DISSOLVED GAS FLOTATION IN MINERAL PROCESSING

Potential use of dissolved gas bubbles in mineral flotation processes was investigated by conducting tests on the copper–nickel ore of Inco Ltd. in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Such bubbles were generated by pressurizing the ore pulp in an air or argon atmosphere at a 276 kPa gauge (40 psig) for a period of about 1 min and then releasing the pressure by discharging the pressurized pulp into a column where flotation took place. Based on the conclusions of an earlier work, dissolved gas bubbles were employed together with conventional bubbles, the latter produced by a gas sparger located inside the flotation column. The presence of dissolved gas bubbles in the flotation pulp was found to have a significant impact, particularly when argon was used as the flotation gas, resulting in substantially higher grades and recoveries in the concentrate. At the same time, mass recoveries by size showed a 20% increase across all sizes when air was used as the flotation gas and a 40–100% increase in the case of argon.     

Bioleaching model of a copper-sulfide ore bed in heap and dump configurations

A two-dimensional (2-D) model for a heap or dump bioleaching of a copper ore containing mainly chalcocite and pyrite has been developed. The rate of the mineral sulfide dissolution was related to the rate of oxidation by bacteria attached onto the ore surface. The latter was calculated using the model of Michaelis-Menten, where both temperature and dissolved oxygen in the leach solution were taken into account by the kinetic equation. Oxygen transport through the ore bed was associated with natural air convection originating from the decrease in gas density inside the ore bed, which was attributable not only to heating, but also to humidification and decrease in the oxygen concentration. The model was used to estimate air-velocity fields and profiles of temperature and oxygen concentrations as well as mineral conversions during the bioleaching operation for ore beds with different pyrite contents, bacterial populations, widths, heights, and permeabilities. The model provides a useful tool for the design, improvement, and optimization of industrial operating conditions.     

Dissolution of multicomponent microbubbles in the bloodstream: 1. Theory

The problem of dissolution of a bubble in the bloodstream is examined. The bubble is assumed to be filled with a mixture of a sparingly water-soluble gas (osmotic agent) and air. The dissolution of the bubble has three definite stages. In Stage 1, the bubble quickly swells in air. The swelling ratio depends on the surface tension, blood pressure, level of oxygen metabolism and initial mole fraction of osmotic agent in the bubble. In Stage 2, the osmotic agent slowly diffuses out of the bubble. The squared radius decreases nearly linearly with time, at a rate proportional to the Ostwald coefficient and diffusivity of the osmotic agent. In Stage 3, the partial pressure of the osmotic agent becomes so high that it condenses into a liquid. In order to prolong the lifetime of 5-micron bubbles in the bloodstream from < 1 s (as found with pure air), the osmotic agent must have a low Ostwald coefficient (< or = 10(-4)) and a relatively high saturated vapor pressure at body temperature (> or = 0.3 atm = 3 x 10(4) Pa).     

基于数值模拟分析赤铁矿对地浸采铀的影响

在地浸采铀过程中,赤铁矿作为铀矿中常见的伴生矿物,在溶解过程中会生成三价铁离子,为探明酸法浸铀过程中因赤铁矿的水岩作用产生的变化及其对铀浸出的影响,以巴彦乌拉地浸采铀过程为例,通过模型概化构建赤铁矿存在下不同的模型进行对比分析。结果表明,1)模拟过程结束后(500d),赤铁矿的溶解速率相对较慢,注液孔1、2处区域矿层内的赤铁矿溶解量仅12.86%,而发生溶解的区域也因抽注作用形成的人工流场影响下,呈现出两极分化的趋势,并且相邻的两个注液孔之间的水力场也出现相互影响的现象,其中注液孔1溶解区域最远处距离注液孔14.1m,最近处8m;注液孔2溶解区域最远处距离注液孔12m,最近处7m。2)矿层中赤铁矿的存在对铀浸出有着巨大的影响,赤铁矿溶解时产生的三价铁离子加速了铀矿的溶解,矿层中仅含有1.08%的赤铁矿时,生产模型注液孔1处区域内的沥青铀矿仅需要11d便完全溶解,而理想模型同样区域的沥青铀矿需要75d才完全溶解;整个模拟过程结束后(500d),生产模型中,铀矿完全溶解的区域最远处仅离抽液孔12.2m,而理想模型内,铀矿完全溶解的区域离抽液孔24.4m。3)抽注作用形成的水力场将会对整个地浸采铀产生非常重要的影响,无论是溶浸液运移的路径与时间,还是矿层溶解的趋势和走向,都被人工流场影响着,因此需要对抽注系统进行合理布置,使得在实际生产中,矿区内不存在水力场死角,所有区域都能够被溶浸液覆盖。     

