Enrichment Processes for Turkey's Underground Resources

Flocculant Applications in Beneficiation Processes of Subsurface Resources in Turkey

Turkey holds a rich position in terms of mineral resources. In different regions of the country, subsurface resources with different mineralization characteristics are present. If estimated reserves are taken into account in addition to visible reserves, it can be said that we live above a wealth. In recent years, we have been following the mining investments made in our country with great interest. A large number of metallic (gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, etc.) and non-metallic industrial raw materials in the feasibility stage, project stage, and installation stage; our minerals such as feldspar, bentonite, phosphate, silica, quartz and similar are present.These reserve quantities and mining investments bring with them advanced beneficiation processes. Different beneficiation methods are used for each ore according to its mineral properties, increasing the amount and quality of extracted ore. This is achieved through properly installed machinery-equipment systems and chemicals. One of these chemicals is flocculant, used at different points in facilities for different purposes. The main areas of flocculant use are water, wastewater treatment and mining sectors. In treatment facilities, certain values of pollutants must be reduced below legally established limits before wastewater can be discharged. To perform this operation, flocculant is used along with various treatment chemicals. The areas where flocculant is used in the mining sector are quite broad. In metallic ore and industrial raw material beneficiation facilities, in production methods, flocculant is used both in concentrate production and in waste management. Flocculant—also called polyelectrolyte—briefly explained, is the name given to an organic chemical substance that in heterogeneous mixtures enables fine solid particles in suspension with long settling times to bind to each other through polymer chains. The process applied is called flocculation, and the bonded particles formed are called flocs. The basic working principle is bonding through Van der Waals forces. As is known, minerals carry ionic charge. By feeding flocculant at the charge most suitable for the ionic character of the minerals to be bonded, solid particles first bind to polymer chains, and then these chains bridge to one another. Particles that grow through flocculation and increase in weight settle to the bottom in the liquid they are in more quickly due to gravitational force. Apart from ionic charge value, another effective parameter is the molecular weight of the flocculant. The molecular weight value indicates the length of the polymer chain. This requires the use of products at different molecular weights in different types of applications. According to ionic charges, there are three different types of flocculant: anionic, cationic and nonionic. They are sold in powder and liquid forms. Powder products are generally packaged in 25 kg polyethylene bags, or in 1-ton big bags according to demand. Liquid products are sold in 1000-liter IBCs. At facilities, the solution is prepared and used. The recommended solution concentration is 1‰ or 2‰, but depending on facility conditions, solutions can be prepared up to a maximum of 5‰. To apply the theoretical information described above to operating conditions, it is first necessary to determine which flocculant is suitable for the liquid mixture containing suspended solids that need to be settled. Theoretically inferring the suitable product is not correct. Instead, performing a flocculation test under laboratory conditions and determining a product based on test results is the most correct method. For efficient flocculant application in facilities, the following 3 main parameters should be observed: 1. Correct flocculant identification. 2. Correct dosing amount. 3. Correct dosing point After the appropriate product is identified in laboratory work; the integration of the identified product or products into the facility is important. For this reason, the flocculant identified in the laboratory should be tested in the facility and re-evaluated according to facility conditions. Particularly for large-capacity facilities, applying this method is strongly recommended. Where flocculant alone is insufficient, the other chemicals used with it are coagulants. Coagulation is defined as the agglomeration of very fine particles or the conversion of minerals in dissolved state in water to suspended form. The coagulation process is applied before flocculation. Particles agglomerated or bonded by the coagulant are settled by creating flocs through flocculant application. With continuous R&D work, flocculant is expected to play an important role in the beneficiation of subsurface resources and the development of environmental awareness in the coming years. In mining operations, the fact that flocculant is both part of production within the process and an auxiliary material in waste management reflecting the facilities' environmental responsibilities demonstrates the importance of flocculant. While bringing our subsurface resources, which are our wealth, to the economy, our most fundamental duty should be to protect the healthy, clean living areas that we must pass on to future generations. It is evident that flocculant is a necessary chemical in the efficient use of water, which is the most important need of ore beneficiation facilities. Oğuzhan Abdullahoğlu Sales Engineer ECS Kimya Merve Seçer Sales Engineer ECS Kimya