Comparison of mechanical flotation cell and cyclonic microbubble flotation column in terms of separation performance for fine graphite

Comparison of flotation performance between the flotation column and mechanical flotation was carried out to promote the grade and economic value of the graphite ore (15.40% ash content). The ash content of the concentrate of the mechanical flotation was 10.77% at the yield of 79.34%. In contrast, the yield of the concentrate of the column flotation was increased to 88.93% with 10.55% ash content. Comparative study of the Fuerstenau upgrading curves indicated that the column flotation was more efficient for cleaning the graphite ore in the presence of the centrifugal force field, nanobubbles (generated by hydrodynamic cavitation), and the thicker froth layer in comparison with the mechanical flotation.