Engulfed nano/micro bubbles for improved recovery of large particles in a flotation cell

Abstract

A method of recovering particles from a liquid, a froth flotation apparatus, and a method of recovering particles in a flotation cell are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises a technique of exposing the particles to first-size bubbles having a first predetermined size; the first-size bubbles adhering to the particles; and exposing the particles in a liquid, with the first-size bubbles adhering to the particles, to second-size bubbles having a second predetermined size, the second predetermined size being at least approximately ten times larger than the first predetermined size. The method further comprises the second-size bubbles adhering to the particles and engulfing the first-size bubbles on the particles; and using the second-size bubbles adhering to the particles to recover the particles from the liquid. In one embodiment a first surfactant is used to form the first-size bubbles, and a second surfactant is used to form the second-size bubbles.

Claims

1. A method of recovering particles from a liquid, comprising: exposing the particles to first-size bubbles having a first predetermined size; the first-size bubbles adhering to surfaces of the particles; exposing the particles in a liquid, with the first-size bubbles adhering to the particle surfaces, to second-size bubbles having a second predetermined size, said second predetermined size being at least approximately ten times larger than the first predetermined size; the second-size bubbles adhering to the particle surfaces and engulfing the first bubbles on the particle surfaces; and using the second-size bubbles adhering to the particle surfaces to recover the particles from the liquid.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the exposing the particles to first-size bubbles includes using a first surfactant to form the first-size bubbles; and the exposing the particles to second-size bubbles includes using a second surfactant to form the second-size bubbles.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: the first surfactant has a first molecular length; and the second surfactant has a second molecular length, said first molecular length being longer than the second molecular length.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exposing the particles to first-size bubbles includes: spraying the particles with a surfactant before exposing the particles to the first-size bubbles; conducting the particles downward through a first region of a flotation cell with the surfactant sprayed on the particles; and injecting the first-size bubbles into the first region of the flotation cell to adhere the first-size bubbles to the particles.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the exposing the particles to the second-size bubbles includes: conducting the particles, with the first-size bubbles adhering to the particles, into a second region of the flotation cell; and exposing the particles to the second-size bubbles in the second region of the flotation cell.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: the spraying the particles with a surfactant includes spraying the particle with a first surfactant; and the exposing the particles to the second-size bubbles in the second region of the flotation cell includes exposing the particles to a second surfactant in the second region.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the exposing the particles to the first-size bubbles includes exposing the particles to the first-size bubbles in a first region of the flotation cell; and the exposing the particles to second-size bubbles includes exposing the particles to the second-size bubbles in a second region of the flotation cell.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the first-size bubbles are nano-size bubbles; and the second-size bubbles are micron or larger size bubbles.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the nano-size bubbles have sizes less than approximately one micron.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the first-size bubbles are micron-sized bubbles; and the second-size bubbles are millimeter-size bubbles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a carrier bubble attached to a hydrophobic surface in a aqueous solution.

(2) FIG. 2 schematically represents two nano/micro bubbles engulfed in a larger bubble of order of millimeters.

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a froth flotation cell in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows steps leading to a floatable particle, nano/micro bubble and a large bubble system in an embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 depicts a large bubble attached to the surface of a solid particle and engulfing nano/micro bubbles.

(6) FIG. 6 illustrates a flotation column in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a particle with nano-micro and millimeter size bubbles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates an attachment of a bubble 12 to a particle 14 that may be obtained in the prior art. The bubble is formed by a surfactant 16 in an aqueous solution 20, and the interior 22 of the bubble contains a gaseous mixture, typically air. The bubble is attached to a hydrophobic surface 24 of the particle 14 along contacting surfaces.

(9) With reference to FIG. 2, embodiments of the present invention depart from the prior art by using nano/micro bubbles 42 at the interface between the carrier bubble 44 and the particle 46. This leads to an enhancement in adhesion between the particle 46 and the carrier bubble 44. This translates into an improved recovery of larger particles in a flotation cell.

(10) The presence of nano/micro bubbles at the interface, leads to an increase in the surface of the particles-nano/micro bubble system and an increased interaction with millimeter size bubbles 44. The nano/micro bubbles 42 are stabilized by a surfactant molecule 50. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that for different particles, a specific surfactant is more appropriate to achieve an effective attachment. The content of the bubbles 42 can be air or any other gas. It may also be noted that gases have different affinity to surfaces. The desired choice of gas in tandem with the surfactant for a specific particle helps to achieve improved attachment. The existence of the system in the aqueous solution 52 can lead to water molecules (H.sub.2O) being trapped at the surface of nanobubbles.

(11) Embodiments of the present invention can be incorporated in an existing installation thereby increasing the recovery of larger particles with a reduced expenditure. Alternatively, a new installation, for example as shown in FIG. 3, can be used which will be outlined below.

