Column Flotation: Theory and Practice

Column flotation which employs a counter-current flow of slurry and air bubbles has proved to be better alternative to the conventional mechanical cells for separation of minerals. Because of the distince advantages of column flotation over mechanical cells, it is gaining wider acceptance in industry. Realizing the potentioal of column flotation, RRL Bhubaneswar also took initiative in the early ixties to develop column flotation technology for Indian ores. In the early stages, operation and design of columns wewe mainly based on experience. But with the increasing commercial installations, systematic investi-gations bave been carried out by several workers. In this paper an attempt is made to review the development of column flotation for concentration of law grade ores. The basic principles and applications of column flotation have been described. The salient results obtained at RRL, Bhubaneswar have been highlighted.