Mining Frother Chemistry

During the last decade, Nalco Water has led the development of frothing reagent technology that incorporates new understandings of the hydrodynamic elements of flotation circuits. Using the concept that each frother has a unique hydrodynamic curve and specific critical coalescence concentration that is dependent on air rate, we developed a new frother optimization methodology along with a simplified set of frothers that are separated into two distinct families: Alcohol and polyglycols. These two families each contain five unique frothers that can handle all the needs required in flotation circuits.

When you partner with Nalco Water, your mining operation benefits from our expertise and our experience. We are dedicated to helping you meet your recovery and grade targets so you can improve efficiency and meet your mining KPIs.

Featured Program

Flotation 360™

Mineral processing optimization can feel like a moving target. Changing ore, an incorrect formulation or failing to balance recovery and grade can impact your bottom line. But Nalco Water has your solution: Flotation 360 with digital expertise from Stone Three. This digital technology helps you maximize productivity and optimize your flotation circuit performance.

Optimize your circuit with the predictive capabilities of Flotation 360 to help:

Improve performance to increase recovery and profitability
Enhance visibility of potential impacts of future ore changes, allowing for the mitigation of any challenges in advance
Optimize reagent dosing and chemical consumption, improving the total cost of operations
Reduce maintenance challenges such as float cell valve failures, and spend less time manually troubleshooting

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Nalco Water Collectors

In addition to frother chemistry, Nalco Water also offers a range of collectors. Explore offerings for gold and silver, polymetallic sulphides and more to learn about the collector chemistry that can help you reach your target grade and recovery.

Frothers Success Stories

Nalco Water Frother Program Helps Copper Concentrator Increase Recovery and Reduce Total Cost of Operations

A copper mine in South America partnered with Nalco Water to help achieve their operational goals. The goals included improving recovery through their copper flotation circuit, increasing productivity, and ultimately reducing the total cost of operations while ensuring a safe production environment. By introducing FrothPro 507, a specific product in our diverse portfolio of frothers, Nalco Water helped the mine save on maintenance and increase recovery by 2,526 tons per year, amounting to $14.98M in value delivered to the customer. Download the case study below to learn more.

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Nalco Water Froth Flotation Solution Helps Increase Recovery at a Copper and Moly Operation

A copper mine in the southwestern United States was challenged with processing a more difficult type of ore with daily variability. The customer approached Nalco Water for help with determining a treatment program that would help improve the recovery for both copper and moly. By implementing the right froth flotation program, Nalco Water was able to help improve overall recovery by 2% at the same dose as the incumbent product. The improved recovery ultimately helped to reduce the total cost of operations. Download the case study below to learn more.

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Nalco Water Frother Chemistry

NALFLOTE™ F100-130 Series – Weak

The NALFLOTE F100-130 series, weak frothers are traditional materials (such as TEB, MIBC, Terpenes) with well known characteristics.

Low persistence froths.
Fast kinetics.
Allow flexible operability.

Products
NALFLOTE F100	NALFLOTE F120	NALFLOTE F121

NALFLOTE™ F140 Series – Weak

The NALFLOTE F140 series, weak frothers are are non water soluble, fast acting, and relatively weak frothers when the desired effect is for fast kinetics and flexible operability.

Low persistence froths.
Fast kinetics.
Allow flexible operability.

Products
NALFLOTE F143	NALFLOTE F145LV	NALFLOTE F145
NALFLOTE F140-09A	NALFLOTE F140	NALFLOTE F144

NALFLOTE™ 500 Series – Weak

The NALFLOTE 500 series, weak frothers are suitable for circuits that cannot tolerate persistency or a thick froth. They promote faster kinetics, create a stable froth that breaks down easily in launders, and exhibit good activity over a wide pH range. Typically, they are well suited to replace MIBC on circuits.

Promote faster kinetics.
Produce smaller bubbles than other alcohol-type frothers, resulting in increased mineral recovery.
Exhibit good activity over a wide pH range.
Create a stable froth that breaks down easily in launders.

