Electrokinetic thickening and dewatering of mine tailings

这项研究的长期目标是将电动（EK）浓缩和脱水技术发展成为采矿业尾矿处理、矿山关闭和土地复垦的成熟技术。DG五年期间的短期目标是：（1）开发标准测试设施，用于评估尾矿的EK可处理性;（2）开发适用于尾矿浓缩和脱水的非消耗性阳极系统;（3）开发尾矿EK脱水设计框架，用于尾矿EK脱水的评估、实施和操作;（4）利用在世界范围内收集的尾矿样品进行理论、数值和实验研究，并进行案例研究，以验证本研究中开发的设计框架。 在采矿作业中，矿石加工每天产生大量尾矿，其中很大一部分的粒度小于10微米。 与常规方法相比，细粒尾矿的EK浓缩和脱水可以在短得多的时间内获得高得多的固体含量。它相对容易实施和控制，对环境的影响最小。 通过适当的工程设计，该技术可以节省能源和成本。三名博士生，三名硕士生，五名本科生和一名博士后将接受研究活动的培训。 该研究将建立一个创新的脱水技术，这是迫切需要的，因为细粒尾矿脱水使用现有技术的困难。 除了在采矿工程中的应用外，该研究还对其他需要液固分离的工程学科产生了潜在的影响。 最后，这项研究将提高电动力学的科学，为未来的工程应用。

The long-term objective of this research is to advance electrokinetic (EK) thickening and dewatering to a mature technology available to the mining industry for tailings disposal, mine closure and land reclamation. The short-term objectives during the 5-year period of DG are (1) develop standard testing facilities for assessment of EK treatability of mine tailings; (2) develop non-consumable anode systems suitable for thickening and dewatering of mine tailings; (3) develop a design framework for EK dewatering of mine tailings, which will be used for assessment, implementation and operation of EK dewatering of mine tailing; and (4) carry out theoretical, numerical and experimental studies using tailings samples collected worldwide, as well as conduct case studies to verify the design framework developed in this research. In mining operations, large quantities of tailings are generated daily from ore processing, in which a significant fraction has grain sizes less than 10 micrometers. EK thickening and dewatering of fine tailings can achieve much higher solid contents in much less time, as compared to conventional methods. It is relatively easy to implement and control with minimal environmental impacts. With proper engineering design, the technology can be energy and cost efficient. Three PhD students, three master students, five undergraduate students and one postdoctoral fellow will receive training in the research activities. The research will establish an innovative dewatering technology, which is urgently needed because of difficulties of fine tailings dewatering using existing technologies. In addition to applications in mining engineering, the research has potential impacts in other engineering disciplines where liquid-solid separation is required. Finally the research will enhance the science of electrokinetics for future engineering applications.