(12) With reference to FIG. 3, a flotation cell 60 is comprised of a traditional cylindrical container 62. The particles 64 are introduced in the feed inlet 66 via a conveyor belt 70 and sprinklers 72 with atomizing nozzle system 74 are used. The atomizing nozzle system 74 disperses small droplets of surfactant on the particles. This ensures a coverage of particles with a thin layer of surfactant. The conveyor belt 70 is provided with orifices to allow the excess surfactant to be collected at 76 and reintroduced in the system. This ensures that only particles with a fine layer of surfactant enter the flotation cell 60. This procedure speeds up the attachment of nano-bubbles to the surfaces of particles.

(13) A nano/micro bubble generator 80 creates uniform nano/micro bubbles on the hydrophobic particles that enter the flotation cell. The particle nano/micro bubbles systems formed collide with the large bubbles 84 generated close to the bottom of the flotation cell through hydrodynamic cavitation or other conventional means, represented at 88. The system of particle, nano/micro bubbles and large bubble float to the surface of the cell where they are collected.

(14) A detailed description of the steps involved in the formation of particle, nano/micro bubbles and large bubble system is presented in FIG. 4. The surfactant layer 102 on the particle 104 enhances its hydrophobicity and facilitates the generation of nano/micro bubbles 106 on its surface. Furthermore, the choice of two different surfactants 102, 110 (surfactant 1 and 2) reduces the probability of coalescence between the particles used herein.

(15) The molecular length of surfactants 102, 110 is preferably smaller for surfactant 110 for the large bubble 112 and longer for surfactant 102 for the small nano/micro bubbles 106. This is depicted schematically in FIG. 5. It should be noted that similar mechanisms can be obtained with the same surfactant however the coalescence of the nano/micro bubbles, which are close to the three points contact line, with the large bubble leads to a decrease in attachment.

(16) The large bubble 112 attaches to the surface of the particle 104, engulfing the nano/micro bubble 106 in the process. The large surfactant 102 molecules are displaced on the particle and form the walls of the nano/micro bubbles 106 thereby increasing the surface hydrophobicity and nano/micro bubble stability respectively.

(17) FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate aspects of this invention in more detail. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a flotation column 120 and the way that column is used.

(18) In this embodiment, the flotation column 120 includes region 1, referenced at 122, and region 2, referenced at 124. Particles 136 are introduced into region 2 through inlet 126, and nano-bubbles 132 are injected into region 2 at 134. Particles 136 with attached nano-bubbles pass from region 2 to region 1 through opening 140. A suitable mechanism 142, such as propeller, is located in region 1 to generate millimeter size bubbles 144.

(19) As discussed above, embodiments of the invention rely on the use of engulfed nano-bubbles to enhance the flotation of larger particles (coarser particles). With the embodiment of FIG. 6, this is achieved through the introduction of the nano-bubbles 132 via a slanted system 134 in region 2, the use of surfactants, as discussed above, that prohibit the coalescence of bubbles, and the introduction of already coated particles 136 into region 1.

(20) More specifically, in the flotation column of FIG. 6, the nano-bubbles 132 are introduced via a slanted system 134 in region 2. This increases significantly the probability of attachment between nano-bubbles and particles. The presence of larger bubbles in this region would prohibit attachment of the nano-bubbles to the particles. This is due to a larger probability of large bubble particle collision.

(21) With reference to FIG. 7, this attachment of the nano-bubbles 132 to the particles 150 allows the particles covered with nano-bubbles to attach to micron size bubbles 152 or millimeter size bubbles 154. The nano-bubbles 132 effectively increase the size of the particles 150 which leads to an increase of the attachment probability, and increases the attachment between the particles 150 and the micron size bubbles 152 and millimeter size bubbles 154. Also, as mentioned above, this embodiment of the invention includes the use of surfactants that prohibit the coalescence of bubbles, and the particle introduced into region 1 are already coated with the nano-bubbles.

(22) In embodiments of the invention, smaller size bubbles are engulfed upon collision by larger size bubbles in flotation cells.

(23) Indeed, nano/micro meter size bubbles are engulfed by mm size bubbles when they come in contact, assuming that the coalescence is suppressed by the use of surfactants. Nano-bubbles will also be engulfed by micro-bubbles if the difference between their radius is large enough (e.g., a 50 nanometer size bubble can be engulfed by a 50 microns size bubble, the latter bubble is 1000 times larger in this case). Generally, for a bubble to engulf a smaller bubble, the radius of the larger bubble should be at least 10 times larger than the radius of the smaller bubble.

(24) The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and application of the invention, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. The invention may be implemented in various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to a particular contemplated use.