| Flotation is known as an effective unit operation in mineral processing. In the last decades new horizons have opened for this process in chemical technology, particularly in its use as a selective separation technique. This latter field has not been covered extensively in the literature on flotation. Research on the process, mainly at the laboratory stage, has indicated novel applications, for instance, in the recovery of valuable metals from dilute aqueous solutions. Much work, however, remains to be done, and hopefully, sometime in the near future, the results of these applications will be evident. Many recent advances in flotation technology have come about through the application of new theories (i.e., adsorption mechanisms, electrochemical control), novel flotation reagents, various alternative flotation techniques (rather than the conventional ones), fine particle processing, and so on. Most of these unique features are reviewed in the present volume. |
| Since 1983, when a similar book on flotation was published by Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1), a lot of progress has been made in both the science and engineering of flotation. Problems were overcome by innovations that met the various challenges, mostly economic, facing the industry worldwide. |
| Other books published during this time were either proceedings volumes or concerned specifically with ores and industrial mineral applications. However, research in flotation is certainly ongoing in an effort to improve production. Scientists and engineers are trying to enhance flotation recov- |
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