In recent years, several densified tailings have been proposed to reduce the geotechnical and geochemical risks associated with the tailings impoundments, such as the thickened tailings (with solid content between 50% and 70%), paste tailings (with solid content between 70% and 85%), and filtered tailings (with solid content between 83% and 91% ...
Thickened tailings experience a particular stress history during deposition, which may include desiccation, rewetting, and subsequent consolidation by burial under new tailings. The effect of this stress history on their shear response is investigated using a Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)-type simple shear device.
Paste and thickened tailings refer to the underflow of tailings thickeners that exhibit non-settling solids character at concentrations higher than produced by normal plant thickeners. Thickening …
A detailed chronology of the assessment of thickened tailings through a number of deposition trials is provided below: Pre June 2000Tailings was pumped to old tailings storage facility in purely conventional manner. Tailings deposited at a density of approximately 55%. Flotation density was around 50% hence tailings dewatering
The use of thickened tailings can result in a shorter delay between the end of operations and the start of cover placement, which means less time and cost expended in overall closure of the mine. In addition, the strategic placement of thickened tailings can increase the storage capacity in the TSF, which could potentially reduce further ...
The concept of thickened tailings "stacking" as a means of surface disposal of mine tailings, first introduced by Eli Robinsky in the mid 1970s as an alternative to storing tailings in impoundments behind embankments, has come a long way. Australia has been the leader in research and development of the method, and a
Most tailings can be thickened mechanically, some to a paste or filter cake consistency. However, clay mineral-rich tailings, such as coal tailings, mineral sands tailings, tailings from some oxide ores, and residue from the processing of bauxite, nickel laterite and oil sands, are difficult to dewater mechanically,
Interest in the use of high density, thickened tailings has increased significantly recently. Reasons vary, but include the need to conserve water, perceived lower risk of catastrophic failure, potentially easier closure or even reduced overall costs. As with any new technology, there has been a tendency to overstate potential benefits.
The difference between a 10-in. slump and non-thickened tailings can be 7% to 10% solids by weight. To pinpoint a percent solids in a process like this vs. a measurable slump can be difficult. This is an important factor mostly for backfill, but also for surface disposal. The grind and final PSD is a key factor in how the tailings can be ...
Thickened Tailings Disposal (TTD) technology requires more background data than conventional tailings disposal. In the conventional approach, the properties of tailings are fixed by the concentrator plant, whereas in a TTD impoundment, the properties of the tailings and their placement are "engineered" to suit the topography of the ...
thickened tailings systems may also offer non-monetary benefits in terms of improved public perception regarding environmental and social issues. Increasingly, for many operations production is limited by water availability. A good appreciation of rheological concepts is important in understanding the key processes
thickened tailings suggests that the lower limit for thickened tailings (as opposed to unthickened tailings) is the requirement for the material to have been through a thickener. However, in the …
At a time where Filtered Tailings is trending in mine tailings management, we take a holistic view based on 40 years of experience in conservation and safety. Please read as we explore the benefits of Thickened Tailings including the CAPEX and OPEX advantages of using a Central Thickened Discharge system.
The thickened tailings were deposited subsequently in three thin layers in a flexible laminar shear box mounted on top of the shaking table. Cyclic loading with a peak horizontal acceleration of 0.13 g and a frequency of 1 Hz was applied to the layered tailings deposit. Different types of sensors were placed to monitor the accelerations ...
Thickening and Filtration discusses the design of paste thickeners.Filters may follow a thickener to produce paste and the types of filters are reviewed. Transport is an integral part of any paste and thickened tailings project.Pipeline transport is the most common method of transporting high-concentration tailings and
For thickened tailings disposal, dry stacking and paste fill, the rheology must be well understood to ensure maximum efficiency of the entire disposal operation. The paper presents the disposal of bauxite residue (red mud) as a case study and outlines alternative and simplified methods of rheological characterisation. The effect of both shear ...
Historically, with conventional low thickened tailings deposition, beach slopes could be expected to be in a typical range of 0.2 – 1.5% which can be managed, to some extent, if variations occur during the operational stage. However, today, where water conservation is becoming more prominent, the need to reduce losses through seepage ...
