Abstract
The present state of the theory of the elementary step in flotation as a multistage process is surveyed. The characteristics of the flotation of small particles both in the stage where they approach the bubble and in the stage involving their fixation to the surface of the bubble are described. It is shown that the deposition of small particles (in contrast to large particles) on the surface of the bubble takes place without inertia and is not accompanied by a significant deformation of the surface. The usefulness of the application of ionogenic surfactants in order to overcome or modify the sign of the disjoining pressure of electrical double layers, which is the commonest factor hindering the flotation of small particles, is demonstrated. The possible ways of intensifying the flotation of submicron particles by their aggregation are analysed.
The bibliography includes 99 references.