EdRockMan (Argo Consulting Formal Training Modules)
1) Module 1: Very basics of minerals, liberation, size reduction and sizing
-Mineralogy
-Liberation, image analyses/QemSCAN
-Sizing, cyclone sizing
-Blurb on grinding and energy
-Flash flotation in grinding circuits
2) Module 2: Flotation Basics – Part I
-Why is flotation important
-What is flotation
-Hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity (water, air, chemicals)
-Flotation reagents, selection
-What frothers, collectors do – look like on bubble, mineral surfaces
3) Module 3: Flotation Application – Part II
-Bubbles – number, how float machines create
-Physical model of attachment, detachment, froth drainage (upgrading)
-Bubble characteristics impact kinetics
-Float machine mixing (turbulent), quiescent and froth zones
-Mineral particle-bubble approach, attachment and detachment
-Why mechanistically fine and coarse particles are more difficult to float
-Froth drainage, upgrading
-Describe rougher, scavenger, cleaner flotation and variants
-Impact of slow floating particles on overall process performance
-Flotation system realities – cannot just control using chemicals
-Grade-recovery concept, reality
4) Module 4: Advanced Flotation Concepts – Part III
-Mineral, water chemistry aspects
-Chemistry fundamentals in a 3 phase flotation system, variable impacts
-Sulfide mineral solubility
-Redox reactions, bulk water interactions
-Mineral surface oxidation from reactive minerals, steel in grinding
-What causes hydrophobicity
-Natural hydrophobicity, oxidation impact on hydrophilicity
-DVO explanation of surface charge and flotation impact
-Bubble-particle energy interactions and impact on adhesion
- Alkyl chain impact on collector efficacy
-Eh-pH diagrams – what can they tell us?
-Importance of ORP on sulfide mineral floatability
-Hydrodynamics principles, flotation kinetics and recoveries
-What are bubbles?
-What is the particle attachment process on bubbles?
-Hydrodynamic forces
-Hydrodynamics from an engineering approach - bubble size and surface area, number and gas holdup principles and impact
-Frother chemistry impact on hydrodynamics, flotation kinetics
-Sulfide mineral chemicals
-Impact of water chemistry parameters on flotation
5) Module 5: Flotation Frothers
-What frothers actually do at bubble surface
-Frothers drive kinetics, recoveries
-Differences between weak and strong frothers
-Fine and coarse particle concerns, how manage
-Frothers from a hydrodynamic perspective
-Froth stability, entrainment
-Proper frother dosage, concept of ‘critical coalescence concentration’
-Impact of flotation machine air rate
6) Module 6: Flotation reagent evaluation and qualification process
(NOTE: this can be for any chemical, underlying statistical principle and strategies similar)
-Testing considerations, risk and scale-up issues
-Defining steps to manage risk, maximize results
-Impact of process variability on two line and single line tests impact on statistics used
-Defining process, cost improvement goals and impacts
-Detailed description of proper steps to be taken from initial site/ore considerations to process variability aspects
-Proper laboratory flotation testing to maximize analysis and validity
-How grade-recovery and flotation kinetics impact evaluation
-Parallel line vs. single line statistical analyses
7) Module 6: Solids-liquid separation
-Variety of solids-liquid separation
-Coagulant-flocculant chemistries and selection
-How coagulant and flocculant chemistries work
-Thickener operation, principles and operation
-Clarifiers, clarification principles and operation
-Water treatment plants, flowsheet principles and operation
-Filtration principles, operation
-Vacuum, gravity, pressure, mixed bed filters
-Chemical use in filtration
Above are dot point descriptions of our standard training package modules that we provide to clients and agents. Our focus is on the mineral processing (particularly flotation, but we can do other), solid-liquid separation, water treatment and chemical aspects which are down stream of crushing and grinding. Some of these sections can be done by actual experts (such as Wolfgang on mineralogy, liberation) but have to consider these specific modules are only 1-2 hours of the total training package so do not know if worth their cost and time investment for such a small part.
Given the nature of our business, at this point these training modules are pretty specific to sulfide mineral separations as well as coverage of solids liquid separation (thickening, clarification, filtering) and water treatment principles and operation.
While there are some fundamental basics involved in actual mineral processing separations, due to the nature of flotation specifically, training modules for industrial minerals, soluble salt minerals, etc. will require significant modification and additions to the present training modules which would be used as a beginning platform. But these would take time to develop. We have iron ore processing (flotation experience), some industrial minerals and have published on our work in potash flotation. We also have a coal processing background and can cover topics in a broad range of mineral processing segments.