Products
NALFLOTE F507	NALFLOTE F509	NALFLOTE F511

NALFLOTE™ 600 Series – Weak

These frothers are non-water soluble, fast acting, and relatively weak frothers when the desired effect is for fast kinetics and flexible operability.

Water soluble.
Fast kinetics.
Good compromise between speed and strength.

Products
NALFLOTE F147	NALFLOTE F146	NALFLOTE F149

NALFLOTE™ F140 Series – Moderate

These frothers are non-water soluble, fast acting, and relatively weak frothers when the desired effect is for fast kinetics and flexible operability.

Water soluble.
Fast kinetics.
Good compromise between speed and strength.

Products
NALFLOTE F147	NALFLOTE F146	NALFLOTE F149

NALFLOTE™ F160-10 Series – Moderate

This frother is water soluble, moderate strength and kinetics products that are a good compromise between strength and speed.

Water Soluble.
Fast Kinetics.
Good compromise between speed and strength.

Products

NALFLOTE F160-10

NALFLOTE™ F170-190 Series – Moderate

The NALFLOTE F170 – 190 frother series products are specifically formulated to provide customized characteristics, specific to the unique needs of each plant. They are formulated to provide the maximum load support at acceptable selectivity, operating flexibility and minimum cost.

Circuit specific formulations.
Provide maximum load support at decent selectivity.
Good compromise between operational flexibility and cost.

Products
NALFLOTE F171	NALFLOTE F172	NALFLOTE F179
NALFLOTE F180	NALFLOTE F181	NALFLOTE F181-13
NALFLOTE F183-13	NALFLOTE F185-13	NALFLOTE F189-13

NALFLOTE™ 600 Series – Moderate

The NALFLOTE 600 series of moderate frothers increases recovery by producing smaller bubbles than other alcohol-type frothers to improve aeration (bubble size distribution instead of aeration), which positively impacts the concentration grade. These frothers help to enhance faster kinetics and gas hold up in the flotation of desired metallic and non-metallic ores, while exhibiting good activity over a wide pH range.

Promotes faster kinetics.
Low toxicity.
Produces smaller bubbles resulting in increased mineral recovery.
Exhibits good activity over a wide pH range.

Products
NALFLOTE F608	NALFLOTE F610	NALFLOTE F614	NALFLOTE F616

NALFLOTE™ F150 Series – Strong

The NALFLOTE F150 series are very strong, water soluble frothers when maximum load support is needed..

Products

NALFLOTE F150

NALFLOTE™ F160 Series – Strong

The NALFLOTE F160 series are water soluble, moderate strength and kinetics products that are a good compromise between strength and speed.

Water soluble.
Fast kinetics.
Good compromise between speed and strength.

Products
NALFLOTE F160-05	NALFLOTE F160-24	NALFLOTE F160-27	NALFLOTE F160-31

NALFLOTE™ F170-190 Series – Strong

The NALFLOTE F170 – 190 series products are specifically formulated to provide customized characteristics, specific to the unique needs of each plant. They are formulated to provide the maximum load support at acceptable selectivity, operating flexibility and minimum cost.

Circuit specific formulations.
Provide maximum load support at decent selectivity.
Good compromise between operational flexibility and cost.

Products
NALFLOTE F178	NALFLOTE F182-13	NALFLOTE F187-13

NALFLOTE™ 700 Series – Strong

The NALFLOTE 700 series of strong frothers is well suited for column cells with longer residence time where a stronger lift is required. It has fast kinetics and persistency and is especially suited to capturing coarse and middling particles from the gangue. They are suitable for circuits with conventional and column cells that require fast kinetics and enough persistence to hold the load and still provide good froth mobility. They exhibit good activity over a wide pH range and create a stable froth.

Provides a strong load support for coarse and middling particles.
Promotes faster kinetics and persistence.
Exhibits good activity over a wide pH range.
Creates a stable froth that breaks down easily in launders.

Products
NALFLOTE F706	NALFLOTE F708	NALFLOTE F710	NALFLOTE F711

Get In Touch with Us

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With unparalleled expertise and cutting-edge technology, we partner with customers to deliver world-class results and optimized operations. Contact us to learn how we can help you.

Nalco Water
1601 W. Diehl Road
Naperville, Il 60563

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