A floatation separation apparatus includes a stirring tank, a stirring pump installed in the stirring tank, a floatation tank into which flocculated water flows from the stirring tank through an overflow dam, a scraping device (scraper) configured to scrape floating substances in the floatation tank, a treated water tank into which treated water in the floatation tank flows, and a pump and a hose for returning the treated water in the treated water tank to a raw water tank. The stirring pump sucks air and water inside the stirring tank, and discharges water mixed with air bubbles to a lower part of the stirring tank. The height of the overflow dam is adjustable.

A process for treating and dewatering tailings comprising fine clay minerals, fine rock-forming minerals and water is provided, comprising treating the tailings with a sufficient amount of a collector to modify the surface properties of both the fine clays and rock-forming minerals; subjecting the treated tailings to froth flotation to form a fine clays and rock-forming minerals froth layer; and recovering the froth layer and subjecting it to dewatering.

The present embodiments generally relate to a technology for improving Cu/Mo grade by the addition of cationic polymers as selective depressants for acid insoluble matters, e.g., silicates and/or clays, in the flotation circuit. Various types of cationic polymers are demonstrated to be effective depressants including polyamine, polyDADMAC, and cationic polyacrylamide. Also disclosed are processes for enriching a desired mineral from an ore comprising the desired mineral and gangue, wherein the process comprises carrying out a flotation process in the presence of one or more cationic polymer depressants.

A method of preparing a water in oil emulsion comprises forming a mixture of oil and emulsifying agent, progressively adding an aqueous salt solution to the mixture and dispersing the aqueous salt solution into the mixture. A concentrated water in oil emulsion is formed with drops of the aqueous salt solution (1) packed inside the oil solution phase (2). The emulsion is added to water and then mixed so that the emulsion absorbs the water. The salt concentration of the emulsion relative to the salt concentration of the water is controlled. Methods of agglomerating fine hydrophobic particles in a slurry using the water in oil emulsion are provided, where the emulsion is added to the slurry and then mixed so that the emulsion absorbs the water in the slurry. The salt concentration of the emulsion relative to the salt concentration of the slurry is controlled.

In alternative embodiments, provided are methods and processes for the removal of cadmium (Cd) from wet-process phosphoric acid that may contain Cd, including excessive amounts of Cd. The process developed is based on the application of commercially available ion exchange resins with the application of Continuous Ion Exchange (CIX) technology. In alternative embodiments, provided are processes and methods for the recovery and/or the removal of cadmium from wet-process phosphoric acid using a continuous ion exchange approach. In alternative embodiments, use of processes and methods as provided herein allows for the reduction of cadmium metal contaminants with minimal phosphate losses and dilution in order to produce a phosphoric acid that is suitable for the production of fertilizers and phosphoric acid products, such as world-class diammonium phosphate fertilizer (DAP), merchant-grade phosphoric acid, super-phosphoric acid, and other phosphoric acid products.

In alternative embodiments, provided are methods and processes for the removal of cadmium (Cd) from wet-process phosphoric acid that may contain Cd, including excessive amounts of Cd. The process developed is based on the application of commercially available ion exchange resins with the application of Continuous Ion Exchange (CIX) technology. In alternative embodiments, provided are processes and methods for the recovery and/or the removal of cadmium from wet-process phosphoric acid using a continuous ion exchange approach. In alternative embodiments, use of processes and methods as provided herein allows for the reduction of cadmium metal contaminants with minimal phosphate losses and dilution in order to produce a phosphoric acid that is suitable for the production of fertilizers and phosphoric acid products, such as world-class diammonium phosphate fertilizer (DAP), merchant-grade phosphoric acid, super-phosphoric acid, and other phosphoric acid products.

A method for removing soluble and/or colloidal Si-compounds from an aqueous stream of a minerals processing plant is provided. The method includes adding coagulant(s) and/or flocculant(s) and/or flotation chemical(s) to the aqueous stream in order to facilitate formation of flocs comprising at least some of the Si-compounds, and in order to form a treated aqueous stream, subjecting the treated aqueous stream to cleaning flotation in order to separate at least some of the Si-compounds as a cleaning flotation overflow, and removing the cleaning flotation overflow. The cleaning flotation comprises gas bubbles, at least 90% of the gas bubbles having a diameter of from 0.2 to 250 μm.

“VINASSE TREATMENT PROCESS BY FLOTATION IN FLOW”, more precisely, it is a vinasse treatment process, by high performance flowing flotation system in industrial plants' facilities, resulting in obtaining concentrated vinasse sludge and treated vinasse, being said process comprised by vinasse treatment, which consists of treatment steps performed inside flotation tank, which comprises succession of coagulation systems and basins, flocculation, combined with aeration and oxygenation, in addition to a system of nano and micro bubbles in flotation basin, in which vinasse naturally flows into its storage tank, being said process results in formation of surface sludge and treated vinasse.

A flocculant, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, includes a core nanoparticle and at least one positively charged functional group on a surface of the core nanoparticle. The nanoparticle may comprise a silica, alumina, titania, iron oxide, iron nitride, iron carbide, or a carbon-based nanoparticle. The flocculant may be used, in a method of bitumen recovery, to neutralize and agglomerate bitumen droplets and/or mineral particles derived from oil sands ore. The bitumen droplets agglomerate about the core nanoparticle of the flocculant to form bitumen flocs, while the mineral particles agglomerate about the core nanoparticle of the flocculant to form mineral flocs. The buoyant bitumen flocs may then separate from the dense mineral flocs to enable high-yield recovery of bitumen from oil sands.

In alternative embodiments, provided are methods and processes for the removal of cadmium (Cd) from wet-process phosphoric acid that may contain Cd, including excessive amounts of Cd. The process developed is based on the application of commercially available ion exchange resins with the application of Continuous Ion Exchange (CIX) technology. In alternative embodiments, provided are processes and methods for the recovery and/or the removal of cadmium from wet-process phosphoric acid using a continuous ion exchange approach. In alternative embodiments, use of processes and methods as provided herein allows for the reduction of cadmium metal contaminants with minimal phosphate losses and dilution in order to produce a phosphoric acid that is suitable for the production of fertilizers and phosphoric acid products, such as world-class diammonium phosphate fertilizer (DAP), merchant-grade phosphoric acid, super-phosphoric acid, and other phosphoric acid products.