Flotation
From Free net encyclopedia
Flotation is a method for the separation of mixtures. Flotation is a separation technique used widely in the minerals industry, for paper, de-inking, and water treatment amongst others. It can also be used in the food and coal industries. The technique relies upon differences in the surface properties of different particles to separate them. The particles that are to be floated are rendered hydrophobic by the addition of the appropriate chemicals. Air is then bubbled through the mixture and the desired particles become attached to the small air bubbles and move to the surface where they accumulate as a froth and are collected, or if the non-desired particles float to the surface they are collected and discarded. The flotation process was developed on a commercial scale early in the 20th century and is widely used for processing of silver.
The flotation process is also widely used in industrial waste water treatment plants, because it is capable of separating fats and oil from the wastewater. This units are called Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) units. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Some important suppliers and innovators of the DAF technology are Aqua Industrial Watertreatment, Nijhuis Water and US Filter.
Flotation is also used in archaeology to separate plant remains from soil.
Flotation is also used to describe any material added to the hull of a watercraft to keep the hull afloat even when filled with water.
References
<references />
