Gold Ore Flotation Separation Process, Equipment and Influencing Factors

01Gold ore flotation process and equipment

Gold ore flotation process is a common method for extracting gold. It is based on the principle of selectively attaching air bubbles to hydrophobic particles (gold) and separating them from hydrophilic particles (surrounding rock minerals). The process includes the following steps:

Crushing and grinding: Gold ore crushing and grinding to a suitable fine particle size to dissociate gold particles from the surrounding surrounding rock minerals. This stage can use jaw crusher, cone crusher, ball mill, etc

Adjustment: Mix the ground ore with water and chemicals, including traps (e. g., xanthate , other specific reagents), foaming agents, and pH regulators. The purpose of sizing is to create a suitable slurry with the desired pH level and reagent concentration. The equipment in this stage includes the mixing tank, mixing tank or slurry tank, etc.

Foam flotation: introduce the prepared pulp into the flotation tank, which contains stirred water and air. The addition of air forms bubbles that attach to the gold particles to float to the slurry surface. The hydrophilic surrounding rock minerals are retained in the slurry. The equipment used for flotation includes mechanical flotation machine, inflatable flotation machine, column flotation machine, vortex flotation machine, etc.

Enrichment and concentration: Floating gold particles, also known as concentrate, skim away from the surface of a flotation pool or trough. The concentrate contains a higher gold content than the original ore. Additional steps, such as washing or reflotation, can be taken to further concentrate the gold. According to the characteristics of pulp, different types of flotation machinery and their grooves may have different designs and structures.

Dehydration: Gold concentrate is usually dehydrated using concentration and filtration techniques to remove excess water and produce more accessible products for further processing. Gold mine dehydration equipment includes: concentrator, filter press, centrifuge, etc., which is used to remove the water in the flotation slurry and produce drier gold concentrate.

Melting or refining: Gold concentrate obtained from flotation is usually further processed by smelting or refining to obtain pure gold. These processes involve high-temperature operations to separate the impurities and produce the final gold product. These devices include furnaces, electrolytic cells, adsorption columns, etc.

02Affecting factors of gold ore flotation

Gold mine flotation is a complex process that requires careful optimization of various parameters, including reagent dosage, pH level, slurry density, and flotation time. The specific conditions and reagents used may vary depending on the characteristics of the ore and the required gold recovery rate. The specific equipment will also vary according to the nature of gold ore, processing scale and process requirements. In practical application, conduct process design according to ore characteristics and project requirements, and select the most suitable equipment combination and configuration.

The gold ore flotation process is affected by many factors, here are some main factors:

Ore characteristics: The chemical composition, mineral composition, particle size and ore structure of gold ore will directly affect the flotation process. Different ore characteristics may lead to different flotation behaviors and selection of flotation conditions.

Reagent selection and dosage: the use of different traps, foaming agents and pH regulators has a great impact on the flotation process. Correct selection of reagent type and optimizing reagent dosage are the key to realize effective flotation.

Agitation and bubble formation: the intensity and method of agitation, the method of bubble formation and the bubble size will affect the contact and attachment of the bubbles and gold particles. Proper stirring and bubble formation conditions can help to improve the flotation efficiency of gold particles.

Slurry concentration and pH value: the solid content and pH value of the slurry are the important parameters affecting the flotation process. Appropriate slurry concentration and pH value can regulate the surface properties of gold particles and surrounding rock minerals, thus affecting the flotation effect.

Temperature and water quality: The effect of temperature on the flotation process may be indirect because it affects the reactivity of the reagent and the viscosity of the flotation slurry. The hardness, ion content and impurity content of the water quality may also affect the flotation process.

Flotation mechanical equipment and process parameters: the type, specification and operation parameters of the flotation mechanical equipment used (such as the rate of bubble generation and stirring strength) have an important influence on the flotation effect. Proper equipment selection and reasonable setting of process parameters are the key to ensure a good flotation effect.

Operational technology and experience: The technical level and experience of the operator also play an important role in the control and optimization of the flotation process. Familiarization with the process flow, flexible response to operation changes and timely adjustment of parameters can improve the flotation efficiency.

Different gold ores and projects may have specific factors and challenges. Therefore, in the practical application, the influence of ore characteristics and other factors are understood and solved through the ore processing test and process optimization to achieve the best gold ore flotation effect.