Increasing flotation recovery and throughput

A method of separating one type of fine particulate materials from other types of materials dispersed in an aqueous phase, comprising:

• adding a recyclable hydrophobic liquid to an aqueous phase comprising one type of fine particulate material while being agitated, wherein the one type of fine particulate material is selectively hydrophobized and the one type of fine particulate material is selectively collected by the hydrophobic liquid;
• allowing droplets of the hydrophobic liquid loaded with the one type of fine particulate material to rise in the aqueous phase and flow into a separate vessel;
• agitating, in the separate vessel, the hydrophobic liquid comprising the one type of particulate material dispersed in the hydrophobic liquid to allow any aqueous phase that may have been entrained into the hydrophobic liquid to settle along with other types of materials that remain hydrophilic at a bottom of the separate vessel;
• and
• separating the hydrophobic liquid from the one type of fine particulate material and recycling the hydrophobized liquid for subsequent use, thereby obtaining a high-grade concentrate of the one type of fine particulate material separated from the other types of materials.

A method of separating one type of coarse particulate materials from other types of materials dispersed in an aqueous phase, comprising:

• adding a hydrophobizing agent to an aqueous phase comprising coarse particulate materials to selectively render one type of coarse particulate material hydrophobic;
• feeding the aqueous phase comprising the coarse particulate materials to a flotation cell configured to push the coarse particulate materials upward with accelerative forces and pull the coarse particulate materials downward with decelerative forces while allowing air bubbles to attach to the one type of coarse particulate material that is selectively hydrophobized and thereby reducing the apparent specific gravity of the one type of coarse particulate material and form a layer of froth phase;
• allowing the coarse particulate materials in the flotation cell to form a layer of particulate materials with the one type of coarse particulate material on top of the layer of particulate materials;
• allowing the one type of coarse particulate material to enter the froth phase via the accelerative forces, wherein the one type of coarse particulate material is upgraded via froth cleaning action provided by the froth phase;
• and
• separating the one type of coarse particulate material from the froth phase and thereby obtaining the one type of coarse particulate material separated from other types of coarse particles.