How to dehydrate ore processing?

Large amounts of water are required as the ore passes through the multiple stages of the concentrator. However, from a sustainability perspective, water recycling in industrial processes is important. Dehydration systems are widely used in concentrators to recover water and partially dry the processed ore. This operation serves two purposes: to ensure simple transportation of the ore and to reduce fresh water consumption. The early stages of iron ore processing consume large amounts of water. After the dehydration operation, approximately 90% of the process water is recycled and reused.

Basically, three operating units make up a dewatering system.

The first unit consists of slurry concentration, where the slurry is separated into two products: clarified water to be reused and concentrated slurry containing a high concentration of solids.

The second unit consists of a buffer tank, the purpose of which is to temporarily store the concentrated slurry in order to minimize the difference in flow between the previous stage and the next stage, the filtration stage.

The third and final unit, where the filter press and cyclones are located, removes part of the residual water so that the final product has a solids content of approximately 90 wt%. For example, a chromite concentrator with a water recovery rate of 97% uses a combination of thickener and filter press to treat the slurry in the dewatering circuit. Due to the importance of water recovery, this operation is essential and it is continuously monitored to ensure optimal performance.