Parametric aspect of Hydrophobic flocculation technology

Abstract
Hydrophobic flocculation separation technology has been considered as an effective and potential means to treat finely disseminated ores and to recover valuable minerals from slimes. This paper highlights the parametric aspect of hydrophobic flocculation of mineral fines in aqueous suspensions, as well as some of the applications of this technology to fine mineral beneficiation. The main parameters, namely dispersion, particle hydrophobicity, kinetic energy input, nonpolar oil, hydrophobic coarse particles, external magnetic field, and ferromagnetic particles, etc., are discussed and summarized. Some of the experimental results on the effects of the parameters on hydrophobic flocculation of mineral fines are presented.