Flotation is separation based on the differences in hydrophobicity of the feed ore/material. One of the most important control variables in the flotation process is the selection and dosing rate of flotation reagents. Different types of flotation applications (different commodities, regions & ores) require different reagents to adjust the chemical and physical properties of the ore particle surface, as well as the froth itself. Think frothers, depressants, collectors, etc. Once an operation's Metallurgy team has decided which reagents they should use for their ore, one difficult question remains to be answered: at what dose (g/t) should I add each reagent into the flotation circuit? This is expressed as grams of dry reagent per ton of ore fed (as solids). The dose is independent of the reagent make-up method or concentration.

The challenge Metallurgists face is that the question of reagent dose can't be answered once and for all. In the mining industry, the composition of the feed ore keeps changing. The mineralogy, the particle size (as a result of ore hardness or grinding process changes), the liberation, the feed rate - all these things make the "best" reagent dose a moving target. This makes Flotation optimization an incredibly difficult task.

Part of IntelliSense.io's Flotation Application, the Flotation Reagent Optimizer determines the best reagent dose at which to operate based on feed ore characteristics - live, all the time.

Under the hood of this Optimizer there is an AI model that has captured the impact of different feed material properties, hydrodynamic conditions per cell and reagent dose on the performance (grades & recoveries) of the client's flotation circuit. After setting up the Value Driver the Optimizer, the Optimizer can then use this AI model to determine the optimal amount of reagent (g/t) to be applied per reagent, per dosing point.

The surface plot below shows the relationship captured by the reagent model between the dosage of two reagents and the resulting gangue material grade (%). This only represents one minute; these surfaces keep changing as the feed and other properties change.

The Optimizer uses these surfaces to determine the optimal dose rate per reagent, per dosing point, for every moment. It can be seen in the image below (see red dot) where the Optimizer finds the point that best maximises metal recovery, reduces the gangue grade and avoids unnecessarily high reagent usage:

The Reagent dosage recommended setpoints are provided to the Operator or Metallurgist periodically (every 30 minutes or when the feed changes) via the Flotation App's Optimizer user interface. It's provided either as an advisory or directly to lower-level control systems, allowing the team to action the recommended setpoint(s) and reap the performance benefits.

With the Reagent Optimizer, Metallurgists can end the guessing game and be confident that they are adding their flotation reagents at the right dose, all the time. This will improve the flotation performance (grade & recovery) while preventing the costly overdosing of reagents.

For more information, please get in touch with us via Intercom or email so we can unpack what reagent dosage optimization will look like in your context - and how the Reagent Optimizer can help you.