In flotation processes, flotation reagents are effective means of controlling the flotation behavior of minerals by using their surface properties. The recovery and flotation of pulp surfaces from which valuable minerals float by altering the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of mineral surfaces with flotation reagents is called positive line, whereas flotation of gangue minerals is called negative line.
Proper addition of reagents guarantees the optimum concentration of reagents in the pulp. Depending on the ore characteristics, reagent properties and process requirements, appropriate reagents and different reagent addition modes should be selected. By doing so, the optimum concentration of reagents in the pulp should be maintained to maximize the concentrate extraction.
Kim Thae Ung, a researcher at the Faculty of Automatics, conducted a theoretical study on multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) to improve the concentrate grade and reduce production cost in the control system design of flotation process. Based on it, he realized multivariate statistical process monitoring and built an economic technological index prediction model by applying the MSPC method to a flotation process, a typical continuous process.
The simulation results and industrial tests showed that the prediction model has high accuracy and the reagent addition method developed based on this model ensures stable flotation operation, high flotation recovery and high practical value.
For more details, you can refer to his paper “Application of Multivariate Statistical Process Control in Flotation Process” in “Proceedings of KUTIC-2025”.