A hydrocyclone (10) is disclosed which includes an internal conical separation chamber (15) which extends axially from a first end to a second end of relatively smaller cross-sectional area than the first end. The separation chamber (15) includes at least one gas inlet device (60) which comprises a plurality of openings in the form of a series of elongate slits (82) arranged in a spaced-apart relationship from one another around an interior circumferential wall (80) of the gas discharge chamber (74). In use the slits (82) are arranged for admission of gas into the separation chamber (15) at a region located between the first and second ends.

A process for the depression of iron sulphides and other disposable elements in the mineral concentration by flotation and electrochemical reactor. The proposed invention represents a method based on the action of electrodes on the mineral, which can replace, compliment or minimise the consumption of chemical reagents, as well as improving the effect thereof.

A process of flotation of partially or fully liberated metal-bearing or industrial minerals, hydrocarbon matter, oil or bitumen from an ore includes combining an indifferent salt to a flotation system to increase efficiency of the flotation process as well as the subsequent flotation concentrate and tailings solid-liquid separation.

The present invention relates to flotation of sulfidic copper-molybdenum- and gold-containing minerals. More specifically, the invention relates to sulfoxy reagent-assisted floatation for separating of sulfides of copper, molybdenum and gold from pyrite, marcasite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and other gangue minerals following aerating by an oxidizing gas and contacting by a sulfoxy reagent. To promote collection and flotation the feed mineral materials are preferably not contacted with an externally generated non-oxidizing gas to lower the dissolved molecular oxygen content prior to flotation.

What is presented is a material processing system for processing tailings discharged from an ore processing system. The tailings comprise coarse waste rock, the fine waste rock, coarse valuable product, and the fine valuable product. The material processing system comprises a classification element, a coarse flotation element, and a fines flotation element arranged to separate the coarse valuable product, the coarse waste rock, the fine valuable product, and the fine waste rock. The classification element separates the coarse waste rock and/or the coarse valuable product from the fine waste rock and/or the fine valuable product. The coarse flotation element separates the coarse waste rock from the coarse valuable product, the fine waste rock, and/or the fine valuable product. The fines flotation element separates the fine valuable product from the coarse waste rock, the fine waste rock, and/or the coarse valuable product.

Described herein is a method for the recovery of two major valuable lithium minerals (amblygonite and spodumene), a cesium mineral (pollucite) and quartz. The method comprises a series of direct flotation processes combined with reverse flotation processes that were designed to recover these lithium and cesium concentrates.

Various examples are provided in relation to improved recovery and throughput of both fine and coarse particulate materials. In one example, a method includes injecting an aqueous suspension of a cloud of small air bubbles into an aqueous phase including fine particulate materials, wherein the fine particulate material is selectively hydrophobized and collected by small air bubbles; allowing the bubbles to rise in the aqueous phase; and collecting the air bubbles to obtain a concentrate of the fine particulate materials. In another example, a method includes adding a hydrophobizing agent to an aqueous phase to render coarse particulate material selectively hydrophobic; allowing air bubbles to attach to the coarse particulate material and changing the apparent specific gravity of the coarse particulate materials so a layer of one type of coarse particle is formed on top; allowing the one type of coarse particles to float and enter the forth phase.

Disclosed is a vortex mineralization-static separation flotation device and a flotation method. The device comprises: a static separator provided with a separation chamber and a vortex mineralizer provided with a mineralization cylinder. The separation chamber includes a raw ore treatment pipeline and an intermediate ore treatment pipeline. The mineralization cylinder includes a vortex mineralization pipeline. The method comprises: the mineralization cylinder being full of a raw ore slurry and the raw ore slurry in the separation chamber reaching a set level, turning on air conduits and an agitation device to make air enter the mineralization cylinder and form tiny bubbles to collide with first mineral particles and mineralize to form an aerated intermediate ore slurry; the aerated intermediate ore slurry entering the separation chamber and performing collision and mineralization with second mineral particles and the raw ore slurry, and concentrate froth being formed at a top of the separation chamber to be collected.