Flocculation of Neutralized Mine Drainage With Polymers

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Abstract
Metal-bearing wastewaters such as base metal mine drainage are conventionally treated with lime to precipitate the metals as hydroxides. Although the addition of a synthetic polymer has been found to aid clarification in this process, no rational methodology exists for the determination of optimum flocculation conditions. Using tailored polyacrylamide, the present research examined the effects of polymer properties and mixing conditions on supernatant particulate iron concentrations for synthetic minewaters containing various initial concentrations of that metal. It was found that mixing conditions were more important than polymer properties in producing optimum behaviour. Optimum rapid mix speed appeared to be proportional to minewater strength, while flocculation time varied inversely with strength. The system was sensitive to polymer degree of hydrolysis but not to dosage. At pH 9.5, residual total iron concentrations below 0.2 mg/l were achieved. Mechanistic modeling using the flocculation equation was successful.

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