The Chinalco Toromocho copper mine uses four (4) 43-m diameter paste-type tailings thickener, each is designed to process over 1,300 dry metric tons per hour, mtph and 3,600 cubic meters per hour, m 3 /h of slurry. The target non-Newtonian underflow was designed to be pumped to the tailings storage facility, TSF to be surface stacked. Difficulty has been experienced achieving the target underflow causing water balance, pumping capacity and other issues. Chinalco contracted WesTech to perform an optimization study to evaluate the benefit of retrofitting their feed system and mechanism of their thickeners with the latest advances in the market. Plant trend data was analyzed over the past 1.5 years, establishing the current operation of the site. The tailings stream variation range in dry mtph, particle size distribution, PSD, and flocculant consumption, are shown. The underflow weight percent and overflow clarity operating ranges were tracked. The analysis gives the effect these critical parameters have on thickener performance. A comparison is provided of the predicted modernization performance in response to the established operating variability. This paper provides a review of the Toromocho thickeners trend data based performance, optimization study results, and the mine's way forward to optimize their tailings thickeners.
In today's world, mining is faced with many evolving requirements and challenges that come to a head in the handling of the plant tailings. Many of which are directly related to the use and conservation of water. Water availability is reducing as the world's demand for it expands. This is particularly true in arid climates like that of Inner Mongolia China. Water supply for the Baotou Steel mine and the livelihood of the nearby communities is supported by a 130 km long pipeline (the longest in China) which draws from the Yellow River. Conservation of this precious resource was one of the main drivers for the use of P&TT technology management of the plant tailings. The water recovery at the iron mine is successfully and consistently achieving above 95%. Recovery of the water at the paste thickeners eliminates or greatly reduces the existence of any free standing water in the tailings deposition unlike within slurry ponds where free water pools on the surface and large volumes are lost to evaporation and allows fluidization during slurry pond dam failures. This paper presents some case studies of China P&TT installations in arid and wet climates.
Thickeners that produce non-Newtonian underflow suspensions use the same feedwells as with other thickener types. The functions of converting the horizontal momentum of the feed to a vertical flow and the promoting flocculation of the suspended solids are the same for any thickener. The industry has correctly addressed the feedwell design in recent years. The effectiveness of the feedwell design to accomplish these functions has generally been poor in the industry. Short circuiting flows carry the solids into the thickener prematurely before all the suspended solids have been captured. Also these flows generate such force that solids are carried to the overflow launder before settling can occur. Paste thickeners are oftentimes used as the final dewatering stage of the tailings and the main source for process water return. Clarity of the process water is often regulated if discharged and poor clarity recirculates solids that cause a burden on the system. The patented Evenflo TM feedwell has been installed in all types of thickener in China and around the world with significant improvements to overflow clarity and overall thickener operation. This paper provides case study results of clarity and elimination of short circuiting.
Iron production in India has seen rapid growth over the last few years, significantly exceeding forecasts. This growth has accentuated several issues regarding management of the slimes, dewatering, and tailings storage facilities (TSF). The number of slime pelletising beneficiation plants has increased to produce pellets for domestic use and exports. Pellet plants vary in size from 1 to more than 8 Mtpa pellet production. Slime beneficiation can produce tailings with more than 90% passing 20 microns (µm). In light of recent world iron tailings disasters, there has been a focus on much lower risk tailings storage systems. Plants have significant obstacles to overcome in the management of these slime tailings; the tailings' very fine particle size distribution (PSD) is notorious for poor filtration rates, small TSF areas are available, stream variability can greatly affect dewatering efficiency, and water management at the TSF in high rainfall, to name a few. Paste thickener technology, which provides solutions to several of these challenges, has entered the Indian iron market. The first installation was in 2015 at Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd Tilda pellet plant. This paper features additional Indian paste thickener sites, discussing dewatering variable feed streams, thickener operation and results, and methods of TSF management.
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