M. Fuerstenau – Froth Flotation

Описание

The year 2005 marked the 100th anniversary of Sulman and Picard’s U.S. patent award
(No. 793,808) that prescribed the use of air bubbles for flotation. 1905 was also the year
when the Potter process was introduced to flotation in the minerals industry. The production
of sphalerite concentrate at Broken Hill in Australia was the first major commercial
application of froth flotation. Following that initial application, froth flotation quickly
spread to the United States and the rest of the world, where it remains an essential separation
step in the beneficiation of minerals and coal. Its scope is continually broadening to
other applications such as environmental control, bitumen extraction from tar sands, and
recycling.
Recognizing its significance, a group of flotation researchers and practitioners met in
2001 to consider ways for commemorating this important anniversary. The idea was initiated
by a group of individuals, including D.W. Fuerstenau from the University of California,
Berkeley; M.C. Fuerstenau from the University of Nevada, Reno; and Roe-Hoan Yoon from
Virginia Tech. They were joined by D.R. Nagaraj, Cytec Industries; J.A. Herbst, Metso
Minerals; J.-P. Franzidis, Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre; J.A. Ralston, Ian
Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia; and G.J. Jameson, University of
Newcastle.
Two international initiatives were launched—a symposium and this commemorative
volume.
Managed by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Centenary of Flotation
Symposium was held in June 2005 in Brisbane, Australia. It was a great success,
attracting more than 450 delegates and 149 presentations from around the world. The conference
fostered in-depth discussion of recent research and up-to-date descriptions of
advanced plant practice. A CD of the conference proceedings is included with this volume.
This commemorative volume, published by Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration,
is a comprehensive resource detailing the state of the art of flotation. The book is the
continuation of a distinguished series published by SME. The sequence began with
Froth
Flotation: 50th Anniversary Volume
(1962), edited by D.W. Fuerstenau, to celebrate the first
50 years of flotation in the United States; followed by the
A.M. Gaudin Memorial Volume
(1976), edited by M.C. Fuerstenau. The continuing involvement of the Fuerstenau brothers
in these important volumes over such a long time span is particularly noteworthy.
The chapters in the book are written by experts in the various disciplines and cover all
aspects of flotation, from fundamental research to industrial practice. Coverage includes the
historical aspects of flotation; flotation fundamentals; flotation chemistry; flotation cells,
modeling, and simulation; and flotation plant practice. The book is an invaluable reference
for industry practitioners, researchers, and graduate students.
Sincere appreciation is extended to all who have contributed to the various chapters.
Despite its longevity, the field of flotation is quite active and rapidly changing. The editors
and SME are fortunate to have contributions from so many leaders in the industry for this
milestone project.