The 15th Anniversary of Minerals: Bubble–Particle Interactions in Flotation Processes

Dear Colleagues,

The fundamental mechanisms governing bubble–particle interactions in froth flotation continue to present great challenges and opportunities for new developments. Bubble–particle interactions lie at the very heart of mineral flotation and continue to fundamentally control recovery, grade, and process efficiency across a wide range of ores and operating conditions.

From the initial thinning of the intervening liquid film to the complexities of collision, attachment, detachment, and the influence of hydrodynamic forces, these micro-scale phenomena dictate the success of mineral recovery operations. Despite more than a century of industrial practice, the fundamental mechanisms controlling the stability of bubble–particle aggregates remain only partially understood, particularly under the complex hydrodynamic, physicochemical, and surface heterogeneity conditions encountered in current flotation systems.

Recent advances in interfacial science, high-speed and micro-scale visualization, atomic force microscopy, molecular dynamics, numerical modeling, and data-driven approaches have created new opportunities to revisit and refine classical flotation theories and develop more predictive, physically grounded descriptions of bubble–particle interactions.

This call invites original research and critical reviews that advance fundamental understanding, experimental methodologies, modeling approaches, and industrial implications of bubble–particle interactions in mineral flotation with the aim of bridging the gap between theory, laboratory studies, and full-scale practice.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Fundamental mechanisms of bubble–particle collision, probability of attachment, detachment, and aggregate stability under turbulent environments.
• Bubble size distribution, deformation, and dynamics in quiescent and turbulent flotation environments.
• Hydrophobic, electrostatic, capillary, and non-DLVO interaction forces governing bubble–particle adhesion.
• Adsorption of flotation reagents (collectors, frothers, modifiers) on minerals and its role in bubble-particle interactions.
• Effects of water chemistry, dissolved ions, seawater, and process recycling water on bubble–particle interactions.
• Bubble-particle interactions in fine and ultrafine particle flotation, including slime coatings, aggregation, and entrainment.
• Role of frother and bubble size on coarse particle flotation, including detachment mechanisms, hydrodynamic constraints, and equipment innovations.
• Nano- and microbubble generation, stability, and their role in enhancing fine and ultrafine particle recovery.
• Influence of particle morphology, i.e., size, shape, roughness, and mineralogical complexity, on bubble attachment probability and flotation kinetics.
• Mechanism of bubble–particle interactions governing froth phase behavior in various flotation cells, columns, etc.
• Advanced experimental and in situ techniques, e.g., high-speed imaging, AFM, microfluidics, X-ray, and optical and spectroscopic methods in identifying bubble-particle interactions.
• Numerical and theoretical approaches, including CFD, CFD–DEM, population balance models, and molecular simulations multiphase modeling, machine learning, and digital twins for predicting and optimizing flotation performance.
• Bubble–particle interactions under high salinity/seawater.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sabri Celik
Prof. Dr. Eyüp Sabah
Dr. Ahmad Hassanzadeh
Guest Editors

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• flotation reagents
• bubble–particle collision
• hydrodynamic of flotation
• flotation machinery
• nano- and microbubble generation
• particle morphology
• flotation kinetics
• froth phase behavior