초록 ▼

The present invention is directed to air sparged hydrocyclone flotation apparatus and methods for separating particles from particulate suspensions (such as coal and mineral ore slurries), wherein fluid discharge is removed annularly from a flotation vessel. Preferably, the flotation apparatus inclu

The present invention is directed to air sparged hydrocyclone flotation apparatus and methods for separating particles from particulate suspensions (such as coal and mineral ore slurries), wherein fluid discharge is removed annularly from a flotation vessel. Preferably, the flotation apparatus includes a vertically oriented cylindrical flotation vessel having a tangential inlet at its upper end and an annular outlet at its lower end. The annular outlet allows for the smooth exit of fluid discharge from the flotation vessel so as to avoid disturbance of the fluid flow within the flotation vessel. Air is sparged into the vessel and a froth which contains the recovery products exits through a vortex finder positioned in the upper end of the vessel. The apparatus includes a froth pedestal positioned within the vessel which forms the annular outlet with the wall of the vessel. The froth pedestal may take a generally cylindrical or a generally conical configuration. The conical froth pedestal extends into the vessel from near the bottom of the vessel to at least one-half the distance to the vortex finder. The froth pedestal further serves, among other things, to support the froth column formed within the flotation vessel and isolate the froth column from the fluid discharge so as to minimize mixing therebetween.

대표청구항 ▼

A flotation method for separating particles from a particulate suspension, comprising the steps of: obtaining a generally cylindrical vessel having a generally circular cross-section and a generally vertical orientation said vessel having an upper portion terminating in an upper end and a lower port

A flotation method for separating particles from a particulate suspension, comprising the steps of: obtaining a generally cylindrical vessel having a generally circular cross-section and a generally vertical orientation said vessel having an upper portion terminating in an upper end and a lower portion terminating in a lower end, the vessel further having a pedistal extending upwardly from the base of of the pedistal located at the lower end of the vessel to at least one-half of the length of the vessel, the pedistal having a linearly or non-linearly decreasing diameter going from a maximum diameter at its base to a minimum diameter at its uppermost end and the cross-sectional area of the pedistal being substantially circular at any transverse plane along the pedistal and the diameter of the base of the pedistal being at least half of the diameter of the vessel; introducing a particulate suspension into the upper portion of the vessel in a generally tangential fashion; introducing gas into the particulate suspension adjacent a wall of the vessel, the gas forming small bubbles which separate particles from the particulate suspension by flotation, thereby leaving a fluid discharge, the separated particles and bubbles forming a froth within the vessel; and removing the froth from the vessel.