Bubble surface area flux: a parameter to characterise flotation cells.

Bubble surface area flux, S(b), is the surface area of bubbles (in m2) per unit time (in s) per unit cross-sectional area of flotation machine (in m2). S(b) equals six times the gas flow rate divided by the product of cell cross-section and mean bubble diameter. Bubble surface area flux is now receiving wide attention as a possible key machine variable for flotation diagnosis and modelling. In column flotation of recycled paper, the dependence of ink recovery on S(b) has been shown to be the same regardless of column size or sparger type; in mechanical cells, rate constant has been found to be related to S(b) independent of impeller type. The use of S(b) is limited by the problem of measurement, primarily that of estimating d(b). Exploratory work has been carried out in a mechanical cell with a prototype probe designed to estimate d(b) from conductivity measurements.
Bubble surface area flux, S(b), is the surface area of bubbles (in m2) per unit time (in s) per unit cross-sectional area of flotation machine (in m2). S(b) equals six times the gas flow rate divided by the product of cell cross-section and mean bubble diameter. Bubble surface area flux is now receiving wide attention as a possible key machine variable for flotation diagnosis and modelling. In column flotation of recycled paper, the dependence of ink recovery on S(b) has been shown to be the same regardless of column size or sparger type; in mechanical cells, rate constant has been found to be related to S(b) independent of impeller type. The use of S(b) is limited by the problem of measurement, primarily that of estimating d(b). Exploratory work has been carried out in a mechanical cell with a prototype probe designed to estimate d(b) from conductivity measurements.