A new empirical model to calculate bubble size in froth flotation columns

In flotation, bubbles are responsible for carrying the hydrophobic particles to the concentrate and bubble size is one of the most effective parameters in this process. The usual method to estimate the bubble size is measuring the diameter of rising bubbles, which requires special equipment and it is time consuming. In some cases, the bubble size can be estimated by mathematical methods. In this regard, parameters such as gas holdup, superficial gas velocity, superficial liquid velocity, and fluid density are required. A new model to estimate the bubble size in flotation was proposed in this paper. It was shown that the estimated values for bubble sizes obtained from this model have higher accuracy than those obtained using previously published models.