Cyanidation of a Venezuelan Auriferous Ore

A study is presented about the applicability of intensive cyanidation using oxygen-enriched air on samples of auriferous ores supplied by the company C.V.G. MINERVEN. Samples were taken from the Gran Colombia mine located in El Callao, Bolivar State, Venezuela. Tests were performed in a 3.0 1 agitated glass batch reactor to study the effect of both the concentration of cyanide and the concentration of dissolved oxygen on the percentage of gold recovery at 8 hours of leaching, the average dissolution kinetics at 1, 2, 4 and 8 hours, and the consumption of cyanide and lime. A 32-experimental factorial design was carried out and the results were subjected to analysis of variance. The concentration of free cyanide, ranging within 0.1-0.5 g/l, showed a large positive effect over the percentage of gold recovery and average dissolution kinetics at 90% and 95% levels of significance. The effect of the concentration of dissolved oxygen was found to be significant on the average kinetics at 2 and 4 hours of cyanidation, only at 90% level.

Tests were replicated and experimental errors were clearly quantified. Contrary to the claims made by some researchers, the results of this work suggest that for this particular ore it is not justifiable to inject oxygen-enriched air into the cyanidation vessels.     

Investigation into the Total Dissolved Gas Dynamics of Wells Dam Using a Two-Phase Flow Model

Bubbles entrained by spilled water at hydroelectric projects increase the concentration of total dissolved gas (TDG), which may lead to gas bubble disease in fish. In this paper, the TDG dynamics downstream of Wells Dam are investigated using a two-phase flow model that accounts for the effect of the bubbles on the flow field. The TDG is calculated with a transport equation in which the source is the bubble/liquid mass transfer, a function of the gas volume fraction and bubble size. The model uses anisotropic turbulence modeling and includes attenuation of normal fluctuation at the free surface to capture the flow field and TDG mixing. The model is validated using velocity and TDG field data. Simulations under two plant operational configurations are performed to gain a better understanding of the effect of spill operations on the production, transport, and mixing of TDG. Model results indicate that concentrated spill releases create surface jets that result in the lowest TDG concentration downstream. On the other hand, spreading the spill release, with moderate flow through each gate, produces the highest TDG values downstream as a result of more air available for dissolution and smaller degasification at the free surface.     

A mathematical model for the solution mining of primary copper ore: Part II. leaching by solution containing oxygen bubbles

The one-dimensional model developed previously to simulate thein situ leaching of copper from deeply-buried low-grade copper ore deposits is used to simulate thein situ operation in which the oxygen-saturated solution containing oxygen bubbles is introduced at the bottom of the chimney. The physical and chemical processes incorporated in the present model include the axial convective transport of mass and heat, axial dispersion of mass, mass transfer between the liquid and gas phases, fluid-solid mass transfer, diffusion of oxygen in the pores of ore fragments, and the dissolution of sulfide minerals. The coupled model equations are solved numerically by an implicit finite-difference method. Calculations have been made for various values of the volume fraction of oxygen bubbles (up to 0.1) in the fluid just downstream of the oxygen sparging nozzle. Calculated results indicate that, for a specific chimney considered, the total amount of copper extracted increases with increasing volume fraction of undissolved oxygen bubbles in the inlet fluid and increasing superficial velocity of the solution (up to 20 m per day). However, a further increase in the superficial velocity of liquid or undissolved oxygen bubbles does not enhance copper extraction. Calculated results also indicate that the total fractional recovery of copper increases with decreasing pyrite to chalcopyrite molar ratio, ore grade, particle size, and shape factor.     

