Continuous dynamic thickening behavior and exploratory parameter associations of full tailings in a deep cone thickener

Le résumé fourni par la source

Continuous thickening of full tailings is governed by vessel geometry, solids accumulation, self-weight consolidation, and rake-induced restructuring. This study investigated mud-bed evolution and underflow concentration in three laboratory-scale deep-cone thickeners with different cone configurations. Six similarity-based tests were conducted by varying cone configuration, target mud-bed height, and rake rotational speed. Mud-bed growth was nonlinear in the conical section and became approximately linear in the cylindrical section, with an average rising rate of 3.92 mm/min. A section-dependent solids-volume model was developed to establish an idealized loose-deposition baseline governed by vessel geometry. The predicted mud-bed heights exceeded the measurements by 7.82–12.23%, indicating additional bed-volume reduction associated with self-weight consolidation and rake-induced structural rearrangement. The proposed baseline therefore provides a means of distinguishing geometry-controlled solids accumulation from compression-related processes during continuous thickening. Exploratory regression indicated that target mud-bed height was associated with underflow concentration, whereas the effects assigned to cone configuration and rake rotational speed remained statistically uncertain. Given the six-test dataset and the compound nature of cone configuration, the regression should not be interpreted as a general predictive or optimization model. These findings provide a physically interpretable basis for future mechanistic modelling and scale-up studies of full-tailings thickening.

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