CN117794867A - Method for treating mineral particle suspensions - Google Patents
Method for treating mineral particle suspensions Download PDFInfo
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- CN117794867A CN117794867A CN202280054733.6A CN202280054733A CN117794867A CN 117794867 A CN117794867 A CN 117794867A CN 202280054733 A CN202280054733 A CN 202280054733A CN 117794867 A CN117794867 A CN 117794867A
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- Prior art keywords
- mineral
- slurry residue
- mineral slurry
- ionic
- polymer
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- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 118
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 118
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 63
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 33
- 239000000725 suspension Substances 0.000 title description 28
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 103
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 52
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 51
- 238000011065 in-situ storage Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- 238000004132 cross linking Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 25
- 229920003169 water-soluble polymer Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 25
- 239000003431 cross linking reagent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 24
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 229920000831 ionic polymer Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 125000002091 cationic group Chemical group 0.000 claims description 31
- 125000000129 anionic group Chemical group 0.000 claims description 28
- 239000000178 monomer Substances 0.000 claims description 20
- 239000004971 Cross linker Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 150000002484 inorganic compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910010272 inorganic material Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000001935 peptisation Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000006116 polymerization reaction Methods 0.000 claims 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 22
- 238000011282 treatment Methods 0.000 description 49
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 30
- 239000002562 thickening agent Substances 0.000 description 16
- 229920006318 anionic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 13
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 12
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 229940037003 alum Drugs 0.000 description 9
- 239000000701 coagulant Substances 0.000 description 9
- 238000005189 flocculation Methods 0.000 description 9
- 230000016615 flocculation Effects 0.000 description 9
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 9
- 229920006317 cationic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 8
- 230000003750 conditioning effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 244000144992 flock Species 0.000 description 7
- 239000003921 oil Substances 0.000 description 7
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 description 7
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 7
- 229920000554 ionomer Polymers 0.000 description 6
- NJSSICCENMLTKO-HRCBOCMUSA-N [(1r,2s,4r,5r)-3-hydroxy-4-(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyloxy-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-yl] 4-methylbenzenesulfonate Chemical compound C1=CC(C)=CC=C1S(=O)(=O)O[C@H]1C(O)[C@@H](OS(=O)(=O)C=2C=CC(C)=CC=2)[C@@H]2OC[C@H]1O2 NJSSICCENMLTKO-HRCBOCMUSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000005119 centrifugation Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000007596 consolidation process Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 5
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229920005615 natural polymer Polymers 0.000 description 5
- 229920001059 synthetic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 5
- JKNCOURZONDCGV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate Chemical compound CN(C)CCOC(=O)C(C)=C JKNCOURZONDCGV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- DPBJAVGHACCNRL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl prop-2-enoate Chemical compound CN(C)CCOC(=O)C=C DPBJAVGHACCNRL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- HRPVXLWXLXDGHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Acrylamide Chemical compound NC(=O)C=C HRPVXLWXLXDGHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 4
- -1 fe 3+ Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- 239000008394 flocculating agent Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 4
- BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 4
- UZNHKBFIBYXPDV-UHFFFAOYSA-N trimethyl-[3-(2-methylprop-2-enoylamino)propyl]azanium;chloride Chemical compound [Cl-].CC(=C)C(=O)NCCC[N+](C)(C)C UZNHKBFIBYXPDV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 4
- NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-Propenoic acid Natural products OC(=O)C=C NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 150000001450 anions Chemical class 0.000 description 3
- 239000003245 coal Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000002270 dispersing agent Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- FQPSGWSUVKBHSU-UHFFFAOYSA-N methacrylamide Chemical compound CC(=C)C(N)=O FQPSGWSUVKBHSU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000011085 pressure filtration Methods 0.000 description 3
- QYUMESOEHIJKHV-UHFFFAOYSA-M prop-2-enamide;trimethyl(propyl)azanium;chloride Chemical compound [Cl-].NC(=O)C=C.CCC[N+](C)(C)C QYUMESOEHIJKHV-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 3
- 238000004062 sedimentation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 3
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910019142 PO4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 150000003926 acrylamides Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- VSCWAEJMTAWNJL-UHFFFAOYSA-K aluminium trichloride Chemical compound Cl[Al](Cl)Cl VSCWAEJMTAWNJL-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 description 2
- 239000007900 aqueous suspension Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010426 asphalt Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 150000001768 cations Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 239000004927 clay Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005345 coagulation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000015271 coagulation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910003460 diamond Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010419 fine particle Substances 0.000 description 2
- 125000000524 functional group Chemical group 0.000 description 2
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920001519 homopolymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 239000003027 oil sand Substances 0.000 description 2
- NBIIXXVUZAFLBC-UHFFFAOYSA-K phosphate Chemical compound [O-]P([O-])([O-])=O NBIIXXVUZAFLBC-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 description 2
- 239000010452 phosphate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000000704 physical effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910052697 platinum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229920000768 polyamine Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000000379 polymerizing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000013049 sediment Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 2
- PQUXFUBNSYCQAL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1-(2,3-difluorophenyl)ethanone Chemical group CC(=O)C1=CC=CC(F)=C1F PQUXFUBNSYCQAL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- SMZOUWXMTYCWNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)ethanamine Chemical compound COC1=CC=C(C)C=C1CCN SMZOUWXMTYCWNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- JAHNSTQSQJOJLO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-(3-fluorophenyl)-1h-imidazole Chemical compound FC1=CC=CC(C=2NC=CN=2)=C1 JAHNSTQSQJOJLO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- XCJGLBWDZKLQCY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-methylpropane-2-sulfonic acid Chemical compound CC(C)(C)S(O)(=O)=O XCJGLBWDZKLQCY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- VTLYFUHAOXGGBS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fe3+ Chemical compound [Fe+3] VTLYFUHAOXGGBS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M Ilexoside XXIX Chemical compound C[C@@H]1CC[C@@]2(CC[C@@]3(C(=CC[C@H]4[C@]3(CC[C@@H]5[C@@]4(CC[C@@H](C5(C)C)OS(=O)(=O)[O-])C)C)[C@@H]2[C@]1(C)O)C)C(=O)O[C@H]6[C@@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O6)CO)O)O)O.[Na+] DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M 0.000 description 1
