Physical Characterization of the Behavior of the Gas Retained in a Flotation Celd

In flotation systems, gas holdup (Eg) represents the volume of gas present in the cell, relating to the efficiency of contact between bubbles and species to be separated. This study characterizes the behavior of Eg in an aerated equipment with a ceramic disperser. Tests were conducted without and with a frothing agent [e] (pine oil) from 10 to 60 ppm, superficial gas velocities (Jg) from 0.1 to 2.0 cm/s, and liquid velocities (Jl) from 0.12 to 0.28 cm/s. The results show that Eg increases with Jg, reaching 30% v/v at 60 ppm [e], with Jl at 0.28 cm/s. The bubble diameter (Db) was estimated with the Drift flux model, and it was found to decrease as Jg increased at 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 cm/s, while from 0.8 cm/s, it increased slightly with an average value of 0.092 cm. The largest bubble surface area (Sb) was 123.62 s⁻¹. These results demonstrate the physical potential of the device for its application in environmental remediation.