HYDRODYNAMIC AND METALLURGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FLOTATION CELLS IN A MOLYBDENUM PLANT

P. Morales, H. Elgueta, C. Torres Codelco-Chile, Divisin el Teniente J. Yianatos, L. Vinnett CASIM, Universidad Tcnica Federico Santa Mara F. Daz Comisin Chilena de Energa Nuclear

CONTENT
INTRODUCTION HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION

NON-CONVENTIONAL MEASUREMENTS
MASS BALANCE AND FLOTATION RATES

CONCLUSIONS

INTRODUCTION
Characterization of the selective molybdenite flotation plant at Divisin El Teniente

Plant Sampling : mass balance adjustment Measurements : JG, dB,

G,

bubble load,

axial solids and grade profiles RTD and Mixing: Radioactive tracers, liquid and solids Analysis : hydrodynamic and flotation rate models

HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION
Transport and mixing
Pulp distribution: rougher lines (Collective and Selective)

RTD: Liquid
Non-floatable solid (3 size classes) Floatable solid

Axial profiles:grade and solids % (3 size classes)

Sampler Pump Sample

RESIDENCE TIME DISTRIBUTION

SELECTIVE ROUGHER

0,0005 0,0004 Normalized RTD 0,0003 0,0002 0,0001 0,0000 0 2000 4000 Time, s 6000 8000
Data Model

RESIDENCE TIME DISTRIBUTION

SELECTIVE THIRD CLEANER : FLOTATION COLUMN
35 30 Normalized RTD 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 500 1000 1500 Time, s 2000 2500 3000
EXP MODEL

PULP FLOWRATE DISTRIBUTION

Rougher Flotation
Collective Distribution, % Standard Dev. Selective Line 101 31.6 0.7 Line 1 Distribution, % Standard Dev. 31.2 2.3 Line 102 31.8 0.5 Line 2 29.2 0.7% Line 103 36.6 0.6 Line 3 39.6 1.7

Selective First Cleaner

Line 1 : 52% Line 2 : 48%

HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION
Axial grade profiles: Cu, Mo, Fe and Insoluble, per size class
0 40 Cell Depth, cm 80 120 160 200
Cu Mo Fe Insoluble

Interface

Line 102 Cell 1

240 0 10 20 30 40 50 Collected Mineral Grade, % 60 70

DIAGNOSTIC MEASUREMENTS
BUBBLE SIZE (MBSA sensor , McGill) LOCAL AIR OR NITROGEN (Jg, Sb) BUBBLE LOAD (UTFSM sensor )

BUBBLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION

MCGill Bubble Viewer + USM-IMA Software

1,0 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0,0 0,2 1,4 2,6 3,8 5 6,2

Relative Frequency

Data Lognormal

Bubble diameter, mm

BUBBLE SIZE
COLLECTIVE ROUGHER

SELECTIVE ROUGHER

BUBBLE SIZE
SAUTER MEAN DIAMETER

Stage

D32, mm

D, mm

Collective rougher 1 Collective rougher 2 Selective rougher First Cleaner Fourth Cleaner

1.6 1.9 2.2 1.5 4.6

0.54 0.55 0.62 0.5 1.4

GAS HOLDUP AND BUBBLE SURFACE AREA FLUX

Stage

Gas

JG, cm/s

D32, mm

SB, m2/s/m2

G, %

Collective rougher 1 Selective rougher Fourth Cleaner

Air Nitrogen Air

1.6 0.6-0.7 0.9

1.6 2.2 4.6

60 17.7 11.7

21.6 0.4 17.8 0.2 6.2 0.8

BUBBLE LOAD MEASUREMENT

PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
16

Size Distribution of Bubble Load, %.

14
12 10 8 6 4 2

Collective Rougher - Exp 1 Selective Rougher - Exp 2 First Cleaner Column 5 - 3L Column 6 - 4L

0
0.1 1 10 100 1000

Particle Diameter, microns

MASS BALANCE
OVERALL BALANCE : Adjustment Criteria

Feed and final concentrate : reliable Residence time measurement to estimate flowrates Single adjustments Zones adjustments Overall adjustment

MASS BALANCE
SELECTIVE FLOTATION PLANT

PLANT FLOTATION RATE

COLLECTIVE ROUGHER : SHORT CUT (CELL 1 + OVERALL), Mo 100

90
80 Moly Recovery, % 70 60 50 40 30
Data M1 Data M2 Data M3 Model

20
10 0 0 2 4 N of Cells

PLANT FLOTATION RATE

SELECTIVE ROUGHER : SHORT CUT (CELL 1 + OVERALL), Mo 100 90 80 Moly Recovery, % 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
Data M2
Data M3 Data M4

Model

0
0 2 4 N of Cells 6 8

SCALE UP
SELECTIVE ROUGHER PARAMETERS

Copper k Klimpel, min-1 R, % Molybdenum k Klimpel, min-1 R, %

Batch

Plant

kb/kp Ratio

0.28 23.6 Batch

0.048 93.1 Plant

5.9

kb/kp Ratio

1.20 100

0.177 100

6.8

CONCLUSIONS
FLOTATION HYDRODYNAMICS
Mechanical Cells : Flowrate differences in parallel lines (20-30%) Normal bubble size distributions Low gas flowrate in selective flotation Selective rougher lines showed by-pass flow Columns: Presence of shortcircuit

Large bubble size

CONCLUSIONS
MASS BALANCE

Collective Rougher (Colon and Sewell ): Normal operation

Selective Plant : Problems

High circulating load (feedback) to the feed thickener

Column Flotation : bubble size, reagent dosage, control Scavenger third cleaner (add new line) Scavenger second cleaner (evaluate )

END