Polymeric flocculants for treating aqueous mineral suspensions

• Main Authors: Poindexter, Michael K, Hansen, Matthew J, Hitt, James E, Witham, Cole A, Mohler, Carol E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.06.2019
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

The present invention relates to a method of dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension comprising introducing into the suspension a flocculating system comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer, in particular a copolymer of ethylene oxide and one or more silane- or siloxane-functionalized glycidyl ether monomer. Said poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers are useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.