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• New approach for flotation simulation including design and operating variables. • A flotation simulator was built and tested using a large industrial dataset. • The impact of number and size of cells per row on recovery and grade was studied. • The effect of different launder designs on metallurgical performance was analysed. • This approach showed a good potential for industrial circuit characterization. This paper presents a new approach for modelling and simulation of flotation circuits, which addresses the potential to increase metallurgical performance, selecting the best choice of cell size, number of cells per bank, cell design and operating conditions. For this purpose, a flotation simulator was built and calibrated using data from industrial sampling campaigns carried out in Chilean concentrators, using modern and large mechanical flotation cells. The simulator allowed for evaluating and comparing the metallurgical performance of different flotation circuits. For this purpose, alternative scenarios were analysed for a selected industrial circuit, where different cells arrangement (number and size of cells), launder designs (represented by the mean froth transport distance) and operating conditions (pulp residence time and froth depth) were evaluated. This new approach showed to be a useful and practical tool to evaluate metallurgical performance in large industrial flotation banks, being able to show the effect of different flotation process characteristics such as froth transport distances and operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A flotation model based on an extended industrial database was developed. • The model considers the behaviour of each cell using a distributed approach. • The mineral recovery by true flotation and the gangue entrainment was calculated. • The mineral feed was characterized by particle size and liberation classes. • This paper allows improving froth behaviour by varying cells and circuits design. The aim of this work consisted of developing a flotation model based on industrial data from modern and large mechanical flotation cells (up to 300 m3). Using industrial data from different flotation plants a general model was develop considering the metallurgical performance, residence time distribution, and operational and hydrodynamic conditions. The model considers the behaviour of each cell in a flotation bank separately, using a distributed approach. The overall mineral recovery by true flotation, in terms of the collection and froth zone recoveries and the gangue entrainment into the concentrate, was calculated. The mineral feed characterization by particle size and liberation classes allowed the evaluation of the metallurgical performance along the flotation bank. This paper presents a new approach for flotation circuit modelling and simulation, which addresses the challenges for improving the froth behaviour by varying the cell design as well as the potential for circuit optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]