Application of selective-flocculation flotation on a high clay, ultrafine stream
department or school: Applied Science, Faculty of
department or school: Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Tuchscherer, Michele
issued: 2022-04-14T18:47:29Z
issued: 2022
related degree: Master of Applied Science - MASc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: The application of insoluble mineral flocculation-flotation on an ultrafine, high insoluble mineral (insol) content stream utilizing flotation column technology was evaluated as an alternate method to dissolution in separating insoluble minerals from residual salts in fine potash tailings. This study was a novel application of insoluble flocculation-flotation due to the high insol composition, the ultrafine particle size distribution, and the use of column flotation technology, which has yet to be implemented in a slimes flotation duty on an industrial scale. The feed insol content was 5-25 times higher than typical slimes flotation applications with a P80 of 30 µm compared to 3350 µm. A twelve-inch diameter by five-meter-tall pilot column with an external cavitation sparging system was installed in the plant to trial slimes flotation of an ultrafine, high clay stream with an ethoxylated amine collector. The column operating parameters were optimized, and a statistical approach was taken to evaluate the flotation response and determine the flotation column sizing parameters. The results conclude that collector-less insol flotation utilizing column technology from a high clay, ultrafine stream was successful, with a modeled optimum of 88.2% insol rejection and 86.7% KCl recovery; however, the patented method of flocculation-flotation is invalid in this application, due to the observed destruction of flocs in the flotation pulp arising from the power intensity of the column external sparging system and the significant column residence time. Direct comparison of the pilot separation efficiencies with a more power-intensive flotation machine revealed that the selectivity performance of the column was equipment limited. Complete liberation of the insoluble minerals, a fundamental characteristic of the ultrafine stream, resulted in near-ideal separation efficiencies from sylvite at high insol rejection rates when sufficient power intensity was provided; however, individua…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/81202
note: APPLICATION OF SELECTIVE-FLOCCULATION FLOTATION ON A HIGH CLAY, ULTRAFINE POTASH STREAM by Michele Tuchscherer B.A.Sc., The University of Saskatchewan, 2015 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Mining Engineering) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2022 © Michele Tuchscherer, 2022 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Application of selective flocculation flotation on a high clay, ultrafine potash stream submitted by Michele Tuchscherer in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Mining Engineering Examining Committee: Dr. Sanja Miskovic, Mining Engineering, UBC Supervisor Dr. Marek Pawlik, Mining Engineering, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Bern Klein, Mining Engineering, UBC Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract The application of insoluble mineral flocculation-flotation on an ultrafine, high insoluble mineral (insol) content stream utilizing flotation column technology was evaluated as an alternate method to dissolution in separating insoluble minerals from residual salts in fine potash tailings. This study was a novel application of insoluble flocculation-flotation due to the high insol composition, the ultrafine particle size distribution, and the use of column flotation technology, which has yet to be implemented in a slimes flotation duty on an industrial scale. The feed insol content was 5-25 times higher than typical slimes flotation applications with a P80 of 30 µm compared to 3350 µm. A twelve-inch diameter by five-meter-tall pilot column with an external cavitation sparging system was installed in the plant to trial slimes flotation of an ultrafine, high clay stream with an ethoxylated amine collector. The column operating parameters were optim…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2022-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0412864
language: eng
degree discipline: Mining Engineering
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Miskovic, Sanja
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/81202