The design methodology for pipeline systems conveying thickened and paste tailings systems has been well developed over the last decade. This series of papers outlines the process for designing and implementing a typical surface tailings or underground backfill pipeline system. The papers comprise the following parts:
However, the dewatering of ultrafine tailings proves challenging with respect to the disposal and backfill of paste and thickened tailings (Sun et al., 2018, Chen et al., 2018). The key process in paste backfill technology is the dewatering of tailings (Wu et al., 2015, Edraki et al., 2019, Yi and Tan, 2018).
Cemented paste backfill (CPB) is a key technology for green mining in metal mines, in which tailings thickening comprises the primary link of CPB technology. However, difficult flocculation and substandard concentrations of thickened tailings often occur. The rheological properties and concentration evolution in the thickened tailings remain unclear. Moreover, …
Thickened tailings, as the name suggests, involves the mechanical process of dewatering low solids concentrated slurry (Fourie 2003). This is … See more
"Paste and Thickened Tailings - A Guide (Second Edition)" comprises of twelve chapters, each written by internationally recognised experts, covering all aspects of paste and thickened …
Our hydraulically actuated positive displacement piston pumps are designed to transport virtually anything that can be fed into them. Equipped with either electric or diesel drives and controlled by local PLC or remote SCADA systems, these work-horses are capable of transporting tailings, slimes, slurries, pastes and other abrasive, viscous, and difficult to handle materials.
In general, for thickened tailings, testing should be undertaken using sample sizes that will result in a layer thickness that reflects site practice (a range of 30 to 60 mm would be typical). Similarly, the initial slurry density should reflect the expected solids concentration of the thickener underflow.
Tailings transport is an integrated element in any wet tailings storage facility (TSF). Tailings from the process plant are often thickened to a moderate or relatively high (but still pumpable ...
Thickened tailings are typically transported in laminar flow, but turbulent flow operation is possible for low yield stress mixtures, large diameter pipes and high operating velocities. Paste tailings are always transported in laminar flow. Iron ore tailings 64%m, 100 Pa yield stress Figure 1 1.2 Slump at transition from high concentration ...
Thickened tailings are typically transported in laminar flow, but turbulent flow operation is possible for low yield stress mixtures, large diameter pipes and high operating velocities. Paste tailings are always transported in laminar flow. Iron ore tailings 64%m, 100 Pa yield stress.
The depositing of thickened fluid fine tailings (FFT), which the industry has relied upon to develop geotechnically stable dry landscapes, has not materialised due to the low hydraulic conductivity of such placements. The addition of sand to thickened FFT is proposed to accelerate the consolidation of thickened FFT in a co-disposal scheme, and ...
The development of the thickened tailings disposal technique presents a new paradigm in tailings disposal. It results in a total revision of the risk profile of a tailings storage facility (TSF), and may provide significant savings in both cost and water consumption. The method was developed by Robinsky (1975), who identified that thickening the tailings stream would create a non …
Thickened tailings can be non-segregating, meaning the coarse fraction of the tailings stream will not separate at the beach head. This creates more consistent tailings characteristics over the length of the beach, rather …
When considering a thickened tailings solution, there is the question of whether the technology to thicken tailings should be located in the thickener as a piece of equipment, or whether a complete solution is required to achieve the best performance. We typically view the components required to thicken tailings in isolation rather than ...
Thickened tailings slurries differ significantly from water in that they are denser, exhibit strong non-Newtonian rheology, and may need to be transported above a minimum velocity to prevent settlement in the pipe. High pipeline friction losses seem to be unavoidable, and in some cases designers have opted to use
1 Introduction The rheological properties of flocculated thickened and paste tailings can be altered by breaking the floc-aggregate structures by shearing the mixture. The paper presents the results of test work conducted to investigate the performance of a shear device developed to reduce the rheology of flocculated thickened tailings slurries.
thickened discharge for tailings management was initially motivated on the basis of potential water savings as well as the potential to reduce wall raising costs on the tailings dam.
Less water and steeper beach slopes in tailings impoundments are two major advantages behind the decision of applying paste and thickened tailings technologies. The potential need for embankments with less height supporting the tailings impoundment is an example for using thickening systems. The use of this technology in cold regions with its benefits and …