Use of ultrasonic treatment as a pre-phase in the shear flocculation process.

The use of ultrasonic energy has mostly been investigated for the flotation process in mineral processing, but its application to flocculation with collectors is extremely limited. Therefore, in this study, the effect of ultrasound in the shear flocculation technique, was intended to be revealed by using a celestite sample. The initial studies carried out for this purpose showed that in the absence of any reagent, the ultrasonication decreased the surface charge of the mineral, which caused the coagulation of the celestite suspension.