Highlights

Through fundamental sciences and bench/pilot-scale testwork, we’ve validated a range of tailings materials to their desliming efficiency, and benchmarked implications of physical and mineralogical characteristics on filtration performance.
Through taking a “horses for courses” approach to process development, we’ve identified significant cost savings opportunities by splitting coarse-fine tailings into discrete streams for vacuum and pressure filtration.

Challenge

The significant throughput of these projects presents unique challenges to effectively scale these processes and associated equipment. As these projects operate within areas of significant aridity, the economic drivers also include the quality and quantity of recovered process water.

Solution

By implementing hydro-cyclones to deslime full plant tailings, we’ve generated a stream of tailings that are free of the typical deleterious elements that constrain the performance of vacuum filtration. By implementing partial in-line pressure filtration on the hydrocyclone overflow, we have been able to overcome the typical limitations of high-density thickeners in this application.

Benefit

Together, this solution has shown a positive trade-off regarding capital and operating costs when compared to full plant tailings filtration. Filtration of discrete streams also provides the ability for zoning of vacuum and pressure filter-cake to aid in the geotechnical design of the facility.