CA1088883A - Beneficiation of heavy minerals from bituminous sands residues by dry screening - Google Patents
Beneficiation of heavy minerals from bituminous sands residues by dry screeningInfo
- Publication number
- CA1088883A CA1088883A CA290,012A CA290012A CA1088883A CA 1088883 A CA1088883 A CA 1088883A CA 290012 A CA290012 A CA 290012A CA 1088883 A CA1088883 A CA 1088883A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tailings
- minerals
- titanium
- zirconium
- product
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C22B34/00—Obtaining refractory metals
- C22B34/10—Obtaining titanium, zirconium or hafnium
- C22B34/14—Obtaining zirconium or hafnium
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
- B03B—SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS
- B03B9/00—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets
- B03B9/02—General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets specially adapted for oil-sand, oil-chalk, oil-shales, ozokerite, bitumen, or the like
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
- B07B9/00—Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
- C10G1/045—Separation of insoluble materials
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C22B34/00—Obtaining refractory metals
- C22B34/10—Obtaining titanium, zirconium or hafnium
- C22B34/12—Obtaining titanium or titanium compounds from ores or scrap by metallurgical processing; preparation of titanium compounds from other titanium compounds see C01G23/00 - C01G23/08
- C22B34/1204—Obtaining titanium or titanium compounds from ores or scrap by metallurgical processing; preparation of titanium compounds from other titanium compounds see C01G23/00 - C01G23/08 preliminary treatment of ores or scrap to eliminate non- titanium constituents, e.g. iron, without attacking the titanium constituent
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
- Y02P10/20—Recycling
Abstract
"BENEFICIATION OF HEAVY MINERALS FROM
BITUMINOUS SANDS RESIDUES BY DRY SCREENING"
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The titanium and zirconium-based minerals, present in the first stage centrifuge tailings from the hot water process for extraction of bitumen from bituminous sands, may be concentrated by a dry screening process. The tailings are burned off to provide a dry, essentially carbon-free, mineral mixture. By screening the mixture into three streams of different particle size range, silica and clays may be rejected as coarse and fine materials respectively, while titanium and zirconium minerals may be concentrated in the intermediate stream. The titanium and zirconium concentrate stream may be advanced to high tension and magnetic separation steps known in conventional processing of heavy minerals, for further beneficiation.
BITUMINOUS SANDS RESIDUES BY DRY SCREENING"
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The titanium and zirconium-based minerals, present in the first stage centrifuge tailings from the hot water process for extraction of bitumen from bituminous sands, may be concentrated by a dry screening process. The tailings are burned off to provide a dry, essentially carbon-free, mineral mixture. By screening the mixture into three streams of different particle size range, silica and clays may be rejected as coarse and fine materials respectively, while titanium and zirconium minerals may be concentrated in the intermediate stream. The titanium and zirconium concentrate stream may be advanced to high tension and magnetic separation steps known in conventional processing of heavy minerals, for further beneficiation.
Description
BACICGROUND OF ~HE INVENTION
The search ~or new sources of hydrocarbon fuels has led to the development of novel deposits o~ naturally-occurring hydrocarbon material. Among these are the bituminous deposits of northern Alberta in Canada. Taken together, the hydrocarbons present in the McMurray Formation, the largest of these deposits, is estimated as equivalent to 800 billion barrels of crude oil. Because of limitations on surface mining as now practiced, only the top 20 feet or so of tar sand can ~;~
be mined. Even so, it has been estimated that this portion alone contains the equivalent of 200 billion barrels of crude ~ ~-oil. The principal advantage of the mining route is that it -~
allows bitumen to be extracted from mined tar sand by the highly efficient hot water extraction process, wherein mined `
tar sand is agitated with steam and water, and sometimes such process aids as sodium hydroxide, and the resulting slurry is ~
advanced to a separatory vessel where much of the bitumen floa-ts ~ ;
as a fxoth and coarse sand sinks to the bottom and is discarded as a valueless tailings strbam. Commonly a middlings stream that takes up an intermediate position in the separatory vessel ~`
