The flotation behavior of Xixia andalusite was studied with different collectors.The tests were conducted with a pure andalusite sample in micro-flotation cell and then with an ore sample in a mechanical flotation cel...The flotation behavior of Xixia andalusite was studied with different collectors.The tests were conducted with a pure andalusite sample in micro-flotation cell and then with an ore sample in a mechanical flotation cell.The surface charge was measured on pure andalusite sample and the isoelectric point（IEP） was found to be pH 5.2.Andalusite is floated with an amine collector above IEP where mineral surface is negatively charged.In contrast,an alkyl sulfonate collector（sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate） is effective in the pH range where andalusite surface is positively charged.Furthermore,andalusite is floated with oleate in neutral and mildly alkaline pH values.55.3% Al2O3 is produced with 75.6% andalusite recovery when using the alkyl benzene sulfonate collector.Starch is found to be an effective depressant for gangue minerals in alkyl benzene sulfonate flotation.Moreover,slimes are found to have an adverse effect on the flotation of andalusite.Therefore,pretreatment by desliming and pre-float（to remove carbonaceous species） prior to andalusite flotation is necessary.展开更多
The flotation of diaspore and three kinds of silicate minerals, including kaolinite, illite and pyrophyllite, using an organosilicon cationic surfactant (TAS101) as collector and starch as depressant was investigated....The flotation of diaspore and three kinds of silicate minerals, including kaolinite, illite and pyrophyllite, using an organosilicon cationic surfactant (TAS101) as collector and starch as depressant was investigated. The results show that both diaspore and aluminosilicate minerals float readily with organosilicon cationic collector TAS101 at pH values of 4 to 10. Starch has a strong depression effect for diaspore in the alkaline pH region but has little influence on the flotation of aluminosilicate minerals. It is possible to separate diaspore from aluminosilicate minerals using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant. Further studies of bauxite ore flotation were also conducted, and the reverse flotation separation process was adopted. The concentrates with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 9.58 and Al2O3 recovery of 83.34% are obtained from natural bauxite ore with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 6.1 at pH value of 11 using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant.展开更多
The reverse flotation separation performance and mechanism of hematite and cellophane in the presence of RFP-138, a newly synthesized dephosphorization collector, were studied. Reverse flotation tests on monominerals ...The reverse flotation separation performance and mechanism of hematite and cellophane in the presence of RFP-138, a newly synthesized dephosphorization collector, were studied. Reverse flotation tests on monominerals and artificially mixed minerals of hematite and collophanite show that, this anionic collector performs excellently in reducing the phosphorus content in hematite. It can decrease the content of P in artificially mixed minerals from 1.05% to 0.12% and achieve the TFe recovery rate of 91.30%. The chemical behavior of solution and infrared spectra of RFP-138 were investigated to explore the selective collecting mechanism of RFP-138 to these two minerals.展开更多
This study was performed in two phases of work.In the first stage,four conventional first-order flotation kinetics models were fitted to the measured recoveries data and the best model were selected.In the second stag...This study was performed in two phases of work.In the first stage,four conventional first-order flotation kinetics models were fitted to the measured recoveries data and the best model were selected.In the second stage,influence of pH,solid concentration,water chemistry and the amount of collector dosage were investigated on kinetics parameters including flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery.The results indicated that that perfectly mixed reactor model and Kelsall model gave the best and the weakest fit to the experimental data,respectively.It was observed that flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery were strongly affected by chemical factors investigated especially water quality.The flotation rate constant decreased with increasing the solids content,while ultimate recovery increased to certain value and thereafter reduced.It was also found that the most values of flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery obtained in dosage of collector are 30 and 40 g/t,respectively.展开更多
