Experimental flotation columns and me

When I first contacted the flotation column, I had just returned to Changsha from Nanjing.  As a beneficiation technician, my main task is to do the application test of flotation column at the customer's production site, and compare it with the production index on the site, which is commonly known as "shunt contrast test".  It is to separate a part of pulp from the production site into the test flotation column to carry out index comparison test.

Flotation column is mainly composed of column, ore feeding system, gas supply system and liquid level automatic control system.  At that time, we had a shallow understanding of the experimental flotation column, which basically came from the industrial flotation column.

At that time, the test flotation column is made of carbon steel, with 4~6 meters high, the installation process needs to use the lifting equipment, the first time to the site installation, I was confused.  At that time, bubble sparger were also in line with industry, and such high-pressure spargers were a disaster in experimental flotation columns with diameters of less than 200mm.

The control system is basic simulation of industry, it can be said that tailings plugging pipe is normal.  One day test down, that taste, is really let a person bear to think of ah.

After two unforgettable field tests, I made up my mind to develop a new flotation column test again.  At that time, the main purpose was to change the dilemma of my own work.

I made up my mind, but I didn't have a clue.  My classmate who told me that they imported a test flotation column, easy to use.  I and beam two people directly flew over, a look at the flotation column, suddenly realized that the idea of the other people completely separated from the industrial flotation column.

After coming back, we began to design.  I was responsible for the calculation of technological parameters, and the beam worker was responsible for processing and procurement.  Although we refer to the imported test column, most of the things are different from foreign countries.  There are problems of cost and raw materials, which is also considered in combination with China's national conditions.

Easy to know, difficult to do, the development process of the bubbler and liquid level measurement to us.  All we know is that the imported equipment uses a special foaming material, but it is not clear what it is.  At that time I look up information on the net everyday, finally tried nearly 20 kinds of materials to find satisfactory foaming material.  For liquid level measurement, we completely different foreign measurement methods and cooperate with a sensor manufacturer to develop a liquid level gauge specifically for the test flotation column pulp level measurement.  I set the model of this liquid level as JYWJ-530.  This is also what makes me most proud, because with the precise measurement of this level gauge, the adjustment speed of our experimental flotation column pulp level is several times faster than that of imported equipment, and it can be stabilized to the set level in the fastest 13 seconds, which is unimagined before.

After the development of experimental flotation column, the difficulty of flotation column test is greatly reduced, and we beneficiation technicians are not so afraid of field contrast test.  However, new problems arise because flotation column test is simulated industrial production and the test process is continuous feeding (similar to expanding continuous test).  A single test requires a large sample amount, but it is very difficult for laboratories to prepare such a large sample amount, so many laboratories are unwilling to carry out flotation column test.

Due to the number of samples, the popularization of flotation column test is still very difficult.  Some projects used industrial flotation column without flotation column test, and finally rejected the flotation column because of the unsatisfactory production index.  If the production index is not ideal, it does not necessarily mean that the flotation column is not good.  Without the guidance of test data, it may cause unreasonable selection or related process problems, because these reasons hinder the application of flotation column, which makes us sad.

In order to solve this problem, we have targeted the development cycle of flotation column, at present already entered the stage of marketing, circular test of flotation column can effectively solve the pain points of great test sample weight, but overall still larger than sample amount of flotation machine,  this is determined by the equipment structure, is temporarily unable to solve.

I once asked Teacher Feng Qiming about the limitations of inflatable flotation column.  Teacher Feng reminded me at that time: "Do not think of relying on one equipment to conquer the world, everything has limitations, the key is to find the suitable field." I often think of Mr. Feng's teachings, so I set the first of Jumu mining's values as "Don't do things beyond ability", which is also my principle to be a man and do things.