Patent ID: 7886912

Claim:
A flotation device comprising: a tank for containing slurry incorporating minerals to be extracted; a feed inlet for admission of slurry into the tank; an agitator to agitate the slurry within the tank comprising a drive mechanism, a primary rotor connected to the drive mechanism by a drive shaft, and an auxiliary agitation blade, the primary rotor being adapted to induce a primary fluid flow and a secondary fluid flow above the primary fluid flow within the tank, and the auxiliary agitation blade being disposed for coaxial rotation above the primary rotor to induce axial fluid flow in a downward direction, thereby to supplement the secondary flow induced by the primary rotor; and an aerator comprising an air blower and a fluid conduit for directing air from the blower into the primary rotor so as to aerate the slurry whereby floatable minerals in suspension form a surface froth in the tank.