Water Recovery
In most cases, dewatering tailings is more challenging than dewatering the final product due to the material characteristics of the tailings. Consequently, manufacturers of dewatering and filtration equipment continually strive to improve equipment quality and efficiency.
The most widely used dewatering and filtration equipment are thickeners and various types of filters, which recover water at different stages in a beneficiation plant. Selecting the right equipment is critical, as the process design and equipment choice must ensure optimal performance while balancing initial investment and energy consumption.
Filters are generally classified into two main categories: vacuum filters and pressure filters. Common vacuum filters include vacuum belt filters, disc filters, and drum filters, while common pressure filters include belt filter presses and filter presses.
Smaller particle sizes make filtration more difficult, increasing equipment costs and energy consumption. Therefore, the design of the dewatering and filtration section must be coordinated with upstream processes. In older plants that lack dedicated dewatering sections, a thorough study of the factory process is required, with the final design informed by testing samples from various parts of the plant.