Training and Design Center «Project Institute», Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia):

Viduetsky M. G., Deputy Director for Science, vid.magr@mail.ru
Garifulin I. F., Chief Specialis
Maltsev V. A., Director, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor
Purgin A. P., Head of Beneficiation Department

For the purpose of preliminary tests, an advanced pilot flotation unit of KFM-180 was developed, representing an operational model of KFM series industrial pneumatic flotation cells and designed for testing in specific flotation operations of industrial processes. The pilot tests using the KFM pilot plant were carried out at a number of Russian enterprises. Their results confirm the fact that KFM series flotation units generally demonstrate better performance and higher flotation results as compared to traditional flotation cells. Tests with an upgraded KFM pilot plant of a reduced height rendered a 5.1 times (on average) higher specific performance with an increase in the recovery of valuable components by 23 %. Pilot testing of pilot plants in specific flotation operations of existing enterprises enables a visual demonstration of the available improvement opportunities and allows establishing the equipment sizes, main design parameters and numbers for subsequent industrial deployment. The pilot plant based on a KFM-600M pneumatic flotation cell with the volume of 2.5 m³ and the slurry capacity of up to 70 m³/h (and solids capacity of up to 25 t/h) was then used to develop a modular unit combining the benefits of easy installation, disassembly and relocation between enterprises (characteristic of the pilot plant) with a sufficiently higher capacity, comparable to that of an actual operating plant.
The authors thank the Adviser to the Director of JSC «Svyatogor» V. M. Sokolov for his active participation in the creation of KFM-600 modular flotation unit.

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