An apparatus and method of feeding a feed slurry into a separating device

The present invention provides an apparatus (1) and method for feeding a feed slurry into a device for separating low density particles from the feed slurry. The apparatus (1) comprises a conduit (4, 6, 8) having a slurry inlet (3), a gas feed inlet (5), a plurality of hollow tubes (10) and an outlet (7). The hollow tubes (10) are configured to combine the feed slurry from the slurry inlet (3) and gas from the gas feed inlet (5). The hollow tubes (10) comprise a porous section (16) to generate bubbles of substantially uniform size into the slurry for adhering to the low density particles. Slurry flows in axially aligned hollow tubes as gas is introduced through the porous sections into the slurry. Alternatively, slurry flows around hollow tubes arranged perpendicular to the conduit longitudinal axis as gas is discharged through the porous sections into the slurry. PCT/AU2018/050725, Australian Application No. 2018303328, Brazilian Application No. 11 2020 000928 8, Canadian Application No. 3,069,340, Chilean Application No. 128-2020, Chinese Application No. 201880048005.8, Eurasian Application No. 202090280, European Application No. 18834891.6, Mexican Application No. MX/a/2020/000585, Peruvian Application No. 000083-2020/DIN, US Application No. 16/631787, South African Application No. 2019/08581.