HydroFloat
A new separator, known as the HydroFloat, has been developed to overcome some of the shortcomings associated with traditional separation processes for recovering coarse particles. The novel characteristic of this separator is the formation of a hindered “teeter” bed of fluidized solids into which small air bubbles are introduced. The bubbles attach to hydrophobic particles and create light bubble-particle aggregates that can be separated from hydrophilic particles based on the principle of differential density. Benefits of this new separator include enhanced bubble-particle contacting, better control of particle residence time, lower axial mixing/cell turbulence, and reduced air consumption.