Residence time distribution in large industrial flotation cells

Francisco Díaz1 and Juan Yianatos2

1
Nuclear Applications Department
Chilean Commission of Nuclear Energy
P.O. Box 188-D, Santiago, Chile
fdiaz@cchen.cl

2
Department of Chemical Engineering
Santa María University
P.O. Box 110-V, Valparaíso, Chile
juan.yianatos@usm.cl

ABSTRACT

In order to study the hydrodynamic behavior of large flotation cells, the radioactive tracer technique was used
to measure the residence time distribution (RTD) of the liquid and solid in an industrial rougher flotation
bank consisting of 7 cells of 130 m3. Thus, a pneumatic system of high reliability was used in order to
introduce a small amount of radioactive tracer (around 100 mL of liquid or pulp) at the feed pulp entrance.
Then, the time response of the radioactive tracer was measured on-line, at different points along the bank,
using non-invasive sensors located directly in the discharge pipe of each cell. Activity (cps) was measured by
scintillating crystal sensors of NaI(Tl) of 1”x1.5”, Saphymo Srat, thus allowing the simultaneous data
acquisition of up to 12 control points, with a minimum period of 50 milliseconds. 82Br in solution was used
as liquid tracer, while mineral gangue was used as solid non-floatable tracer. The solid tracer was also tested
at three size classes (coarse: +150, intermediate: -150+45 and, fine –45 microns) in order to evaluate solids
segregation. An advantage of using the radioactive tracer technique is the direct testing of the actual solid
particles (similar physical and chemical properties, size distribution, shape, etc.). tracer injection is almost
instantaneous, because only a small amount of radioactive tracer is required. Another advantage is its
capability for on-line measurements at various points inside the system without disturbances related to
process sampling. Also, the individual performance of each cell along the bank was evaluated by a series of
tests performed around each cell. The RTD was measured on-line in the tailings stream of each cell. The
procedure was repeated for the 7 cells of the flotation bank.
From a hydrodynamic point of view, the new experimental data has confirmed that single mechanical
flotation cells, of large size, can deviate significantly from perfect mixing, while in terms of process
modelling the mixing conditions in a flotation bank of mechanical cells (3, 5 or 7 cells in series) can be well
described as a series of N continuous perfectly mixed reactors, where N corresponds to the actual number of
cells in the bank.

Keywords: residence time distribution, radioactive tracer, froth flotation, flotation machines, modelling.

1. INTRODUCTION

Industrial flotation cells need to accomplish several functions such as: air bubble
dispersion, solid suspension as well as to provide the best conditions for bubble-particle
collision and aggregate formation. For this reason, cells are typically provided with
mechanical agitation systems which generate well mixed conditions for the pulp and air
bubbles. In an industrial mechanical cell, however, the mixing condition prevents that
particles have the same opportunity to be collected because a significant fraction of them
actually spent a very short time in the cell (in a well-mixed condition almost 40% of
particles stay in the cell for less than a half of the mean residence time). Because of the
large short circuit in single continuous cells, the industrial flotation operation considers the
arrangement of cells in banks. Thus, banks of 5-10 cells in series are commonly used in
plant practice.
 2. EXPERIMENTAL

The largest flotation cells presently used in industrial flotation operation are 130, 160
and 250 m3. Figure 1 shows the main characteristics of a self-aerated cell, where the feed
pulp circulates upwards through a draft tube by the rotor. Also, the air is self-aspirated
from the upper part of the cell by the rotor.

AIR FROTH
CROWDER

CONCENTRATE

ROTOR
FEED PULP
CIRCULATION PULP/FROTH
INTERFACE

FEED TAIL

Figure 1. Large flotation cell

Experimental tests were developed in an industrial rougher flotation circuit consisting

of 4 parallel banks, each one provided with 7 cells of 130 m 3. Figure 2 shows the flotation
banks arrangement.

CELL 1 CELL 2 CELL 3 CELL 4 CELL 5 CELL 6 CELL 7 bank 4

bank 3

FEED

bank 2

bank 1

Figure 2. Flotation banks arrangement.

