EFFECT OF FOAMING AGENT CONCENTRATION, AERATION INTENSITY, AND AQUEOUS PHASE COMPOSITION ON THE GAS-DISPERSION CHARACTERISTICS OF A FLOTATION SYSTEM
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The combined effects of frother concentration, air flow rate, and aqueous-phase composition on froth-layer formation and mean bubble diameter in model flotation systems were investigated. In the first series of experiments, T-92 solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 0.010% were aerated at flow rates of 84.8, 138.0, and 328.8 cm³/min. The maximum froth height, froth formation time, and froth decay time were determined. In the second series, the concentration dependence of the Sauter mean bubble diameter (d₃₂) was evaluated for T-92, PF-1304, and DF-1012 frothers in distilled and tap water. A nonlinear enhancement of the frothing performance of T-92 was observed with the simultaneous increase in frother concentration and air flow rate. At an air flow rate of 328.8 cm³/min, increasing the T-92 concentration from 0.001 to 0.010% increased the froth height from 7 to 35 mm, the froth formation time from 5 to 40 s, and the froth decay time from 6 to 20 s. For T-92, PF-1304, and DF-1012, increasing the frother concentration resulted in a decrease in d₃₂. At a concentration of 0.03 mg/L, the d₃₂ values in tap water were 2.40, 2.07, and 1.99 mm, whereas those in distilled water were 1.98, 0.91, and 0.89 mm for T-92, PF-1304, and DF-1012, respectively. The results demonstrate that frother performance depends on water composition and cannot be explained solely by the total concentration of dissolved salts. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the combined quantitative assessment of the effects of air flow rate and water composition on froth formation and bubble size. To optimize the flotation process, it is recommended to control the frother dosage, the ionic composition of the process water, and the actual air flow rate.
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