Applications / Filter Press for Metal Refinery
Filter Press for Nickel Tailings Filtration
Filter Press for Nickel Tailings Filtration
This filter press case study is an application where the Filter Press technology is under evaluation for the filtration of Nickel Tailings for safe & environment friendly dry stacking disposal. The nickel tailings is the residue or tailings generated from the HPAL (High Pressure Acid Leach) Refinery process.
It is environmentally hazardous to store or discharge Nickel tailings slurry in conventional tailings storage facilities or tailings dams. Hence Pressure Filtration by Filter Press & dry stacking disposal is the most environment friendly disposal method and this is aggressively getting implemented across the globe.
For the Nickel Tailings Filtration application chamber as well as mixed plate pack Filter Press is evaluated based on the process and filter press performance requirements.
This Nickel Tailings filtration case study by Filter Press is performed for a large-scale HPAL Nickel refinery.
Case Study
on using Filter Press for
Nickel Tailings Filtration
Feed
Details
Feed : Nickel Tailings
Feed T : 50-60 Deg C
pH : ~ 9
Conc. : 35-40% (w/w)
Qty. : > 800 DMTPH
Desired Output
Parameters
Filtered Cake Moisture : ≤ 22-24% (w/w)
Process
Engineering
A representative nickel tailings sample is collected & tested in DFP R & D Laboratory in Italy in a lab scale Filter Press.
The first step was to clearly understand the nickel tailings slurry chemical & physical characteristics & tests such as elemental analysis, dimensional Particle size analysis, IR Spectroscopic analysis, XRD Crystalline Phase analysis were conducted.
Subsequently multiple filtration tests were conducted on the nickel tailings slurry sample by altering
- filter press plate configurations,
- chamber thickness,
- feeding,
- squeezing pressures & time,
- cake blowing pressures & time
to define the optimum filtration parameters to reach the performance parameters required by the customer.
Result
(Dry Cake)
Filter Press &
its ancillaries sizing
The Filtration test results from the nickel tailings slurry sample provided us the optimum process parameters to make the sizing of the Filter Press & all the associated ancillary equipment.
The Filter Press & the ancillaries are sized considering the results from the filtration test.
Recommended
solution
Based on the obtained results, Membrane plate configuration was chosen by the customer for this nickel tailings filtration project
We recommended the customer for 05 Nos. Dewater HP Model Filter Press to reach the total capacity with desired Filter Press performance parameters.
*Our projects are covered under non-disclosure agreement. Hence specific process input-output details can not be shared.
**Please contact us for your specific requirements & we will be happy to assist & support.