Improved water recovery: A review of clay-rich tailings and saline water interactions

Liu, Di; Edraki, Mansour; Fawell, Phillip D.; Berry, Luke

doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2020.01.039

Cited by 45 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…This also enhances surfactant precipitation, leading to decreases in solubility, surface activity, and adsorption at the air–water interface . Additionally, the effectiveness of ionic polymers in flocculation processes can be dramatically declined in high-salinity water due to the coiling effects and precipitation caused by the neutralization of charged groups . Hence, comprehensive studies on the adsorption of surfactants at the surface of saline water are of paramount importance, which can guide the proper design of surfactant formulations that are salinity-resistant.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salting-Up of Surfactants at the Surface of Saline Water as Detected by Tensiometry and SFG and Supported by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

et al. 2022

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Surfactant adsorption at the air–water interface is critical to many industrial processes but its dependence on salt ions is still poorly understood. Here, we investigate the adsorption of sodium dodecanoate onto the air–water interface using model saline waters of Li+ or Cs+ at pH values 8 and 11. Both cations enhance the surfactant adsorption, as expected, but their largest effects on the adsorption also depend on pH. Specifically, surface tension measurements, sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, and microelectrophoresis show that small (hard) Li+ enhances the surfactant adsorption more than large (soft) Cs+ at pH 11. This effect is fully reversed at pH 8. We argue that this salting-up (increasing adsorption) reversal is attributable to the conversion of the neutralized carboxylic (−COOH) headgroup at pH 8 into the charged carboxylate (−COO–) headgroup at pH 11, which, respectively, interact with Cs+ and Li+ favorably. Molecular dynamics simulation shows that the affinity of Cs+ to the interface is decreased and eventually overtaken by Li+ as the carboxylic groups are deprotonated. This study highlights the importance of the charge and size of salt ions in selecting surfactants and electrolytes for industrial applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salting-Up of Surfactants at the Surface of Saline Water as Detected by Tensiometry and SFG and Supported by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

et al. 2022

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“…58,62−64 Anisotropic surface charge characteristics of clays permits control of coagulation behavior of clay tailings through manipulation of pH and/or ionic strength. 65 Changes in pH can lead to either dispersion or aggregation into various structures of the clay particles. For example, kaolinite has an alumina basal plane with an isoelectric point of ∼pH 6.…”

Section: Design and Construction Of Stackedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dewatered and Stacked Mine Tailings: A Review

et al. 2022

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Tailings storage is a prescient issue in mining, representing a visible and destructive liability. Dewatering tailings to a paste-like consistency is a popular option to reduce tailings volumes and increase dam safety, but dewatering further to a bulk cake consistency has mostly been reserved for small operations in locations where seismicity or terrain prohibited the construction of dams. The recent high-profile failures of tailings dams such at Fundão and Brumadinho facilities along with the push toward socially conscious investing have generated renewed and urgent interest in tailings dewatering, including stacked (“filtered” or “dry-stack”) tailings. While geochemistry and civil engineering topics relating to tailings in general are both extensively studied, very little academic literature is available specifically on stacked tailings, with discussion mostly confined to conference articles or extrapolation about the behavior of dewatered tailings. Furthermore, the nomenclature around and definition of this method of tailings storage is inconsistent, which can make researching the topic unnecessarily tedious and confusing and, in the worst case, can open the door to intentional misrepresentation of a tailings storage facility’s safety as this is a technology still being scaled up. In this article, the term stacked tailings (ST) is introduced to describe what has been otherwise called filtered tailings or dry-stack(ed) tailings to remedy the inaccuracies with the two existing names and gather the existing literature in one place. Topics covered include the existing definitions of dewatered and stacked tailings; opportunities and barriers to adoption; and construction and general operation for such tailings storage facilities. These are supplemented by an overview of literature in geotechnical and geochemical topics relevant to tailings dewatering (ex. clays) and tailings storage facilities. Emerging dewatering technologies and innovations which might be useful in the scaling up of the technology are also discussed. The aim is to provide a thorough background on the topic for a general audience, outline gaps in the literature, and encourage further exploration of stacked tailings and tailings cake by furnishing a comprehensive list of sources. Stacked tailings are discussed in a rigorous way to make the topic a more approachable way to encourage standardization and adoption, scale up, and the development of associated technologies.

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“…The current tailings dewatering challenges within the mining industry are the upstream use of low-quality water (like seawater) in processing and complex gangues like clays [20][21][22]. In the first case, the behaviour of the pulps in a highly saline environment must be faced, which is complex from a scientific point of view, since salinity significantly alters the interactions between the particle's surfaces, bringing important consequences in the rheological properties.…”

Section: Rheological Behaviour In Saline Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rheological Perspectives of Clay-Based Tailings in the Mining Industry

Jeldres¹,

Jeldres²

2021

Clay Science and Technology

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The mining industry faces a significant problem in regions with water scarcity and has had to put in place new strategies to preserve its environmental and economic sustainability. An attractive option in recent years has been the direct use of seawater, avoiding the construction of reverse osmosis plants to desalinate. But, some operational complexities are the subject of discussion and research for engineers; for example, the difficulties by the high presence of complex gangues like clays and the location of the plants, far from the coast and at high altitude. The latter requires high investments in pumping, the only option in some cases. In this scenario, it is imperative to improve the efficiency of water use and advance to effective closures of water circuits. A critical stage is the thickening that allows water to be recovered from the tailings, reusing it in upstream operations. However, the performance of the tailings management is usually limited by the rheological properties of the thickened slurries, which impact on the discharge from the underflow of the thickeners, pumping energy costs, disposal on the tailings storage facilities (TSFs). This text describes the consequences caused by a saline medium on the rheological properties of clay-based tailings, analysing scenarios that allow tackling this operation.

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Improved water recovery: A review of clay-rich tailings and saline water interactions

Cited by 45 publications

References 118 publications

Salting-Up of Surfactants at the Surface of Saline Water as Detected by Tensiometry and SFG and Supported by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Salting-Up of Surfactants at the Surface of Saline Water as Detected by Tensiometry and SFG and Supported by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Dewatered and Stacked Mine Tailings: A Review

Rheological Perspectives of Clay-Based Tailings in the Mining Industry

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