and that contains typically in the~region of 2.25 weight percent bitumen, but in such a form as to be unable to float, is withdrawn and a further yield of bituminous froth obtained therefrom, usually by the forced addition of air. The most common means o~ isolating the bitumen ~rom the froth streams is to mix the combined froth with a naphtha sol~ent to pro-duce a mixture of bitumen dissolved in naphtha as well as water and mineral solids and then to centri~uge the resulting mix~
ture. Such centrifuging is commonl~ performed in two stages, first, using a degritting or scroll centrifuge machine to remove the larger-sized mineral particles, and secondly, in ,~
The search ~or new sources of hydrocarbon fuels has led to the development of novel deposits o~ naturally-occurring hydrocarbon material. Among these are the bituminous deposits of northern Alberta in Canada. Taken together, the hydrocarbons present in the McMurray Formation, the largest of these deposits, is estimated as equivalent to 800 billion barrels of crude oil. Because of limitations on surface mining as now practiced, only the top 20 feet or so of tar sand can ~;~
be mined. Even so, it has been estimated that this portion alone contains the equivalent of 200 billion barrels of crude ~ ~-oil. The principal advantage of the mining route is that it -~
allows bitumen to be extracted from mined tar sand by the highly efficient hot water extraction process, wherein mined `
tar sand is agitated with steam and water, and sometimes such process aids as sodium hydroxide, and the resulting slurry is ~
advanced to a separatory vessel where much of the bitumen floa-ts ~ ;
as a fxoth and coarse sand sinks to the bottom and is discarded as a valueless tailings strbam. Commonly a middlings stream that takes up an intermediate position in the separatory vessel ~`
and that contains typically in the~region of 2.25 weight percent bitumen, but in such a form as to be unable to float, is withdrawn and a further yield of bituminous froth obtained therefrom, usually by the forced addition of air. The most common means o~ isolating the bitumen ~rom the froth streams is to mix the combined froth with a naphtha sol~ent to pro-duce a mixture of bitumen dissolved in naphtha as well as water and mineral solids and then to centri~uge the resulting mix~
ture. Such centrifuging is commonl~ performed in two stages, first, using a degritting or scroll centrifuge machine to remove the larger-sized mineral particles, and secondly, in ,~
- 2- ~ ~
.. : `
~8~3 a high speed disc machine to take out substantially all the remaining mineral solids and water leaving a relatively pure solution of bitumen in naph-tha solvent. The solvent may then be recovered by flash distillation. The process has been well described in the patent and other scientific literature.
The hot water process and other extractive methods applied to mined tar sand typically extract 93% of the bitumen. This compares very favourably with in-situ me-thods which, as presently practiced, may recover around 40% of the bitumen.
A less commonly recognized advantage arising from the use of the mining route but one that is involved with the present invention is that it allows isolation or concentra-tion of the heavy minerals, present in the sand of the forma~
tion, whereas with in-situ techniques, such minerals remain on the ground. Although the composition of tar sand varies ; ~
throughout the deposit, tar sand from the McMurray Formation ~ ~ ;
may be said to typically analyze at 11.59 weight percent bitu-men, 4.41 weight percent water, 84.00 weight percent mineral . . .
solids. Again speaking generally, the more interesting of the mineral solids commonly include quartz (silica), clay, corundum rutile, ilmenite, leucoxine, zircon, kyanite, apatite, aluminosilicates, garnet, amphiboles, feldspar, monazite, and mica. This list is not necessarily complete for all areas of the deposit~
The minerals fall into groups according to c~en-sity. The light minerals of density up to 3.0 are principally ~ ~ ;
silica sand (SiO2), ferric oxide (FeO)~ and ferric carbonate ;
(FeC03~. Those whose density ran~es from 3.0 to 4.0 are -~
mostly iron aluminum silicates. The rest of the minerals (ranging in specific gravity from 4.0 to 4.6) contain the
.. : `
~8~3 a high speed disc machine to take out substantially all the remaining mineral solids and water leaving a relatively pure solution of bitumen in naph-tha solvent. The solvent may then be recovered by flash distillation. The process has been well described in the patent and other scientific literature.
The hot water process and other extractive methods applied to mined tar sand typically extract 93% of the bitumen. This compares very favourably with in-situ me-thods which, as presently practiced, may recover around 40% of the bitumen.
