Syensqo, formerly part of Solvay group, has introduced the Transfoamer product line, the first frother innovation in over 65 years. These frothers, designed for coarse particle recovery, use technology that adjusts froth strength in response to pH, enhancing copper recovery from challenging ores, especially in response to electrification and energy transition.

"As ore grades decline, many mining companies are grinding coarser particles to push tonnage or save energy," says Ricardo Capanema, Global Marketing and Business Development Director, Mining Solutions at Syensqo. "Mines often use a blend of strong and weak frothers, which results in a steady froth but prevents the frother from performing at peak potential. Our new single-frother solution addresses this limitation and overfrothing issues common in the cleaner stage."

According to Syensqo, Transfoamer frothers start as strong and robust frothers in the rougher circuit. Then, in response to pH, they "switch" to weaker frothers in the cleaner circuit, where less froth is needed. This property is particularly attractive for use in bulk copper and molybdenum flotation.

For more challenging ore types, Transfoamer frothers can be further tailored with the Syensqo Cube connected dosing unit to optimize efficiency and recovery. Additionally, Transfoamer frothers do not build up or recirculate, which improves circuit stability.