Viscoelastic rheology measurements for characterization of clay particle associations

流变学是研究物质流动和变形的学科。在矿物加工中，关注的是矿浆的流变性。随着高品位贱金属资源的枯竭，低品位矿石的加工已成为必要。低品位矿石通常含有有问题的脉石矿物，如粘土。粘土颗粒 ** 在悬浮液中形成几种聚集体类型，导致复杂的浆料流变性，这会降低研磨和浮选回路的 ** 效率，并在脱水和尾矿管理方面带来挑战。为了选择最可持续和最有效的缓解方案，需要了解粘土矿物颗粒在泥浆中如何相互作用。在这项研究中，我们将调查使用粘弹性流变学测量，以 ** 确定模式的粘土颗粒协会在矿物泥浆。拟议的项目将包括一个文献 ** 审查，纯粘土矿物泥浆的粘弹性流变测量，数据分析，并通过低温扫描电子显微镜（cryo-SEM）验证 ** 数据。预计目前的研究将导致 ** 一个相同标题的NSERC CRD项目，其范围扩大到包括粘弹性 ** 流变测量与单元操作性能的相关性，以及开发一种简单的技术来 ** 近似浆料流变和操作中的颗粒缔合。最终，我们希望能够预测和控制Woodgrove分级浮选反应器的流变性，以优化工艺。通过优化 ** 低品位矿石加工过程中的矿浆流变性，将 ** 实现水和能源使用的显著节约，这对所有加拿大人都有好处。

Rheology is the study of the flow and deformation of matter. In mineral processing, the concern is with the**rheology of ore slurries. As high-grade base metal resources are depleted, the processing of low-grade ores has**become necessary. Low-grade ores often contain problematic gangue minerals, such as clays. Clay particles**form several aggregate types in suspension, resulting in complex slurry rheology which can reduce the**efficiency of grinding and flotation circuits, and create challenges in dewatering and tailings management. To**select the most sustainable and efficient mitigation option, knowledge of how clay mineral particles interact in**slurries is required. In this research, we will investigate the use of viscoelastic rheology measurements to**identify modes of clay particle associations in mineral slurries. The proposed project will consist of a literature**review, viscoelastic rheology measurements on pure clay mineral slurries, data analysis, and validation of the**data by cryo-SEM (cryogenic scanning electron microscopy). It is expected that the current research will lead to**an NSERC CRD project of the same title, with a scope expanded to include the correlation of the viscoelastic**rheology measurements with unit operation performance and the development of a simple technique to**approximate slurry rheology and particle associations in operations. Ultimately, we hope to be able to predict**and control the rheology in Woodgrove's Staged Flotation Reactor for process optimization. By optimizing**slurry rheology in the processing of low-grade ores, significant savings in water and energy use will be**achieved, which is of benefit to all Canadians.