A less commonly recognized advantage arising from the use of the mining route but one that is involved with the present invention is that it allows isolation or concentra-tion of the heavy minerals, present in the sand of the forma~
tion, whereas with in-situ techniques, such minerals remain on the ground. Although the composition of tar sand varies ; ~
throughout the deposit, tar sand from the McMurray Formation ~ ~ ;
may be said to typically analyze at 11.59 weight percent bitu-men, 4.41 weight percent water, 84.00 weight percent mineral . . .
solids. Again speaking generally, the more interesting of the mineral solids commonly include quartz (silica), clay, corundum rutile, ilmenite, leucoxine, zircon, kyanite, apatite, aluminosilicates, garnet, amphiboles, feldspar, monazite, and mica. This list is not necessarily complete for all areas of the deposit~
The minerals fall into groups according to c~en-sity. The light minerals of density up to 3.0 are principally ~ ~ ;
silica sand (SiO2), ferric oxide (FeO)~ and ferric carbonate ;
(FeC03~. Those whose density ran~es from 3.0 to 4.0 are -~
mostly iron aluminum silicates. The rest of the minerals (ranging in specific gravity from 4.0 to 4.6) contain the
- 3 ~
zirconium-based and titanium-based minerals of commercial interest. These are mostly ilmenite (Ti02.FeO), leucoxine (2TiO2.FeO), ru-tile (TiO2), ancl zircon (ZrSiO4). Of these, the titanium and zirconium minerals are o commercial value after suitable concentration by a beneficiation process, and in fact, the hot water extraction may be looked upon as a first step in heavy minerals' beneficiation.
In froth treatment, most of the heavy minerals report to the tailings from the first-stage or scroll centri- -fugal separator with the result that such tailings typically analyze at:
8 to 12% iron by weight 5 to 9% titanium by weight 2 to 5% zirconium by weight~
Unlike the free-flowing beach sand used as feed in the con- ~ ~
ventional heavy metals beneficiation process, for instance `~ `
in Australia, centrifuge tailings from tar sand extraction are a sticky mass impregnated with bitumen and water. ~ ;~
We have determined that water and organic ~ material may be removed from the centrifuge rejects by a burn-off process. The mechanism, as it is conjectured to occur, may best be described as a 2-stage process. In practice however, it is not necessaril~ thus carried out. In the first stage (coking), the scroll tailings are introduced into a fluid bed reactor and under an inert atmosphere of nitro~en are heated to 1025F or thereabouts. This treatment removes volatiles, including water, probably by a mechanism that includes (a) driving o~f ligh~ h~droca~bons (b) driving of~
moisture (c) "cracking" some bitumen to gaseous hydrocarbons '' ~
that are then driven of~ under the in~l~ence of the nitrogen stream (d) "cracking" some bitumen to liquid hydrocarbon~ that are not volatile under th~ reaction conditions (e) con~erting some bitumen to a carbon coke that adheres strongly to the mineral particles. The hyclrocarbons that are evolved ~rom the scroll tailings in the fluid bed reactor may be cooled in a ; .
condensor and thus recovered~ Secondly (burn-o~f stage~, while ;~
the fluid bed reactor is at 1025~F or thereabouts, exkernal heating is discontinued, the nltro~en is switched of, and air or oxygen is ~ed to the` reactor. This causes oxidation of the ~-carbon which escapes from the reactor as gaseous oxides of carbon. ~n commercial CoNtinuOUS operation the above treat-;........ ~ .
ment would most probably be preferably performed in a single `.~ ~ :
step, for instance in a Herreshof or other open hearth furnace~
Such treatment yields a ~ree-flowing product of mineral solids which is an appropriate feed stock ~or ~urther . :
concentration steps~ Such steps may be~
Sieving through a 20 mash screen Re-slurrying ~ith water Treating in a hydrocyclone :
Adjusting the wa:ter content to g.ive a slurry o~
25 to 50 weight percent solids .
Concentrating heavier material by a gravity separation in wa.ter ~or instance by the use o~
Humphreys~ spirals) Drying .. I-~.
Separating into zixconium-rich and titanium- :
rich fractions under high tension.voltage Cleaning and concentrating the:zirconium-based and titanium-~ased minerals by selective magnetic separation.
. ~ ., ~:
- 5 ~
~ `
The present invention notabl~ simplifies bene~
ficiation after the burn off process thus leading to simplified operation and lower investment without increased losses of the desired minerals~
In the concentratin~ process for hea~y minerals described above, the separatory steps involving water depend upon gravity dif~erences in the various mineral ractions.
Taking advantage of this principle the dense particles are successively concentrated and thè l~ghter'material rejected.
The process carries the disadvanta~e that it in~olves expensive drying steps and a reIativel'y lar~e investment ~n equipment, with attendant complexity in the operation o~ such equipment.
SU~ O~ THE'INVENTI'ON
.
By contrast, the'process in accordance ~ith the `' ~ ;
present invention relies upon the much's'impler operation of ' '~
separation by particle'size. ~t has ~een discovered that when the burned-off first stage centri~u~e tail~ngs are sieved ''`
in screens of ~arious' mesh size, lighter'material may be rejected in coarse and fine fractions and zirconium-rich and titanium~
rich'products concentrated in the in~ermediate product strean~, ''~
to pro~ide a concentrate as ~ood as or better than that obtained with the water separation prIor proces~s.