A novel collector 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hex-2-en-1-one oxime(HPHO)was synthesized from 2-hydroxy acetophenone and butyraldehyde.Its flotation performance and adsorption mechanism to malachite were investigated by flotati...A novel collector 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hex-2-en-1-one oxime(HPHO)was synthesized from 2-hydroxy acetophenone and butyraldehyde.Its flotation performance and adsorption mechanism to malachite were investigated by flotation test,zeta potential,Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analysis techniques.Compared with benzohydroxamic acid(BA),1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethan-1-one oxime(HPEO)and sodium isobutyl xanthate(SIBX),HPHO exhibited excellent collecting power to malachite without additional reagents,such as Na2S regulator and methyl isobutyl carbinol(MIBC)frother.Results of zeta potential indicated that HPHO was coated on malachite surfaces through a chemisorption process.FTIR and XPS data gave clear evidence for the formation of Cu−oxime complex on malachite surfaces after HPHO adsorption through the linkage between C=C,—OH,N—OH group and Cu species.展开更多
The flotation properties of single minerals such as diaspore, kaolinite and pyrophllite in bauxites were investigated using RL as collector. The effects of regulators and unavoidable ions on flotation were studied. Ba...The flotation properties of single minerals such as diaspore, kaolinite and pyrophllite in bauxites were investigated using RL as collector. The effects of regulators and unavoidable ions on flotation were studied. Based on the results of single minerals flotation, the separation experiments of mixed minerals and bauxite ore were carried out. The results of closed circuit test on the ore show that, using RL as collector, Na 2CO 3 and (NaPO 3) 6 as modifiers, the grade of Al 2O 3 and SiO 2 are respectively 70.74% and 6.37% in concentrate (Al/Si 11.11), and the recovery of Al 2O 3 can reach 90.52%.展开更多
Luanchuan area is one of the regions with the largest scale of scheelite beneficiation and the largest output of scheelite concentrate in the world. After years of innovation and progress, the beneficiation technology...Luanchuan area is one of the regions with the largest scale of scheelite beneficiation and the largest output of scheelite concentrate in the world. After years of innovation and progress, the beneficiation technology of low-grade scheelite associated with molybdenum tailings in Luanchuan area is becoming more and more perfect. In this study, the development process of low-grade scheelite recycling technology in Luanchuan area was reviewed, including raw ore properties, beneficiation process, flotation equipment and flotation reagents. Meanwhile, taking Luoyang Yulu Mining Co., Ltd. as an example, the effects of various technical transformations such as the optimization of the beneficiation process, the column-machine combined process, and the high-efficiency flotation reagents were elucidated in detail. However, the recycling technology of low-grade scheelite of Luanchuan area is still possible to be improved. As a result, coupled with the latest research progress, the development direction of low-grade scheelite beneficiation in Luanchuan area was also prospected. It is of great significance to further improve the recovery efficiency of low-grade scheelite resources in Luanchuan area and this can provide technical reference for other scheelite plants.展开更多
The effect of a modified ester collector named as BL on the flotation of chalcopyrite at low temperatures was investigated by micro-flotation tests,contact angle measurements,adsorption experiments,laser particle size...The effect of a modified ester collector named as BL on the flotation of chalcopyrite at low temperatures was investigated by micro-flotation tests,contact angle measurements,adsorption experiments,laser particle size analysis,cryogenic transmission electron microscopy(Cryo-TEM)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)analyses.Micro-flotation tests proved that the collecting ability of BL for chalcopyrite was significantly better than that of N,N-diethyl dithiocarbamate propiononitrile ester(ester-105)at low temperatures.Combined with laser particle size,Cryo-TEM and FTIR analyses,it was found that the particle size of BL in water was smaller than that of ester-105,and the distributed density of BL was higher than that of ester-105 at low temperatures,indicating that BL dispersed well at low temperatures.Therefore,BL was more easily adsorbed on the chalcopyrite surface and improved the surface hydrophobic degree of chalcopyrite,which were also confirmed by the contact angle measurements and adsorption experiments.展开更多
The effect of sodium butyl xanthate (NaBX) and dodecylamine (DDA) as combined collector on the sulphidizing flotation of copper oxide was investigated by flotation test, fluorescent pyrene probe, zeta potential, and i...The effect of sodium butyl xanthate (NaBX) and dodecylamine (DDA) as combined collector on the sulphidizing flotation of copper oxide was investigated by flotation test, fluorescent pyrene probe, zeta potential, and infrared spectroscopy analyses. The micro-flotation results show that combined use of NaBX+DDA yields better effect than using NaBX at pH 7-11 only, and the optimal molar ratio of NaBX to DDA is 2: 1. The actual ores flotation shows that when the dosage of NaBX+DDA is (100+54) g/t, the copper concentrate grade and recovery are 15.93% and 76.73%, respectively. The fluorescent pyrene probe test demonstrates that the NaBX+DDA can reduce the micelle concentration in the pulp. The zeta potential and the infrared spectroscopy analyses indicate that chemical adsorption, hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interaction can help to adsorb NaBX+DDA on the surface of malachite. Meantime, copper xanthate and copper-amine complexes may be generated during the adsorption process.展开更多