2.1. Tracer technique

An advantage of using the radioactive tracer technique is the direct testing of the
actual solid particles (similar physical and chemical properties, size distribution, shape,
etc.), tracer injection is almost instantaneous, because only a small amount of radioactive
tracer is required. Another advantage is its capability for on-line measurements at various
points inside the system without disturbances related to process sampling and because of
the existence of dilution effects, possible radiological problems to the environment or to
workers do not exist.
 In this work a small amount of radioactive tracer (around 100 mL of liquid or pulp)
was introduced at the feed pulp entrance by means of a pneumatic system of high
reliability. The time response of the radioactive tracer was measured on-line, at different
points along the bank, using non-invasive sensors located directly in the discharge pipe of
each cell. Activity (cps) was measured by scintillating crystal sensors of NaI(Tl) of
1”x1.5”, Saphymo Srat, thus allowing the simultaneous data acquisition of up to 12 control
points, with a minimum period of 50 milliseconds. 82Br in solution was used as liquid
tracer (50 mCi), while mineral gangue was used as solid non-floatable tracer (25 mCi in
24Na). The solid tracer was also tested at three size classes (coarse: +150, intermediate:
-150+45 and, fine –45 microns) in order to evaluate solids segregation.
The RTD was measured on-line in the tailings stream of each cell. Figure 3 shows the
flotation bank arrangement, 1x2x2x2, the impulse tracer injection point at the feed entrance
and the sensors location in the bank.

CONCENTRATE
E(t)

t TAIL
τ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
FEED 1
RTD RTD RTD RTD
CELL1 CELLS 1 to 3 CELLS 1 to 5 CELLS 1 to 7

Figure 3. Tracer impulse test and sensors location in a flotation bank

The same procedure was repeated to characterize the individual performance of each
cell along the rougher flotation bank.

2.2. RTD Modelling

The residence time distribution “RTD”, where measure the tracer recovery is not
important, of mechanical cells arranged in banks has been typically represented by a model
of N perfect mixers in series (Mavros, 1992; Yianatos et al., 2001, 2005),

E(t ) =
( t − L ) N − 1 exp[ − ( t − L ) ⋅ N / τ ]
for t > L (1)
(τ / N ) N ⋅ Γ ( N )

where τ is the mean residence time, L is the lag time and the Gamma function Γ(N)
replaced the factorial term (N-1)! in order to account for the non integer solutions of N.

On the other hand, from experimental evidence it was found that the RTD of a single
large flotation cell can be better described by a LTST (large and small tank in series)
model, consisting of one large perfect mixer, with residence time τL, and one small perfect
mixer, with residence time τS, in series plus a dead time L. Figure 4 shows the model
description.

PM
PM Large
Small
Lag
L τS τL
 Figure 4. Large and small tank-in-series model

The analytical solution for the LTST model is given by (Tello, 2006),

exp[ − (t − L) / τ s ] − exp[ − (t − L) / τ ]
E (t ) = L
(2)
(τ s − τ L )
and the overall mean residence time τ is given by,
τ =τs+τL+ L (3)

3. RESULTS

3.1. Flotation Bank RTD

Figure 5 shows the liquid residence time distribution after 1, 3, 5 and 7 cells in the
bank, which clearly shows the significant decrease in the pulp short-circuit by increasing
the number of cells in series in the flotation bank arrangement. Also, the continuous lines
show the good agreement between the data points and the RTD model, which was
described by Eq.(1).

0,0035

0,0030

0,0025
RTD, E(t)

0,0020

0,0015

0,0010

0,0005

0,0000
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000
Time, s

Figure 5. RTD in a flotation bank after 1, 3, 5 and 7 cells in series.

Figure 6 shows the residence time distribution of fine non-floatable minerals (-45 microns)
reported to the concentrate of cells 1, 2, 3 and 4, by solids entrainment in the froth.
 0,0045

Mineral Fino en Concentrados Celdas 1 a 4

0,0040 Conc. Cell 1
Conc. Cell 2
0,0035 Conc. Cell 3

Conc. Cell 4
Normalized Activity, 1/s

0,0030

0,0025

0,0020

0,0015

0,0010

0,0005

0,0000
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Time, s

Figure 6. RTD of fine mineral entrained into concentrate in cells 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Table 1 shows the mean residence time of liquid reported to the tails, Fig. 5, and the mean
residence time of entrained minerals into the concentrate, Fig. 6. The increase in the ratio
between the residence time of entrained minerals and the liquid reported into tailings can
be attributed to the larger drop-back and recirculation of non-floatable solids from the froth
to the pulp zone, because of the decrease of froth stability due to the lower collection of
minerals downwards in the flotation bank.