Additional topics that can be developed are:
1) Module 1: Very basics of minerals, liberation, size reduction and sizing
-Mineralogy
-Liberation, image analyses/QemSCAN
-Sizing, cyclone sizing
-Blurb on grinding and energy
-Flash flotation in grinding circuits
2) Module 2: Flotation Basics – Part I
-Why is flotation important
-What is flotation
-Hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity (water, air, chemicals)
-Flotation reagents, selection
-What frothers, collectors do – look like on bubble, mineral surfaces
3) Module 3: Flotation Application – Part II
-Bubbles – number, how float machines create
-Physical model of attachment, detachment, froth drainage (upgrading)
-Bubble characteristics impact kinetics
-Float machine mixing (turbulent), quiescent and froth zones
-Mineral particle-bubble approach, attachment and detachment
-Why mechanistically fine and coarse particles are more difficult to float
-Froth drainage, upgrading
-Describe rougher, scavenger, cleaner flotation and variants
-Impact of slow floating particles on overall process performance
-Flotation system realities – cannot just control using chemicals
-Grade-recovery concept, reality
4) Module 4: Advanced Flotation Concepts – Part III
-Mineral, water chemistry aspects
-Chemistry fundamentals in a 3 phase flotation system, variable impacts
-Sulfide mineral solubility
-Redox reactions, bulk water interactions
-Mineral surface oxidation from reactive minerals, steel in grinding
-What causes hydrophobicity
-Natural hydrophobicity, oxidation impact on hydrophilicity
-DVO explanation of surface charge and flotation impact
-Bubble-particle energy interactions and impact on adhesion
- Alkyl chain impact on collector efficacy
-Eh-pH diagrams – what can they tell us?
-Importance of ORP on sulfide mineral floatability
-Hydrodynamics principles, flotation kinetics and recoveries
-What are bubbles?
-What is the particle attachment process on bubbles?
-Hydrodynamic forces
-Hydrodynamics from an engineering approach - bubble size and surface area, number and gas holdup principles and impact
-Frother chemistry impact on hydrodynamics, flotation kinetics
-Sulfide mineral chemicals
-Impact of water chemistry parameters on flotation
5) Module 5: Flotation Frothers
-What frothers actually do at bubble surface
-Frothers drive kinetics, recoveries
-Differences between weak and strong frothers
-Fine and coarse particle concerns, how manage
-Frothers from a hydrodynamic perspective
-Froth stability, entrainment
-Proper frother dosage, concept of ‘critical coalescence concentration’
-Impact of flotation machine air rate
6) Module 6: Flotation reagent evaluation and qualification process
(NOTE: this can be for any chemical, underlying statistical principle and strategies similar)
-Testing considerations, risk and scale-up issues
-Defining steps to manage risk, maximize results
-Impact of process variability on two line and single line tests impact on statistics used
-Defining process, cost improvement goals and impacts
-Detailed description of proper steps to be taken from initial site/ore considerations to process variability aspects
-Proper laboratory flotation testing to maximize analysis and validity
-How grade-recovery and flotation kinetics impact evaluation
-Parallel line vs. single line statistical analyses
7) Module 6: Solids-liquid separation
-Variety of solids-liquid separation
-Coagulant-flocculant chemistries and selection
-How coagulant and flocculant chemistries work
-Thickener operation, principles and operation
-Clarifiers, clarification principles and operation
-Water treatment plants, flowsheet principles and operation
-Filtration principles, operation
-Vacuum, gravity, pressure, mixed bed filters
-Chemical use in filtration
Above are dot point descriptions of our standard training package modules that we provide to clients and agents. Our focus is on the mineral processing (particularly flotation, but we can do other), solid-liquid separation, water treatment and chemical aspects which are down stream of crushing and grinding. Some of these sections can be done by actual experts (such as Wolfgang on mineralogy, liberation) but have to consider these specific modules are only 1-2 hours of the total training package so do not know if worth their cost and time investment for such a small part.
Given the nature of our business, at this point these training modules are pretty specific to sulfide mineral separations as well as coverage of solids liquid separation (thickening, clarification, filtering) and water treatment principles and operation.
While there are some fundamental basics involved in actual mineral processing separations, due to the nature of flotation specifically, training modules for industrial minerals, soluble salt minerals, etc. will require significant modification and additions to the present training modules which would be used as a beginning platform. But these would take time to develop. We have iron ore processing (flotation experience), some industrial minerals and have published on our work in potash flotation. We also have a coal processing background and can cover topics in a broad range of mineral processing segments.
Additional topics that can be developed are:
- Gravity
- Electrostatic
- Magnetic