Dispersed oil impact on froth stability in flotation

Foam stability in flotation has been studied for more than half of the last century, however, the mechanisms responsible for the defoaming action of many presently used reagents are not completely understood. This research presents oil flotation data, which may be used in the evaluation of aqueous methods for oily soil treatment. MIBC (isobutylcarbinol, 4-methyl-2-pentanol) and C12E10 (polyoxyethylene 10 lauryl ether) were used as surfactants. Dynamic and static froth stability in the presence of emulsified paraffin oil was determined as a function of the surfactant concentration. The froth stability was examined for the O/W emulsion only and combined with silica particles (-38μm) suspension. The entry, spreading and bridging coefficients were determined to elucidate the mechanism of oil interaction in the froth phase.