Energy oriented study of industrial flotation systems

An energy oriented study was conducted in an effort to determine energy requirements for flotation systems and to direct attention to methods for reducing energy demand in this unit operation. The three major flotation systems, namely, dissolved air, dispersed air and electroflotation, are described. Typical applications in both metallic and nonmetallic solid-liquid separations are discussed. A compilation of energy use data for a number of commodities requiring flotation in their preparation has indicated that the flotation process alone requires about 35 PJ (petajoules) per year or about 0.07% of the total energy expended in U.S. industry.