It seems that there ~s a correlation bet~een ;`' particle'size and mineral ident~ty such khat b~ Sep~rating out ''~
, ~
the ver~ lar~e and ver~ small sized' material, one rejects the '` ~` ;
~reater part of the` valueless'minerals. The principal ''~'~;' ;
constituent o~ the lar~e's'ized material is silica, while the small sized'materials is'mainly cla~s, and, since these~streams are mere cont'aminanbs, thèi'r r'emo~al'~rings about an'immediate concentration of the des~red ~eavy-minerq1s. ~ ~' 'By the`correct sel'ection of screens a useful ;~
separation of the~æirconium and titantium-based~minerals - into zirconium-rich'and titanium-rich'streams ma~ be achieved. '~
'; ''' ~
- 6 - ~
8~
Hence, by passing burnecl-oEf centrifuye tailings through sieves of successively smaller screen opening the ~ollowing pro-ducts may be obtained:
stream low in heavy minerals, largely silica stream relatively rich in titanium minerals stream relatively rich in titanium and zirconium ~' minerals stream low in heavy minerals, largely clays.
Although some titanium minerals are lost in the coarse material and the fines stream, losses at worst are no greater than losses from the conventional aqueous separation.
In the wet separation process, the product ~rom aqueous concentrating steps, a~ter suitable drying, is advanced to further beneficiation using high tension separation and, ~inally, selective magnetic separation. By the use o~ the ~'~
present invention, however, t~e troublesome prel'iminary wet steps may be avoided and the two ~ry streams of intermediate particle size are advanced directly to high tension equipment.
But it has a further advantage:' the product from aqueous '~
concentration contains a suf~ic~ent quantity of finely divided material that high tension separation may be interferred with '`
, .
as a result of arcing in the high voltage field. Screened solids on the other ha`nd, as produced by the in~ention herein '~
described, being low in fines, pres'ent no ~such arcing p~oblem.
2~ Speaking generally, both hi:gh'tension and' mag~netic separation ' are aided by presenting a ~eed of limited particle size range. ' Treating burned-off solids by the'screening process herein described provides a feed'ha~ing the desired particle size properties. -~
Broadly stated, the invention is a dry separatory process for treating ~irst stage centri~uge tailings obtained '`' i4~8~
from hot water extraction processing o~ bituminous sands, said tailin~s being dry and substantially carbon ree, to concenkrate the titanium-based and zirconium-based minerals therefrom comprising: screenin~ said tailings to produce a coarse product containing the ~reatest part of the tailings silica, a fine product containing the greatest part of the tailings clays, and an intermediate product containing the greatest part of the titanium-based minerals.
Preferably the screening is conducted to give (a) a coarse matter product having more than 75% by weight of minerals of density less than 3.0,(b~ a second product of less coarse matter having between 45% and 55% by weight o material of density greater than 3.0, (c) a third product of matter less coarse than in (b) but greater than 44 micron and containing more than 60% by weight of material of density greater than `~
3.0, (d) a fourth product of fine solids having passed through "`
a sieve of 44 micron screen opening, products (b~ and (c) being thereafter advancable to further beneficiation steps to `~
concentrate titanium-based and 3irconium-based minerals there~
from respectiveIy.
.. ... .... ... . .. ~
DES~RIPTION OF THE _R~ ING
The Figure i a schematic block diagx`am of ;
the preferred mode of the process.
, .. ... ... . . . .
DES~RIPTION OF T~IE PREFE~RED EMBOD ENT `~
~he discovery on which the invention is based is illustrated by the follo~ing ex`amples:
EXAMPLE l ScrolI centrifu~e tailinys (100g~, after burn-off of bitumen, separated into thè~following fractions when shaken on a mechanical shakLng device:
. ~
~ - "
Fraction Screen Size of Percentage of Titani~ Heavy No. Fraction (Cana- Sample Re- Distribu- Minerals dian Standard tained (wt) tion (wt. ~S.G. ,~
sieve) percent) greater in each Frac*ion %
1 +100 30.~ 12.7 25.4 2 -100 +200 40~1 54.3 54.8 3 -200 ~325 18.2 23.6 68.0 ~-
zirconium-based and titanium-based minerals of commercial interest. These are mostly ilmenite (Ti02.FeO), leucoxine (2TiO2.FeO), ru-tile (TiO2), ancl zircon (ZrSiO4). Of these, the titanium and zirconium minerals are o commercial value after suitable concentration by a beneficiation process, and in fact, the hot water extraction may be looked upon as a first step in heavy minerals' beneficiation.
