Abstract
A population balance model described the flocculation of clay-based mining tailings in treated seawater with reduced magnesium content. For the treatment, 0.06 M of lime was added to the liquor, generating solid magnesium complexes that were subsequently removed by vacuum filtration. Magnesium content varied between 10–1440 ppm when mixing raw seawater with treated seawater. The aggregate size was analysed by the Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM) technology. The model follows the dynamics of the aggregation-rupture and it provides a good approximation to the temporal evolution. A decrease in collision efficiency was implemented as an indicator of the polymer depletion, describing the size reduction. Lower magnesium content makes larger aggregates with a higher fractal dimension, but an increase in the concentration of clays reduces both the size of aggregates and the fractal dimension, indicating more open and porous structures, with higher permeability to the passage of fluid. The model efficiently illustrates the experimental data, with R-square (R2) greater than 0.9 and Goodness of Fit (GoF) greater than 95% in most cases, wherein the fitting parameters allowed for analysing the impact of magnesium and clays on the collision efficiency, collision frequency, and fragmentation rate. The model is predictive with few parameters, and it is potentially a powerful tool for water management optimisation.
Highlights
The efficient reuse of water within mining operations is key to ensuring the sustainability of industries whose deposits are located in arid areas
The thickeners concentrate the solids by promoting the mineral sedimentation, generating two output streams: (i) the underflow corresponding to a thickened tailings pulp, which is transported to the tailings storage facilities (TSF) and (ii) the overflow corresponding to clarified water, which is reused in upstream operations
The fractal dimension increases by increasing the proportions of quartz/kaolin and treated seawater/raw seawater
Summary
The efficient reuse of water within mining operations is key to ensuring the sustainability of industries whose deposits are located in arid areas. The microscopic properties of these aggregates, such as their size and structure, largely determine the efficiency of the process and they are influenced by factors, such as the type of reagents, mineralogy of the deposits that usually involve a significant presence of clays, thickening technology, and industrial water quality. This last point is of particular importance in industries located near the sea coast, which have access to the use of seawater
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
