ABSTRACT
Research on foams is a long story which started at the beginning of the 19th century. Laplace, Plateau, and Kelvin can be seen as the authentic founders of the field. However, in their time, their results were considered as curiosities! During the 19th century, studies on foams remained sporadic. Things radically changed at the turn of the 20th century with the development of modern industry. Foam volume control requires the addition of antifoamers in the liquid before use, whereas foam breaking required defoamers to be sprinkled on the surface of existing foam. Since foam is always a result of adsorption or rearrangement of the surface of an otherwise nonfoaming liquid, suggestions are developed as to how an antifoaming agent can upset this arrangement or distribution. Ore flotation has two aims: selective separation of particles of different mineral natures, aggregation of particles of the same nature to concentrate them.
