Slurry processing apparatus, microbubble generation equipment, and slurry processing method

A microbubble generating unit that supplies microbubbles to a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound, the microbubble generating unit comprising:

• a microbubble generator including a throttle that throttles a flow of the slurry and a gas supply tube for supplying gas to the throttle;
• and
• a cyclone that separates the slurry into a pretreatment slurry containing, as a solid content, only particles smaller than a size of a narrowest portion of the throttle and a remaining slurry other than the pretreatment slurry, wherein
• the cyclone includes an intermediate chamber configured to be disposed outside a suction opening of a first pipe so as to surround the suction opening,
• openings are formed on a wall surface and/or a bottom surface of the intermediate chamber, and
• a liquid content of the slurry in the intermediate chamber and a solid content of the slurry having a predetermined size or less are discharged to an outside of the intermediate chamber through the openings.

A slurry treatment apparatus comprising:

• a treatment tank for performing any treatment of a solid-liquid reaction, a solid-gas reaction, a gas-liquid reaction, and solid-liquid separation on a slurry containing a metal or a metal compound;
• a first pipe;
• a second pipe;
• and
• a pump, wherein
• one end of the first pipe has a suction opening for sucking the slurry from the treatment tank, and another end of the first pipe is connected to a suction port of the pump,
• one end of the second pipe is linked to a discharge port of the pump, and another end of the second pipe is connected to a microbubble generator, and
• the microbubble generator includes a throttle that throttles a flow of the slurry and a gas supply tube for supplying gas to the throttle, and supplies microbubbles to the slurry in the treatment tank,
• wherein the slurry containing a metal or a metal compound is a slurry used for flotation.