On Path Oscillation of a Particle-Laden Bubble in Stationary Liquid

The rise of particle-laden bubbles is a common phenomenon in many metallurgical refining processes as well as flotation processes. During its rise, it undergoes path oscillation, which is greatly affected by the mass of particles that are attached to the bubble surface. The experimental investigation was carried out to investigate the effect of coated particle fraction on the bubble, which is on the rise in a quiescent liquid medium. During the experiments, low-density polyethylene particles are coated on a bubble surface in water, which is generally used to mimic the steel in a cold model. The images (one mirror and direct image) of the particle-laden bubble were captured for all positions on its rising path. Further, these images were processed in MATLAB(R). The effect of the different fraction of particle coatings such as 10% and 50% on the rising bubble was studied. It is found that the coating fraction has a considerable effect on the path of a rising bubble, which has been characterized by the phase shift of the oscillating path of a rising bubble.