page_title: Froth flotation
section_title: Flotation equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Froth flotation / Flotation equipment
caption_attribution_description: English: This photograph shows two Jameson Cells next to three flotation columns at Glencore Xstrata's Mount Isa lead-zinc concentrator.
context_page_description: Froth flotation is a process for selectively separating hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic. This is used in mineral processing, paper recycling and waste-water treatment industries. Historically this was first used in the mining industry, where it was one of the great enabling technologies of the 20th century. It has been described as "the single most important operation used for the recovery and upgrading of sulfide ores". The development of froth flotation has improved the recovery of valuable minerals, such as copper- and lead-bearing minerals. Along with mechanized mining, it has allowed the economic recovery of valuable metals from much lower grade ore than previously.
context_section_description: Flotation can be performed in rectangular or cylindrical mechanically agitated cells or tanks, flotation columns, Jameson Cells or deinking flotation machines. Classified by the method of air absorption manner, it is fair to state that two distinct groups of flotation equipments have arisen:pneumatic and mechanical machines. Generally pneumatic machines give a low-grade concentrate and little operating troubles.
  Mechanical cells use a large mixer and diffuser mechanism at the bottom of the mixing tank to introduce air and provide mixing action.  Flotation columns use air spargers to introduce air at the bottom of a tall column while introducing slurry above.  The countercurrent motion of the slurry flowing down and the air flowing up provides mixing action.  Mechanical cells generally have a higher throughput rate, but produce material that is of lower quality, while flotation columns generally have a low throughput rate but produce higher quality material.
  The Jameson cell uses neither impellers nor spargers, instead combining the slurry with air in a downcomer where high shear creates the turbulent conditions required for bubble particle contacting.
caption: Comparison of the sizes of flotation columns and Jameson Cells with similar capacities.
exif: {}