(Invited) Electrokinetic Separations to Increase the Percent Solids of the Effluent from a Phosphate Mine
Authors: Orazem Mark E. , Kong Rui , Huang Yuelong , Dizon Arthur , Moghaddam Saeed , Bloomquist David 
Published: February 2020

Phosphate mining operations create a waste product, consisting of a dilute clay/sand/phosphate suspension that, due to the properties of the suspended solids (primarily clay), requires 25 to 50 years to densify via hindered settling and self-weight consolidation. The objective of this research was to develop and apply an effective electrokinetic separation process to phosphatic clay suspensions, generated during the beneficiation of phosphate ore, a major component of fertilizer. The use of an electric field to separate the water from the solids is attractive because the inherent stability of the clay suspension is due, in part, to the surface charges residing on the platelets.

Previous work by others has demonstrated the feasibility of batch-wise electrokinetic separation of phosphatic clay suspensions, but the process is widely regarded as uneconomical. The present research is predicated on the assumption that an economically feasible separation requires a continuous, electrokinetic separation procedure.

Solid-liquid separation represents a significant problem for the phosphate mining industry The waste suspensions, initially containing 3-5 wt% solids, are pumped to large impoundment areas termed clay settling ponds. When incorporated, the addition of flocculating agents produce a rapid, but partial, separation, to approximately 10 wt% solids. A further increase in solids content proceeds very slowly. Hindered settling, followed by self-weight consolidation, requires as much as 25 years to reach a solids content of 40 wt%. This is an important target value, because its shear strength will then allow the addition of a surcharge (typically a sand cap) to increase the consolidation rate and magnitude.

Through a systematic development of prototypes, from batch to semi-continuous with emphasis on water clarification to semi-continuous with emphasis on solids extraction, our team has developed a fully continuous electrokinetic dewatering prototype. The system takes advantage of the charged nature of the suspended solids. When subjected to an applied electric field, the solids are attracted to the anode and clarified water is collected at the cathode. The process is capable of generating a 40 wt% clay cake and clarified water with turbidity levels below 1 NTU within hours rather than years. Optimization of the design was possible by developing a constitutive relationship between the final solids content, the applied electric field, and the residence time.

Successful implementation of a continuous electrokinetic separation process will reduce the vast amount of water consumed by industry. While the process was developed for phosphatic clay suspensions, it is anticipated that electrokinetic dewatering may be applicable to other mining operations such as those associated with the oil sand tar tailings in Canada.

This presentation will describe the current state of development, including energy and power requirements.