A copper-molybdenum iso-flotability flotation process has been developed to efficiently improve the recovery ofmolybdenite from Duobaoshan porphyry Cu-Mo ores.The effects of flotation approach,type of collector,feed p...A copper-molybdenum iso-flotability flotation process has been developed to efficiently improve the recovery ofmolybdenite from Duobaoshan porphyry Cu-Mo ores.The effects of flotation approach,type of collector,feed particle sizedistribution,rougher pH value and reagent dosage on the recovery of molybdenite were evaluated systematically.The results suggestthat compared with kerosene and diesel oil,transformer oil has stronger dispersion capability in water media and better flotationselectivity for molybdenite,providing a higher molybdenum recovery under low reagent dosage.Moreover,compared with bulkflotation approach,the iso-flotability flotation approach using transformer oil as a collector can obtain superior Mo recovery(90.77%)and grade(0.80%)in the cleaner concentrate,and increase the Mo recovery and grade by over18%and5%in the final Moconcentrate,respectively.The results of commercial flotation further indicate that the iso-flotability flotation approach is a rationaland effective route to beneficiate the porphyry Cu-Mo ores.展开更多
An oxygen pressure leaching-flotation joint process was proposed to treat Jinbaoshan platinum group minerals to produce a desired concentrate. The result demonstrates that leaching parameters which include particle si...An oxygen pressure leaching-flotation joint process was proposed to treat Jinbaoshan platinum group minerals to produce a desired concentrate. The result demonstrates that leaching parameters which include particle size, stirring speed, liquid-solid ratio, and the dosage of calcium lignosulfonate, simultaneously affect the leaching rates of base metals and the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs). The complete dissolution of base metals sulfides leads to a reduction in the amount of flotation carrier for enriching PGMs, decreasing the recovery of PGMs. The optimum leaching conditions are determined as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 10 mL/g, 73% occupancy of ore particle size below 0.043 mm, stirring speed of 400 r/min, and 0.6 g dosage of calcium lignosulfonate. Under optimal conditions, the leaching rates of Cu, Ni and Fe are 87.6%, 87.6% and 90.3%, respectively. The grade of PGMs enriched in the flotation concentrate is 420 g/t through the flotation technology.展开更多
As is well known to mineral processing scientists and engineers, fine and ultrafine particles are difficult to float mainly due to the low bubble-particle collision efficiencies. Though many efforts have been made to ...As is well known to mineral processing scientists and engineers, fine and ultrafine particles are difficult to float mainly due to the low bubble-particle collision efficiencies. Though many efforts have been made to improve flotation performance of fine and ultrafine particles, there is still much more to be done. In this paper, the effects of nano-microbubbles （nanobuhbles and microbubbles） on the flotation of fine （-38 ＋ 14.36 μm） and ultrafine （-14.36 ＋ 5μm） chalcopyrite particles were investigated in a laboratory scale Denver flotation cell. Nano-microbubbles were generated using a specially-designed nano- microbubble generator based on the cavitation phenomenon in Venturi tubes. In order to better under- stand the mechanisms of nano-microbubble enhanced froth flotation of fine and ultrafine chalcopyrite particles, the nano-microbubble size distribution, stability and the effect of frother concentration on nano- bubble size were also studied by a laser diffraction method. Comparative flotation tests were performed in the presence and absence of nano-microbubbles to evaluate their impact on the fine and ultrafine chalcopyrite particle flotation recovery. According to the results, the mean size of nano-microbubbles increased over time, and decreased with increase of frother concentration. The laboratory-scale flotation test results indicated that flotation recovery of chalcopyrite fine and ultrafine particles increased by approximately 16-21% in the presence of nano-microbubbles, depending on operating conditions of the process. The presence of nano-microbubbles increased the recovery of ultrafine particles （-14.36 ＋ 5 μm） more than that of fine particles （-38 ＋ 14.36 μm）. Another major advantage is that the use of nano-microbubbles reduced the collector and frother consumptions by up to 75% and 50%, respectively.展开更多