In froth treatment, most of the heavy minerals report to the tailings from the first-stage or scroll centri- -fugal separator with the result that such tailings typically analyze at:
8 to 12% iron by weight 5 to 9% titanium by weight 2 to 5% zirconium by weight~
Unlike the free-flowing beach sand used as feed in the con- ~ ~
ventional heavy metals beneficiation process, for instance `~ `
in Australia, centrifuge tailings from tar sand extraction are a sticky mass impregnated with bitumen and water. ~ ;~
We have determined that water and organic ~ material may be removed from the centrifuge rejects by a burn-off process. The mechanism, as it is conjectured to occur, may best be described as a 2-stage process. In practice however, it is not necessaril~ thus carried out. In the first stage (coking), the scroll tailings are introduced into a fluid bed reactor and under an inert atmosphere of nitro~en are heated to 1025F or thereabouts. This treatment removes volatiles, including water, probably by a mechanism that includes (a) driving o~f ligh~ h~droca~bons (b) driving of~
moisture (c) "cracking" some bitumen to gaseous hydrocarbons '' ~
that are then driven of~ under the in~l~ence of the nitrogen stream (d) "cracking" some bitumen to liquid hydrocarbon~ that are not volatile under th~ reaction conditions (e) con~erting some bitumen to a carbon coke that adheres strongly to the mineral particles. The hyclrocarbons that are evolved ~rom the scroll tailings in the fluid bed reactor may be cooled in a ; .
condensor and thus recovered~ Secondly (burn-o~f stage~, while ;~
the fluid bed reactor is at 1025~F or thereabouts, exkernal heating is discontinued, the nltro~en is switched of, and air or oxygen is ~ed to the` reactor. This causes oxidation of the ~-carbon which escapes from the reactor as gaseous oxides of carbon. ~n commercial CoNtinuOUS operation the above treat-;........ ~ .
ment would most probably be preferably performed in a single `.~ ~ :
step, for instance in a Herreshof or other open hearth furnace~
Such treatment yields a ~ree-flowing product of mineral solids which is an appropriate feed stock ~or ~urther . :
concentration steps~ Such steps may be~
Sieving through a 20 mash screen Re-slurrying ~ith water Treating in a hydrocyclone :
Adjusting the wa:ter content to g.ive a slurry o~
25 to 50 weight percent solids .
Concentrating heavier material by a gravity separation in wa.ter ~or instance by the use o~
Humphreys~ spirals) Drying .. I-~.
Separating into zixconium-rich and titanium- :
rich fractions under high tension.voltage Cleaning and concentrating the:zirconium-based and titanium-~ased minerals by selective magnetic separation.
. ~ ., ~:
- 5 ~
~ `
The present invention notabl~ simplifies bene~
ficiation after the burn off process thus leading to simplified operation and lower investment without increased losses of the desired minerals~
In the concentratin~ process for hea~y minerals described above, the separatory steps involving water depend upon gravity dif~erences in the various mineral ractions.
Taking advantage of this principle the dense particles are successively concentrated and thè l~ghter'material rejected.
The process carries the disadvanta~e that it in~olves expensive drying steps and a reIativel'y lar~e investment ~n equipment, with attendant complexity in the operation o~ such equipment.
SU~ O~ THE'INVENTI'ON
.
By contrast, the'process in accordance ~ith the `' ~ ;
present invention relies upon the much's'impler operation of ' '~
separation by particle'size. ~t has ~een discovered that when the burned-off first stage centri~u~e tail~ngs are sieved ''`
in screens of ~arious' mesh size, lighter'material may be rejected in coarse and fine fractions and zirconium-rich and titanium~
rich'products concentrated in the in~ermediate product strean~, ''~
to pro~ide a concentrate as ~ood as or better than that obtained with the water separation prIor proces~s.
