The influence of seawater on magnetite tailing rheology. (15th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reyes, Cristian; Álvarez, Matías; Ihle, Christian F.; Contreras, Matías; Kracht, Willy
• Is Part Of: Minerals engineering. Volume 131(2019)
• Page Start: 363
• Page End: 369
• Publication Date: 2019-01-15
• Subjects: Magnetite -- Tailings -- Rheology -- Zeta potential; Mines and mineral resources -- Periodicals; Ressources minérales -- Périodiques; Mines and mineral resources; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2018.11.037
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0892-6875

Abstract

Highlights: The rheology of magnetite tailings has been studied in relation to seawater content. Several seawater/process water combinations have been used. Seawater significantly affects the yield stress of tailings. Yield stress is related to zeta potential. Abstract: It is well known that seawater affects mineral beneficiation, especially in the presence of fine particles. In the present paper, the effect of seawater fraction on the rheology of unflocculated fine magnetite tailings has been studied. Slurry data has been interpreted as both Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley fluids. To relate the experimental results with surface physicochemical properties, zeta potential measurements have been performed to the samples. Results show that besides the well known result that the yield stress and Bingham viscosity have a strong dependency on the particle concentration, the yield stress has been found highly sensitive to the seawater fraction. In contrast, the plastic viscosity observed a comparatively weaker dependency on this variable.