Patent ID: 6340033
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: B01D,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of removing a slurry of mineral tailings having shear-thinning visco-plastic properties from a reservoir holding a body of said slurry, said slurry having a viscosity so high that direct withdrawal of a flow of said slurry from said reservoir is difficult, said method comprising:thickening a fluid slurry in a reservoir to form said body of slurry having a viscosity so high that direct withdrawal of a flow of said slurry from said reservoir is difficult; creating a submerged region of shear-thinned slurry of reduced viscosity in said body of slurry beneath the slurry of high viscosity for entraining adjacent slurry of said high viscosity by withdrawing slurry temporalily from said lower part of said reservoir via an outlet to form a flow of withdrawn slurry, subjecting said withdrawn slurry to shear to produce a flow of shear-thinned slurry of reduced viscosity of at least 50 Pa to said reservoir via an inlet spaced from said outlet, thereby creating a flow of slurry between the inlet and said outlet sufficient to entrain a portion of said slurry of high viscosity: and removing from said reservoir a portion of said slurry of reduced viscosity containing entrained slurry of high viscosity.