbubble generator 3 are fed into the pre-treated slurry S. Q For example, only particles with a size of 0.9 times or less than the diameter of the narrow part of the flow path are included in the pretreatment slurry S Q By designing each part so as to be included within the microbubble generator 3, blockages in the microbubble generator 3 can be effectively prevented.

[0049] Pretreated slurry S formed by removing coarse particles using cyclone 14 Qis discharged from the cyclone 14, transported via the third pipe 2-3, and temporarily stored in the pretreatment slurry tank 15. A fourth pipe 2-4 is connected to the side wall of the pretreatment slurry tank 15, and a pretreatment slurry pump 16 is connected to the end of the fourth pipe 2-4 opposite to the end to which the pretreatment slurry tank 15 is connected, and a second pipe 2-2, one end of which is connected to the microbubble generator 3, is further connected to this pretreatment slurry pump 16. By operating the pretreatment slurry pump 16, the slurry S in the pretreatment slurry tank 15 is pumped. Q can be supplied into the microbubble generator 3.

[0050] As a result, the slurry processing apparatus 30 of this embodiment can operate the microbubble generator 3 normally for a long period of time without causing blockage in the flow path. Also, the slurry processing apparatus 30 of this embodiment does not require the introduction of a liquid from outside the system to adjust the properties of the slurry, so there is no significant effect on the slurry concentration or liquid amount of the slurry into which the microbubbles are introduced.

[0051] The equipment in which the slurry processing device 30 of this embodiment is used is not particularly limited. For example, it can be used in a reaction device in which a gas is blown into a slurry containing solids to cause a chemical reaction between the gas and the solids, or in an apparatus in which gas bubbles are adsorbed on the solids of the slurry and the solids are floated to perform solid-liquid separation. The slurry processing device according to this embodiment can be applied to, for example, slurry processing in metallurgy, slurry processing in the manufacture of nickel powder used as a material for electronic components, and slurry processing for use in flotation.

[0052] Next, a slurry processing method using the slurry processing apparatus 30 of this embodiment will be described. In this example, the slurry S containing a metal or a metal compound is a slurry S used for flotation, and the microbubble generator 3 is an ejector type microbubble generator. First, the pump P is operated to introduce the slurry S in the treatment tank 1 into the cyclone 14 via the first pipe 2-1 and the third pipe 2-3. Then, in the cyclone 14, the slurry is separated into a remaining slurry containing coarse particles and a pre-treated slurry from which the coarse particles have been removed, and the remaining slurry S R is returned to the treatment tank 1, and the pre-treated slurry S Q The slurry is discharged into the pre-treated slurry tank 15 via the third pipe 2-3 and stored in the pre-treated slurry tank 15.

[0053] Next, the pre-treated slurry pump 16 is operated to pump the pre-treated slurry S stored in the pre-treated slurry tank 15. Q is supplied into the microbubble generator 3 through the fourth pipe 2-4 and the second pipe 2-2. This allows the air to mix with the air supplied by the self-priming action of the generator to form microbubbles without causing blockage even in the narrow flow passage of the throttle section in the microbubble generator 3, and the microbubbles can be stably supplied into the slurry S. The discharge flow rate of the pre-treated slurry pump 16 is set to the flow rate of the pre-treated slurry S discharged from the cyclone 14. Q It is preferable to adjust the discharge flow rate so as to be equal to the discharge flow rate of the [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Processing tank 2 Piping System 2-1 First Pipe 2-2 Second piping 2-3 Third piping 2-4 Fourth Pipe 3. Microbubble generator 3-1 Ejector body 3-2 Liquid supply port (slurry, etc.) 3-3 Liquid flow path 3-4 Microbubble flow path 3-5 Microbubble outlet 3-6 Microbubbles (fine air bubbles) 3-7 Constriction section (narrow section) 4 Gas supply pipe 5. Intermediate Chamber 5-1 Opening 10, 20, 30 Slurry treatment equipment 14. Cyclone 15 Pretreatment slurry tank 16 Pretreatment slurry pump 51 Cone 52 Top lid 53 Flange K Conical space (centrifugal separation section) M Gap (Centrifugal Acceleration Section) P-Pump S Slurry G Gas S Q Pretreatment Slurry S R Remaining slurry mb Microbubbles h Depth of insertion

Claims

1. A treatment tank for treating a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound by any one of a solid-liquid reaction, a solid-gas reaction, a gas-liquid reaction, and solid-liquid separation; A first pipe; A second pipe; a pump; One end of the first pipe is provided with a suction port for sucking the slurry from the treatment tank, and the other end of the first pipe is connected to a suction port of the pump; One end of the second pipe is connected to the discharge port of the pump, and the other end of the second pipe is connected to a microbubble generator; The microbubble generator includes a constriction section that constricts a flow of a slurry, and a gas supply pipe that supplies a gas to the constriction section, and supplies microbubbles to the slurry in the treatment tank; an intermediate chamber is disposed outside the suction port of the first pipe so as to surround the suction port; An opening is provided in a wall surface and / or a bottom surface of the intermediate chamber, the maximum value of the diameter of the opening is smaller than the size of the narrowest part of the throttle portion, The upper end of the intermediate chamber is located above the liquid level of the slurry and is open to the outside air, thereby 2. A slurry treatment apparatus comprising: a slurry separator for separating a slurry containing only particles smaller than the narrowed portion of the flow path of the throttle portion as a solid content, from a remaining slurry other than the slurry containing only particles smaller than the narrowed portion of the flow path of the throttle portion.

2. 2. The slurry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slurry containing the metal or metal compound is a slurry used for ore flotation.

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