文摘The flotation behavior of Xixia andalusite was studied with different collectors.The tests were conducted with a pure andalusite sample in micro-flotation cell and then with an ore sample in a mechanical flotation cell.The surface charge was measured on pure andalusite sample and the isoelectric point（IEP） was found to be pH 5.2.Andalusite is floated with an amine collector above IEP where mineral surface is negatively charged.In contrast,an alkyl sulfonate collector（sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate） is effective in the pH range where andalusite surface is positively charged.Furthermore,andalusite is floated with oleate in neutral and mildly alkaline pH values.55.3% Al2O3 is produced with 75.6% andalusite recovery when using the alkyl benzene sulfonate collector.Starch is found to be an effective depressant for gangue minerals in alkyl benzene sulfonate flotation.Moreover,slimes are found to have an adverse effect on the flotation of andalusite.Therefore,pretreatment by desliming and pre-float（to remove carbonaceous species） prior to andalusite flotation is necessary.
基金Project(51304085)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(GJJ12363)supported by the Education Department of Jiangxi Province,ChinaProject(20142BAB216021)supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province,China
文摘The flotation of diaspore and three kinds of silicate minerals, including kaolinite, illite and pyrophyllite, using an organosilicon cationic surfactant (TAS101) as collector and starch as depressant was investigated. The results show that both diaspore and aluminosilicate minerals float readily with organosilicon cationic collector TAS101 at pH values of 4 to 10. Starch has a strong depression effect for diaspore in the alkaline pH region but has little influence on the flotation of aluminosilicate minerals. It is possible to separate diaspore from aluminosilicate minerals using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant. Further studies of bauxite ore flotation were also conducted, and the reverse flotation separation process was adopted. The concentrates with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 9.58 and Al2O3 recovery of 83.34% are obtained from natural bauxite ore with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 6.1 at pH value of 11 using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant.
基金Project (2010FJ3069) supported by Science and Technology Project of Hunan Province, China
文摘The reverse flotation separation performance and mechanism of hematite and cellophane in the presence of RFP-138, a newly synthesized dephosphorization collector, were studied. Reverse flotation tests on monominerals and artificially mixed minerals of hematite and collophanite show that, this anionic collector performs excellently in reducing the phosphorus content in hematite. It can decrease the content of P in artificially mixed minerals from 1.05% to 0.12% and achieve the TFe recovery rate of 91.30%. The chemical behavior of solution and infrared spectra of RFP-138 were investigated to explore the selective collecting mechanism of RFP-138 to these two minerals.
文摘This study was performed in two phases of work.In the first stage,four conventional first-order flotation kinetics models were fitted to the measured recoveries data and the best model were selected.In the second stage,influence of pH,solid concentration,water chemistry and the amount of collector dosage were investigated on kinetics parameters including flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery.The results indicated that that perfectly mixed reactor model and Kelsall model gave the best and the weakest fit to the experimental data,respectively.It was observed that flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery were strongly affected by chemical factors investigated especially water quality.The flotation rate constant decreased with increasing the solids content,while ultimate recovery increased to certain value and thereafter reduced.It was also found that the most values of flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery obtained in dosage of collector are 30 and 40 g/t,respectively.
基金Projects(2018GDASCX-0934,2020GDASYL-20200302009)supported by Guangdong Academy of Sciences,China。
文摘A novel collector 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hex-2-en-1-one oxime(HPHO)was synthesized from 2-hydroxy acetophenone and butyraldehyde.Its flotation performance and adsorption mechanism to malachite were investigated by flotation test,zeta potential,Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analysis techniques.Compared with benzohydroxamic acid(BA),1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethan-1-one oxime(HPEO)and sodium isobutyl xanthate(SIBX),HPHO exhibited excellent collecting power to malachite without additional reagents,such as Na2S regulator and methyl isobutyl carbinol(MIBC)frother.Results of zeta potential indicated that HPHO was coated on malachite surfaces through a chemisorption process.FTIR and XPS data gave clear evidence for the formation of Cu−oxime complex on malachite surfaces after HPHO adsorption through the linkage between C=C,—OH,N—OH group and Cu species.
