Patent ID: 8628737

Claim:
A method of improving efficiency in pumping bauxite containing slurry in a Bayer process having a digestion stage, the method comprising: providing a bauxite containing slurry; combining with the bauxite containing slurry at a mill an amount of a single solution comprising six parts by weight propoxylated glycerine to one part by weight partially methyl-terminated polypropylene glycol having a molecular weight of from about 400 to about 800 Daltons thereby creating a treated slurry containing from 5 to 50 ppm of the single solution; and pumping the treated slurry using at least one pump; wherein the efficiency of the at least one pump improves compared to an untreated bauxite containing slurry, the improvement in efficiency determined by at least one of: at least maintaining treated slurry discharge rate under decreased pump speed; increasing treated slurry discharge rate under maintained or decreased pump speed; decreasing average energy of pumping for at least maintained treated slurry discharge rate; decreasing average pump amperage for at least maintained treated slurry discharge rate; and decreasing the quantity of pumps in service.