The relationship between comminution and flotation behaviour

With Flotation '15 only 10 days away and Comminution '16 only 5 months away, a keynote lecture at the COM '15 meeting in Canada in August provided a fine reminder that comminution and flotation should not be looked at in isolation. In addressing the major challenges in comminution research, such as minimising energy consumption, it is important to check what the effect such changes may have on, for example, flotation performance, and flotation should be a key diagnostic of comminution performance.

Flotation performance is intimately linked to comminution, particularly to the type of grinding machine and the medium used, and I am pleased that the two MEI conferences are now attracting companies and researchers who appreciate this link and are prepared to discuss it.

The excellent keynote at COM '15 was presented by the University of Cape Town's Prof. Cyril O'Connor, and I will not try to summarise it, as the full 45 minute presentation can be viewed from the MetSoc's Live Learning Centre.