Treatment of tailings streams

摘要

A process for the treating a mature fine tailings stream is provided. Treatment comprises contacting an alkali metal silicate or polysilicate microgel and an activator with mature fine tailings, entrapping the sand and clay fines within a polysilicate microgel, spreading the silica microgel over a surface, and allowing the silica microgel to dry, and producing a trafficable surface.

主权项

1. A process for treating a tailings stream, comprising (a) contacting a silicate source and an activator with said tailings stream, (b) entrapping fine clay and sand within a silica gel, wherein said silica gel is formed from said silicate source and said activator, (c) spreading the silica gel over a surface, and (d) allowing the silica gel to dry to produce a trafficable surface, wherein the silicate source is an alkali metal silicate, polysilicate microgel, or combinations thereof, wherein the tailings stream comprises water, fine clays and sands, wherein 20% by volume to about 100% by volume of the fine clays and sand have a particle size less than 0.05 mm, and wherein the activator is carbon dioxide.