- 229910021578 Iron(III) chloride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- CERQOIWHTDAKMF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Methacrylic acid Chemical compound CC(=C)C(O)=O CERQOIWHTDAKMF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- OFOBLEOULBTSOW-UHFFFAOYSA-N Propanedioic acid Natural products OC(=O)CC(O)=O OFOBLEOULBTSOW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004115 Sodium Silicate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052783 alkali metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000001340 alkali metals Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 229910052784 alkaline earth metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000001342 alkaline earth metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- DIZPMCHEQGEION-UHFFFAOYSA-H aluminium sulfate (anhydrous) Chemical compound [Al+3].[Al+3].[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O.[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O.[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O DIZPMCHEQGEION-UHFFFAOYSA-H 0.000 description 1
- 150000001412 amines Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 150000003863 ammonium salts Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000008346 aqueous phase Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007864 aqueous solution Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 125000003178 carboxy group Chemical group [H]OC(*)=O 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001311 chemical methods and process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003638 chemical reducing agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229920001577 copolymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000006185 dispersion Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009297 electrocoagulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001962 electrophoresis Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000839 emulsion Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 150000002148 esters Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000012065 filter cake Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000013467 fragmentation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006062 fragmentation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000227 grinding Methods 0.000 description 1
- RBTARNINKXHZNM-UHFFFAOYSA-K iron trichloride Chemical compound Cl[Fe](Cl)Cl RBTARNINKXHZNM-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 description 1
- RUTXIHLAWFEWGM-UHFFFAOYSA-H iron(3+) sulfate Chemical compound [Fe+3].[Fe+3].[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O.[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O.[O-]S([O-])(=O)=O RUTXIHLAWFEWGM-UHFFFAOYSA-H 0.000 description 1
- JEIPFZHSYJVQDO-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron(III) oxide Inorganic materials O=[Fe]O[Fe]=O JEIPFZHSYJVQDO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910000360 iron(III) sulfate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000011068 loading method Methods 0.000 description 1
- VZCYOOQTPOCHFL-UPHRSURJSA-N maleic acid Chemical compound OC(=O)\C=C/C(O)=O VZCYOOQTPOCHFL-UPHRSURJSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000011976 maleic acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000002734 metacrylic acid derivatives Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- LVHBHZANLOWSRM-UHFFFAOYSA-N methylenebutanedioic acid Natural products OC(=O)CC(=C)C(O)=O LVHBHZANLOWSRM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000013508 migration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000002894 organic compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000007800 oxidant agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003002 pH adjusting agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- ABLZXFCXXLZCGV-UHFFFAOYSA-N phosphonic acid group Chemical group P(O)(O)=O ABLZXFCXXLZCGV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920000058 polyacrylate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002035 prolonged effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052708 sodium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011734 sodium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229940047670 sodium acrylate Drugs 0.000 description 1
- NTHWMYGWWRZVTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N sodium silicate Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-][Si]([O-])=O NTHWMYGWWRZVTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052911 sodium silicate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- SONHXMAHPHADTF-UHFFFAOYSA-M sodium;2-methylprop-2-enoate Chemical compound [Na+].CC(=C)C([O-])=O SONHXMAHPHADTF-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 1
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007711 solidification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008023 solidification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001179 sorption measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 1
- 125000000542 sulfonic acid group Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 230000008719 thickening Effects 0.000 description 1
- VZCYOOQTPOCHFL-UHFFFAOYSA-N trans-butenedioic acid Natural products OC(=O)C=CC(O)=O VZCYOOQTPOCHFL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001052 transient effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- CAYKLJBSARHIDI-UHFFFAOYSA-K trichloroalumane;hydrate Chemical compound O.Cl[Al](Cl)Cl CAYKLJBSARHIDI-UHFFFAOYSA-K 0.000 description 1
- OEIXGLMQZVLOQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N trimethyl-[3-(prop-2-enoylamino)propyl]azanium;chloride Chemical compound [Cl-].C[N+](C)(C)CCCNC(=O)C=C OEIXGLMQZVLOQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000003643 water by type Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F11/00—Treatment of sludge; Devices therefor
- C02F11/12—Treatment of sludge; Devices therefor by de-watering, drying or thickening
- C02F11/14—Treatment of sludge; Devices therefor by de-watering, drying or thickening with addition of chemical agents
- C02F11/148—Combined use of inorganic and organic substances, being added in the same treatment step
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
- C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
- C02F2103/10—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from quarries or from mining activities
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Separation Of Suspended Particles By Flocculating Agents (AREA)
- Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)
Abstract
A method of in situ crosslinking of polymer treated mineral slurry residue from a mineral processing operation, wherein the mineral slurry residue comprises an aqueous liquid having dispersed mineral particle solids, characterized in that: (a) Combining a water soluble ionic polymer with the mineral slurry residue such that the dispersed mineral particulate solids of the mineral slurry residue are positively or negatively charged, thereby treating the mineral slurry residue, and then (b) combining an ionic crosslinking agent with the treated mineral slurry residue such that in situ crosslinking occurs in the structure of the treated mineral slurry residue, wherein the ionic degree of the water soluble polymer is opposite to the ionic degree of the crosslinking agent.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for treating a suspension of mineral particles in water. More precisely, the invention takes the form of "in situ" crosslinking of polymer treated mineral solids (as present in tailings slurries).
