Webinar: Unexplained flotation variability — is water chemistry the missing factor

Unexplained flotation variability — is water chemistry the missing factor?

Flotation performance is usually explained through ore quality, reagent dosing and operating conditions. These are the obvious variables operators and metallurgists follow closely. But one important factor is often treated as stable background material: process water.

In our recent webinar, expert Piia Suvio joined 3AWater to discuss how water quality can influence flotation performance and why this topic is becoming more important for concentrator plants.

A key message from the webinar was clear:

Water is not just a transport medium in flotation. It can behave like a process variable — or should be considered a reagent itself.

As mines recycle more water, closed water loops can lead to the accumulation of dissolved species. Seasonal changes, ore variability, tailings water return, climate effects and changing water availability can all influence process water chemistry. These changes may affect reagent behaviour, mineral surface chemistry, bubble-particle attachment, froth stability and ultimately flotation recovery.

The challenge is that water-related effects are often difficult to identify. A plant may see unstable froth, lower recovery or increased reagent consumption, but the root cause may not be obvious. By the time laboratory results confirm changes in dissolved metals or other water-quality parameters, the process has often already reacted.

This is where faster dissolved-metal monitoring can help.

3AWater’s MWAS system provides on-site dissolved metal analysis in minutes, helping concentrator teams see changes in water chemistry earlier and connect them to flotation performance. Instead of relying only on delayed lab data, sites can start building a clearer picture of when water chemistry changes — and whether those changes matter for recovery, selectivity or reagent use.

In the webinar, we discussed why water quality is becoming a more critical flotation variable, what types of chemistry changes can matter, and how fast dissolved-metal data can support better process decisions.

Learn more from the webinar recording below: