Quantifying the effects of clays on mineral tailings filtration

Abstract

Aluminosilicate clays like kaolin are commonly found in mineral ore bodies. The presence of clay negatively impacts most mineral beneficiation unit operations due to the detrimental effects of these clays on suspension rheology and sedimentation behaviour. Further, the amount of clay usually varies with location across an ore body. This causes not only poor performance in dewatering but also significant and often unpredictable process variations. In this study, the effect of clay in mineral tailings dewatering is explored and quantified via experiments and modelling using a comprehensive dewaterability analysis. Batch sedimentation and pressure filtration methods were employed for measuring ..