Experimental and numerical studies of the effect of hydrodynamic parameters on a laboratory column flotation cell by applying an industrial ore feed

Column flotation, as a method with higher metallurgical performance is a better choice compared to the conventional mechanical cells for mineral processing. In this study, a 3D unsteady and two-phase flow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation accompanied by experimental measurements was performed to calculate the flotation rate constant in a laboratory column flotation cell with a real ore feed at Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex. The population balance model (PBM) was applied to investigate the effect of bubble size on the flotation rate constant. The simulations were based on the Eulerian-Eulerian method and the k-ε dispersed turbulence model. To apply the local flow values to the kinetic model of flotation rate constant, different user-defined functions (UDFs) were applied. The flotation rate constants in the column flotation were predicted at different superficial gas velocities and particle sizes. CFD results were validated by comparison with the experimental data. The interfacial forces (lift and virtual mass) effect on the flotation rate constants’ prediction was assessed. The pulp density effect on the flotation rate constant was studied, indicating that increasing pulp concentration decreases the flotation rate constant. The superficial gas velocity effect on the gas holdup and bubble surface area flux was studied as well. Comparing simulation results and the experimental data reveals that the bubble size distribution effect on the predicted flotation rate constant is negligible.