At least one stage of solid-liquid separation can be found in almost all mineral processing flowsheets. Economic and environmental concerns ensure that there is always pressure for more efficient dewatering, either through increased throughput, reduced capital footprints, cleaner overflows, higher underflows or paste disposal.

This project will continue past research in the area of flocculation and thickening which focused on the fundamentals of aggregation of fine particles in solid-liquid suspensions. The generic knowledge developed in previous work has already been successfully applied to solving plant-based problems (using the AMIRA P266 projects as a bridge), through changes to flocculation practice or modifications to feedwell designs.

This project aims to:

• substantially enhance the fundamental understanding of aggregate structures and properties over a wide range of solids concentrations, and to thereby develop clear relationships between initial aggregation conditions and dewatering performance at different stages
  
• develop and validate (lab, pilot and full-scale) advanced models that describe physical behaviour representing each dewatering process (flocculation, sedimentation, consolidation and sediment raking)
  
• utilise the knowledge gained to enhance full-scale solid-liquid handling performance.

INDUSTRY BENEFITS

• improved performance of gravity thickeners (resulting from increased fundamental knowledge and computer modelling), allowing processing plants to increase throughput, save water, reduce capital and running costs and obtain a purer mineral slurry for the next processing stage
  
• a greater capacity to select flocculants for specific process outcomes (eg clarity, throughput, paste disposal) in solid-liquid separation
  
• improved recovery of water from tailings treatment, thereby reducing overall water consumption
  
• reduced environmental impact from tailings disposal through improved utilisation of paste technologies.

RESEARCH TEAM
Dr Phillip Fawell (Project Leader)
A/Prof Parisa Arabzadeh-Bahri
Ms Fiona Benn
Mr Andrew Brent
Dr John Farrow
Neil Francis
Mr Alton Grabsch
Dr Alex Heath
Dr Tuan Nguyen
Mr Andrew Owen
Dr Murray Rudman
Prof Peter Scales
Mr Kosta Simic
Dr Darrin Stephens
Dr Shane Usher
Mr Leonardo Estevez (PhD student)

RESEARCH COLLABORATION
CSIRO Minerals
Murdoch University
CSIRO Materials Science & Engineering
Monash University
University of Cape Town (South Africa)
University of Melbourne

PROJECT DURATION
2005-2008