CA2363932A1 - Management of segregating industrial tailings by using thickeners producing segregated thickened tailings - Google Patents
Management of segregating industrial tailings by using thickeners producing segregated thickened tailings Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2363932A1 CA2363932A1 CA 2363932 CA2363932A CA2363932A1 CA 2363932 A1 CA2363932 A1 CA 2363932A1 CA 2363932 CA2363932 CA 2363932 CA 2363932 A CA2363932 A CA 2363932A CA 2363932 A1 CA2363932 A1 CA 2363932A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tailings
- thickener
- thickened
- water
- segregating
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03B—SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS
- B03B9/00—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets
- B03B9/02—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets specially adapted for oil-sand, oil-chalk, oil-shales, ozokerite, bitumen, or the like
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03B—SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS
- B03B5/00—Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating
- B03B5/28—Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating by sink-float separation
- B03B5/30—Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating by sink-float separation using heavy liquids or suspensions
- B03B5/32—Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating by sink-float separation using heavy liquids or suspensions using centrifugal force
- B03B5/34—Applications of hydrocyclones
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- C02F1/38—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by centrifugal separation
Abstract
The present invention claims that for the management of segregating industrial tailings, such as tailings produced by oil sands, mining and coal industry, the tailings is thickened by using a suitable thickener producing segregated thickened tailings as thickener underflow and release water as thickener overflow. The production of segregated thickened tailings in the thickener is the key factor for fast recovery of the released water from the tailings stream. Thickener overflow is the release water, which is preferably reconditioned and recycled. The thickener underflow is the segregated thickened tailings, which can be converted to engineered tailings product and discharged for land reclamation, further consolidation of which would produce more release water.
As an example, the thickener underflow (segregated thickened tailings) can be blended with the coarser and finer fractions of the main tailings stream, at certain proportions, preferably with the help of chemical additives, to produce blended composite tailings.
Blended composite tailings can be disposed for land reclamation, further consolidation of which would produce more release water.
As an example, the thickener underflow (segregated thickened tailings) can be blended with the coarser and finer fractions of the main tailings stream, at certain proportions, preferably with the help of chemical additives, to produce blended composite tailings.
Blended composite tailings can be disposed for land reclamation, further consolidation of which would produce more release water.
Description
Descriution The present invention relates to a method of thickening, which would find applications for the management of segregating industrial tailings. In this thickening method, the tailings is thickened by using a thickener operating at the segregating thickening conditions. Main benefit of the segregating thickening process is the fast recovery of the release water.
One of the major applications of the present invention would be in the management of oil sands tailings in Northern Alberta, Canada. In this particular application, the main tailings stream will be processed for the separation of particles based on the particle diameter. Coarse particles in the oil sands tailings, which are the sand particles, are precipitated during the processing of the tailings. A cyclone may also be used for this separation process. Using cyclone, the main tailings of about 57 per cent solids, about 20 per cent fines can be converted into: (i) cyclone overflow of about 39 per cent solids, about 50 percent fines, and (ii) cyclone underflow of about 68 per cent solids, about 8 percent fines. The cyclone overflow can be treated with Ca(OH)2 lime and C02 as described in Canadian Patent No. 2,188,064 or any other chemical process to alter its sedimentation and consolidation characteristics and could be diluted with water before feeding into a suitable thickener such as the thickener described by the Canadian Patent Application No 2,355,575. The present invention suggests that the thickener would be operated under the segregating thickening condition, which is the condition achieves the fastest release water recovery rate. The segregated thickened tailings (thickener underflow) can be blended with the cyclone underflow for the production of blended composite tailings BCT), which can be discharged for land reclamation. If needed, mature fine tailings (MFT, about 33 per cent solids, about 99 % fines) and some chemical additives can also be used for the production of BCT. As an another option, MFT and cyclone underflow can be blended to produce composite tailings (CT), and CT
can be blended with thickener underflow (segregated thickened tailings) to produce BCT. The release water recovered as thickener overflow can be reconditioned as described in Canadian Patent No. 2,188,064 and recycled. The release water recovered during the consolidation of the BCT can also be blended to the release water recovered as thickener overflow. As an example, the schematic of the tailings management option described in this section is depicted in Figure 1.
It is accustomed to believe in oil sands tailings management practice that formation of nonsegregating tailings is needed by the chemical treatment of the oil sands tailings. The present invention challenges this accustomed believe and proves the fact that formation of segregating tailings as result of the chemical treatment is beneficial for the Management of Segregating Industrial Tailings by Dsing Thickeners ... Page S
management of oil sands tailings. This invention proves that the segregating behavior of the tailings helps to attain fast water recovery during the thickening of the tailings in the thickener.
This invention suggests that the composition and the characteristics of the thickener underflow would not be altered if the thickening process in the thickener is taking place in segregating or nonsegregating fashion. This fact is the advantage of the use of thickeners in the management of oil sands tailings, provided that a suitable thickener, such as the thickener described in Patent Application No. 2,355,575, would be available for the thickening of chemically treated oil sands tailings under segregated thickening process conditions.
Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is a schematic of an application of the present invention for the management of oil sands tailings. WT Whole Tailings; CO Cyclone Overflow; CU Cyclone Underflow;
CT Composite Tailings; BCT Blended Composite Tailings; RW Released Water; TU
Thickener Underflow; % S per cent solids; % F per cent fines.
Summary of the Invention A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved sedimentation method for the management of segregating industrial tailings. The present invention shows that segregating behavior of the chemically treated tailings would improve the water release rate during the thickening process, provided that a suitable thickener operating segregating thickening condition is used. The solid content of the feed tailings and its fine content are significant parameters for the performance of the segregating thickening process in the thickener, which have to be determined experimentally. If the solid content of the thickener feed is high, it can be adjusted by dilution with water. The segregated thickened tailings (thickener underflow) can be utilized to produce engineered products (by blending it with coarser and finer fractions of the main tailings stream, at certain proportions), such as BCT, for its disposal for land reclamation.
Baki Ozum, Ph.D., P. Eng. C~ ~.~~ Dated: ~ /~
Director Apex Engineering Inc.
One of the major applications of the present invention would be in the management of oil sands tailings in Northern Alberta, Canada. In this particular application, the main tailings stream will be processed for the separation of particles based on the particle diameter. Coarse particles in the oil sands tailings, which are the sand particles, are precipitated during the processing of the tailings. A cyclone may also be used for this separation process. Using cyclone, the main tailings of about 57 per cent solids, about 20 per cent fines can be converted into: (i) cyclone overflow of about 39 per cent solids, about 50 percent fines, and (ii) cyclone underflow of about 68 per cent solids, about 8 percent fines. The cyclone overflow can be treated with Ca(OH)2 lime and C02 as described in Canadian Patent No. 2,188,064 or any other chemical process to alter its sedimentation and consolidation characteristics and could be diluted with water before feeding into a suitable thickener such as the thickener described by the Canadian Patent Application No 2,355,575. The present invention suggests that the thickener would be operated under the segregating thickening condition, which is the condition achieves the fastest release water recovery rate. The segregated thickened tailings (thickener underflow) can be blended with the cyclone underflow for the production of blended composite tailings BCT), which can be discharged for land reclamation. If needed, mature fine tailings (MFT, about 33 per cent solids, about 99 % fines) and some chemical additives can also be used for the production of BCT. As an another option, MFT and cyclone underflow can be blended to produce composite tailings (CT), and CT
can be blended with thickener underflow (segregated thickened tailings) to produce BCT. The release water recovered as thickener overflow can be reconditioned as described in Canadian Patent No. 2,188,064 and recycled. The release water recovered during the consolidation of the BCT can also be blended to the release water recovered as thickener overflow. As an example, the schematic of the tailings management option described in this section is depicted in Figure 1.
It is accustomed to believe in oil sands tailings management practice that formation of nonsegregating tailings is needed by the chemical treatment of the oil sands tailings. The present invention challenges this accustomed believe and proves the fact that formation of segregating tailings as result of the chemical treatment is beneficial for the Management of Segregating Industrial Tailings by Dsing Thickeners ... Page S
management of oil sands tailings. This invention proves that the segregating behavior of the tailings helps to attain fast water recovery during the thickening of the tailings in the thickener.
This invention suggests that the composition and the characteristics of the thickener underflow would not be altered if the thickening process in the thickener is taking place in segregating or nonsegregating fashion. This fact is the advantage of the use of thickeners in the management of oil sands tailings, provided that a suitable thickener, such as the thickener described in Patent Application No. 2,355,575, would be available for the thickening of chemically treated oil sands tailings under segregated thickening process conditions.
Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is a schematic of an application of the present invention for the management of oil sands tailings. WT Whole Tailings; CO Cyclone Overflow; CU Cyclone Underflow;
CT Composite Tailings; BCT Blended Composite Tailings; RW Released Water; TU
Thickener Underflow; % S per cent solids; % F per cent fines.
Summary of the Invention A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved sedimentation method for the management of segregating industrial tailings. The present invention shows that segregating behavior of the chemically treated tailings would improve the water release rate during the thickening process, provided that a suitable thickener operating segregating thickening condition is used. The solid content of the feed tailings and its fine content are significant parameters for the performance of the segregating thickening process in the thickener, which have to be determined experimentally. If the solid content of the thickener feed is high, it can be adjusted by dilution with water. The segregated thickened tailings (thickener underflow) can be utilized to produce engineered products (by blending it with coarser and finer fractions of the main tailings stream, at certain proportions), such as BCT, for its disposal for land reclamation.
Baki Ozum, Ph.D., P. Eng. C~ ~.~~ Dated: ~ /~
Director Apex Engineering Inc.
Claims (13)
1. The segregating industrial tailings is physically processed using some kind of size clarification equipment, such as a cyclone. Using cyclone as size clarification equipment, as an example, the main tailings is divided into two streams: (i) cyclone underflow and (ii) cyclone overflow effluents. Cyclone underflow has larger solid content and larger coarse per cent (or smaller fines per cent) than that of those of cyclone overflow.
2. The particles described in Claim 1 as "coarse" are the particles greater than 44 micron size, which are generally sand particles. The particles described in Claim 1 as "fines" are the particles smaller than 44 micron size, which are generally silt and clay particles.
