Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T03:33:36.819Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Role of Mono- and Divalent Ions in the Stability of Kaolinite Suspensions and Fine Tailings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Maria Ibanez ,
Arjan Wijdeveld  and
Claire Chassagne
Maria Ibanez*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Fluid Mechanics, TU Delft, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN, Delft, The Netherlands
Arjan Wijdeveld
Affiliation:
Deltares, Rotterdamseweg 185, 2629 HD, Delft, The Netherlands
Claire Chassagne
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Fluid Mechanics, TU Delft, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN, Delft, The Netherlands
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A major issue for the oil sand industry is the settling of thin fine tailings (TFT) which are a byproduct of the oil sand extraction process. These tailings are deposited in large ponds and settling takes decades. The aim of the present study was to increase understanding of the role of specific ion types (monovalent/divalent) present in the water in flocculation behavior, and hence the settling of flotation fine tailings of the Athabasca oil sands (which consist predominantly of kaolinite). In this study, two series of measurements were conducted and compared: one with TFT and with varying pH and salinity, and another with kaolinite suspensions with varying pH, salinity, and volume fraction. The volume fraction of kaolinite and TFT used was in the range 0.01–1% volume fraction for any ionic strength or ion. In this range the electrophoretic mobility was constant indicating that there were no particle-particle interactions, a required condition for electrophoretic mobility measurements. Electrokinetic measurements were made as a function of concentration of salt added and pH. The flocculation behavior of both TFT and kaolinite can be linked to the electrokinetic mobility at high ionic strength. The electrophoretic mobility values and therefore the electrokinetic charge of the particles were smaller for divalent salt than for monovalent salt. As a consequence, both kaolinite and fine tailings should and do flocculate more quickly in the presence of a divalent electrolyte during settling-column experiments. The electrophoretic mobility of kaolinite and tailings in electrolytes containing a majority of monovalent ions (NaCl) decreased in absolute values with decreasing pH while their electrophoretic mobility in electrolytes containing a majority of divalent ions (MgCl2) did not depend on pH. The flocculation of the fine tailings in an electrolyte where divalent ions are predominant is therefore not expected to be influenced by pH.

Keywords

Electrolyte ConcentrationElectrophoretic MobilityFine TailingsFlocculationKaoliniteSurface Charge
Type
Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 62 , Issue 5 , October 2014 , pp. 374 - 385
Copyright
Copyright © Clay Minerals Society 2014

References

Chassagne, C. Mietta, F. and Winterwerp, J.C., 2009 Electrokinetic study of kaolinite suspensions Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 336 352–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chassagne, C. and Ibanez, M., 2013 Electrophoretic mobility of latex nanospheres in electrolytes: Experimental challenges Pure and Applied Chemistry 85 41–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chassagne, C. and Ibanez, M., 2014 Hydrodynamic size and electrophoretic mobility of latex nanospheres in monovalent and divalent electrolytes Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical Engineering Aspects 440 208–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, K.A., 1939 The hot water method for recovering bitumen from bituminous sand Report on Sullivan Concentrator Edmonton, Canada Alberta Research Council.Google Scholar
Clark, K.A. and Pasternack, D.S., 1932 Hot water separation of bitumen from Alberta bituminous sand Industrial & Engineering Chemistry 24 1410–1416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, V. and Miller, J.D., 2010 Surface force measurements at the basal planes of ordered kaolinite particles Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 234 362–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, V. Hampton, M.A. Stokes, J.R. Nguyen, A.V. and Miller, J.D., 2011 Particle interactions in kaolinite suspension and corresponding aggregate structures Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 359 95–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, R.J., 2001 Foundations of Colloid Science New York Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hunter, R.J. Ottewill, R.H. and Rowell, R.L., 1981 Zeta Potential in Colloid Science: Principles and Applications Amsterdam Elsevier.Google Scholar
Kasperski, K.L., 1992 A review of properties and treatment of oil sands tailings AOSTRA Journal of Research 8 11–53.Google Scholar
Kaya, A. Ören, A.H. and Yükselen, Y., 2006 Settling of kaolinite in different aqueous environment Marine Georesources and Geotechnology 24 203–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, J. Zhou, Z. Xu, Z. and Masliyah, J., 2002 Bitumen-clay interactions in aqueous media studied by zeta potential distribution measurement Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 252 409–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ma, K. and Pierre, A.C., 1999 Clay sediment-structure formation in aqueous kaolinite suspensions Clays and Clay Minerals 47 522–526.Google Scholar
Ma, M., 2011 The dispersive effect of sodium silicate on kaolinite particles in process water: implications for ironore processing Clays and Clay Minerals 59 233–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKinnon, M.D., 1989 Development of the tailings pond at Syncrude’s oil sands plant: 1978–1987 AOSTRA Journal of Research 5 109–133.Google Scholar
Mitchell, J.K. and Soga, K., 2005 Fundamentals of Soil Behavior 3rd edition New York John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Morrison, F.A., 1970 Electrophoresis of a particle of arbitrary shape Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 34 210–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, D.H. and Hawthorne, D.G., 1983 Chemistry of Pigments and Fillers New York Wiley.Google Scholar
Tschapek, M. Tcheichvili, L. and Wasowski, C., 1974 The point of zero charge (pzc) of kaolinite and SiO2 + Al2O3 mixtures Clays and Clay Minerals 10 219–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vane, L.M. and Zang, G.M., 1997 Effect of aqueous phase properties on clay particle zeta potential and electro-osmotic permeability: Implications for electro-kinetic soil remediation processes Journal of Hazardous Materials 55 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yukselen, Y. and Kaya, A., 2002 Zeta potential of kaolinite in the presence of alkali, alkaline earth and hydrolysable metal ions Water Air and Soil Pollution, 145, 155–168.Google Scholar
Zhou, Z. and Gunter, W.D., 1992 The nature of the surface charge of kaolinite Clay and Clay Minerals 40 365–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, R.R. Liu, Q. Xu, Z. Masliyah, J.H. and Khan, A., 2011 Role of the dissolving carbon dioxide in densification of oil sands tailings Energy & Fuels 25 2049–2057.CrossRefGoogle Scholar