Some opportunities to increase performance of tailing thickener case study: Gol-E-Gohar iron ore beneficiation plant

Thickener is a major and convenient applied equipment for tailings dewatering in mineral processing plants. Past investigations have shown that feed slurry dilution can improve flocculation efficiency by affecting both floc size and density. Advantages of thickener feed dilution method include reduced flocculent consumption, increased settling flux, and enhanced bed/sediment compressibility. Gol-E-Gohar iron complex is one of the largest iron concentrate producer in Iran and is located in Kerman. Gol-E-Gohar thickeners Performance was monitored through daily inspections. High flocculent consumption and turbidity of recycled water were major thickeners problems. Inspections showed that high solid content of thickeners feed was the major issue. Diluting pump method was used to decrease solid content of the thickeners feed. Also the reduction of used flocculent dosage happened by 45 % via Flocculent preparation improvement .the number of Flocculent distribution points was increased from 4 point to 9 .for enhancing flocculent solubility, water with less total dissolved solids was used for Flocculent preparation. The modifications resulted the a very clear thickener overflow water (turbidity less than250 ppm) and flocculent consumption was decreased from 114 g/t (gram per thickener feed tailings ) to 43 g/t, in other words there was a 45% decrease in flocculent consumption.