Method for treating suspensions of solid particles in water using comb like polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017166463-A1
Application number	US-201515309968-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for treating an aqueous suspension of solid particles, wherein at least one water-soluble polymer is added to the suspension, and wherein said polymer is obtained by polymerizing at least a non-ionic monomer, optionally at least one anionic and/or at least one cationic monomer, in the presence of a multifunctional free radical transfer agent. This method is particularly useful for the treatment of mineral tailings and especially for tailings resulting from oil sand extraction.

First claim

1 - A method for treating an aqueous suspension of solid particles, comprising the following steps:
preparing a water-soluble polymer by polymerizing:
at least one non-ionic monomer;
optionally at least one anionic and/or at least one cationic monomer;
in the presence of from between 0.05% and 10% by weight, of at least one multifunctional free radical transfer agent, said weight percentage being related to the total amount of monomers; and
adding said water-soluble polymer to the aqueous suspension of solid particles;
wherein the multifunctional free radical transfer agent is a polymer having a molecular weight ranging from between 2,000 g/mol and 500,000 g/mol.

2 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional free radical transfer agent is selected from the group consisting of polyamine; polyvinyl alcohol; polyvinyl alcohol copolymer; hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based polymer; hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based copolymer; polythiol; polyether imine; polycarboxylic acid; salts of polycarboxylic acid; and polyaldehyde.

3 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional free radical transfer agent is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol; polyvinyl alcohol copolymer; hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based polymer; and hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based copolymer.

4 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional free radical transfer agent is a partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based polymer or a partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based copolymer.

5 - The method according to claim 4 , wherein the degree of hydrolysis of the partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based polymer or copolymer is between 60% and 99%.

6 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the multifunctional free radical transfer agent is an ionic partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate-based copolymer, said ionic copolymer comprising:
between 1 and 40 mol % of at least one anionic monomer relative to the total amount of monomers; and optionally at least one non-ionic monomer present at about 0 to 10 mol % relative to the total amount of monomers.

7 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of multifunctional free radical transfer agent is comprised between 0.1% and 6% by weight, as compared to the total weight of the monomers.

8 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble polymer is anionic and has an anionicity ranging from between 10 to 55 mol %.

9 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble polymer contains at least 30 mol % of at least one non-ionic monomer.

10 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide; methacrylamide; N-mono derivatives of acrylamide; N-mono derivatives of methacrylamide; N,N derivatives of acrylamide; N,N derivatives of methacrylamide; acrylic esters; and methacrylic esters.

11 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of monomers having a carboxylic function; salts of monomers having a carboxylic function; monomers having a sulfonic acid function; salts of monomers having a sulfonic acid function; monomers having a phosphonic acid function; and salts of monomers having a phosphonic acid function.

12 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble polymer is obtained by emulsion polymerization or gel polymerization.

13 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is added into a thickener containing the aqueous suspension of solid particles to treat.

14 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is added to the aqueous suspension of solid particles during the transport of the said suspension to a deposition area.

15 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous suspension of solid particles is a suspension resulting from mineral ores processes.

16 - The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous suspension of solid particles is Mature Fine Tailings resulting from oil sand extraction.

Assignees

• Spcm Sa

Inventors

• Favero Cédrick
• Tizzotti Morgan

Classifications

• C02F2103/10

  from quarries or from mining activities · CPC title

• C02F1/56 Primary

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C08F263/04

  on to polymers of vinyl acetate · CPC title

• C08F220/56

  Acrylamide; Methacrylamide · CPC title

• C08F261/04 Primary

  on to polymers of vinyl alcohol · CPC title