Centralized Control System of the Flotation Department: Ross-Eshby Principle

The aim of the study is to scientifically substantiate the need to use the axiomatic approach when choosing and studying the processes of centralized dispatching control of technological parameters for a complex of flotation machines. During the research, the au-thors performed: comparison of a real object and its properties with the classical control axioms of system analysis; substantiated the use of a hierarchical structure of interrelated technological parameters and their application for situational management. Methods of classical control axioms of system analysis were used for the research. The authors formu-lated the criteria for situational management, the concept of visualization in the dispatching system. The results obtained allow us to assert that the implementation of the Ross-Ashby principle significantly increases the controllability of technological processes with a large number of units and measured parameters.

Efficiency Assessment of Allflot Pneumatic Flotation Machines in Beneficiation Slime Fraction of Old Tailings at Norilsk Processing Plant

The article presents a rational technology for processing old tailings and slime (cyclone overflows) of the -25+0 microns class at tailing dump No. 1 of the Norilsk Processing Plant. One of the current and urgent problems is the lack of an efficient technology to process the slime part of old tailings with fine particles of useful metals, which is not processed and is transferred to temporary tailing dump. Current development state of the flotation equipment and technologies allows to consider the problem of coarse-size particle flotability generally solved. The results of pilot testing of the Allflot pneumatic flotation cell that operates at the 5% content of solids in the slime at Nordinves LLC are presented. Comparative materials are provided on the Allflot re-treatment slurry flotation cell (500 l) and a laboratory mechanical machine (1.5 l). The results of qualitative and quantitative calculations of the flotation process as applied to the slime fraction of old tailings are given. Conclusions about the economic feasibility of using the Allflot Pneumatic Flotation Machine for slime beneficiation are made.

Development of flotation machine impeller on the base of additive technologies

The constant increase in the consumption of ferrous, non-ferrous, precious and rare metals in the national economy requires an increase in the efficiency of minerals mining and processing. One of the main methods of enrichment used in the technological process of processing various ores is foam flotation. The authors provide a brief description of this process and analysis of various designs of flotation machines. The article is devoted to the modernization of the aeration unit of flotation machines with “RIF” design. It is noted that the design of such machines effectively uses the modular principle of assembly aggregates, which allows you to upgrade individual unit, increasing the efficiency of the machine as a whole. The main part of this unit is an impeller – the most complex and fast – wearing part. The paper analyzes various designs of impellers and their manufacturing technologies. It is noted that in the existing designs of flotation machines, the impellers are made of steel. It is proposed to replace this material with polyurethane, which has become widely used as a structural material due to the emergence of additive technologies in the production of various parts. This material has a relatively low cost and has an increased resistance to wear. The article formulates the main requirements for the most important operations of the technological process of impeller manufacturing. For this purpose, a 3D model of the upgraded impeller design was developed in the SolidWorks 3D computer-aided design system. The authors propose an additive technology for layer-by-layer production of an impeller on a 3D printer using the Ultimaker Cura slicer program. For the manufacture of the proposed design of the impeller made of polyurethane, the production technology was developed by the method of layer-by-layer deposition method of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

The study of the column flotation capacities for stimulation of potash ore flotation

Potassium ore contains readily sludgable water-insoluble silicate–carbonate impurities which actively adsorb cation collectors (primary alkylamines) used in sylvine flotation. This fact determines inclusion of multistage de-sludging flowsheets, with rougher and cleaning flotation of sludge in the processing technology. A prerequisite for flotation de-sludging of ore is pre-flocculation of sludge. Flotation of sludge in mechanical flotation machines is carried out with intensive mechanical stirring of the suspension, which impairs the selective separation of sludge into the flotation froth and leads to the partial destruction of sludge floccules, which causes an increased consumption of the flocculant. In column machines, flotation is carried out in a laminar-upward flow of finely dispersed air bubbles ejected into the suspension in the lower part of the column, and is characterized by the minimal hydromechanical effect on the mineral particle–air bubble attachment. An important feature of flotation in column machines is the adjustability of the foam layer height in a wide range of values (up to 0.5 m and more) and its washability, which makes it possible to increase the recovery selectivity of the floated material into the foam product. The design of column machines for enrichment of potash ores, which are water-soluble and floatable in rich salt solutions, should ensure elimination of crystallization of the aeration system for supplying air to the column machine. The tests of column flotation of sludge produced from potash ores of the Upper Kama deposit with different contents of water-insoluble impurities were carried out on the experimental installation of ERIEZ Flotation Division. The results of the comparison of flotation efficiency and selectivity in mechanical and column flotation machines are presented. The possibility of de-sludge flotation of potash ores with different contents of water-insoluble impurities (1.5–4%) with the significant improvement of flotation selectivity at the lower consumption of reagents is shown. The use of column flotation creates conditions for simplifying the instrumental and technological flowsheet of flotation.