Increasing efficiency of thickener operation in concentrate plant of iron ore mine using coagulation-flocculation

Abstract

Thickener is a main and fundamental step in modern mining separation processes. In this research, the effect<br />of flocculant consumption rate and feed solid concentration of settling rate of layers was studied with different<br />concentrations in iron ore mine of Jalalabad, Zarand, Kerman, Iran. The experiments were performed in two<br />1000 ml graduated cylinders (61 and 62 mm diagonal and heights of 339 and 349 mm) while the average of<br />feed solid concentration was 12 percent. Additional tests were performed with feed solid concentration of 8,<br />10, 12, 14, and 16 percent solid weight and dosage rate of flocculant was 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 g/t<br />respectively. Results depicted that with increasing the flocculant dosage to 22 g/ton, settling rate increased<br />from 0.3 to 0.9 cm/s reaching maximum, and with increasing from 22 to 26 g/ton, settling rate was decrease<br />slowly and reached from 0.9 to 0.7 cm/s.<br /><br />