Flotation behavior of nickel sulfide ore in a cyclonic flotation column

This study aimed to show the flotation behavior of a nickel sulfide ore in a cyclonic flotation column. The flotation experiments were carried out using a sample of nickel sulfide ore obtained from a mineral processing plant of China. Representative samples collected from the feed, concentrate, tailing, and circulation middling were sieved using a cyclonic particle analyzer to collect different size fractions for analysis. The function of the column cyclonic zone of was evaluated by comparing the quality of tailing and circulation middling. The flotation results showed that the concentrate with Ni grade of 1.78% and recovery of 65.56% was obtained under given test conditions. The content of main sulfide minerals and coarse particles in the circulation middling was higher than that in the tailing. The results indicated that, unlike conventional cyclone classification, separation achieved in the cyclonic zone of the column was not dependent on the particle size and density. Sulfide minerals with good floatability were easily captured by bubbles and moved toward the center of the column, even if these particles were coarser and heavier.