It seems that there ~s a correlation bet~een ;`' particle'size and mineral ident~ty such khat b~ Sep~rating out ''~
, ~
the ver~ lar~e and ver~ small sized' material, one rejects the '` ~` ;
~reater part of the` valueless'minerals. The principal ''~'~;' ;
constituent o~ the lar~e's'ized material is silica, while the small sized'materials is'mainly cla~s, and, since these~streams are mere cont'aminanbs, thèi'r r'emo~al'~rings about an'immediate concentration of the des~red ~eavy-minerq1s. ~ ~' 'By the`correct sel'ection of screens a useful ;~
separation of the~æirconium and titantium-based~minerals - into zirconium-rich'and titanium-rich'streams ma~ be achieved. '~
'; ''' ~
- 6 - ~
8~
Hence, by passing burnecl-oEf centrifuye tailings through sieves of successively smaller screen opening the ~ollowing pro-ducts may be obtained:
stream low in heavy minerals, largely silica stream relatively rich in titanium minerals stream relatively rich in titanium and zirconium ~' minerals stream low in heavy minerals, largely clays.
Although some titanium minerals are lost in the coarse material and the fines stream, losses at worst are no greater than losses from the conventional aqueous separation.
In the wet separation process, the product ~rom aqueous concentrating steps, a~ter suitable drying, is advanced to further beneficiation using high tension separation and, ~inally, selective magnetic separation. By the use o~ the ~'~
present invention, however, t~e troublesome prel'iminary wet steps may be avoided and the two ~ry streams of intermediate particle size are advanced directly to high tension equipment.
But it has a further advantage:' the product from aqueous '~
concentration contains a suf~ic~ent quantity of finely divided material that high tension separation may be interferred with '`
, .
as a result of arcing in the high voltage field. Screened solids on the other ha`nd, as produced by the in~ention herein '~
described, being low in fines, pres'ent no ~such arcing p~oblem.
2~ Speaking generally, both hi:gh'tension and' mag~netic separation ' are aided by presenting a ~eed of limited particle size range. ' Treating burned-off solids by the'screening process herein described provides a feed'ha~ing the desired particle size properties. -~
Broadly stated, the invention is a dry separatory process for treating ~irst stage centri~uge tailings obtained '`' i4~8~
from hot water extraction processing o~ bituminous sands, said tailin~s being dry and substantially carbon ree, to concenkrate the titanium-based and zirconium-based minerals therefrom comprising: screenin~ said tailings to produce a coarse product containing the ~reatest part of the tailings silica, a fine product containing the greatest part of the tailings clays, and an intermediate product containing the greatest part of the titanium-based minerals.
Preferably the screening is conducted to give (a) a coarse matter product having more than 75% by weight of minerals of density less than 3.0,(b~ a second product of less coarse matter having between 45% and 55% by weight o material of density greater than 3.0, (c) a third product of matter less coarse than in (b) but greater than 44 micron and containing more than 60% by weight of material of density greater than `~
3.0, (d) a fourth product of fine solids having passed through "`
a sieve of 44 micron screen opening, products (b~ and (c) being thereafter advancable to further beneficiation steps to `~
concentrate titanium-based and 3irconium-based minerals there~
from respectiveIy.
.. ... .... ... . .. ~
DES~RIPTION OF THE _R~ ING
The Figure i a schematic block diagx`am of ;
the preferred mode of the process.
, .. ... ... . . . .
DES~RIPTION OF T~IE PREFE~RED EMBOD ENT `~
~he discovery on which the invention is based is illustrated by the follo~ing ex`amples:
EXAMPLE l ScrolI centrifu~e tailinys (100g~, after burn-off of bitumen, separated into thè~following fractions when shaken on a mechanical shakLng device:
. ~
~ - "
Fraction Screen Size of Percentage of Titani~ Heavy No. Fraction (Cana- Sample Re- Distribu- Minerals dian Standard tained (wt) tion (wt. ~S.G. ,~
sieve) percent) greater in each Frac*ion %
1 +100 30.~ 12.7 25.4 2 -100 +200 40~1 54.3 54.8 3 -200 ~325 18.2 23.6 68.0 ~-
4 -325 10.6 9.4 50.3 -The proportion of heavy minerals was determined by a sink~
.
float test. Tetrabromethane (S.G. = 3.0 approx.) was taken in a centrifuge tube and a weighed quantity of the mineral mixture added thereto. The tube was shaken to wet all the minerals and the whole then centrifuged. The liquor and light minerals were decanted and the residual solids ~ashed with`~
light solvent such as methanol to remove tetrabromethane. , The light s~lven~ was then evaporated out o~ the solids after ',~ '' which the dry heavy solids were weighed.
