Apparatus and method for efficient particle to gas bubble attachment in a slurry

A process for entrainment of hydrophobic particles with gas bubbles in a mixture of water and insoluble liquid or liquids, comprising:

• a. introducing a stream of said mixture into a vessel having a cylindrical chamber having a cylindrical inner wall, said chamber being of sufficient length to provide a residence time for said stream in said chamber to permit a entrainment of particles with gas bubbles in said stream, and said chamber being operable when oriented in any and all directions, said stream being introduced;
• i. tangentially in an entry end near a first end of said chamber in a manner to develop a spiral flow of said stream along said chamber inner wall toward the opposite, second end of said chamber, the exit end;
• and
• ii. in sufficient volume and pressure to develop a vortex in said stream extending along said chamber, wherein the velocity of said stream is set to achieve centrifugal forces for said vortex to within a range of 20 to less than 50 G's;
• b. introducing gas into said stream during at least a portion of its travel in said chamber, said gas being introduced to said stream orthogonally, through means located at said chamber inner wall for developing gas bubbles which move into said stream, wherein said means comprise material having porosity with mean pore size of less than 20 microns;
• and
• c. discharging said stream with hydrophobic particles entrained with gas bubbles from said vessel via said exit end.

An apparatus for hydrophobic particles and gas bubble attachment in a slurry comprising:

• a. a vessel comprising a chamber having a cylindrical inner wall, said chamber being of sufficient length to provide a residence time for a stream of slurry in said chamber to permit a diffusion of gas into said stream, and said chamber being operable when oriented in any and all directions, said chamber being oriented in any direction,
• b. means for introducing said stream tangentially of said inner wall, said stream introducing means being positioned near a first end of said chamber, the entry end, to direct said stream in a manner to develop a spiral flow of said stream along said inner wall toward an opposite, second end of said chamber, the exit end, in sufficient volume and pressure to develop a vortex in said stream extending along said inner wall, and said stream introducing means capable of controlling the velocity of said stream to generate centrifugal forces for said vortex to within a range of 20 to less than 50 Gs within said vessel;
• c. at least one gas entry port, for introducing gas into said inner chamber through means located along at least a portion of said chamber inner wall and extending at least in part there around, for introducing gas orthogonally into said inner chamber as said stream passes over said gas introduction means, wherein said gas introduction means comprise material having porosity with mean pore size of less than 20 microns;
• and
• d. means to discharge said stream with hydrophobic particles attached to gas bubbles from said vessel via said exit end.

An apparatus for hydrophobic particles entrainment with gas bubble attachments in a mixture of water and insoluble liquid or liquids, comprising:

• a. a vessel consisting of a chamber having a cylindrical inner wall, said chamber being of sufficient length to provide a residence time for a stream of a mixture of water and insoluble liquid or liquids in said chamber to permit a diffusion of gas into said stream, and said chamber being operable when oriented in any and all directions, said chamber being oriented in any direction,
• b. means for introducing said stream tangentially of said inner wall, said stream introducing means being positioned near a first end of said chamber, the entry end, to direct said stream in a manner to develop a spiral flow of said stream along said inner wall toward an opposite, second end of said chamber, the exit end, in sufficient volume and pressure to develop a vortex in said stream extending along said inner wall, and said stream introducing means capable of controlling the velocity of said stream to generate centrifugal forces for said vortex to within a range of 20 to less than 50 Gs within said vessel;
• c. at least one gas entry port, for introducing gas into said inner chamber through means located along at least a portion of said chamber inner wall and extending at least in part there around, for introducing gas orthogonally into said inner chamber as said stream passes over said gas introduction means, wherein said gas introduction means comprise material having porosity with mean pore size of less than 20 microns;
• and
• d. means to discharge said stream with hydrophobic particles entrained with gas bubbles from said vessel via said exit end.