Fluidized bed flotation of coarse molybdenite: The recoverability difference between the liberated and composite particles

Fluidized bed flotation (FBF) is demonstrating its effectiveness in the recovery of coarse minerals. This study compares the effect of various parameters on the separation efficiency of coarse molybdenite in an FBF cell. The distribution of the molybdenite-bearing particles including liberated and composite particles in the tailings is examined to investigate the difference in recovery between different molybdenite-bearing particles. The findings highlight that the maximum Mo recovery reached 90%–95%. Among the tested parameters, superficial gas velocity and kerosene dosage have a relatively notable influence on molybdenite recovery. During the FBF process, the liberated molybdenite particles exhibited exceptional recoverability, while that of the composite particles was relatively lower and affected by the surface exposure features of the molybdenite. In contrast, the recovery of composite particles required a higher collector dosage and air bubble concentration.