THE IMPORTANCE OF RHEOLOGY IN OPTIMISING A DISPOSAL STRATEGY FOR BAUXITE RESIDUE
Pashias, N., Boger, D.V., Summers, J. and Glenister, D.J.
Optinising a disposal strategy for bauxite residue often requires muinimising the volume of the mineral suspension tailings available for disposal and thus the production and handling of a concentrated non-Newtonian bauxite residue suspension. Dewatering, pipeline flow, and distribution of the concentrated product in the disposal area are all important processes in an integrated disposal strategy. In such an integrated strategy the rheology in both shear and compression of the bauxite residue suspension must be known and exploited in dewatering, pipeline flow, and design of the disposal area itself.
The paper presents an overview on the rheology of bauxite residue from refineries in Australia, Jamaica, and the USA and demonstrates how such knowledge can be used. The presentation concludes with speculation on the current flocculation practice in the Alumina industry.