In-line dynamic mixing apparatus for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings

A method of dewatering an aqueous suspension of oil sands fine tailings, the method comprising:

• dynamically mixing a dough-like mixture of a polymeric flocculant and an aqueous suspension of oil sands fine tailings in an in-line apparatus that includes:
• an in-line pipeline reactor that has a reactor inlet pipe for an in-line flow of the dough-like mixture of the polymeric flocculate and the aqueous suspension of oil sands fine tailings and a reactor outlet pipe for a dynamically mixed mixture that includes microflocs and released water, and
• the in-line pipeline reactor includes one or more rotor connected to a mixer shaft that is rotated by a drive, and one or more stationary stator that has a stator hub through which the mixer shaft passes, but is not attached to the mixer shaft, and that is arranged in an alternating fashion with the one or more rotor, each rotor of the one or more rotor being separated from each stator of the one or more stationary stator;
• and
• the one or more rotor and one or more stationary stator providing shear to the dough-like mixture that enters the reactor inlet pipe to form the dynamically mixed mixture that includes microflocs and released water that exits the reactor outlet pipe, and providing a minimum nominal shear rate that is equal to or greater than 1000 s−1.