Technology & Processes

The Aachen reactor is a highly efficient mass transfer device developed out of the experience with Maelgwyn’ s Imhoflot flotation technology. The unit can be used for any application where it is required to intimately mix gas with a liquid but has been found to be particularly suitable for gold leaching applications where it is required to boost the dissolved oxygen levels of slurry either prior to, or during the leach reaction.

Pneumatic flotation is rapidly becoming accepted in the main stream of flotation techniques. The term pneumatic flotation is generally associated with flotation where the aeration of the pulp is conducted outside of the flotation cell. This is the main differentiating factor between pneumatic flotation and conventional tank flotation. The energy required by conventional cells to keep particles in suspension and generate bubbles is now focused solely at the production of very fine bubbles in the Imhoflot system and the suspension of particles is catered for in the surplus energy of the system. The external aeration is usually achieved either by utilising a simple venturi system in a pipe with downcomers or by using specialised fine bubble generation technology. This fine bubble generation technology is a core feature of the Imhoflot system.