Assessment of a Novel Switchable Frother, TransfoamerTM, to Improve Flotation Performance at Caserones Concentrator

Frother chemistry strongly influences gas dispersion, froth stability, water recovery, and selectivity in flotation circuits; however, conventional frothers may exhibit excessive persistence and partitioning under alkaline conditions, impairing downstream cleaning performance. This study evaluates a novel switchable frother chemistry (TransfoamerTM) designed to achieve the benefits of strong frothing in the rougher stage while reducing the selectivity losses associated with high frother concentrations in the cleaner stages. Laboratory column tests, batch flotation experiments, and an industrial evaluation at the Caserones concentrator were conducted to characterize frother behavior in terms of gas holdup, foam height, water carrying rate, and persistence. The results showed that the TransfoamerTM behaved as a strong frother under mildly alkaline conditions, providing gas dispersion comparable to conventional strong frothers. As pH increased, a distinct switching behavior was observed, characterized by reduced gas holdup, foam height, water recovery, and persistence, in contrast to traditional alcohol- and polyglycol-type frothers. Batch flotation tests and plant trials confirmed that combining MIBC with TransformerTM T-100 improved rougher copper recovery without compromising circuit selectivity.