铁矿石溶解与烧结熔体流动行为机理

 在铁矿石烧结过程中,铁矿石部分溶解于烧结熔体,直接影响熔体的性质,进而影响烧结矿的黏结。为了明晰铁矿石与烧结熔体的相互作用,采用化学纯试剂煅烧法制备以Ca_3.6Fe_14.4O_25.2和CaFe₂O₄矿物为主的铁酸钙系黏附粉。以7种核心铁矿石-铁酸钙系(w(CaO)=15%)黏附粉构成烧结偶为主要研究对象,采用实验室烧结方法,研究了核矿石溶解与烧结熔体流动行为。在此基础上,使用化学纯试剂模拟核矿石的化学组成,考察了核矿石SiO₂、Al₂O₃含量对熔体横向流动面积和核矿石溶解指数的影响规律及机理。结果表明,在核矿石溶解于CaO-Fe₂O₃液相后,形成了交互层区域。核矿石中矿物,尤其是石英,溶解进入熔体,在靠近熔体一侧促使生成复杂CaO-Fe₂O₃系液相,而在靠近核矿石一侧促使简单CaO-Fe₂O₃系液相转变为CaO-Fe₂O₃-SiO₂系液相。靠近熔体一侧析出以铁酸钙系和赤铁矿为主的矿物,而靠近核矿石一侧析出以硅酸盐和赤铁矿为主的矿物。随着核矿石SiO₂含量的增加,一方面,使得溶解进入熔体中的SiO₂数量增加,溶解指数得到提升;另一方面,提升了简单CaO-Fe₂O₃系液相的黏度,从而使得熔体横向流动面积减小。随着核矿石Al₂O₃含量的增加,溶解进入熔体中的Al₂O₃数量增加,进而熔体横向流动面积降低,而核矿石溶解指数升高。Al₂O₃相较于SiO₂对核矿石溶解与熔体流动行为的影响更大。     

高海拔地区原子吸收法测定地质样品中金的最佳条件探讨

针对高海拔地区大气压低,水沸点低,金的溶出率低,富集金的泡沫塑料在硫脲溶液中的解脱率低等问题,比较了高原地区与平原地区在相同条件下的测定结果,探讨了溶矿时王水浓度对金溶出率的影响;比较了2种溶矿方法、泡沫塑料吸附的温度和泡沫塑料的解脱方法等对测定结果的影响。通过多次试验,确定了高海拔地区测定金的最佳条件。该方法经国家一级标准物质分析验证,结果与标准值相符。方法的精密度（RSD,n=6）为2.85%～4.37%,检出限为0.03 μg/mL,适用于高海拔地区地质样品中金的分析,较好地解决了高原地区低压环境下样品中金测定的技术难题。     

Absence of intravascular bubble nucleation in dead rats

Bubble formation in the inferior vena cavae (IVC) of dead rats was investigated after 6-15-h exposures to air at 123 atm abs (12.5 MPa) and decompression to 1 atm abs at 13.6 atm/min (1.4 MPa/min). The maximum estimated air-supersaturation attained in the IVCs after decompression was 6.1-18.3 atm (0.6-1.8 MPa). Bubbles were detected by light microscopy, buoyancy, and underwater dissection. No bubbles formed in 42 blood-filled IVCs that were isolated from the circulation by ligatures, but bubbles were always observed in unisolated IVCs (P < 0.000005). Other isolated IVCs were filled with tap water, water and bubbles, or water and iron filings. Bubbles formed in 13% of the IVCs filled with tap water, in 16% of the IVCs containing water with preexisting bubbles, and in 80% of the IVCs containing water with iron filings. Results indicate that at the air supersaturations attained in the isolated IVCs a) blood is resistant to de novo bubble formation; b) preexisting bubbles are dissolved by compression; c) bubbles in water originate from preexisting gas nuclei; and d) iron filings harbor gas nuclei that are able to survive 122 atm (12.4 MPa) overpressures and form bubbles on subsequent decompression.     

