Flotation process and facility for the implementation thereof

Abstract

The serial multistage flotation process for eliminating hydrophobic particles from a stream of materials to be treated includes a step of introducing into one stage a layer of materials to be treated, originating either from a higher state or directly from the inlet of the system. There is an aeration step in which air extracted from the lower stages is mixed, diffused and dispersed in the layer of materials to be treated then escapes to the higher stage or to a foam discharge zone. After the aeration step, there is a deaeration step in which air is no longer introduced into the layer of materials to be treated before the departure thereof from one stage and that enables the discharge of the dispersed air to the higher stages or in the case of the highest stage to foam discharge zone. There is also a step of recovering the deaerated material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.