Background
Suspensions of mineral particles in water, or tailings slurries, also known as mineral slurry residues, are aqueous liquids with dispersed mineral particle solids and include all types of tailings or waste. The suspension is produced by the ore processing process. For example, they are all wash products and waste products from industrial tailings and mined mines such as coal mines, diamond ores, phosphate ores, metal ores (alumina, platinum, iron, gold, copper, silver, etc.). Drilling mud or tailings from bitumen extraction from oil sands may also create a suspension. These suspensions typically contain mineral particles such as clay, sediment, sand, metal oxides, and possibly oil mixed with water.
The invention is particularly directed to the treatment of oil sand tailings.
Tailings disposal has become a technical, environmental and public policy issue. It is common practice to separate solids from liquids using synthetic or natural polymers such as coagulants and flocculants.
For a long time, even now, mineral tailings produced by physical or chemical ore treatment processes have been stored in semi-liquid form in stagnant lagoons, ponds, dams or dykes on the ground. Thus, these large amounts of stored tailings can pose a real hazard, particularly if the dike breaks.
Thus, improvements in tailings chemical and mechanical processing are a great challenge to be addressed.
Various attempts have been made over the past decades to improve tailings treatment to effectively recover water and reduce the volume of the tailings pond. Basically, two types of processes have been developed to treat tailings and separate solids from water: physical treatment and chemical treatment.
The main physical treatment methods include centrifugation, filtration, electrophoresis and electrocoagulation.
In another aspect, the chemical process includes a process involving the addition of chemicals such as sodium silicate, organic flocculants, inorganic coagulants, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, carbon dioxide, and pH adjusting agents.
The process efficiency of polymer treatment tailings is positively and negatively affected by polymer treatment (flocculation). The advantages are well documented, however, the negative effects are known, but are not widely recognized. Such problems are related to the physical and chemical characteristics of the flocculated solids and/or residual (unadsorbed) polymer remaining in the aqueous phase and take the following form (no particular order, nor an exhaustive list):
-the speed of hindered mineral consolidation;
-reduced flocculent density;
-ineffective fines capture;
diametrically opposed performance responses (e.g. fines capture and consolidation solids in thickener operation);
-reduced hydraulic conductivity;
poor/ineffective filtration performance (e.g. filter plugging, excessive cycle time, thin filter cake, poor filter cloth release);
flocs susceptible to physical degradation (disruption);
polymers on/in the surface of the flock can lead to undesirable physical properties within the treatment system (e.g. increased yield stress, reduced porosity, deformation under load).
The use of anionic and cationic polymer combinations has been well documented when treating coal tailings by pressure belt filtration. Typically, it takes the form of an anionic polymer to flocculate the solids and then is subjected to a cationic treatment to improve the filtration properties of the material to be processed. The particular order of chemical addition is not fixed and it is not uncommon for cationic treatment to precede anionic treatment. In this case, the processing mechanism is significantly different.
Cationic pretreatment (coagulation; mineral surface charge reduction) in the form of inorganic multivalent metal salts (e.g., fe 3+ 、Al 3+ 、Ca 2+ ) Or cationic polymers (e.g., polydadmac, polyamine homopolymers) reduce the negative charge on the mineral surface, increasing its acceptance for flocculant adsorption and flocculation. However, such treatments do not eliminate the "problems" described above with respect to the flocculation matrix.
Cationic post-treatment may be performed with inorganic multivalent metal salts (e.g., fe 3+ 、Al 3+ 、Ca 2 +、Cr 3+ ) Or cationic polymers (e.g., homopolymers of DADMAC, amines, MANNICH, AETAC, DMA-epi, METAC, and acrylamide-based copolymer polymers). As the surface of the flocculated solids is blocked/covered by the anionic polymer, the introduced cationic chemical reacts with the anionic functional groups within the adsorbed polymer chains, creating an insoluble/limited solubility macrostructure on, within and between the available flocks.
The historical literature on the treatment of mineral slurries with cationic chemicals is often skewed, defining the chemical as a coagulant, while its application does not directly affect mineral surface charge, and the reaction mechanism is different (e.g. coagulation versus cross-linking).
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating a suspension of mineral particles in water. More precisely, the present invention employs "in situ" crosslinking of polymer treated mineral solids (as present in tailings slurries). The process of the present invention provides technical advantages for all types of tailings treatment, as described below.
