NANOBUBBLES FOR ENHANCED INTERACTION BETWEEN SOLIDS AND GAS VOLUMES

摘要

Nanobubbles are employed to bridge microbubbles and non-buoyant particles, thereby creating sufficient capillary forces between the particles and microbubbles such that relatively large, heavy particles can be separated from an aqueous slurry. Nanobubbles are formed on hydrophobic particle surfaces. The microbubbles, which function as collecting air bubbles, form attachments with the particles. The nanobubbles create additional capillary attachment forces between the particles and microbubbles, allowing the microbubbles to rise with the attached particles to the top of the slurry for separation and recovery.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
obtaining an aqueous slurry comprising a liquid and solid particles within the liquid; causing the formation of nanobubbles and collecting air bubbles within the aqueous slurry, the collecting air bubbles having diameters at least two orders of magnitude greater than the diameters of the nanobubbles, at least some of the nanobubbles being formed on or adhering to the solid particles; causing gas supersaturation of the aqueous slurry; introducing a plurality of surfactants to the slurry; causing one or more nanobubbles to adhere to the solid particles, and attaching the solid particles to the collecting air bubbles using capillary bridges formed by the nanobubbles between the solid particles and the collecting air bubbles, thereby causing the solid particles to rise within the slurry.