EXAMPLE II
Another scrolI centri:~uge tailings sample (lOOg), a~ter burn-off of bitumen, was shaken on the'more efficient "Rotap"* device,' i.e. a shaker fitted with an iron ~ ;,' hammer that taps the lid of the uppermost screen. ,` , Fxaction Screen Pexcent- Titanium Metals Distribution No. Size of age of Distribu-'~ bY-weit ~k ln ~ isn '~ ""~ `' Frac- Sample tion (wt. Ti- Zr Fe Sl Al tion Retalned percent) ~ ' (cdn. (weight) ;'~
Standard -Sie~e) , _ , 1 ~100 15.74.0 2.~ Nil 3.4 37.3 2.0 1 2 -100~200 52.358.7 12.2 Nil 5.2 17.0 3.0 3 -200~325 19.125.~14.7 5.7 1 7.1 18.9 2.9 -325 12.71 ~11'.5~9.9 4'8 6 3 24.2 "'~
* trade mark ;~
_ g ~, .:
Si~.e o~ mesh openings for Canadian Standard Sieves are~
Mesh Opening ~M :
200 75 ;- ~
325 45 ~;
'"'''''' ~''~
. '' :., ` ;. :.-~'" ,. ' . , ~ ;: , .~` -`"' :' .. ;~,:
~ A
: `' ' ~'' ' '':~
'`'"' ' ' ~'` :
: ';--, ~: .
.
float test. Tetrabromethane (S.G. = 3.0 approx.) was taken in a centrifuge tube and a weighed quantity of the mineral mixture added thereto. The tube was shaken to wet all the minerals and the whole then centrifuged. The liquor and light minerals were decanted and the residual solids ~ashed with`~
light solvent such as methanol to remove tetrabromethane. , The light s~lven~ was then evaporated out o~ the solids after ',~ '' which the dry heavy solids were weighed.
EXAMPLE II
Another scrolI centri:~uge tailings sample (lOOg), a~ter burn-off of bitumen, was shaken on the'more efficient "Rotap"* device,' i.e. a shaker fitted with an iron ~ ;,' hammer that taps the lid of the uppermost screen. ,` , Fxaction Screen Pexcent- Titanium Metals Distribution No. Size of age of Distribu-'~ bY-weit ~k ln ~ isn '~ ""~ `' Frac- Sample tion (wt. Ti- Zr Fe Sl Al tion Retalned percent) ~ ' (cdn. (weight) ;'~
Standard -Sie~e) , _ , 1 ~100 15.74.0 2.~ Nil 3.4 37.3 2.0 1 2 -100~200 52.358.7 12.2 Nil 5.2 17.0 3.0 3 -200~325 19.125.~14.7 5.7 1 7.1 18.9 2.9 -325 12.71 ~11'.5~9.9 4'8 6 3 24.2 "'~
* trade mark ;~
_ g ~, .:
Si~.e o~ mesh openings for Canadian Standard Sieves are~
Mesh Opening ~M :
200 75 ;- ~
325 45 ~;
'"'''''' ~''~
. '' :., ` ;. :.-~'" ,. ' . , ~ ;: , .~` -`"' :' .. ;~,:
~ A
: `' ' ~'' ' '':~
'`'"' ' ' ~'` :
: ';--, ~: .
Claims (3)
1. A dry separatory process for treating first stage centrifuge tailings obtained from hot water extraction processing of bituminous sands, said tailings having been dried and rendered substantially carbon free, to concentrate the titanium-based and zirconium-based minerals therefrom comprising:
screening said tailings to produce a coarse product containing the greatest part of the tailings silica, a fine product containing the greatest part of the tailings clays, and an intermediate product containing the greatest part of the titanium-based minerals.
screening said tailings to produce a coarse product containing the greatest part of the tailings silica, a fine product containing the greatest part of the tailings clays, and an intermediate product containing the greatest part of the titanium-based minerals.