CO2+O2地浸采铀脉石矿物与浸矿剂相互作用研究

在CO2+O2地浸采铀应用过程中,浸矿剂不仅与载铀物质发生反应,亦与脉石矿物发生反应。为探索砂岩型铀矿主要脉石矿物与浸矿剂的相互作用,在中性条件下（pH分别为6.20、6.40、6.60、6.80和7.00）对脉石单矿物及天然铀矿石进行高压釜静态浸出试验,对比浸出溶液中各种离子浓度变化和反应后渣样的形貌变化特征。发现：1）方解石溶解可产生HCO3-和Ca2+,HCO3-升高能加速铀浸出,而Ca2+浓度升高会增加石膏和方解石沉淀风险;2）黄铁矿与浸矿剂反应易产生H+,阻碍CO2与水反应生成HCO3-,不利于铀浸出,但当黄铁矿与方解石同时存在,黄铁矿同浸矿剂相互作用会加速方解石的溶解,故对富方解石的矿石来说,黄铁矿的存在有利于铀的浸出;3）钾长石溶解可形成黏土矿物,对溶出的铀酰离子有一定的吸附性;此外,黏土颗粒细小,在地浸工业应用过程中增加黏土物理堵塞的风险;4）高岭石在浸出过程中会释放其所吸附的其他离子,同时吸附铀酰。渣样矿物学分析结果显示,各种矿物在浸出过程中均发生差异性溶解,其中方解石溶解最明显,表面逐步被侵蚀粗糙,钾长石表面溶蚀微弱;黄铁矿表面随着浸矿剂的作用逐步覆盖一层铁氧化物或者铁的氢氧化物;高岭石的微观形貌变化不明显。     

Fundamentals of Bubble Formation during Coagulation and Sedimentation Processes

Conventional coagulation and sedimentation processes can be significantly disrupted by gas bubbles, attaching to, and then floating coagulant floc. This study sought to understand the fundamental factors that lead to bubble formation and corresponding floating floc during coagulation and sedimentation. Gas bubbles (causing the floating floc) can form whenever the total dissolved gas pressure exceeds the local solution pressure, which can occur at localized minimum pressures during rapid mixing at high fluid velocities. Very high rate rapid mixers can cause bubble formation and floating floc even in waters undersaturated with dissolved gas. The formation and stability of floating floc are dependent on the local solution pressure, amount and type of dissolved gas supersaturation, temperature, length of rapid mixing, surface chemistry of the mixing paddle, floc, and attachment forces.     

Problems in the separation of radium from uranium ore tailings

The radium content of a representative sandstone type of uranium ore was found to be distributed uniformly according to particle size before leaching, but in sulfuric acid-leached tailings was found predominantly in the ?325 mesh fraction. The radium leaching characteristics from both ore and sulfate-leached tailings were investigated. Several 1 M salt solutions showed poor to moderate RaSO₄ dissolution from “slimes solids” tailings, while 3 M HNO₃ or HCl solutions dissolved approximately 95% of the radium content of either ore or tailings. Tests are reported in which ?325 mesh sand particles were coated with alkaline-earth sulfates by a special technique to simulate slime solids tailings. The dissolution of RaSO₄ from these coated sands was decreased by the presence of BaSO₄, but increased by the presence of CaSO₄. The interrelationships in the dissolution of mixtures of CaSO₄, SrSO₄, BaSO₄, and RASO₄ are shown, and a generalized equation for the estimation of the dissolution of a minor component is presented.     