Tailings deposit (e.g. PASS (permanent aquatic storage system), deep tilting, underwater)
The flocculated tailings naturally retain a significant amount of water within and on the surface of the treated material (flocks). Such treatments do not accept efficient compression dewatering (effects of porosity reduction, flocculent deformation, etc., thereby reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the system). The use of in situ crosslinking renders the water-soluble polymer insoluble (or of limited solubility, depending on the combination of polymer ionization degree, crosslinker functionality and dosage used) on the surface of the flocculent and within the flocculent structure, resulting in the afore-mentioned "macrostructures" on, within and between the flocculated solids. The structure, and the sequence of additional strength associated with this form of polymer, creates a highly compressible porous system ("sponge-like") in which loading results in immediate and significant water release and improved fines capture, caused by particle immobilization inside the cross-linked flocs. This, in turn, can significantly reduce the volume of deposited material in a shorter time; releasing additional water back into the process more quickly and significantly improving the fixation of solids (against physical shear forces) within the treated system.
The process often requires transporting the polymer treated tailings for different distances, resulting in an undesirable flocculant treatment (under/above slurry conditioning). In situ crosslinking of slurries treated with conventional anionic flocculants significantly increases the physical strength of the treated material, reduces its susceptibility to physical degradation, and maintains its effectiveness under a wider range of operating conditions. In addition to strength, the resulting polymer macrostructure also advantageously alters the manner in which physical degradation occurs. In the case of traditional anionic flocculation, the shape and integrity of any given floe can lead to asymmetric fragmentation, resulting in the subsequent generation of a wide range of smaller aggregate sizes; these in turn hamper the efficiency of processes such as consolidation, hydraulic conductivity, release of fines into runoff waters, etc. The presence of high-strength, low-solubility structures throughout the treated system results in the form of "fractal" structural properties. As previously mentioned, this provides greater physical shear resistance, but in addition, when aggregate breakage occurs, smaller aggregates are produced, thereby maintaining overall physical properties.
Centrifuging
The polymer is typically applied to the slurry immediately prior to the centrifuge, where the conditions of solid/liquid separation are extremely harsh and "transient," often resulting in suboptimal polymer/slurry conditioning and associated suboptimal centrifuge performance. It is generally believed that minimizing the contact time of the polymer/slurry prior to the centrifuge can maintain a greater proportion of the potential effectiveness. As previously mentioned, the use of in situ cross-linking agents gives polymer-treated slurries a number of beneficial properties that are improved:
-resistance of the flocks to physical degradation;
-a flocculent porosity;
-a floc density;
-compression dewatering of the flocks;
-fines containment within the treated material;
……
thereby improving the performance of the centrifugal machine comprehensively. In situ crosslinking also eliminates the negative surface properties of the flocs by converting the water-soluble anionic polymer on the mineral surface into insoluble pliable solids.
By applying the polymer at an early stage of the process, the polymer/slurry conditioning can be optimized so that the most effective pretreatment conditions are "locked" into the slurry when in situ crosslinking occurs, facilitating the subsequent solid/liquid separation process.
Rolling torque is an important issue in effectively managing centrifuge performance. Conventional anionic polymer treatment can create a significant amount of additional yield stress (50% to 100%) within the dewatered centrifuge cake as it moves along the spool toward the centrifuge outlet, limiting the overall effective performance possible in the process. In situ crosslinking of the polymer-treated slurry substantially eliminates all yield stress associated with the polymer while forming a floc structure that is well suited to the physical conditions of operation within the centrifuge (i.e., the flocs are prone to compression dewatering).
Thickening device
In the oil sands industry, thickener operation has specific and increasing performance requirements. These are:
-a minimum effective sedimentation rate;
-overflow quality;
-underflow solids relative to yield stress.
Many of the above-described physical changes resulting from in-situ crosslinking in the anionic polymer treated slurry are equally beneficial in thickener operation. These are:
-increased floc strength;
robustness to process variations;
-increased floc density;
-migration of the polymer generates a yield stress in the consolidated solids;
-improved compression dewatering within the consolidated solids.
It is known that increasing the anion content of a polymer treatment results in:
-improved fines capture;
higher polymer dose to reach a given sedimentation rate;
poor consolidation of the flocculated solids.
Once the minimum effective sedimentation rate is reached, fines capture will consolidate the effectiveness of the overall process. However, in situ crosslinking may be an effective post-treatment prior to the thickener, where it facilitates dose effective settling rate and solids consolidation.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of in situ crosslinking of polymer treated mineral slurry residue from a mineral processing operation, wherein the mineral slurry residue comprises an aqueous liquid having dispersed mineral particulate solids, characterised in that:
(a) Combining a water-soluble ionic polymer with the mineral slurry residue such that the dispersed mineral particulate solids of the mineral slurry residue are positively or negatively charged, thereby treating the mineral slurry residue, and then
(b) An ionic crosslinking agent is combined with the treated mineral slurry residue such that in situ crosslinking occurs in the structure of the treated mineral slurry residue, and wherein the ionic degree of the water soluble polymer and the ionic degree of the crosslinking agent are opposite.
Within the scope of the method according to the invention, "treated mineral slurry residue" refers to "positively or negatively charged dispersed mineral particle solids of the mineral slurry residue". In fact, as reported in step (a) of the process of the present invention, the combination of the mineral slurry residue with the water-soluble ionic polymer results in the dispersed mineral particulate solids of the mineral slurry residue being positively or negatively charged (depending on the ionicity of the polymer). Thus, these two terms may be used interchangeably.
