New Partners

To consolidate the NetFlot network several flotation-related partners from European’s leading research institutes, universities and industry were integrated as new partners.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH, www.auth.gr) has been established in 1925 and is the largest academic institution in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. It has 41 departments and numerous other units such as laboratories, libraries, clinics etc., covering a wide range of applied sciences and humanistic studies. The Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology (LCET) in the Faculty of Chemistry, has sound experience in: a) Hydrodynamics and heat/mass transfer in 2-phase and 3-phase flows by innovative electrical, optical and acoustical measuring techniques, b) Rheological and physicochemical characterization of gas/liquid/solid interfaces, c) flotation processes for fines particles and wastewater treatment and d) analytical and numerical modelling as well as computational fluid dynamics

The expertise of LCET on flotation span different experimental and theoretical aspects:

1. Adsorption dynamics study of frothers (surfactants) at gas/liquid as well as at gas/liquid/solid interfaces. This refers to physicochemical and rheological characterization of gas/liquid interfaces with/without coverage by solid particles (surface tension, dilatational & shear interfacial viscoelasticity) under both static and dynamic conditions in abroad range of surface ages (time scales). Measurements are performed with in-house and commercial equipment that include various types of tensiometers (plate, ring, maximum bubble pressure, pendant drop, drop weight/volume, etc.) and interfacial rheometers (oscillating drop/bubble profile analysis, capillary pressure analysis, etc.).
2. Experimentally assess froth stability under static and flow conditions by: (a) determining drainage rate and bubble collapse rate by a custom Electrical Impedance Tomography (EU patented device), (b) determining stiffness and deformation energy by viscoelastic and yield point characterization using non-Newtonian rheometry (rotational and oscillatory tests), (c) determining the evolution of bubble size distribution and bubble motion/shape descriptors by an innovative optical template matching technique for densely dispersed bubbles/particles, (d) determining liquid film thinning rate and rupture time of froth bubbles by a custom bubble-in-liquid bridge profiler (pending EU patent).
3. Experimentally assess the intensification of flotation rate and selectivity by studying bubble–particle collection efficiency and flotation rate in a broad range of parameters. Apart from determining the macroscopic phases separation, measurements also refer to microscopic/mesoscopic optical registration of particle-bubble collisions and bubbles size evolution as well as to determination of bubbles trajectory, velocity and shape oscillations. Different flotation devices are employed incorporating different bubble concentrations and sizes: mechanical air flotation, dissolved-air flotation and electro-flotation.
4. Theoretical modelling of physicochemical phenomena governing flotation that leads to development of (a) analytical/numerical models of froth decay for evaluating the experimentally determined bubble size evolution, and (b) microscopic and mesoscopic models of bubble-particle collision process. Microscopic models refer to trajectory calculations for laminar flows and mesoscopic models to derivation of rate functions for flotation in turbulent flows using elements of modern turbulence theory.

Imperial College London

Imperial College London (IC London) is a University from the United Kingdom. IC London hosts the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, a world-leader in research for efficient and sustainable mineral and energy resource extraction. Of particular relevance here, it hosts the Froth and Foam Research Group, which studies the physics of froths, specifically those used for the separation of mineral species by flotation. The group carries out fundamentally based froth flotation research, including novel experimental techniques and advanced numerical modelling. Among the state of the art experimental and modelling capabilities are: physics-based Computational Fluid Dynamics models; genetic algorithms software for flotation circuit layout optimisation; air recovery measurement system based on image analysis, including froth velocity tracking algorithms and laser distance measurement techniques; high-speed photography and analysis of bubble-particle interactions; positron emission particle tracking (PEPT); scanning electron microscopy with X-ray analysis. More importantly, the group has a track record of success in translating research outputs into improvements in operating conditions at industrial scale. IC London’s expertise in flotation physics will complement other partners, whose focus is on the chemistry of flotation, therefore contributing towards a holistic approach to the modelling of flotation cells. The exposure to industry through close collaboration with the partners is also a very important element for IC London as an academic and research institution.

Sofia University

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (SU) is the highest ranked and the oldest Bulgarian University with more than 20 000 students. It covers all the disciplines of the natural and social sciences. The faculty of chemistry and pharmacy at SU, as a counterpart possesses a large toolbox of equipment, able to hold any experimental task related with the flotation of mineral particles/ions as for example chemical analysis (ICP-MS, UV, IR, XRD, NMR, EPR, Chromatography, etc.), visualization (SEM, TEM, AFM, Viz. Microscopy, DLS, etc.), force map analysis (AFM, tensiometry, goniometry, TLF experimental setup, etc.), complex analysis of foam, tests on micro-flotation on particles and ions under lab conditions, etc. Moreover, we are intrinsically associated with the Bulgarian School of Physical Chemistry and hence, our team is strong in modelling the surface forces in thin liquid films between bubble and particle, bubble and bubble and can suggest solutions for their control in direction on demand.  Overall, we are able to execute tasks related with optimization of flotation efficiency with specific requirements under lab conditions, perform theoretical modelling and suggest particular solutions of flotation problems.

Turboflotservice

Turboflotservice (TFS) is a private research company set up in 1991 and a core partner of the Institute of Biocolloid Chemistry with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The company’s scope of research covers both the fundamental studies in the field of physico-chemical hydrodynamics of dispersed systems and applied research in such areas as technogenic suspensions separation, and treatment of industrial wastewaters. The company has put forward fundamentally new concepts for fine dispersed suspensions flotation and flocculation, which evolved in development of technologies and equipment used, for example, for the separation of waste lubricating/cooling fluids, and for finely dispersed minerals flotation.   The company team has published over 50 research papers in the leading international periodicals, and designed and developed several research instruments and samples of new equipment used in the industry. The Company was also the partner in a number of scientific-research projects related to finely dispersed minerals enrichment sponsored by the government grants of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, and by the world leading companies such as Rio Tinto (Australia), Teck Cominco (Canada), Anglo Platinum (RSA), and El-Teniente (Chile). This cooperation promoted the development of innovative technologies, namely Ultraflocculation, Turbulent Microflotation, and Combined Microflotation, and the equipment for implementing these technologies in the industry.