Table 1. Mean residence time of entrained minerals to concentrate and liquid to tails

Cell number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Concentrate time, s 227.4 473.8 711.1 994.8
Tailings time, s 283.5 782.3 1331 1858
Time ratio: conc./tail 0.80 0.91

3.2. Flotation Cell RTD

Figure 7 shows the RTD of the liquid in the first cell of the flotation bank. This result
confirms that the pulp zone in a large flotation cell was not perfectly mixed. Also, a good
agreement between the experimental data and the LSTS model, Eq. (2), can be observed.
 0,0028

DATA
Residence time distribution, E(t) 0,0024
LSTS
0,0020

0,0016

0,0012

0,0008

0,0004

0,0000
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
Time, s

Figure 7. RTD of liquid in a large flotation cell

Figures 8, 9 and 10, show the results for the RTD of fine (-45 microns), intermediate (+45-
150 microns) and coarse (+150 microns) particles of non-floatable minerals, in the pulp
zone of the 130 m3 cell. Again, for all particle size classes it was observed a good
agreement between the experimental data and the LTST model, Ec. (2), used to describe
the RTD of solids in the large size cell.

0,0035

0,0030 Data
Residence Time Distribution

LTST model
0,0025

0,0020

0,0015

0,0010

0,0005

0,0000
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Time, s
Figure 8. RTD of fine mineral (-45 microns) in a large flotation cell
 0,0025

Data
0,0020 LSTS
Residence Time Distribution

0,0015

0,0010

0,0005

-
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

Time, s

Figure 9. RTD of intermediate mineral (+45-150 microns) in a large flotation cell

0,0024

0,0021
Residence time distribution, E(t)

DATA
0,0018
LSTS

0,0015

0,0012

0,0009

0,0006

0,0003

0,0000
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
Time, s

Figure 10. RTD of coarse mineral (+150 microns) in a large flotation cell

4. CONCLUSIONS

The residence time distribution of liquid in the pulp zone of a flotation bank, consisting of
130m3 flotation cells, was determined for different number of cells in series (1,3,5 and 7).
Results confirmed that the classical model of N tanks-in-series was adequate for estimation
of the RTD of flotation banks consisting of different numbers of cells, where N represents
the actual number of cells in series.
The mineral entrainment in large flotation cells was characterized by measuring the RTD
of non-floatable mineral, fine particles (-45 microns) reported to the concentrate.

It was confirmed that the flow regime in large self-aerated flotation cells was not perfectly
mixed, and can be well described by the LSTS model, which combines a large and a small
tank in series plus dead time. Results showed a good agreement between experimental data
and model prediction for the liquid as well as for mineral particles of different size classes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to El Teniente Division Codelco-Chile for providing access to
their plant and for valuable assistance in the experimental work. Funding for process
modelling research is provided by CONICYT, project Fondecyt 1070106, Chilean
Commission of Nuclear Energy, and Santa María University, project 270522.

REFERENCES

Mavros, P., 1992. Mixing and hydrodynamics in flotation cells. Innovations in flotation
technology. P. Mavros and K.A. Matis, eds., NATO ASI Series, Kluwer Academic
Pub., London, 211-234.
Tello, K., 2006. Caracterización hidrodinámica y metalúrgica de un banco de flotación
industrial. Met. Eng. Thesis, Santa Maria University, Chile.
Yianatos, J.B., Bergh, L.G., Díaz, F., Rodriguez, J., 2005. Mixing characteristics of
industrial flotation equipment. Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 60, pp.2273-2282.
Yianatos, J.B., Bergh, L.G., Condori, P., Aguilera, J., 2001. Hydrodynamic and
metallurgical characterization of industrial flotation banks for control purposes.
Minerals Engineering, Vol.14, N°9, pp. 1033-1046.