A gas flotation tank is provided that includes a series of adjacent chambers which impart a rotational current therein. Each chamber is separated from a skim oil trough by a skimming weir. Each chamber comprises an alternating fluid communication device between adjacent chambers allowing fluid communication between adjacent chambers in the form of a communication port in the dividing wall between adjacent chambers and a chamber outlet in conjunction with a perforated plate and the outlet is positioned in fluid communication with the final chamber. An optional coalescing media may be positioned in or proximate the communication port to absorb or coalesce contaminants as they pass therethrough.

A method for removing immiscible fluid from contaminated water includes at least one chamber; an injection line in fluid communication with an inlet of the one chamber; bubble generation means in fluid communication with the injection line for injecting gas bubbles into the injection line and allowing mixing in the injection line of the gas bubbles and the contaminated water to form an inlet fluid; an inlet weir within the chamber adjacent the inlet; an immiscible fluid weir within the chamber; a trough for collecting the immiscible fluid and allowing the immiscible fluid to flow out of the at least one chamber through an immiscible fluid outlet; and a cleaned water outlet generally at the bottom of the chamber.

A flotation line for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry, including at least three flotation units arranged in fluid connection with each other for allowing gravity-driven slurry flow between flotation units, and a feed inlet for supplying slurry into a first flotation unit; wherein at least three flotation units are configured to be uniplanar, each flotation unit includes at least one flotation cell; and wherein the launder lip height of each uniplanar flotation unit is lower than the launder lip height of the preceding uniplanar flotation unit in the direction of the slurry flow, so that an angle of sloping between a first uniplanar flotation cell, equipped with a launder lip and being larger than 150 m.sup.3, and a last uniplanar flotation cell, equipped with a launder lip and being larger than 40 m.sup.3, is formed; and the angle is 1.5 to 10 degrees relative to horizontal.

A flotation line for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry is disclosed. The flotation line includes a rougher part with at least one rougher flotation cell from which overflow is arranged to flow directly into a cleaner flotation line; and a scavenger part with at least two scavenger flotation cells from which overflow is arranged to flow back into a rougher flotation cell, or into a regrinding step and then into a cleaner flotation line. Underflow from a last scavenger flotation cell is arranged to be removed from the flotation line as tailings. At least 75% of the flotation cells include a mechanical agitator including a system for introducing flotation gas into the flotation cell. At least one of the flotation cells of the flotation line includes a mechanical agitator including a microbubble generator for introducing microbubbles into the slurry.

Apparatus is provided featuring a first and second cells. The first cell receives an ore slurry having mineral particles of interest, receives unexpanded polymer microspheres comprising a surface having mineral collector chemistry attached thereto with molecules for attaching the mineral particles of interest, causes the unexpanded polymer microspheres to expand substantially in volume into expanded polymer microspheres having a substantially increased sphere surface area, and provides an expanded polymer microsphere foam layer comprising the expanded polymer microspheres with attached mineral particles of interest. The second cell receives the expanded polymer microsphere foam layer, and causes the expanded polymer microspheres to collapse substantially in volume into collapsed polymer microspheres having a substantially reduced sphere surface area that results in a mechanical shearing off of the attached mineral particles of interest. The second cell may also provide a mineral concentrate output having the mineral particles of interest.

A separation tank for separating a contaminant from a multiple-phase fluid stream has a vessel formed by a top wall, a bottom wall, and a sidewall. The vessel has a plurality of nested and fluidly connected chambers therein. A fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the outermost chamber of the vessel for introducing the multiple-phase fluid stream thereinto. A fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the innermost chamber of the vessel for discharging a contaminant-removed fluid stream out of the vessel. At least one chamber of the vessel has one or more gas inlets at a lower portion thereof for injecting gas bubbles into the chamber for facilitating contaminant removal. In operation, the fluid stream travels from the fluid inlet through the plurality of chambers to the fluid outlet along an elongated helical spiral flow path.

A flotation plant includes a tank module which includes a self-supporting framework having an inner space. The tank module includes at least one flotation tank. The flotation tank is disposed in the inner space of the self-supporting framework. The tank module is a self-supporting unit capable of being transferable and hoistable as an integral entity. The flotation plant includes at least two drive units for the rotation of drive shafts, each drive shaft being connected to a rotor for mixing and/or forming bubbles in the flotation tank. An overflow receptacle is disposed at the level of the upper part of the tank module for receiving an overflow from the flotation tanks. The flotation plant includes an overflow channel which is connected to the overflow receptacle for receiving and conducting the overflow from the overflow receptacle to a pumping means. The overflow channel is disposed outside the tank module.

An apparatus for foam separation comprises a foam separation cell (12; 112; 212) provided with a treatment chamber (13), inside of which a flow of liquid containing material to be separated can be introduced. The apparatus further comprises one or more devices (21, 27) for introducing and/or generating air bubbles, useful to carry out the foam separation between the hydrophobic material and the hydrophilic material.

A drive module which is a self-supporting structure being transferable and hoistable as an integral entity. The drive module includes a self-supporting framework having a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The self-supporting framework defines an inner space within the self-supporting framework. The drive module also includes at least two drive units. The drive units are supported to the self-supporting framework in the inner space of the self-supporting framework. The drive units are connectable to an external rotatable shaft for the rotation of the rotatable shaft located outside the drive module.

A flotation plant includes a tank module which includes a self-supporting framework having an inner space. The tank module includes at least one flotation tank. The flotation tank is disposed in the inner space of the self-supporting framework. The tank module is a self-supporting unit capable of being transferable and hoistable as an integral entity. The flotation plant includes at least two drive units for the rotation of drive shafts, each drive shaft being connected to a rotor for mixing and/or forming bubbles in the flotation tank. An overflow receptacle is disposed at the level of the upper part of the tank module for receiving an overflow from the flotation tanks. The flotation plant includes an overflow channel which is connected to the overflow receptacle for receiving and conducting the overflow from the overflow receptacle to a pumping means. The overflow channel is disposed outside the tank module.