Process of disposal in piles of tailings stemming from the iron ore processing method
AssigneeVale S.A.
InventorsNilton Carlos Torquato, Washington Pirete Da Silva
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a process of disposal of tailings in piles stemming from the iron ore processing method, replacing dams, and comprising the steps of thickening the ultra-fine tailings, thickening the sandy tailings, mixing the tailings in the proportion of 80 to 90% by weight of sandy tailings and 10 to 20% by weight of ultra-fine tailings, addition of coagulant, addition of flocculant, filtering the mixture and piling the filtered tailings. Unlike traditional processes, this invention promotes an economically and technically feasible tailing disposal process that can be added to any conventional iron ore concentration plant without the need for any change in the process flowchart.
Claims8
A process of disposal in tailings piles stemming from an iron ore processing method, the process comprising:
- a. thickening ultra-fine tailings in a thickener, the ultra-fine tailings having a maximum particle size of about 45 microns;
- b. thickening sandy tailings in a thickener;
- c. mixing the sandy tailings with the ultra-fine tailings to provide a tailings mixture, and adding coagulant for pre-treatment 1 of the tailings mixture;
- d. performing a pre-treatment 2 of the tailings mixture by adding a flocculant agent;
- e. filtering the tailings mixture to provide filtered tailings;
- and
- f. piling of the filtered tailings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.