Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER)

Permanent URI for this community

https://hdl.handle.net/2440/65217
The Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) is specifically designed to address the challenge of continuing to grow the critical mineral and energy resources industries in a technically, economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner through interdisciplinary research. IMER will address these complex research challenges faced by providing integrated research, education, professional development and consulting services across all aspects of the mineral and energy resources industries.

Browse

Browsing Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) by Author "Ametov, I."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    A Study of Detachment of Model Coarse Particles from Bubbles Using a Novel Electro-Acoustic Technique
    (Engineers Australia, 2009) Xu, D.; Ametov, I.; Grano, S.; CHEMECA (37th : 2009 : Perth, Australia); Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources
    In this paper, a detachment of particles from bubbles was investigated using a novel electro-acoustic technique. The experimental setup consisted of a loudspeaker connected to a computer through an amplifier. A teflon capillary tube was attached to the membrane of a loudspeaker. A bubble-particle aggregate on the other end of the capillary tube was subjected to vibration when the sinusoidal signal of fixed frequency and amplitude generated by the computer was transmitted to the loudspeaker. The critical amplitude of particle detachment was determined at a fixed frequency (50 Hz). The detachment experiments were conducted using model quartz particles of various size and hydrophobicity. Results showed that particles (600-850 m) with high contact angle (90 degree) required high amplitudes for detachment from bubbles. In contrast, quartz particles with low contact angle (49 degree) exhibited the considerably lower critical detachment amplitude. The critical detachment amplitude was related to the stability of bubble-particle aggregates. The results of electro-acoustic experiments correlated well with the outcomes of corresponding bench flotation tests.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Copper and molybdenite recovery in plant and batch laboratory cells in porphyry copper rougher flotation
    (Science Press, 2008) Ametov, I.; Grano, S.; Zanin, M.; Gredelj, S.; Magnuson, R.; Bolles, T.; Triffett, B.; International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC) (24th : 2008 : Beijing, China)
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Quantifying rheological and fine particle attachment contributions to coarse particle recovery in flotation
    (Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2012) Xu, D.; Ametov, I.; Grano, S.
    This study focused on the flotation behaviour of very coarse quartz particles in the presence of fine silica and alumina, both of which were used as pulp viscosity modifiers. A decrease in the contact angle of the coarse quartz particles, caused by the attachment of fine particles was believed to be the principal mechanism accounting for the noted depression. Only small surface coverage of attached fine particles may dramatically decrease the quartz particle recovery because the flotation behaviour of the coarse particles was very sensitive to particle hydrophobicity, e.g. less than 5% surface coverage is able to decrease the contact of particles from 83°to 81°and causes a decrease in recovery from 60% to 20%. The effect of removing the fine particles from the pulp, by the process known as desliming, on the flotation behaviour of coarse quartz particles was also investigated. The results showed that desliming is beneficial for the recovery of coarse quartz particles. Furthermore, the recovery of coarse quartz particles attached with fine particles can be restored by conducting flotation in high viscosity medium where glycerol was used as the viscosity modifier. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Technical challenges in the flotation of molybdenite from porphyry copper ores
    (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2010) Zanin, M.; Grano, S.; Ametov, I.; International Mineral Processing Congress (25th : 2010 : Brisbane, Australia); Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources
    Molybdenite is a valuable by-product in copper flotation. Driven by economic considerations, the recovery of molybdenite from low-grade porphyry copper ores has become of great interest in the last decade. In typical bulk copper/molybdenum flotation circuits, the copper sulfide minerals generally show higher and more stable flotation rate and recovery, while molybdenite recovery is highly variable and sensitive to the operating conditions. As a result, significant molybdenite losses may occur. The performance of different concentrators treating porphyry copper ore has been investigated within the AMIRA P260E project, revealing common issues related to molybdenite recovery. An overview of the major findings is given, and mechanisms and factors affecting molybdenite flotation are discussed. Technical challenges are presented and solutions to ensure higher and more stable molybdenite recovery suggested.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    The detachment of coarse, composite particles from bubbles
    (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2010) Xu, D.; Wang, W.; Ametov, I.; Fornasiero, D.; Grano, S.; International Mineral Processing Congress (25th : 2010 : Brisbane, Australia); Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources
    The detachment of model coarse, hydrophobic composite particles from bubbles was investigated using an electro-acoustic apparatus. Coarse composite particles with both simple and complex locking textures over a range of liberation classes were synthesized using quartz and lead borate. Quartz particles only were used for the model homogeneously hydrophobic (ie fully liberated) particles. The effect of surface heterogeneity, ie the hydrophobic domain surface exposure and distribution, on the mean detachment force was investigated in water ( = 0.9 mPa.s) and in glycerol-water mixture, the latter providing a high viscosity medium ( = 7.6 mPa.s). The results show that the detachment force for particles with simple locking texture was lower compared to particles with complex locking texture for a similar liberation class. This was possibly due to the attachment of the bubble to less hydrophobic lead borate domains in some detachment tests. In the case of particleswith complex locking texture the bubble may attach to several hydrophobic domains. Thus, attachment may result in more stable particle-bubble aggregates for the case of complex locking texture. The detachment force for simple locking texture particles was independentof the media viscosity. For particles with fully liberated and complex locking textures, the detachment force was higher in the glycerolwater mixture, i.e., the bubble-particle aggregates were more stable in high viscosity medium. It is hypothesised that the detachment process is governed by the velocity of movement of the three phase contact line, which, in high viscosity media, is dampened, leading to enhanced stability of the bubbleparticle aggregate.