The distribution of the flotation rate constant in a sample of the two-component raw material

Authors: M. Brożek, A. Młynarczykowska, A. Turno

The flotation rate constant at the fixed hydrodynamic conditions in the flotation chamber is proportional to the probability of adhesion.

This probability is, respectively, the function of the induction time which depends on the surface properties of the particle and reagents procedures.

The authors derived a formula for the distribution function of the flotation rate constant in the sample of the two-component raw material.

When deriving, the analogy between the shape of empirical dependences of the flotation rate constant on the content of useful mineral in the particle and the coverage rate of the particle with a collector, and the theoretical dependence of the adhesion probability on the induction time.

This analogy results from a sequence of several dependences.

With the growth of the content of the mineral in the particle, the exposition rate of this mineral on the particle surface increases, the coverage rate of the particle surface with the collector grows, the induction time decreases, the adhesion probability goes up and therefore the flotation rate constant increases.

Consequently, the distribution of the flotation rate constant in the sample will be analogical to the distribution of the content of a useful mineral.

The distribution of content was derived according to the dispersive model of particle.

This distribution is expressed by an incomplete gamma function, also called Pearson's function.