Within the scope of the process according to the invention, the term "crosslinker" has the usual meaning in polymer chemistry. In particular, they are special organic compounds for creating a crosslinked structure between linear/branched polymer chains. Such compounds typically comprise two or more reactive ends capable of being chemically linked to a specific functional group. These agents are further exemplified throughout the description of the invention.
As described below, a cross-linking agent (cationic or anionic) is added to the treated slurry, wherein the mineral particulate solids are surrounded by a counter ionic charge (anions or cations from the water soluble polymer, respectively), thereby forming a specific state of the slurry, known as the in situ cross-linked state, which can be considered as an infinite continuous fractal network.
In a first mode of the invention, the ionic water soluble polymer is anionic and the cross-linking agent is cationic.
In a second mode of the invention, the ionic water soluble polymer is cationic and the cross-linking agent is anionic.
The in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue obtained by the process of the present invention may be deposited on a grinding surface, or deposited underwater, or transported to a thickener, or further processed by mechanical steps such as centrifugation or pressure filtration.
The process of the invention has been found to be particularly effective when the in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue is further treated with a mechanical step, preferably by centrifugation or pressure filtration.
Thus, in one embodiment, the method of the present invention further comprises step (c): centrifuging or pressure filtering the in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue obtained in step (b).
The method of the invention is based on the following findings: when an ionic cross-linking agent (cationic or anionic) is added to the treated slurry, wherein the mineral particulate solids are surrounded by opposite ionic charges (anions or cations, respectively), a specific state of the slurry, known as the in situ cross-linked state, can be seen as an infinite continuous fractal network, and optimal conditioning of the slurry is possible.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the crosslinked structure of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by a yield stress of 500Pa to 5000Pa, preferably 550Pa to 4000Pa, more preferably 600Pa to 3000Pa. The yield stress is measured with an SST rheometer (e.g., from Brookfield corporation) at 25 ℃. Those skilled in the art know how to measure yield stress with such devices.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross-linked structure of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by deflocculation properties such that the average floc size, measured by a Focused Beam Reflectometer (FBRM) in real time, for example, particle track G400 from Mettler Toledo, is at a maximum of 150 μm to 350 μm, preferably 170 μm to 300 μm, equipped with a 19mm diameter probe, mixed at a speed of 320rpm at 25 ℃. The detection mode of the apparatus is preferably set to a "macroscopic" mode so that the instrument is less sensitive to individual particles to better quantify the "size" of the flocculated aggregate. The dimensions referred to according to the invention are mean diameters.
In a first mode of the invention, the method of the invention comprises first applying a water-soluble anionic polymer to the slurry such that the anionic polymer adsorbs onto the mineral surface. There is no need to flocculate the solids. Thus, the anionic polymer may be a flocculant or a lower molecular weight polymer such as a dispersant. The cationic cross-linking agent is then added to the treated slurry, wherein the mineral particulate solids are surrounded by anionic charge, to form a specific state of the slurry, known as an in situ cross-linked state.
In a second mode of the invention, the method of the invention comprises first applying a water-soluble cationic polymer to the slurry such that the cationic polymer adsorbs onto the mineral surface. There is no need to flocculate the solids. Thus, the cationic polymer may be a flocculant or a lower molecular weight polymer such as a coagulant or dispersant. An anionic cross-linking agent is then added to the treated slurry, wherein the mineral particulate solids are surrounded by cationic charge, to form a specific state of the slurry, known as the in situ cross-linked state.
The most sensitive step of the process is the combination with an ionic cross-linker (cationic or anionic) treated slurry to produce in situ cross-linking, also known as infinite continuous fractal network in mineral slurry residues. The amount of ionic cross-linking agent must be sufficient to produce cross-linking in the mineral slurry residue and to eliminate the solubility of the ionic polymer (anionic or cationic, respectively). The ionomer becomes insoluble in water and eliminates all subsequent process problems traditionally associated with the use of water-soluble ionomers, such as excessive or excessive slurry conditioning and shear degradation or filter cloth plugging, or too high rake torque in the thickener.
In a preferred embodiment, the treated mineral slurry residues are mixed to ensure that the mineral slurry residues (anionic or cationic) treated by ions effectively condition the cross-linking agent. More precisely, in one embodiment, the method of the invention comprises a mixing step (a')) after adding a water-soluble ionomer (anionic or cationic) to the tailings (mineral slurry residue) for treatment (step (a)) and before adding an ionic cross-linker (cationic or anionic respectively) (step (b)). The mixing step may be achieved by transporting the treated tailings (mineral slurry residue) and/or by applying mechanical shear to the treated tailings (mineral slurry residue).
The strength of the crosslinked structure or fractal network depends on the degree of water-soluble polymer ionization, the nature of the ionic crosslinking agent, and the stoichiometric amount of crosslinking agent applied.
As previously mentioned, the suspension of mineral particles in water or tailings slurry includes all types of tailings or waste. The suspension is produced by the ore processing process. For example, they are all wash products and waste products from industrial tailings and mined mines such as coal mines, diamond ores, phosphate ores, metal ores (alumina, platinum, iron, gold, copper, silver, etc.). Drilling mud or tailings from bitumen extraction from oil sands may also create a suspension. These suspensions typically contain mineral particles such as clay, sediment, sand, metal oxides, and possibly oil mixed with water.
In particular, the present invention is directed to the treatment of oil sand tailings. The mineral slurry residue preferably originates from tailings of a mineral sand process.