2. A dry separatory process for treating first stage centrifuge tailings obtained from hot water extraction processing of bituminous sands, said tailings being dry and substantially carbon free, to concentrate the titanium-based and zirconium-based minerals therefrom comprising:
screening said tailings in sieves of successively smaller screen opening to give (a) a coarse matter product having more than 75 by weight of minerals of density less than
screening said tailings in sieves of successively smaller screen opening to give (a) a coarse matter product having more than 75 by weight of minerals of density less than
3.0 (b) a second product of less coarse matter having between 45% and 55% by weight of material of density greater than 3.0 (c) a third product of matter less coarse than in (b) but greater than 44 micron and con-taining more than 60% by weight of material of density greater than 3.0 (d) a fourth product of fine solids having passed through a sieve of 44 micron screen opening, products (b) and (c) being thereafter advancable to further beneficiation steps to concentrate titanium-based and zirconium-based minerals therefrom respectively.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA290,012A CA1088883A (en) | 1977-11-01 | 1977-11-01 | Beneficiation of heavy minerals from bituminous sands residues by dry screening |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA290,012A CA1088883A (en) | 1977-11-01 | 1977-11-01 | Beneficiation of heavy minerals from bituminous sands residues by dry screening |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1088883A true CA1088883A (en) | 1980-11-04 |
Family
ID=4109916
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA290,012A Expired CA1088883A (en) | 1977-11-01 | 1977-11-01 | Beneficiation of heavy minerals from bituminous sands residues by dry screening |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1088883A (en) |
Cited By (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2581924A1 (en) * | 1985-05-17 | 1986-11-21 | Pechiney Uranium | PROCESS FOR THE HIGH TEMPERATURE TREATMENT OF AQUEOUS SUSPENSION CONTAINING STABLE DISPERSE-SHAPED CLAYS |
| EP0318231A1 (en) * | 1987-11-25 | 1989-05-31 | Extract, Incorporated | Process for recovering titanium dioxide fines |
| US7677397B2 (en) | 2004-07-30 | 2010-03-16 | Suncor Energy Inc. | Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus |
| US7695612B2 (en) | 2006-05-25 | 2010-04-13 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Process for recovering heavy minerals from oil sand tailings |
| US8328126B2 (en) | 2008-09-18 | 2012-12-11 | Suncor Energy, Inc. | Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed |
| US8393561B2 (en) | 2005-11-09 | 2013-03-12 | Suncor Energy Inc. | Method and apparatus for creating a slurry |
| US8852429B2 (en) | 2010-02-22 | 2014-10-07 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Method for processing froth treatment tailings |
| US9314713B2 (en) | 2010-05-12 | 2016-04-19 | Titanium Corporation | Apparatus and method for recovering a hydrocarbon diluent from tailings |
| US9694367B2 (en) | 2013-10-10 | 2017-07-04 | Titanium Corporation, Inc. | Method for producing a zirconium concentrated product from froth treatment tailings |
| US9719022B2 (en) | 2009-04-09 | 2017-08-01 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Methods for separating a feed material derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands |
-
1977
- 1977-11-01 CA CA290,012A patent/CA1088883A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (15)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0204642A1 (en) * | 1985-05-17 | 1986-12-10 | Uranium Pechiney | Process for the high temperature treatment of an aqueous suspension containing clay in the form of a stable dispersion |
| FR2581924A1 (en) * | 1985-05-17 | 1986-11-21 | Pechiney Uranium | PROCESS FOR THE HIGH TEMPERATURE TREATMENT OF AQUEOUS SUSPENSION CONTAINING STABLE DISPERSE-SHAPED CLAYS |
| EP0318231A1 (en) * | 1987-11-25 | 1989-05-31 | Extract, Incorporated | Process for recovering titanium dioxide fines |
| US8851293B2 (en) | 2004-07-30 | 2014-10-07 | Suncor Energy, Inc. | Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus |
| US7677397B2 (en) | 2004-07-30 | 2010-03-16 | Suncor Energy Inc. | Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus |
| US8136672B2 (en) | 2004-07-30 | 2012-03-20 | Suncor Energy, Inc. | Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus |
| US8393561B2 (en) | 2005-11-09 | 2013-03-12 | Suncor Energy Inc. | Method and apparatus for creating a slurry |
| US7695612B2 (en) | 2006-05-25 | 2010-04-13 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Process for recovering heavy minerals from oil sand tailings |
| US8328126B2 (en) | 2008-09-18 | 2012-12-11 | Suncor Energy, Inc. | Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed |
| US8622326B2 (en) | 2008-09-18 | 2014-01-07 | Suncor Energy, Inc. | Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed |
| US9719022B2 (en) | 2009-04-09 | 2017-08-01 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Methods for separating a feed material derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands |
| US10087372B2 (en) | 2009-04-09 | 2018-10-02 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Methods for separating a feed material derived from a process for recovering bitumen from oil sands |
| US8852429B2 (en) | 2010-02-22 | 2014-10-07 | Titanium Corporation Inc. | Method for processing froth treatment tailings |
| US9314713B2 (en) | 2010-05-12 | 2016-04-19 | Titanium Corporation | Apparatus and method for recovering a hydrocarbon diluent from tailings |
| US9694367B2 (en) | 2013-10-10 | 2017-07-04 | Titanium Corporation, Inc. | Method for producing a zirconium concentrated product from froth treatment tailings |
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