Flocculation behavior, mechanism, and optimization of tailings based on RSM-BBD-DF: Insight into the concentration and time-dependent floc size

Raimund Bürger; Zhenqi Wang; Aixiang Wu; Zhuen Ruan; Shaoyong Wang; Yi Mo

doi:10.29393/ppudec-12bebt60012

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Raimund Bürger Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemática, Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática. Concepción, Chile.
Zhenqi Wang Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of China for High efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
Aixiang Wu Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of China for High efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
Zhuen Ruan Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of China for High efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
Shaoyong Wang Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of China for High efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
Yi Mo School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29393/ppudec-12bebt60012

Keywords:

Mean weighted chord length, Concentration, Time-dependent, Response Surface Methodology-Box-Behnken Design-Desirability function 44 (RSM-BBD-DF), Multi-objective optimization

Resumen

Tailings thickening is the primary link and key technology of cemented paste backfill (CPB) technology, in which flocculation conditions are important factors affecting thickening effect. Conventional flocculation effects only consider macro indexes such as concentration and initial settling rate (ISR), ignoring the floc evolution. In this study, the multi-objective optimization of flocculation effect based on Response Surface Methodology-Box-Behnken Design-Desirability Function (RSM-BBD-DF) was carried out. Firstly, through the single-factor experiments, the sedimentation properties and floc size evolution under different influencing factors were analyzed. It is found that the evolution of floc size is time-dependent, which conforms to the Asym2sig model, and there is a linear relationship between test-ending floc size and ISR. The larger the floc, the higher the ISR. Through the RSM-BBD, the regression models of concentration and mean weighted chord length (MWCL) as response values were established. Multi-factor interaction found that the tailing feeding concentration (TFC) had the greatest influence on the concentration, and the shear rate (SR) had the greatest influence on the MWCL. The interaction between TFC and the flocculant solution concentration (FSC) has the highest influence on the concentration. The interaction between TFC and SR has the highest influence on the MWCL. By introducing the single Desirability Function and the overall Desirability Function, the optimization method based on RSM37 BBD-DF obtained the optimal flocculation conditions, which were very close to the optimization results of Design Expert, indicating that RSM-BBD-DF optimization method is reliable. Thus, RSM-BBD-DF has important application value for multi-objective optimization in mining and other industries.

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