3. Cyclone overflow preferably treated with a chemical to improve the formation of flocculent, which improves the sedimentation of the solid particles in the suspension during the thickening process in the thickener.
4. The cyclone overflow, preferably after treating it with a chemical, is thickened in a thickener operating under the conditions of segregating consolidation. The thickening process takes place under segregating conditions in the thickened phase, producing segregated thickened tailings as thickener underflow and release water as thickener overflow.
5. The term "segregating" in Claim 4 is used to describe the phenomena of consolidation where fraction of the solid particles (for example coarse sand particles) in the suspension segregate and settle faster than the rest of the solids (for example fine particles such as silt and clay). In segregating thickening process solids concentration in the thickened phase decreases as a function of the distance from the bottom of the thickener. In non segregating thickening process segregation of solids does not take place and solid concentration in the thickened phase becomes independent to the height, for example independent to the distance from the bottom of the thickener.
6. The per cent water release during the thickening process is defined as the fraction of the water in the tailings recovered as release water. The measure of percent water release as a function of time is a measure to compare thickening processes.
7. During the formation of segregated thickened tailings in the thickener relatively high water release rate is achieved. The segregated solids probably opened channels by theirs downwards motion in the thickened phase, resulting in increase in the permeability and consequently decrease in pore pressure and fast water release rate.
8. The thickening process explained in Claim 7 can not take place during the non segregating thickening process. As a result, segregation of solids in the thickened phase is desired for fast water release in the thickener. The production of segregated thickened tailings in the thickener is the key factor for fast recovery of the released water from the tailings stream.
9. Per cent water release rate for a given tailings is a function of the feed tailings per cent solid content, as well as per cent fines of the solids. For fast water recovery in the thickener by segregating thickening process, it may be required that the feed tailings per cent solid content be lower than a limit concentration. This limit solid concentration of the tailings is a function of the per cent fines of the solids. If the feed tailings concentration is high, dilution of the tailings with recovered or make-up water may be required for fast water release during the segregating thickening process in the thickener.
10. Thickener overflow is the release water, which is preferably reconditioned and recycled.
11. The thickened phase, which is segregated thickener underflow effluent, can be blended with the coarse and fine fractions of the main tailings, probably with the help of some chemical additives, to produce blended composite tailings.
12. The thickener underflow is the segregated thickened tailings, which can be converted to engineered tailings product and discharged for land reclamation, further consolidation of which would produce more release water.
13. As an example to Claim 11, the thickener underflow (segregated thickened tailings) can be blended with the coarser and finer fractions of the main tailings stream, at certain proportions, preferably with the help of chemicals additives, to produce blended composite tailings. Blended composite tailings can be disposed for land reclamation, further consolidation of which would produce more release water.
The release water can be reconditioned and recycled.
The release water can be reconditioned and recycled.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2363932 CA2363932A1 (en) | 2001-11-23 | 2001-11-23 | Management of segregating industrial tailings by using thickeners producing segregated thickened tailings |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2363932 CA2363932A1 (en) | 2001-11-23 | 2001-11-23 | Management of segregating industrial tailings by using thickeners producing segregated thickened tailings |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2363932A1 true CA2363932A1 (en) | 2003-05-23 |
Family
ID=4170678
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2363932 Abandoned CA2363932A1 (en) | 2001-11-23 | 2001-11-23 | Management of segregating industrial tailings by using thickeners producing segregated thickened tailings |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2363932A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN106334621A (en) * | 2016-08-24 | 2017-01-18 | 大连地拓重工有限公司 | Beneficiation method for tailing-free pond |
| CN106622635A (en) * | 2016-12-12 | 2017-05-10 | 长沙矿冶研究院有限责任公司 | Method and device for classification-concentration and classification-separation for weakly magnetic tailings of hybrid maghemite |
| US10399873B2 (en) * | 2009-10-27 | 2019-09-03 | Soane Mining, Llc | Removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
| US10562799B2 (en) | 2008-02-14 | 2020-02-18 | Soane Mining, Llc | Systems and methods for removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
| US10570037B2 (en) | 2008-02-14 | 2020-02-25 | Soane Mining, Llc | Systems and methods for removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
-
2001
- 2001-11-23 CA CA 2363932 patent/CA2363932A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10562799B2 (en) | 2008-02-14 | 2020-02-18 | Soane Mining, Llc | Systems and methods for removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
| US10570037B2 (en) | 2008-02-14 | 2020-02-25 | Soane Mining, Llc | Systems and methods for removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
| US10399873B2 (en) * | 2009-10-27 | 2019-09-03 | Soane Mining, Llc | Removing finely dispersed particulate matter from a fluid stream |
| CN106334621A (en) * | 2016-08-24 | 2017-01-18 | 大连地拓重工有限公司 | Beneficiation method for tailing-free pond |
| CN106622635A (en) * | 2016-12-12 | 2017-05-10 | 长沙矿冶研究院有限责任公司 | Method and device for classification-concentration and classification-separation for weakly magnetic tailings of hybrid maghemite |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |