Treatment and Recycling of Tungsten Beneficiation Wastewater: A Review

Abstract

The large amount of wastewater containing various pollutants generated during the tungsten beneficiation process has become a bottleneck for the sustainable development of tungsten mining enterprises. Typical pollutants mainly include suspended solids (SSs), silicate ions, metal ions, and residual organic reagents. The direct discharge of untreated tungsten beneficiation wastewater can cause serious harm to the ecological environment, while recycling can significantly affect flotation indicators. In this paper, the sources and characteristics of typical pollutants were analyzed, and various purification techniques were outlined, including coagulation, adsorption, chemical precipitation, oxidation, and biological treatment methods. Among these techniques, coagulation is particularly effective for the removal of SSs, while adsorption and chemical precipitation are recommended for the removal of soluble ions. For residual organic reagents, oxidation methods have demonstrated high treatment efficiencies. The mainstream methods for wastewater recycling were summarized, including centralized recycling, as well as internal recycling at certain stages. For tungsten beneficiation such a complex process, where the quality of wastewater varies greatly between different stages, it is suitable to recycle the wastewater after appropriate treatment at a specific stage. Furthermore, this study provided a perspective on the future directions of tungsten beneficiation wastewater treatment, serving as a reference for related research and industrial practices.

Keywords

• tungsten beneficiation wastewater
• pollutant
• treatment technology
• recycling