Abstract: The addition of surfactant is an important method to adjust bubble stability and its motion behavior in flotation system. Four kinds of surfactant including 1-pentanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol(MIBC), 2-Octanol, Polypropylene glycol(PPG) were employed to adjust surface tension of the solutions. What’s more, the effect of surfactant on bubble shape and velocity were studied by a single bubble motion behavior observation system in two-phase system. The results showed that bubbles accelerated to reach a velocity at a given time depending on frother type and concentration, and the maximum velocity decreased with increasing frother concentration. The stronger the frother surface activity was, the lower the maximum velocity was. The maximum velocity of 1-pentanol, MIBC, 2-Octanol, PPG were 35.82cm/s, 33.91cm/s, 30.62cm/s and 28.55cm/s respectively. Besides, the effect of frother on bubble shape was similar to the velocity, and the degree of shape deformation decreased with increasing frother concentration and the stronger the frother activity was.

Key words: frother, bubble shape, motion behavior, surface tension