floatation question

[goldshark]

You are aware this post is 14 years old?

You got me. Not until you mentioned it. I have had a couple conversations on this subject with @Deano involved, but there is obviously an interest in this subject. I know it is more Gold production than a refining issue, but let's see if anybody is still interested in the subject.

 

[4metals]

While this is titled a gold refining forum we get a lot of questions about ore extraction and concentration and all of that knowledge is indeed welcomed. I mean, if you guys stopped taking it out of the ground, I would run out of scrap to extract it from.

So, with the possible exception of pictures of rocks without assays, threads posted by miners are more than welcome!

 

[kurtak]

You got me. Not until you mentioned it. I have had a couple conversations on this subject with @Deano involved, but there is obviously an interest in this subject. I know it is more Gold production than a refining issue, but let's see if anybody is still interested in the subject.

Per the bold print - I certainly have an interest in this - I have done "some" reading/research on it

It is kind of on my bucket list of things to try/play with --- maybe this next summer

Kurt

 

[Shark]

It has been an interest of mine for some time now as well.

 

[anachronism]

It has been an interest of mine for some time now as well.

Funnily enough I had the pleasure of seeing Deano do this at his place in Australia. It's remarkably interesting Shark.

 

[goldshark]

So the question I propose to the floatation Gods is, Would a 55 gallon drum, cut in half, cross bars for mounting a stir motor, with motor and high shear impeller, bubbler at bottom/with compressed air supply, simple addition of turpentine or some other single off the shelf product for the conditioner, collector, and frother, work for cleaning up a 5 gallon bucket of black sand cons, or some fine free Au ores. All would be ground through say 100 mesh, and collected in an over flow launder, like in a small batch/lab unit. Sorry for the long sentences.

 

[Shark]

Funnily enough I had the pleasure of seeing Deano do this at his place in Australia. It's remarkably interesting Shark.

I got interested in it back when I first started playing with copper cells. I talked to a small local Maylasian miner who owned a small copper mine and run it from ore to copper sheets. He then shipped the sheets to a larger refiner. He done this instead of just selling the ore to gain the gold from his cell slimes as well as have salable copper. He sent me several cell phone videos but had no access to better cameras. Since then it has been a on again off again affair for me.

 

[Deano]

Have a look at flotation equipment sites in China, they have surprisingly good quality equipment at incredibly cheap prices.
Your results will always reflect the quality of equipment used, I have never seen homemade float cells which gave results comparable with commercial units.
If you really want to build your own float cell the best advice I can give you is to model it on someone's commercial unit in all regards including air flow rate and air introduction system.
Flotation has two reagents, a frother and a stabiliser.
If you try to use a single all-purpose product you will be disappointed with the results, even more so when you find out that the commercial reagents are quite cheap and will give substantially better results.
Have a chat with a supplier of speciality float chemicals regarding what products best suit your needs, these are the people who can best advise you.
If they only sell in bulk these suppliers will usually recommend someone who can supply product in smaller quantities.
Deano

 

[goldshark]

Have a look at flotation equipment sites in China, they have surprisingly good quality equipment at incredibly cheap prices.
Your results will always reflect the quality of equipment used, I have never seen homemade float cells which gave results comparable with commercial units.
If you really want to build your own float cell the best advice I can give you is to model it on someone's commercial unit in all regards including air flow rate and air introduction system.
Flotation has two reagents, a frother and a stabiliser.
If you try to use a single all-purpose product you will be disappointed with the results, even more so when you find out that the commercial reagents are quite cheap and will give substantially better results.
Have a chat with a supplier of speciality float chemicals regarding what products best suit your needs, these are the people who can best advise you.
If they only sell in bulk these suppliers will usually recommend someone who can supply product in smaller quantities.
Deano

Thanks Deano. I am looking for a frother and stabilizer in small quantities, initially. Like in the quart size amounts. Got some old samples from American Cyanamid, but they are no longer in business. I will contact Orica to see if they know where smaller units can be purchased.