文摘The flotation properties of single minerals such as diaspore, kaolinite and pyrophllite in bauxites were investigated using RL as collector. The effects of regulators and unavoidable ions on flotation were studied. Based on the results of single minerals flotation, the separation experiments of mixed minerals and bauxite ore were carried out. The results of closed circuit test on the ore show that, using RL as collector, Na 2CO 3 and (NaPO 3) 6 as modifiers, the grade of Al 2O 3 and SiO 2 are respectively 70.74% and 6.37% in concentrate (Al/Si 11.11), and the recovery of Al 2O 3 can reach 90.52%.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51974364)Postgraduate Independent Exploration and Innovation Project of Central South University, China (No. 2018zzts224)the Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Clean and Efficiency Utilization of Strategic Calcium-containing Mineral Resources, China (No. 2018TP1002)。
文摘Luanchuan area is one of the regions with the largest scale of scheelite beneficiation and the largest output of scheelite concentrate in the world. After years of innovation and progress, the beneficiation technology of low-grade scheelite associated with molybdenum tailings in Luanchuan area is becoming more and more perfect. In this study, the development process of low-grade scheelite recycling technology in Luanchuan area was reviewed, including raw ore properties, beneficiation process, flotation equipment and flotation reagents. Meanwhile, taking Luoyang Yulu Mining Co., Ltd. as an example, the effects of various technical transformations such as the optimization of the beneficiation process, the column-machine combined process, and the high-efficiency flotation reagents were elucidated in detail. However, the recycling technology of low-grade scheelite of Luanchuan area is still possible to be improved. As a result, coupled with the latest research progress, the development direction of low-grade scheelite beneficiation in Luanchuan area was also prospected. It is of great significance to further improve the recovery efficiency of low-grade scheelite resources in Luanchuan area and this can provide technical reference for other scheelite plants.
基金financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074206)the Talent Science and Technology Fund of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology,China(No.ZR19062)+4 种基金the Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Mineral Processing,China(No.BGRIMM-KJSKL-2021-19)the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China(No.2021JQ-507)the Special Research Project of Shaanxi Education Department,China(No.21JK0731)the Key Program for International S&T Cooperation Projects of Shaanxi Province,China(No.2021KWZ-16)the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province,China(No.2021-ZJ-975Q)。
文摘The effect of a modified ester collector named as BL on the flotation of chalcopyrite at low temperatures was investigated by micro-flotation tests,contact angle measurements,adsorption experiments,laser particle size analysis,cryogenic transmission electron microscopy(Cryo-TEM)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)analyses.Micro-flotation tests proved that the collecting ability of BL for chalcopyrite was significantly better than that of N,N-diethyl dithiocarbamate propiononitrile ester(ester-105)at low temperatures.Combined with laser particle size,Cryo-TEM and FTIR analyses,it was found that the particle size of BL in water was smaller than that of ester-105,and the distributed density of BL was higher than that of ester-105 at low temperatures,indicating that BL dispersed well at low temperatures.Therefore,BL was more easily adsorbed on the chalcopyrite surface and improved the surface hydrophobic degree of chalcopyrite,which were also confirmed by the contact angle measurements and adsorption experiments.
基金Projects(51504053,51374079)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘The effect of sodium butyl xanthate (NaBX) and dodecylamine (DDA) as combined collector on the sulphidizing flotation of copper oxide was investigated by flotation test, fluorescent pyrene probe, zeta potential, and infrared spectroscopy analyses. The micro-flotation results show that combined use of NaBX+DDA yields better effect than using NaBX at pH 7-11 only, and the optimal molar ratio of NaBX to DDA is 2: 1. The actual ores flotation shows that when the dosage of NaBX+DDA is (100+54) g/t, the copper concentrate grade and recovery are 15.93% and 76.73%, respectively. The fluorescent pyrene probe test demonstrates that the NaBX+DDA can reduce the micelle concentration in the pulp. The zeta potential and the infrared spectroscopy analyses indicate that chemical adsorption, hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interaction can help to adsorb NaBX+DDA on the surface of malachite. Meantime, copper xanthate and copper-amine complexes may be generated during the adsorption process.
