Yoon–Luttrell collision and attachment models analysis in flotation and their application on general flotation kinetic model Original Research Article

We theoretically used the models of Yoon and Luttrell for collision and attachment efficiencies to show the effect of fluid flow condition, the effect of bubble size and velocity and particle surface hydrophobicity in flotation system, and in order to demonstrate the effect of particle density on the attachment behavior we incorporate the correct expression for the maximum collision angle developed by Dukhin collision model in the Yoon–Luttrell attachment efficiency applied for two minerals species such as the quartz and chalcopyrite. Then we used the expression of the analytical model that enables the calculation of the flotation rate constant of particles derived by Pyke et al., developed under turbulent condition and with including the efficiency of collision using the generalized Sutherland equation (GSE), the attachment efficiency using modified Dobby–Finch model, and stability of bubble–particle aggregate includes the various forces acting between the bubble and the attached particle. Some results are obtained revealing the positive inertial effect for the quartz and galena particles under defined flotation data conditions by incorporating in the flotation rate constant mentioned above, the collision and attachment efficiency models of Yoon–Luttrell developed for potential flow condition with assuming that the bubble surface is completely mobile and the particle inertia is ignored. The results show also the influence of the increasing of the bubble velocity to determine the particle size range between the models considering the inertial effect and those who ignored the particle Inertia.