Selective reactive oily bubble carriers in flotation processes and methods of generation and uses thereof
AssigneeThe Governors of the University of Alberta
InventorsZhenghe Xu, Jianjun Liu, Zhiang Zhou
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Abstract
The present invention provides for a reactive oily bubble carrier comprising: (a) a gas bubble having an oil-coating; and (b) a collector dissolved within the oil-coating. The present invention also provides for the use a reactive oily bubble carrier in a flotation target particle separation process. The present invention also provides for a flotation target particle separation process using the reactive oily bubble carriers disclosed herein.
Claims24
A flotation process for separation of one or more types of target particles in an aqueous phase comprising:
- (a) introducing a gas stream through an oil to form a plurality of gas bubbles, wherein one or more collectors having an affinity for the one or more types of target particles are dissolved in said oil;
- (b) introducing an amount of said gas stream through the oil into an aqueous phase comprising the one or more target particles, whereby an oil coating comprising the one or more collectors is formed on surfaces of gas bubbles to form oily bubbles and wherein the amount of oily bubbles is sufficient to promote attachment of the one or more types of target particles to the bubbles to form agglomerates that are separate or separated from the aqueous phase;
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- (c) optionally recovering said agglomerates.
A flotation separation system comprising:
- (a) a main body comprising a means for introducing an aqueous phase into said body, said aqueous phase comprising one or more target particles;
- (b) a source of an oil phase containing oil and one or more collectors dissolved in said oil and having an affinity for said one or more types of target particles and a bottom chamber fluidly connected to said main body, said chamber comprising a means for introducing said, and a means for introducing a gas stream into said chamber to form bubbles in said oil phase, wherein said stream enters into the aqueous phase whereby an oil coating comprising the one or more collectors is formed on surfaces of gas bubbles to form oily bubbles in the aqueous phase;
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- (c) optionally, a means for separating and/or recovering material from said aqueous phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.