基金Project(51374249)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2016zzts103)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China+1 种基金Project(2015BAB12B02)supported by the National Science-Technology Support Plan,ChinaProject(2013B090800016)supported by Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Plan,China
文摘A copper-molybdenum iso-flotability flotation process has been developed to efficiently improve the recovery ofmolybdenite from Duobaoshan porphyry Cu-Mo ores.The effects of flotation approach,type of collector,feed particle sizedistribution,rougher pH value and reagent dosage on the recovery of molybdenite were evaluated systematically.The results suggestthat compared with kerosene and diesel oil,transformer oil has stronger dispersion capability in water media and better flotationselectivity for molybdenite,providing a higher molybdenum recovery under low reagent dosage.Moreover,compared with bulkflotation approach,the iso-flotability flotation approach using transformer oil as a collector can obtain superior Mo recovery(90.77%)and grade(0.80%)in the cleaner concentrate,and increase the Mo recovery and grade by over18%and5%in the final Moconcentrate,respectively.The results of commercial flotation further indicate that the iso-flotability flotation approach is a rationaland effective route to beneficiate the porphyry Cu-Mo ores.
基金Projects(51804083,51204060) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2017B090907026) supported by Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province,ChinaProjects(2018GDASCX-0938,2018GDASCX-0939) supported by Guangdong Academy of Science Doctor Special Program,China
文摘An oxygen pressure leaching-flotation joint process was proposed to treat Jinbaoshan platinum group minerals to produce a desired concentrate. The result demonstrates that leaching parameters which include particle size, stirring speed, liquid-solid ratio, and the dosage of calcium lignosulfonate, simultaneously affect the leaching rates of base metals and the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs). The complete dissolution of base metals sulfides leads to a reduction in the amount of flotation carrier for enriching PGMs, decreasing the recovery of PGMs. The optimum leaching conditions are determined as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 10 mL/g, 73% occupancy of ore particle size below 0.043 mm, stirring speed of 400 r/min, and 0.6 g dosage of calcium lignosulfonate. Under optimal conditions, the leaching rates of Cu, Ni and Fe are 87.6%, 87.6% and 90.3%, respectively. The grade of PGMs enriched in the flotation concentrate is 420 g/t through the flotation technology.
基金the Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), the Iran Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC) and the IMIDRO for the technical assistance and financial support
文摘As is well known to mineral processing scientists and engineers, fine and ultrafine particles are difficult to float mainly due to the low bubble-particle collision efficiencies. Though many efforts have been made to improve flotation performance of fine and ultrafine particles, there is still much more to be done. In this paper, the effects of nano-microbubbles （nanobuhbles and microbubbles） on the flotation of fine （-38 ＋ 14.36 μm） and ultrafine （-14.36 ＋ 5μm） chalcopyrite particles were investigated in a laboratory scale Denver flotation cell. Nano-microbubbles were generated using a specially-designed nano- microbubble generator based on the cavitation phenomenon in Venturi tubes. In order to better under- stand the mechanisms of nano-microbubble enhanced froth flotation of fine and ultrafine chalcopyrite particles, the nano-microbubble size distribution, stability and the effect of frother concentration on nano- bubble size were also studied by a laser diffraction method. Comparative flotation tests were performed in the presence and absence of nano-microbubbles to evaluate their impact on the fine and ultrafine chalcopyrite particle flotation recovery. According to the results, the mean size of nano-microbubbles increased over time, and decreased with increase of frother concentration. The laboratory-scale flotation test results indicated that flotation recovery of chalcopyrite fine and ultrafine particles increased by approximately 16-21% in the presence of nano-microbubbles, depending on operating conditions of the process. The presence of nano-microbubbles increased the recovery of ultrafine particles （-14.36 ＋ 5 μm） more than that of fine particles （-38 ＋ 14.36 μm）. Another major advantage is that the use of nano-microbubbles reduced the collector and frother consumptions by up to 75% and 50%, respectively.