The dissolution of gold in acidic solutions of thiourea

In order to evaluate the potential of acidic thiourea as a reagent for leaching gold, a study was made of the dissolution of gold in acidic solutions of thiourea containing various oxidants. Experiments were conducted on rotating disks of pure gold and on ground gold ores. The chemical oxidants used included iron(III), hydrogen peroxide, oxygen and formamidine disulphide; the latter reagent was formed in situ by the action of both hydrogen peroxide and dissolved oxygen on thiourea. Gold was observed to dissolve in these solutions at rates which approached the limiting diffusion controlled rate. Iron(III) as the oxidant caused the most rapid initial rate of dissolution of gold, but this rate soon decreased because of the reaction between iron(III) and thiourea; this resulted in the consumption of an excessive amount of thiourea which made the use of iron(III) as the oxidant unattractive in any ore leaching system based upon the use of thiourea as leaching agent.The results observed in the rotating disk study were applied to the leaching of crushed ores. A large proportion of the oxidant necessary for the extraction of the gold was derived from the ore itself; the remainder of the oxidant required could be supplied as hydrogen peroxide during preparation of the leach liquor, and by agitation of the slurry by a flow of air. When solutions containing 1.2 M thiourea were used it was possible to extract the gold from an ore within one hour; under these conditions the consumption of thiourea was about 1.4 kg thiourea per ton of ore treated. This figure could be reduced to 0.4 kg thiourea/ton if 0.1 M thiourea was used; complete extraction of the gold then occurred within eight hours.Gold can be leached at a much greater rate by acidic solutions of thiourea than is possible by conventional cyanidation techniques. However on economic grounds the latter technique must be preferred unless a really rapid rate of dissolution of gold is required.     

Dissolution Behavior of Chromite Ore in CaO-SiO2 System

Numerous investigations proposed that the dissolution of chromite ore is the rate-controlling step for the smelting reduction of chromite ore. The mechanism of chromite ore dissolution in the binary CaO-SiO₂ system is presented. The effect of basicity, temperature, and reducing conditions on chromite ore dissolution is elaborated. The solubility of chromite ore increases considerably when the basicity increases from 0.56 to 0.65. However, the solubility of chromite ore decreases when the basicity further increases from 0.65 to 0.74. The positive effect of reducing conditions on the solubility of chromite ore is evident. The maximum dissolved Cr₂O₃ in slag under reducing conditions by using a graphite crucible reaches 2.6 wt% after 15 min of dissolution. The element diffusion behavior at the chromite/slag interface is elaborated through SEM-EDS technology. The analysis suggests that the rate-controlling step in the early stage is the interface dissolution reaction. After a certain time, the rate-controlling step becomes the mass transfer of Cr₂O₃ from the chromite ore to the chromite/slag interface. The activation energy of the dissolution reaction is $E_{\mathrm{r}}$ = 285.29 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Acid leaching studies of chrysotile asbestos from mines in the Coalinga region of California and from Quebec and British Columbia

The dissolution of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si) from various samples of chrysotile asbestos was measured in N HCl at 25 degrees C. Nine samples were used, five from Canada and four from the Coalinga deposit in California. With milled samples from Quebec, the fraction of Mg dissolving was linearly related to the square root of the leaching time until at least 65% had dissolved. With a hand-picked sample of ore from Quebec, the sample from British Columbia and all the Californian samples, the Mg leaching patterns were sigmoid. The leaching patterns for Si were sigmoid in shape for all the materials tested. Mean Mg dissolution rates were calculated for each leaching period. Considerable differences were observed between samples from the different mining regions and also between hand-picked and milled samples from the same mine. Initially, Mg dissolved more rapidly from milled Quebec chrysotiles than from the Coalinga samples. This difference is due in part to the rapid dissolution of non-structural brucite, present in all the samples from Quebec but not in those from California. An additional cause is greater damage to the fibre surfaces resulting from the milling to which the less readily-opened fibres, typical of the Quebec mining area, were subjected. Once this readily-available Mg had dissolved, there was little difference in leaching rates between milled and unmilled samples from the different regions. When the fraction of Mg dissolving is plotted against that of Si, all the materials follow a similar pattern, suggesting that the dissolution of Si (as silica) is the rate-controlling step in the dissolution of Mg.     

