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Minerals
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Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process
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Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2328

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guichao Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Interests: flotation; turbulence effects; bubble–particle collision
Dr. Xiangning Bu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization (Ministry of Education), China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: flotation kinetics; nanobubble; ultrasound cavitation; flotation kinetics; emulsified oily collectors; recycling of spent LIBs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interaction between particles and bubbles serves as the foundation for the successful implementation of froth flotation in mineral or coal beneficiation. These interactions are intricate physiochemical processes rooted in surface science and hydrodynamics. Initially, the effectiveness of collisions between particles and bubbles hinges on the fluid dynamics within the flow field. After this collision, the hydration film between them diminishes and breaks, giving rise to the rapid formation of a three-phase contact perimeter that swiftly stabilizes. At this juncture, particles adhere to the bubble surface, forming mineralized bubbles. As mineralized bubbles ascend to create a froth zone, the turbulent milieu of the slurry and occurrences like bubble coalescence or rupture may lead to the detachment of particles from the bubble surface.

Advancements in research continually enhance our comprehension of particle–bubble interactions. The swift evolution of testing techniques, such as 3D Particle Image Velocimetry (3D PIV), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Surface Force Apparatus (SFA), applied in flotation studies has enabled a transition from a macroscopic to a micro-nanoscale examination of these interactions. Furthermore, the utilization of high-speed imaging technology and simulation methods, while considering fluid dynamics, particle properties (size, hydrophobicity, shape, surface roughness, etc.), and bubble properties (size, type, stability), has enabled a deeper understanding of collision, attachment, and detachment phenomena.

Dr. Guichao Wang
Dr. Xiangning Bu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flotation
  • turbulence effects
  • bubble–particle collision
  • attachment
  • detachment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1289 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Particle-Resolved and Point-Particle Simulations of Particle–Bubble Collisions in Homogeneous Isotropic Turbulence
by Junwen Wang, Jichao Lin, Jianchun Wang, Yongwei Mao, Songying Chen and Guichao Wang
Minerals 2025, 15(4), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040338 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 247
Abstract
Bubble–particle collisions in turbulent flows are fundamental to flotation processes, yet their complex dynamics remain challenging to characterize accurately. In this study, a comparison study of a particle–bubble collision system in homogeneous isotropic turbulence was performed using the particle-resolved method and point-particle method. [...] Read more.
Bubble–particle collisions in turbulent flows are fundamental to flotation processes, yet their complex dynamics remain challenging to characterize accurately. In this study, a comparison study of a particle–bubble collision system in homogeneous isotropic turbulence was performed using the particle-resolved method and point-particle method. Direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows were achieved using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The effects of hydrodynamics on the collision particles were compared between Lagrangian tracking and directly resolving the disturbance flows around finite-size solid particles using an interpolated bounce-back scheme. The differences between point-particle and particle-resolved simulations are evaluated, highlighting their respective strengths and limitations. These findings enhance the understanding of turbulence-driven bubble–particle interactions and provide guidance for improving the accuracy of flotation modeling and process optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process)
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13 pages, 6469 KiB  
Article
An Investigation of the Impact of Altering the Contact Sequence Among Gas, Liquid, and Solid Phases on Mineral Floatability
by Dengfeng Han, Shuaixing Shi, Shuhan Chen, Wentao Hu and Chuanyao Sun
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030306 - 16 Mar 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
The fundamental processes in flotation involve the collision, adhesion, and detachment between bubbles and mineral particles. The hydration film, which is commonly found on the surface of both particles and bubbles, hinders the effective interaction between the gas, liquid, and solid phases. To [...] Read more.
The fundamental processes in flotation involve the collision, adhesion, and detachment between bubbles and mineral particles. The hydration film, which is commonly found on the surface of both particles and bubbles, hinders the effective interaction between the gas, liquid, and solid phases. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a Reverse Sequence Collision Flotation (RSCF) model, which changes the conventional sequence of gas–liquid–solid interactions. Theoretical analysis reveals that, compared to the traditional flotation process, the proposed model enhances the collision and adhesion between bubbles and mineral particles. Building upon this, preliminary studies were carried out to develop both a single-bubble static reverse sequence collision testing system and a multi-bubble dynamic reverse sequence collision testing system. These systems were used to conduct both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the collision and adhesion effects, thereby confirming the feasibility and separability of the RSCF model. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that mechanical disturbance can be used to adjust the bubble loading, thus creating a new enrichment strategy based on the RSCF model. In conclusion, the RSCF model presents a novel approach to improving flotation efficiency. Future research should focus on optimizing this model and exploring its application potential across different mineral systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process)
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19 pages, 6776 KiB  
Article
Atomized Reagent Addition with Synchronized Jet Pre-Mineralization to Enhance the Flotation Process: Study on Atomization Parameters and Mechanisms of Enhancement
by Yongliang Jiang, Chunbao Sun, Peilong Wang and Jue Kou
Minerals 2024, 14(10), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101053 - 20 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1076
Abstract
The atomized reagent and synchronous jet pre-mineralization technology, as a novel method to enhance the flotation process, increases the solubility of fatty acid collectors in pulp through atomized reagent application and improves the mineralization effect and flotation rate via synchronous jet pre-mineralization technology, [...] Read more.
The atomized reagent and synchronous jet pre-mineralization technology, as a novel method to enhance the flotation process, increases the solubility of fatty acid collectors in pulp through atomized reagent application and improves the mineralization effect and flotation rate via synchronous jet pre-mineralization technology, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for the flotation of minerals with fatty acid collectors. Systematic studies on the atomization method, atomization particle size, and flotation experiments revealed that, compared with conventional stirring methods, the atomized reagent method increases the solubility of sodium oleate in pulp from 82.5 mg/L to 142.9 mg/L at 288.15 K. The induction time for quartz particles treated with atomized reagents and bubbles is significantly lower than that of the conventional stirring method. Semi-industrial test results of the atomized reagent and synchronous jet pre-mineralization show that, compared to traditional roughing, the TFe grade increased by 0.87 percentage points, iron recovery increased by 3.95 percentage points, and reagent consumption decreased by 7.5 percentage points. Experimental and test results demonstrate that the atomized reagent and synchronous jet pre-mineralization technology can effectively enhance mineralization, accelerate the flotation rate, improve flotation indices, and reduce reagent consumption to a certain extent, providing significant guidance for the efficient recovery of fine-grained minerals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process)
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