Influência da granulometria e de aditivos no comportamento reológico do rejeito de lavagem da bauxita

Abstract

In the bauxite mining in Parogominas-PA city, tailings are discarded in the processing with 33,5% of solids content and small granulometry with D50 below 5 μm. These factors contribute to this suspension basically formed by sílico aluminates, with high concentrations of kaolinite clay, have high viscosity and high initial tension flow. It was performed granulometric analysis and determined the chemical and mineralogical composition of the material. The granulometric analysis was made by wet sieving and the small particles were determined by laser diffraction. The determination of the chemical composition was made by Fluorescence Spectrometry X-ray, identifying considerable amounts of alumina available, 21,28%. The mineralogical composition was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), obtaining gibbsite, hematite, quartz and kaolinite. It was performed the determination of the friction factors pulp, using equation to fluids that have Herschel-Bulkley behavior and using the Dodge and Metzner correlations. It was used VT550 viscosimeter, with coaxial cylinder sensorSV1, to make defloculation and flocculation test using different rheological additives. The additives used were: sodium hexametaphosphate, hydroxamate, aluminum sulphate, sodium polyacrylate and 25% anionic polyacrylamide. The trials were realized in shear rate of 100 s-1, time 20s and temperature of 32ºC.It was performed also, analysis of viscosity of pulps with different pH and in samples less 38μm (400# Tyler), with the objective of evaluate how the particle size and pH influenced in the behavior of additives. The study showed that particle size and pH influence on the behavior of additives, because if the particle size is very small better is the behavior of the additive. The behaviors of the additives as flocculation or defloculation depend of the pH.