Frothers & Froth Flotation
The importance of frothers in mineral flotation is widely acknowledged in the mining industry. Frothers perform the following key functions in the froth flotation process:
- Reduce surface tension of the liquid-gas interface to enable froth formation
- Hinder coalescence in order to stabilize bubble size
- Facilitate hydrophobic particle adhesion to air bubbles.
Frother chemicals are usually heteropolar surface-active organic surfactants with properly balanced hydrophile-lipophile properties, having branched hydrocarbon radicals and forming loosely packed gaseous films at the liquid/gas interface.
During the flotation process, frothers help create the ideal hydrodynamic conditions (such as bubble size and gas holdup) required within the pulp in the flotation cell. They generate froth that is stable enough to hold collected minerals on top of the pulp, mobile enough for removal, and decays quickly to assist with downstream operations. These characteristics play an important role in the kinetic viability of the flotation process as well as the overall grade and recovery that can be realized from the flotation cell or circuit.
ArrMaz’s tailor-made CustoFroth™ line of frothers are specially formulated blends to enhance the flotation process. They are engineered to optimize effectiveness in all types of flotation systems, especially in phosphate and other industrial mineral flotation.
