Dynamic Response of the Continuous Mechanical Froth Flotation Cell

Three new transfer functions relating the time response of the amount of floatable mineral in the under flow to time-dependent changes in the amount of floatable mineral in the feed to the cell are presented. Using experimental stimulus-response data obtained from the flotation of -200+325-mesh glass spheres in a rotor-stator-type cell, the new transfer functions are compared to the only transfer function to be presently found in the literature by nonlinear least-squares fitting in the frequency domain. The new mathematical model based on the amount of available bubble surface area and its rate of introduction is quite promising. The transfer function which allows for a distributed first-order flotation rate constant also gives good results. Simultaneous sodium chloride tracer and glass bead stimulus-response tests show that the mixing conditions in the cell were nearly ideal. It is felt that the new transfer functions presented offer excellent alternatives for use in the design of automatic process control equipment for the continuous mechanical froth flotation cell.