XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 3465
located at around 5 μm in the curve. The addition of ferric
alone merely increased the particle size, which was in line
with the studies that coagulants typically induce small and
dense aggregates [18]. In contrast, the PEO alone caused
the largest flocs as observed from the shift of squared-
weighted CLD to the higher microns. This seemed to be
contradictory with filtration results that large flocs did not
enhance the filtration rate significantly. Despite the large
flocs by PEO, the flocs were fluffy and of low density, and
such flocs were not compressible and easy to collapse under
a pressure gradient. The situation was alike the flocs formed
by high molecule-weight anionic polymeric flocculants.
Figure 3. Solids in filter cake (wt %)with different chemicals conditioning. The right picture shows the wet filtration cake
obtained with tannic acid treatment upfront
9.48 9.32
6.33
5.71
3.86
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
TA+Ferric/PEO Ferric/PEO Ferric PEO Tailings only
Figure 4. The average specific resistance to filtration of different chemicals conditioning
Specific
resistance
to
filtrati
(
13
m/kg)
located at around 5 μm in the curve. The addition of ferric
alone merely increased the particle size, which was in line
with the studies that coagulants typically induce small and
dense aggregates [18]. In contrast, the PEO alone caused
the largest flocs as observed from the shift of squared-
weighted CLD to the higher microns. This seemed to be
contradictory with filtration results that large flocs did not
enhance the filtration rate significantly. Despite the large
flocs by PEO, the flocs were fluffy and of low density, and
such flocs were not compressible and easy to collapse under
a pressure gradient. The situation was alike the flocs formed
by high molecule-weight anionic polymeric flocculants.
Figure 3. Solids in filter cake (wt %)with different chemicals conditioning. The right picture shows the wet filtration cake
obtained with tannic acid treatment upfront
9.48 9.32
6.33
5.71
3.86
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
TA+Ferric/PEO Ferric/PEO Ferric PEO Tailings only
Figure 4. The average specific resistance to filtration of different chemicals conditioning
Specific
resistance
to
filtrati
(
13
m/kg)