Tailings dewatering by pressure filtration: process optimisation and design criteria

Abstract

Tailings dry stacking is a mine tailings storage method that presents many advantages and is becoming increasingly attractive to the mining industry. Filter presses are able to reach very high performance in terms of cake dryness. However, thorough process testing and analysis is critical in order to determine the ideal equipment selection and sizing. This approach will result in the most desirable performance versus cost outcome. To achieve this, a comprehensive study of each case should be conducted by means of target definition, characterisation of the material (with different physico-chemical analytical techniques) laboratory-scale filtration tests and, if deemed necessary, pilot-scale campaigns. In the present work, a series of case studies are presented showing how these different steps contribute to the design and customisation of the filter presses and describing their main features.