Preferably, the dispersed mineral particulate solid has a particle size of less than 100 μm, wherein preferably at least 80% of the particles have a particle size of less than 25 μm. The invention is also effective for slurries having a relatively high particle size, such as non-segregated tailings (NST), where 90% of the mineral particulate solids have a particle size above 45 μm, typically with a significant proportion of the particle size being greater than 500 μm and greater than 1000 μm. The particle size is related to the average diameter. For example, it is measured by laser diffraction, for example Malvern Mastersize.
The mineral particle solids content of the mineral slurry residue is preferably 15 to 80% by weight, preferably 30 to 70% by weight. But suspensions having a lower solids content of mineral particles can be effectively treated with the method of the invention.
Specifically, the ionic water-soluble polymer is a synthetic ionic water-soluble polymer obtained by polymerizing at least one nonionic monomer and at least one anionic monomer, or the ionic water-soluble polymer is a synthetic ionic water-soluble polymer obtained by polymerizing at least one nonionic monomer and at least one cationic monomer.
When the water-soluble polymer is anionic, it is preferably a synthetic polymer, but may be a semi-synthetic or natural polymer. The water-soluble anionic polymer comprises at least one anionic monomer, and preferably at least one nonionic monomer.
When the water-soluble polymer is cationic, it is preferably a synthetic polymer, but may be a semi-synthetic or natural polymer. The water-soluble cationic polymer comprises at least one cationic monomer, and preferably at least one nonionic monomer.
The anionic monomer is preferably selected from: monomers having carboxyl functionality and salts thereof; monomers having sulfonic acid functionality and salts thereof; monomers having phosphonic acid functionality and salts thereof. They include, for example, acrylic acid, acrylamide, t-butyl sulfonic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid; and half esters thereof. The most preferred anionic monomer is acrylic acid and its salts. Typically, the salt is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salt.
The cationic monomer is preferably selected from: quaternized or salified dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA); quaternized or salified dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA); diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC); acrylamide Propyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride (APTAC); methacrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC).
The nonionic monomer is preferably selected from: an acrylamide; methacrylamide; n-mono derivatives of acrylamide; n-mono derivatives of methacrylamide; n, N-derivatives of acrylamide; n, N-derivatives of methacrylamide; an acrylic ester; and methacrylates. The most preferred nonionic monomer is acrylamide.
The water-soluble ionomers of the present invention are linear or structured. Structured polymers are well known polymers that may have star, comb forms, or have pendant groups on the side of the backbone. The polymers of the present invention remain water soluble when structured.
The water-soluble ionic polymer preferably has an ionic degree of 15 to 80mol%, preferably 25 to 50 mol%. The water-soluble ionic polymer may also have an ionic degree of 80mol% to 100 mol%.
The molecular weight of the ionic water soluble polymer may be 100000 kilodaltons to 3000 kilodaltons. It may be, for example, a dispersant or a flocculant. When the water-soluble polymer is anionic, it is preferably a flocculant having an anionicity of 25 to 50 mole% and a molecular weight of 500 to 2000 kilodaltons. When the water-soluble polymer is cationic, it is preferably a flocculant or coagulant having a cationicity of 30% to 100% mol%. When the water-soluble polymer is cationic, it has a molecular weight of 100 to 2000 kilodaltons.
In particular, the water-soluble ionic polymer is combined with a mineral slurry residue, wherein the mineral particle solids content in the mineral slurry residue is from 50g/t to 2000g/t. The content is preferably 100g/t to 1500g/t, more preferably 250g/t to 1300g/t, even more preferably 400g/t to 1100g/t.
The ionic crosslinker may be selected from: synthetic ionic flocculants, synthetic ionic coagulants, cationic inorganic coagulants, cationic natural polymers and semi-natural polymers.
The cationic cross-linking agent is preferably selected from: from Fe 3+ 、Al 3+ 、Ca 2+ Or Cr 3+ Or a polyamine, or a mannich polymer, or a cationic polymer comprising quaternized or salified dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA), or quaternized or salified dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), or diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC), or acrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTAC), or methacrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAPTAC).
In one embodiment, the cationic crosslinker is preferably selected from any Fe-containing crosslinker 3+ 、Al 3+ Or Cr 3+ A water-soluble inorganic compound as a counter ion. It may be selected from the group consisting of: (poly) aluminum chloride, (poly) aluminum sulfate, (poly) aluminum chloride hydrate, ferric chloride and ferric sulfate.
In another embodiment, the anionic cross-linking agent is preferably a sodium acrylate polymer, an ATBS sodium polymer or a sodium methacrylate polymer.
In particular, an ionic crosslinking agent is combined with the treated mineral slurry residue in an amount that allows in situ crosslinking. Typically, the amount is from 50g/t to 2000g/t, preferably from 100g/t to 1500g/t, more preferably from 250g/t to 1300g/t, even more preferably from 400g/t to 1100g/t of mineral particulate solids contained in the mineral slurry residue. The amount depends on many factors such as the nature of the mineral particulate solids, the concentration of the solids in the mineral slurry residue.
In particular, in the method of the invention, the crosslinked structure or crosslinked state of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by the formation of a macrostructure.
More specifically, the crosslinked structure or crosslinked state of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by the formation of fractal macrostructures.
