Increasing the Efficiency of Vacuum Belt Filter in Gol-E-Gohar Iron Ore Concentrate Production by Adding Surfactants

In this research, filtration experiments were carried out by four types of surfactants as filter aid. Sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium lauryl ether sulfate as anionic surfactant (SDS and SLES), polyethylene glycol as nonionic surfactant (PEG) and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide as cationic surfactant (CTAB) were used to were used in order to evaluate their effects on moisture reduction of concentrate and improvement of the filtration process. All of the tests were done at the optimal conditions include 60 KPa vacuum pressure, 120 s filtration time, 105 microns particle size and 60% (w/w) solid content of pulp. Results showed that in all of the tests, cake moisture decreased by adding surfactants; however, anionic surfactants SDS and SLES were better than other chemicals. By adding 100 g/t SDS and SLES to the pulp, the filter cake moisture content was reduced by 2%. SDS and SLES improves filtration performance by increasing the ratio of throughput to moisture. At the concentration of 100 g per ton SDS and SLES, the highest throughput and lowest moisture was achieved. Although both of SDS and SLES have similar chemical structure and action, SLES was selected due to better solubility in hard water, economic justification and availability.

Tailings Filtration Using Viper Filtration Technology—a Case Study

Investigation and uptake of filtered tailings continues to grow throughout the globe. This is driven by a wide range of site-specific considerations, which include such factors as tailings characteristics (e.g., amenability to filtration), production rates, climate, water availability, cost drivers, environmental requirements, and social factors. Despite the aforementioned technological growth, the currently available filtration technology is not able to meet the needs of many operations and projects that would otherwise adopt the technology. Experience with large-scale industrial filtration shows that vacuum belt filter systems meet the needs of many modern users, exceptions being the inability to effectively dewater tailings at altitude and/or with a fine particle size distribution: a potential fatal flaw. This paper presents a case study on the utilization of the patented Viper Filtration technology on gold tailings to overcome this challenge and shares the resultant full-scale plant design, highlighting the features designed to overcome cost and scalability deterrents. This technology is a novel mechanical process which complements the vacuum pressure in dewatering the filter cake as it travels along the belt filter. This project commenced with a pilot testing program, which successfully met the objective to rigorously test, measure and record any performance improvements achieved when engaging the Viper technology. Of the two tailings products tested, gross improvements of 4.2%w/w and 5.7%w/w were achieved when compared to the conventional vacuum belt filter operation. This pilot testing facilitated measurement of operating and design data, which forms the basis of the full-scale system design and resultant equipment supply of three vibration roller assemblies for retro-fitting on the existing vacuum belt filter.

PENERAPAN HACCP (HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT) PADA PROSES PRODUKSI SUKLAT MOCACHINO DAN CHOCO GRANULE DI PT. MAYORA INDAH TBK.

Soklat Mocachino dan Choco Granule merupakan salah satu jenis produk pangan olahan, dimana produk pangan selalu dituntut agar aman dan layak dikonsumsi. Dikatakan aman produk pangan olahan tersebut tidak mengandung atau bebas dari bahaya fisik, kimia dan biologi. Untuk itu sangat penting bagi produsen agar selalu memastikan semua tahapan proses produksi yang terlibat didalamnya harus dijaga dengan cara pengolahan yang baik (good manufacturing practice). Dengan cara tersebut seluruh peluang bahaya yang ada dapat teridentifikasi sehingga dapat dilakukan suatu tindakan pengendalian yang spesifik agar bahaya dapat berkurang sampai batas yang dapat diterima. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini dalam rangka mengurangi bahaya pada produk olahan pangan yaitu HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point). Berdasarkan hasil analisis bahaya menunjukkan dari 15 tahapan proses produksi yang ada, dimana 5 proses diantaranya merupakan CCP (critical control point) yaitu penimbangan, vacuum belt drying, air blowing transfer, vibroseparator, dan pengemasan. Sedangkan 10 tahapan proses produksi lainnya merupakan OPRP (Operational Pre-Requisite Program).

Optimizing the Performance of Pilot Vacuum Belt Filter (VBF) for P2O5 Reduction of Jordanian Phosphogypsum (PG)

Inventing new ways to recycle and reuse the accumulated byproducts is the most pressing and daunting challenge facing future process engineers. Millions of tonnes of Phosphogypsum (PG) is stacked in Jordan and worldwide every year. Numerous PG laboratory-scale beneficiation methods are already developed. This research is the first in moving PG Beneficiation methods from laboratory scale to pilot-scale using pilot Vacuum Belt Filter (VBF) to clean PG. In this research, VBF Pilot equipment is designed, constructed, troubleshooted and operated. This pilot study affirmed the difficulty in controlling the process input parameters in pilot VBF when compared with batch filtration. Full factorial (23 ) experimental study is conducted to study the effect of number of washings, number of passes, and acid concentration using sulfuric solutions on PG P2O5 content reduction. The three studied parameters showed a significant effect and their interaction was significant and contribute significantly to a considerable reduction in PG P2O5 content. The Pilot VBF was successfully operated to achieve an acceptable reduction of PG P2O5 content. In this novel pilot VBF research, numerous process insights were practically gained that significantly helped in optimizing VBF performance in reducing P2O5 content in PG.

Evaluation of Flocculation, Sedimentation, and Filtration for Dewatering of Scenedesmus Algae

Algae can be used as a feedstock for agricultural fertilizers, livestock and poultry feeds, anaerobic digestion, and biofuel production. For each end product, the requirements for moisture content (or solids content) vary, such that a desirable water removal strategy needs to be adaptable to varying levels of water removal. Flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration were evaluated as possible strategies for thickening and dewatering of algae. The goal of this study was to validate that algae cells treated by such means could be processed by vacuum belt filters and to determine the conditions under which the solids content could be increased to 5 to 25 wt%. The flocculation and sedimentation studies focused on conditions needed to thicken algae from a culture concentration range of 0.4 to 1 g L-1 to an end-product concentration range of 15 to 50 g L-1. Sedimentation rates of were measured with varying flocculant dosages (0 to 25 ppm) for various flocculants. The highest level of compaction was achieved with a synthetic cationic polymeric flocculant with higher molecular weight at a dosage of 15 ppm, which provided 16.3 mL of compacted solids (3.3 wt% solids). Subsequently, solids were successfully separated as a cake via gravity and vacuum filtration. The filtration studies focused on the conditions needed to filter flocculated algae slurry from a concentration range of 15 to 50 g L-1 to a product at a concentration range of 50 to 250 g L-1. Filtration rates of were measured on algae slurry treated with 10 to 15 ppm of a synthetic cationic polymeric flocculant. Processing parameters such as cake formation time, filtration rate, and mass throughput were evaluated against variables such as cake thickness, feed concentration, and processing time. Keywords: Algae, Dewatering, Filtration, Flocculation, Scenedesmus sp., Sedimentation, Thickening.