Talk:Froth flotation

Untitled
I think "flotation" should remain a separate keyword and not integrated into "froth flotation". In the paper industry, flotation is the key process in the recycling process for recovered paper, the deinking process. Nobody uses the term "froth flotation". I might find the time to suggest updates for both the keywords flotation and deinking. See also INGEDE's website.

217.249.238.161 21:39, 27 October 2005 (UTC) Axel Fischer, INGEDE
 * I'm not entirely sure where this is coming from. In minerals processing, nobody refers to "froth flotation" either. It's simply called flotation. However, dissolved air flotation and froth flotation are sufficiently different to deserve their own topics, in my opinion. I believe (although I'm open to correction) that deinking uses DAF. Dhatfield (talk) 20:21, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I see now that deinking is a 'froth flotation' application and that wikipedia links to here. Unfortunately, 'normal' or froth flotation needs to be distinguished from dissolved air flotation, so I don't think either minerals processing or deinking can hijack the general term "flotation" for their exclusive use. We need subsections in the article that address minerals processing and deinking flotation because the machines involved are quite different. Maybe deinking needs it's own flotation article, but my speciality is minerals processing so I cannot make that page. Dhatfield (talk) 20:40, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I think deinking needs its own aricle as it is more than (froth) flotation, but this is the main method - so for fast reference (till somebody wrights about deinking), I think it is ok to link here. DAF is also used for deinking applications, but that is rather uncommon. --Langbein Rise (talk) 05:53, 7 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I have written the deinking article. --Langbein Rise (talk) 12:02, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Questions for improvement of the article
It is interesting which one of these regimes (large bubbles, small bubbles) is the predominant in industrial ore flotation operations.
 * Ore (technically minerals processing) flotation uses 'large' +1mm bubbles. Dissolved air flotation has much smaller bubbles

Also, are there calculations that consider a number of particles favorably attaching to a single bubble but weighing it so it won't rise.
 * This effect is present, but not significant in minerals processing. Bubble-particle aggregates that sink are broken up in the turbulent impeller zone.

Due to instabilities, one would imagine that rising bubbles with only a few particles attached should do the job. But in the case of small bubbles attaching to a particle, not only is there a maximum particle size, but modelling the conditions for attachment of a large number of bubbles to a single particle is worthwhile to mention, if done.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikifulchemist (talk • contribs)
 * I don't know much about dissolved air flotation, but I will try to clarify. Dissolved air flotation (small bubbles) are used in applications where the hydrophobic (collected) species is not very dense relative to water. Flotation in minerals processing requires larger bubbles. Aggregates do form, but they are not highly significant in terms of modelling the process.


 * This article needs an comprehensive rewrite. It's on my to-do list. Dhatfield (talk) 20:28, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

The main question that I (someone that doesn't know much about it at all) would have after reading the article is whether the chemicals used for flotation in ore extraction are significantly different than those used for general water treatment or paper recycling. I think this is particularly important as mining processes are generally considered "bad" while water treatment and paper recycling would generally be considered "good." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.174.75.190 (talk) 07:01, 14 January 2009 (UTC)


 * The chemicals used in the different applications are very different, but for the "bad" issues exluding the ore itself, I think would be the production of xanthates, that uses carbon disulfide.--Langbein Rise (talk) 08:19, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

This article mentions nothing about use of depressants. I am no expert in this matter but it was mentioned in NCERT class 12 Clepenji1150 (talk) 15:32, 27 January 2023 (UTC)

Copyright question
A PDF sharing site seems to have much of this article, including spelling errors. Who copied from whom? What is the copyright status?

Froth flotation

Wikfr (talk) 00:14, 8 February 2014 (UTC)

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Unclear sentence structure
The "History" section contains the following sentence: "He lost the case for reasons of utility, with Delpat arguing that while Delprat's process, which used sulphuric acid to generate the bubbles in the process, was not as useful as Delprat's process, which used salt cake."

I suspect this is intended to use a name other than Delprat at least once.

2600:1702:1E40:84DF:4147:85D8:EB28:9ABF (talk) 22:19, 25 September 2023 (UTC)

history note
Henry Livingstone Sulman

Born 15 Jan 1861; died 31 Jan 1940 at age 79. British metallurgist, one of the originators of the froth flotation process for concentrating ores preliminary to the extraction of metal (with H.F.K. Picard, U.S. patent No. 835120, 6 Nov 1906). In this latter method, crude ore is ground to a fine powder and mixed with water, frothing reagents, and collecting reagents. These reagents, such as oil or fatty acids, are chosen for a preferential affinity for metalliferous matter over the waste material (gangue). When air is blown through the mixture, mineral particles cling to the bubbles, which rise to form a froth on the surface, whereas gangue settles to the bottom. The froth is skimmed off, and processed. Sulman had previously worked on several methods for the extraction of gold, including treatment with cyanogen bromide.

source: https://todayinsci.com/1/1_15.htm — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8806:400:4EF0:311E:AA08:6EEF:BF83 (talk) 17:05, 15 January 2018 (UTC)