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ELECTROOSMOTIC DRYING OF SLIME CONSISTENCE WASTES
Citation:
Ukleja, K. ELECTROOSMOTIC DRYING OF SLIME CONSISTENCE WASTES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-79/127.
Description:
The objective of this research is the examination of field techniques that remove water from sludge tailings produced as a waste during flotation of sulphur ore. The research was conducted with the idea of utilizing these wastes in agriculture as a soil amendment useful to neutralize acid soils. The main hindrance to economic utilization of this type of wastes is their semifluid character. This fluid character persists for many years, making it impossible to economically excavate and transport the material for agricultural use. The technique investigated for draining the sludge is comprised of a three stage system of drying as follows: (1) gravitational draining of waterimpounded in the bowl of the tailings basin; (2) draining a substantial part of the water in the sludge using electroosmosis which allows removal and some transport of the sludge; and (3) further drying to a relatively dry, plastic state by spreading under conditions that facilitate atmospheric drying, or adding dry material to the electroosmotically dewatered sludge.