As already mentioned, the present invention relates to a method for treating a suspension of solid particles in water. It involves mixing a suspension (i.e. an aqueous liquid containing dispersed mineral solids of a mineral slurry residue) with the water-soluble ionomer of the present invention.
The process of the invention can be carried out in a thickener which is a closed zone, usually in the form of a length of pipe having a diameter of a few meters, with a conical bottom in which the particles can settle. According to a specific embodiment, the aqueous suspension (i.e. the mineral slurry residue) is transported to the thickener through a pipe, and steps (a) and (b) are performed in said pipe before the thickener. According to a specific embodiment, the aqueous suspension (i.e. the mineral slurry residue) is conveyed to the thickener by means of a pipe, and step (a) is carried out in said pipe before the thickener, and step (b) is carried out in the thickener.
According to another embodiment, step (a) and step (b) are carried out in a thickener already containing the suspension to be treated (i.e. the mineral slurry residue). In a typical mineral processing operation, the suspension is usually concentrated in a thickener. This results in a higher density slurry exiting the bottom of the thickener and an aqueous liquid (referred to as liquid) released from the treated and crosslinked slurry overflowing the top of the thickener.
According to another embodiment, steps (a) and (b) are performed during the transfer of the suspension (i.e. the pulp residue) to the deposition area. Preferably, the in situ crosslinking is performed in a conduit that delivers the suspension to the deposition zone. It is on this deposition area that the treated and crosslinked suspension is spread for dewatering and solidification. The deposition area may be unsealed, e.g. undefined soil areas, or sealed, e.g. slots, cells.
An example of a further treatment that may be carried out during transport of the suspension is a treatment in which the in situ cross-linked suspension according to the invention, i.e. the in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue, is spread on the ground to dewater and cure it, and then the second layer of suspension is spread on the first cured layer on the ground.
Another example is to continuously spread the in-situ cross-linked suspension (i.e. the in-situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue) such that the in-situ cross-linked suspension continuously falls on the suspension previously discharged into the deposition zone, thereby forming a mass of in-situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue, the water of which is extracted.
According to another embodiment which has been mentioned, an in situ cross-linked suspension (i.e. an in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue) is prepared, followed by mechanical treatment such as centrifugation, pressing or filtration.
The method according to the invention is indeed particularly effective when the in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue is further treated with a mechanical step, preferably by centrifugation or pressure filtration.
According to another embodiment, the present invention also relates to a method of treating existing polymer-treated deposits (i.e. deposits of polymer-treated mineral slurry residues), especially those that have not yet been consolidated to the minimum required strength for various reasons. In this case, the addition of a suitable cross-linking agent to the deposited mineral slurry residue will increase its strength by at least one order of magnitude without the need to remove additional water. By means of existing polymer-treated deposits, we consider slurries that have been treated and deposited somewhere for a period of at least several days or months, and then crosslinked with a crosslinking agent according to the invention.
In the context of the present invention, the water-soluble ionomer and the ionic crosslinker may be added in liquid form or in solid form. They may be added in the form of liquids, emulsions (water-in-oil), suspensions, powders or dispersions of polymers in oils. They are preferably added in the form of an aqueous solution.
It is apparent that the following examples and drawings are only for illustrating the subject matter of the present invention and are in no way limiting.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a graph showing Capillary Suction Time (CST) as a function of polymer dosage for three different treatments.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the variation of the size of the flocks (in μm) over time in two different treatments.
Figure 3 is a graph showing the ratio between the size of the flock and the weight percentage of fines as a function of the polymer dose.
Examples
In the following examples, 0.45wt% of a medium anionic and low molecular weight anionic polymer flocculant solution, 40wt% alum solution, and 40wt% iron solution were prepared in process water. All these solutions were stirred until completely dissolved and stored in a shade from light until further use. Flocculation tests were performed using Mature Fine Tailings (MFT) with a solids content of 34 wt%.
Process A: the MFT samples were pretreated with 900 g/dry ton (solid basis in MFT) alum and mixed at 300rpm for 10 minutes. Then, a known amount of polymer solution was added to the pretreated MFT with constant mixing at 300 rpm. Mixing was maintained for 10 minutes after which flocculation ended and the medium began to drain the water.
Process B: MFT samples were pre-mixed at 300rpm for 30 seconds, after which a known amount of polymer solution was added to the pre-mixed MFT over 10 minutes with constant mixing at 300 rpm. Then, 900 g/dry ton (solid basis in MFT) of alum was added to the preflocculated MFT with constant mixing at 300 rpm. Mixing was maintained for 10 minutes after which flocculation ended and the medium began to drain the water.
Process C: MFT samples were pre-mixed at 300rpm for 30 seconds, after which a known amount of polymer solution was added to the pre-mixed MFT over 10 minutes with constant mixing at 300 rpm. Then, 900 g/dry ton (solid basis in MFT) of ferric iron was added with constant mixing at 300rpmInto the preflocculated MFT. Mixing was maintained for 10 minutes after which flocculation ended and the medium began to drain the water.
Example 1: effect of in situ crosslinking on Polymer treated tailings CST
Capillary Suction Time (CST) is an indicator of how readily water is released from an aqueous system. In this example, 10g of flocculated MFT was sampled after treatment a, treatment B and treatment C were performed, respectively. The results shown in fig. 1 demonstrate that the alum and iron post flocculation system (i.e., treatment B and treatment C, respectively) produced superior performance for any given polymer dosage compared to treatment a.