Massive air embolus to the left ventricle: diagnosis and monitoring by serial echocardiography

Air embolization is an unusual but potentially dangerous complication in left heart catheterization. Microbubbles can be detected with two-dimensional echocardiography, which is often used for this purpose during open heart and bypass surgeries. Permanent neurologic sequelae and hemodynamic collapse can result from embolization of air bubbles to the cerebral and coronary circulations, respectively. Hyperbaric oxygen is the treatment of choice for cerebral air embolization. We present a 39-year-old man who had air embolization during left ventriculography in the form of a large pocket of "pooled" air. The patient was treated with conservative therapy successfully. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was used to document the presence of the air and follow its dissolution.     

微波消解-磺基水杨酸光度法测定磷矿石中铁

磺基水杨酸光度法测定铁是比较经典的方法,但对于磷矿石,采用敞口聚四氟乙烯烧杯在电热板上溶矿过程中溶液易喷溅,且显色时在pH 8~11溶液中,PO_4~(3-)会跟磷矿石中的Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)反应生成沉淀而影响铁的测定,同时含锰高的磷矿石中的Mn~(2+)也会对铁的测定产生干扰。因此实验在HNO_3-HF-SSA(磺基水杨酸)混合酸里采用密闭高压微波消解技术快速消解各种磷矿石,并通过磺基水杨酸光度法在六次甲基四胺介质中测定磷矿石中铁(以Fe_2O_3形式表示)。考察确定了微波消解条件(功率400 W、压力0.5 MPa、消解时间10min)和混合酸的最佳用量(2mL HNO_3-5mL HF-2mL 200g/L SSA溶液),并对磷矿石国家标准物质和实际样品分析,结果表明,实验方法与国家标准方法(GB/T 1871.2—1995)以及电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法(ICP-AES)测定结果一致,测定值与认定值一致,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)在2%以内,可满足磷矿石中0.05%~10%三氧化二铁的测定要求。     

熔融制样-X射线荧光光谱法测定锰铁中锰硅磷

锰铁试样以水和硝酸于铂黄坩埚中溶解并蒸干,加入Co元素为Mn元素内标,以四硼酸锂为熔剂、溴化钾为脱模剂,熔融制作玻璃熔片,在X射线荧光光谱仪上测定锰、硅和磷的含量。本法采用少量水浸润试样并滴加硝酸溶解的试样前处理方法,可保证溶解反应温和且不致试样扑溅损失,有效避免了锰铁熔融过程中坩埚腐蚀问题。同时采用大稀释比、内标法减少了基体干扰。对不同生产单位的标准样品进行测定,测定值与认定值相吻合,各元素测定结果的相对标准偏差（n＝11）为0.25%～1.9%。     

Investigation of the Influence of Sprinkler Fins and Dissolved Air on Jet Flow

Experimental investigations of an irrigation gun water jet revealed that the flow is a mixture due to the degassing of the air dissolved in the supply water. The expansion of resulting air bubbles allowed velocity measurements in the region of the free jet close to the nozzle by a nonintrusive method (particle image velocimetry). Additional measurements were also implemented with an intrusive double-tip optical fiber probe. In this study a comparison was undertaken on the dynamic parameters of the outflow from a gun with fins and a second unfinned. Results underline the effects of fins and degassing on the jet internal properties and their consequences on the irrigation process.