Controlling the rheology of a metal ore residue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021171722-A1
Application number	US-201915734381-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 10, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method can prepare an aqueous mineral suspension from an aqueous metal ore residue into which there is introduced a polymer (P) having a molecular weight Mw measured by GPC of from 100,000 to 3.106 g/mol and prepared by free radical polymerization of at least one anionic monomer (m). The suspension produced may have a Brookfield viscosity greater than 2,000 mPa·s and/or a flow threshold of greater than 40 Pa.

First claim

1 . A method for preparing:
the method comprising: adding, in an aqueous metal ore residue, a first component comprising a polymer (P) with a molecular mass Mw, measured by GPC, in a range of from 100,000 to 3·10 6 g/mol and prepared by a method comprising radical polymerization at a temperature greater than 50° C., the polymer (P) comprising: a polymer (P1) prepared in direct emulsion from reagents comprising (a) an anionic monomer comprising a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and a carboxylic acid group; and (b) an ester of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, in the presence of a radical-generating compound comprising ammonium persulfate and/or, an alkaline metal persulfate and optionally further an —Fe II , Fe III , Cu I , and/or Cu II ion; and/or a polymer (P2) prepared in reverse emulsion from reagents comprising (a) an anionic monomer comprising a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and a carboxylic acid group, optionally as a salt; and (c) acrylamide, an acrylamide derivative, and/or a salt of an acrylamide derivative, in the presence of a radical-generating compound comprising ammonium persulfate and/or an alkaline metal persulfate and optionally further an comprising Fe II , Fe III , Cu I , and/or Cu II ion, wherein the aqueous mineral suspension produced has (i) a dry solids content greater than 40 wt. % of the suspension and (ii-a) a Brookfield viscosity, measured at 100 rpm and at 25° C., greater than 2,000 mPa·s; (ii-b) a flow threshold measured at a temperature of 25° C. using a rheometer with imposed shearing, equipped with a bladed spindle, for a particular torsional loading, greater than 40 Pa, and/or (ii-c) a Brookfield viscosity, measured at 100 rpm and at 25° C., greater than 2,000 mPa·s and a flow threshold, measured at a temperature of 25° C. using a rheometer with imposed shearing, equipped with a bladed spindle, for a particular torsional loading, greater than 40 Pa.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has:
a viscosity greater than 2,500 mPa·s, a viscosity of less than 10,000 mPa·s

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has:
a flow threshold greater than 80 Pa; or a flow threshold of less than 700 Pa.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a dry solids content greater than 50 wt. %.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension comprises from 0.01 to 2 wt. % of the polymer (P) (dry/dry relative to the ore residue).

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
adding two different polymers (P) or further adding compound comprising a natural thickening polymer derivative, synthetic thickening polymer derivative, mineral thickening polymer derivative, organic thickening polymer derivative, a mineral thickener and/or a polysaccharide.

7 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the metal ore comprises lithium, strontium, lanthanide, actinide, uranium, rare earth, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, iron, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, tin, and/or lead ore, or wherein the metal ore comprises a metal oxide, a metal sulfide, or a metal carbonate; or wherein the metal ore residue comprises a residual amount of metal of less than 2,000 g per tonne (dry/dry) relative to the amount of metal ore residue.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer (P) is added:
before pumping the aqueous metal ore residue; or during pumping the aqueous metal ore residue; or after pumping the aqueous metal ore residue; or after concentrating the aqueous metal ore residue; or before conveying the aqueous metal ore residue; or before storing the aqueous metal ore residue; or during storing the aqueous metal ore residue.

9 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the polymerization is carried out at a temperature in a range of from 50 to 98° C.; or wherein the polymer (P1) is prepared in water, alone or in combination with an organic solvent; or wherein the polymer (P2) is prepared without solvent or in an organic solvent; or wherein the polymer (P) has a molecular mass Mw, measured by GPC, in a range of from 200,000 g/mol to 2.5·10 6 g/mol; or wherein the polymer (P2) is completely or partially neutralized.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anionic monomer comprises a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and has one or two carboxylic acid groups.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization further comprises polymerizing another monomer comprising:
(d) 2 acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, 2-sulphoethyl methacrylate, sodium methallyl sulfonate, and/or styrene sulfonate, optionally as a salt, or (e) a compound of formula (I):
R 1 —(CH 2 CH 2 O) m —(PO) n —R 2   (I)

wherein m and n are independently 0 or an integer or decimal less than 150, and m or n is different from 0, PO is independently CH(CH 3 )CH 2 O or CH 2 CH(CH 3 )O, R 1 is a group comprising a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation, R 2 is a hydrocarbon group comprising 6 to 40 carbon atoms; or (f) a monomer comprising polyalkylene glycol acrylate, polyalkylene glycol methacrylate, allyl polyalkylene glycol, methallyl polyalkylene glycol , and/or 3 methyl-3-buten-1-ylpolyalkylene glycol; or (g) a cross-linking monomer or a monomer comprising a first and a second olefinic unsaturation.

12 . An aqueous mineral suspension,
comprising: an aqueous metal ore residue; and a polymer (P) with a molecular mass Mw, measured by GPC, ranging from 100,000 to 3·10 6 g/mol and prepared by a method comprising radical polymerization at a temperature greater than 50° C., and the polymer (P) comprising: polymer (P1) prepared in direct emulsion from reagents comprising an anionic monomer comprising a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and a carboxylic acid group; and (b) ester of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, in the presence of a radical-generating compound comprising ammonium persulfate and/or alkaline metal persulfate and optionally further an Fe II , Fe III , Cu I , and/or Cu II ion; a polymer (P2) prepared in reverse emulsion from comprising (a) an anionic monomer comprising a polymerizable olefinic unsaturation and a carboxylic acid group, optionally as a salt; and (c) acrylamide, an acrylamide derivative, and/or a salt of an acrylamide derivative; in the presence of a radical-generating compound comprising ammonium persulfate and/or alkaline metal persulfate and optionally further an Fe II , Fe III , Cu I , and/or Cu II ion, wherein the aqueous mineral suspension, has (i) a dry solids content greater than 40 wt. % of the suspension and: (ii-a) a Brookfield viscosity, measured at 100 rpm and at 25° C., greater than 2,000 mPa·s; (ii-b) a flow threshold measured at a temperature of 25° C. using a rheometer with imposed shearing, equipped with a bladed spindle, for a particular torsional loading, greater than 40 Pa; and (ii-c) a Brookfield viscosity, measured at 100 rpm and at 25° C., greater than 2,000 mPa·s and a flow threshold, measured at a temperature of 25° C. using a rheometer with imposed shearing, equipped with a bladed spindle, for a particular torsional loading, greater than 40 Pa.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a viscosity in a range of from 2,500 mPa·s to 10,000 mPa·s.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the suspension has a viscosity in a range of greater than 3,000 mPa·s.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the suspension has a viscosity in a range of greater than 4,000 mPa·s.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the suspension has a viscosity in a r

Assignees

• Bouzid Mehdi
• Jacquemet Christian
• Magny Benoit
• Mongoin Jacques
• Coatex Sas

Inventors

• Bouzid Mehdi
• Jacquemet Christian
• Magny Benoit
• Mongoin Jacques

Classifications

• C08F220/1802

  C2-(meth)acrylate, e.g. ethyl (meth)acrylate · CPC title

• C08F2/22

  Emulsion polymerisation · CPC title

• C02F1/56 Primary

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C08F220/06

  Acrylic acid; Methacrylic acid; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof · CPC title

• C08J3/05 Primary

  from solid polymers · CPC title