Effect of Anionic Polyacrylamide on the Structural Stability of Thickened Tailings Slurry in Pipeline Transportation

Abstract

Taking the superfine tailings slurry (STS), fine tailings slurry (FTS), and unclassified tailings slurry (UTS) of a gold mine as examples, a series of laboratory shear tests were conducted to investigate the effect of anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) on the structural stability of the thickened tailings slurry in pipeline transportation. Experimental results showed that the FTS and UTS had shear-thinning and shear-thickening characteristics in the constant shear tests, respectively. After addition of APAM, when the shear rate was 30 s−1, standard deviations of apparent viscosity of FTS, UTS, and STS were 66.67%, 61.40%, and 35.33% lower, respectively. APAM enhances the strength of the flocculent structures, inhibits the hindered settling of the coarse-particle tailings, improves the structure stability of the solid particles on the structural plane, and assists pipeline transportation of the thickened tailings slurry.