Nano-reactive oily bubbles for enhancing fine particle flotation by agglomeration

加拿大是世界上主要的矿业国家之一，生产了60多种重要的矿物和金属**，供全球使用。矿业是加拿大经济的支柱，创造了全国GDP的近3%。**然而，加拿大矿业公司在满足全球对**大宗商品的需求方面面临着许多挑战。面对不断下降的矿石品位和更严格的环保**法规，创新至关重要(《2013年趋势追踪》，德勤)。高品位矿石资源的迅速枯竭**促使采矿和选矿行业探索处理低品位矿石的新技术。**从低品位矿石中有效地回收有价值的矿物需要高能量的细磨来解放矿物**和新的细粒浮选技术。**小于5微米的细小颗粒的浮选极具挑战性，因为气泡-颗粒碰撞和附着效率低，**加上黏泥涂层，导致回收率低和选择性差。由于金属氢氧化物物种和细脉矿物颗粒在目标矿物表面的非选择性沉淀或沉积，目标矿物颗粒表面的煤泥涂层对细粒浮选更加困难。这反过来又会导致尾矿中有价值的矿物流失。这一战略项目中提出的研究是**开发一种创新的纳米反应油泡技术，通过**选择性地增加目标矿物颗粒的粒度来增强细颗粒的浮选。该研究项目的成功将促进加拿大矿产资源(矿产部门)的可持续开发和利用的资源转化和加工(战略研究课题)，同时最大限度地减少能源的使用和矿物废物的产生。预计在10年内，通过选择性增加目标矿物的粒度来强化细粒浮选的概念验证的纳米反应油泡技术将适时地应用于选矿工业。

Canada is one of the leading mining nations in the world, producing more than 60 vital minerals and metals**that are used globally. Mining is a pillar of the Canadian economy, generating almost 3% of the national GDP.**However, Canadian mining companies face a number of challenges in meeting the global demand for**commodities. Innovation is critical in the face of declining ore grades and more stringent environmental**regulations (Tracking the Trends 2013, Deloitte). The rapid depletion of high-grade mineral ore resources has**driven the mining and mineral processing industry to explore new technologies to process lower grade ores.**The effective recovery of valuable minerals from low grade ores requires energy-intensive fine grinding for**mineral liberation and a new technology for fine particle flotation. The flotation of fine particles of sizes less**than 5 micron is extremely challenging due to inefficient bubble - particle collision and attachment,**compounded by slime coatings, leading to a low recovery and a poor selectivity. The slime coatings on target**mineral particles are more problematic for fine particle flotation due to non-selective precipitation or**deposition of metal hydroxide species and fine gangue mineral particles on the surface of target minerals. This**in turn results in a loss of valuable minerals in tailings. The proposed research in this strategic project is to**develop an innovative nano-reactive oily bubble technology for enhancing fine particle flotation by**selectively increasing the particle size of traget mineral particles . The success of this research program will enhance the resources conversion and processing (strategic research topic) for the sustainable development and use of Canada's mineral resources (minerals sector) while minimizing the use of energy and the generation of mineral wastes. It is anticipated that the concept-proven nano-reactive oily bubble technology for enhancing fine particle flotation by selectively increasing the particle size of target minerals be applied in mineral processing industry timely within 10 years.****