Mitigation of filter fouling in a mine wastewater remediation system

CEC Mining Systems Corp.生产基于传统旋转真空的矿井废物脱水系统 盘式过滤器这些系统用于将尾矿中的固体含量提高到80%以上。这使存储成为 填充固体，减少或消除了对尾矿池和相关坝或堰的需要，从而， 减少水资源消耗和土地使用。这项技术提供了一种具有成本效益和环境 传统尾矿管理设施的安全替代方案， 加拿大150年来 该系统中的过滤介质是陶瓷-聚合物共混物，其形成为固定到过滤介质的板。 旋转圆盘的表面。虽然这些滤板在系统的每转中被反冲洗一次 转子，不可逆的性能退化最终降低了有效性，使得板必须 取出进行超声波/酸洗或更换。印版清洁和印版更换都可以代表 脱水操作总成本的重要组成部分。 本研究的主要目的为：（1）完善样品制备和检测方法 在Engage赠款下开发;（2）将该协议应用于现场污染的过滤器样本，以评估污染 机制;和（3）评估过滤板表面积的利用率。这项工作将指导发展 研究战略，以确定系统的修改，将导致提高系统性能。 围绕陶瓷板降解因素的工作的进展将允许 更多的加拿大采矿经营者采用“干堆”作为一种做法。通过降低选择标准的风险 (e.g.成本估计）之间的尾矿管理解决方案，CEC将能够积极影响 对地方社区、地区和联邦政府以及股东的当前和预计负债 矿业公司。

CEC Mining Systems Corp. manufactures mine waste dewatering systems based on traditional rotary vacuum disc filters. These systems are used to dewater mine tailings to more than 80% solids. This enables storage as a packed solid, reducing or eliminating the need for tailings ponds and the associated dams or weirs and, thereby, reducing both water consumption and land use. This technology offers a cost-effective and environmentally safe alternative to the conventional tailings management facilities which have been the de-facto regime in Canada for the past 150 years. The filter media in this system is a ceramic-polymer blend, which is formed in plates that are secured to the faces of the rotating discs. Although these filter plates are backwashed once in each revolution of the system rotor, irreversible performance degradation ultimately reduces effectiveness such that plates must either be removed for ultrasonic/acid cleaning or replaced. Both plate cleaning and plate replacement can represent a significant component of total cost of dewatering operations. The objectives of the proposed research are: (1) to refine the sample preparation and examination protocols developed under the Engage grant; (2) to apply the protocol to field-fouled filter samples to assess fouling mechanisms; and (3) to assess utilization of the filter plate surface area. This work will guide the development of research strategies to identify system modifications that will lead to enhanced system performance. Advancement of the body of work surrounding the factors attributed to ceramic plate degradation would allow for more mining operators in Canada to adopt "dry-stacking" as a practice. By de-risking the selection criteria (e.g. cost estimations) between tailings management solutions, CEC would be in a position to positively impact the current and projected liabilities to local communities, regional and federal governments and shareholders of mining companies.