Example 2: comparison of net floc size versus conditioning time
This example demonstrates the process advantages associated with in situ cross-linking of polymer treated tailings. Treatment A and treatment B were performed and both tests were performed using the same dose of anionic polymer (2000 g/t) and alum (900 g/t). In the case of treatment a, alum is used as the pretreatment (coagulant), while the order of in situ crosslinking treatment is reversed, i.e., treatment B. The change in average floc size was monitored in real time on site using a Focused Beam Reflectometer (FBRM) probe.
As shown in fig. 2, treatment B significantly increased the maximum floe size (about 130 μm to 240 μm) and robustness to polymer/slurry conditioning. In fact, the period of time for treatment B with an average floe size >100 μm lasted from about 80 seconds to about 420 seconds, while this time window for treatment a was shortened to only about 100 seconds to about 190 seconds.
Example 3: process A and Process B application Performance comparison
This example demonstrates the process advantages associated with in situ cross-linking of polymer treated tailings. Treatments a and B were performed and both tests were performed using the same dose of anionic flocculant and alum (900 g/t). In the case of treatment a, alum is used as the pretreatment (coagulant), while the order of in situ crosslinking treatment is reversed, i.e., treatment B.
The data in fig. 3 shows the average flocculent size and free fine particle content (about 45 μm) after prolonged mixing for a range of anionic polymer flocculant dosages (representing the pipeline transport of the treated slurry from the point of flocculant addition to the deposit). For any given flocculant dose, treatment B consistently produced larger floc sizes and lower free fine particle content. The combination of 1400g/t flocculant post treatment with 900g/t alum produced a performance level that treatment A with flocculant dosage below 2000g/t did not match.
Claims (15)
1. A method of in situ crosslinking of polymer treated mineral slurry residue from a mineral processing operation, wherein the mineral slurry residue comprises an aqueous liquid having dispersed mineral particle solids, characterized in that:
(a) Combining a water-soluble ionic polymer with the mineral slurry residue such that the dispersed mineral particulate solids of the mineral slurry residue are positively or negatively charged, thereby treating the mineral slurry residue, and then
(b) Combining an ionic crosslinking agent with the treated mineral slurry residue such that in situ crosslinking occurs in the structure of the treated mineral slurry residue, and
wherein the water-soluble polymer has an opposite ionic degree to the cross-linking agent.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionic water soluble polymer is anionic and the ionic cross-linking agent is cationic.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionic water soluble polymer is cationic and the ionic cross-linking agent is anionic.
4. A method according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising step (c): centrifuging or pressure filtering the in situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue obtained in step (b).
5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the mineral slurry residue is derived from tailings of sand processing.
6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the dispersed mineral particulate solid has a particle size of less than 100 μιη, and wherein preferably at least 80% of the particles have a particle size of less than 25 μιη.
7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the mineral particle solids content of the mineral slurry residue is 15 to 80% by weight, preferably 30 to 70% by weight.
8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the ionic water-soluble polymer is a synthetic ionic water-soluble polymer obtained by polymerization of at least one nonionic monomer and at least one anionic monomer, or the ionic water-soluble polymer is a synthetic ionic water-soluble polymer obtained by polymerization of at least one nonionic monomer and at least one cationic monomer.
9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the ionic water soluble polymer is combined with the mineral slurry residue and the mineral particle solids content in the mineral slurry residue is from 50g/t to 2000g/t.
10. The method of any one of claims 1-2 and 4-9, wherein the ionic crosslinker is cationic and is selected from the group consisting of Fe-containing 3+ 、Al 3+ Or Cr 3+ A water-soluble inorganic compound as a counter ion.
11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the ionic crosslinker is combined with the treated mineral slurry residue and the mineral particle solids content in the mineral slurry residue is from 50g/t to 2000g/t.
12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the cross-linked structure of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by the formation of a macrostructure.
13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the cross-linked structure of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by the formation of a fractal macrostructure.
14. The method of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the in-situ cross-linked mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by a yield stress of 500Pa to 5000Pa, the yield stress measured with an SST rheometer at 25 ℃.
15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the cross-linked structure of the mineral slurry residue after step (a) and step (b) is characterized by deflocculation properties such that the average floc size, measured in real time by a Focused Beam Reflectometer (FBRM) equipped with a 19mm diameter probe, is at 25 ℃ mixed at 320rpm, has a maximum of 150 to 350 μm.
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| FR2108663A FR3126125A1 (en) | 2021-08-12 | 2021-08-12 | MINERAL PARTICLE SUSPENSIONS TREATMENT PROCESS |
| FR2108663 | 2021-08-12 | ||
| PCT/EP2022/072512 WO2023017110A1 (en) | 2021-08-12 | 2022-08-11 | Method for treating suspensions of mineral particles |
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| US8894863B2 (en) * | 2010-03-17 | 2014-11-25 | Soane Mining, Llc | Method for removal of dissolved metal cations from aqueous fluids using modified capture polymers and tether polymer bearing anchor particles |
| CA2921835A1 (en) * | 2016-02-24 | 2017-08-24 | Suncor Energy Inc. | Treatment of thick fine tailings including chemical immobilization, polymer flocculation and dewatering |
| US20170267557A1 (en) * | 2016-03-15 | 2017-09-21 | SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project as such owners exist now and | In-situ treatment of tailings |
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