Method for determining type selection and dosage of flocculant for ion-type rare earth ore mother liquor

Abstract

The application discloses a method for determining the type and dosage of a flocculant for ion-type rare earth ore mother liquor, and belongs to the technical field of rare earth ore impurity removal. The method comprises the following steps: step 1, performing parallel comparison and selection experiments on different flocculants to determine the optimal type of the flocculant; step 2, determining the optimal dosage of the selected flocculant in actual production; step 3, judging whether the turbidity reaches the expectation and whether the turbidity returns under the use of the selected flocculant at the optimal dosage, and if yes and the turbidity does not return, the method ends, otherwise, step 4 is performed; and step 4, combining the use of cationic or anionic flocculants and non-ionic flocculants to determine the optimal combined type of the flocculants. The method gradually adjusts and determines the applicable type and dosage of the flocculants, solves the problems of turbidity return and high turbidity of supernatant liquid of the flocculants under the use of a deep-cone thickener, and simultaneously avoids the influence of unstable product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rare earth ore impurity removal technology, specifically to a method for determining the selection and dosage of flocculant for ion-type rare earth ore mother liquor. Background Technology

[0002] In the hydrometallurgical process of the second workshop of the Nuodong rare earth mine, the mother liquor of ion-adsorption rare earth ore undergoes solid-liquid separation through a deep cone thickener for impurity removal and precipitation. During thickening, flocculants are added to accelerate material settling, causing fine particles to agglomerate into large flocs, thus speeding up sedimentation. Because a continuous impurity removal and precipitation process is used, the flocculant solution is pumped into the mixing pipeline of the impurity removal (precipitation) process for mixing. After entering the deep cone thickener, the mixture is no longer stirred, and the top of the thickener overflows simultaneously with the liquid inflow, lacking a settling period for the supernatant. Therefore, the selection and dosage parameters of the flocculant differ significantly from traditional processes. Improper flocculant selection or unreasonable flocculant feed concentration easily leads to turbidity and high turbidity of the supernatant when used in the deep cone thickener, which is a major problem in the current process. Furthermore, the use of non-standard flocculants restricts procurement sources, and unstable raw material supply can adversely affect production. Therefore, a solution is proposed that can solve the problems of poor anti-interference performance of flocculants and excessive turbidity of the supernatant in the sedimentation thickener, while avoiding the adverse effects of unstable product quality from distributors on production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a method for determining the selection and dosage of flocculants for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor, thereby solving the problems of easy turbidity reversal and high turbidity of the supernatant when using flocculants in a deep cone thickener, while avoiding the impact of unstable product quality.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a method for determining the selection and dosage of flocculant for ion-type rare earth ore mother liquor, comprising the following steps:

[0005] Step 1: Conduct parallel comparative selection experiments on different flocculants to determine the optimal flocculant selection.

[0006] Different types of flocculants were prepared into flocculant solutions of the same concentration. On-site samples of raw water from ion-type rare earth mineral mother liquor were taken and divided into multiple test water samples of the same volume.

[0007] Flocculation and sedimentation tests were conducted on flocculant solutions and test water samples to obtain sedimentation data for each flocculant, thereby determining the optimal type of flocculant.

[0008] Step 2: Determine the optimal dosage of the selected flocculant for actual production.

[0009] The selected flocculant in step 1 is used as the test flocculant. Under the same conditions, the test flocculant is switched on site. After switching, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water is tested, the dosage of the test flocculant is adjusted, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water after adjustment is obtained, and the optimal dosage of the test flocculant is determined based on the turbidity value.

[0010] Step 3: Determine whether the turbidity reaches the expected level and whether there is turbidity return when the selected flocculant is used at the optimal dosage. If it meets the standard and there is no turbidity return, the process ends; otherwise, proceed to Step 4.

[0011] Step 4: Combine cationic or anionic flocculants with nonionic flocculants to determine the optimal combination of flocculants.

[0012] Selected flocculants are combined with other types of flocculants to form cation-non-cation combined flocculants or anion-non-cation combined flocculants. Different mass ratio gradients are set, and the turbidity of the thickener overflow water of each combination ratio of flocculants at the optimal dosage is tested. The back turbidity phenomenon is monitored, and the optimal selection combination of flocculants is determined based on the turbidity value and the back turbidity status.

[0013] Furthermore, the flocculation and sedimentation test on the flocculant solution and the test water sample includes:

[0014] The test water samples were divided into groups of four, and each group was placed in one of the four separate containers of the four-unit stirring unit.

[0015] Each flocculant solution was added to the test water sample at the same dosage.

[0016] Turn on the stirrer and stir at 100 rpm for 3 minutes to ensure that each flocculant solution is mixed evenly with the test water sample;

[0017] Stop stirring and let it settle for 5 minutes. Record the settling data.

[0018] Furthermore, the sedimentation data includes sedimentation velocity, floc size, and supernatant turbidity.

[0019] Furthermore, in step 1, the mass concentration of the flocculant solution is 0.1%.

[0020] Furthermore, in the flocculation sedimentation test, the dosage of flocculant was 0.4 ppm.

[0021] Furthermore, step 2 also includes:

[0022] At least one turbidity test of the thickener overflow water was conducted on the on-site reagents as a comparison benchmark.

[0023] Furthermore, the adjustment of the experimental flocculant dosage includes:

[0024] Increase the dosage gradually according to the preset gradient; or...

[0025] The dosage should be gradually reduced according to the preset gradient.

[0026] Furthermore, obtaining the turbidity of the thickener overflow water after adjustment includes:

[0027] After stabilizing at each dosage level, obtain the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at least once.

[0028] Furthermore, obtaining the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at least once includes:

[0029] Multiple turbidity measurements of the thickener overflow water were continuously obtained, with each sampling interval being 2-3 hours.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention proposes a method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ion-adsorption rare earth ore mother liquor. This method first conducts flocculation and sedimentation tests on multiple test water samples with different types of flocculants to select the optimal flocculant. Then, the selected flocculant is put into production, and the dosage is adjusted. The optimal dosage is determined based on the turbidity of the supernatant. When the selected flocculant still fails to achieve the expected turbidity or is prone to re-turbidity at the optimal dosage, the innovative method combines the selected flocculant with other types of flocculants to form a cation-non-cation combined flocculant or anion-non-cation combined flocculant, and uses it in production at the optimal dosage. The turbidity of the supernatant in the impurity removal (precipitation) process can reach the expected target of ≤5 NTU, and it is not prone to re-turbidity after a period of use. This method solves the problems of easy re-turbidity and high supernatant turbidity when using flocculants in deep cone thickeners, while avoiding the adverse effects of unstable product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the method for determining the selection and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor in this invention;

[0033] Figure 2 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 1 of Example 1 of this invention;

[0034] Figure 3 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 2 of Example 1 of this invention;

[0035] Figure 4 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 3 of Example 1 of this invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the experimental results of the reagents used in the impurity removal and thickening machine #1 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This is an experimental effect diagram of the impurity removal thickener 1# using a combined flocculant in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 1 of Example 2 of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 2 of Example 2 of this invention;

[0040] Figure 9 These are photographs of the settling velocities of different flocculants in Experimental Group 3 of Example 2 of this invention;

[0041] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the experimental results of using reagents in the sedimentation thickener #1 in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 11 This is an experimental effect diagram of using a combined flocculant in sedimentation thickener #1 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Detailed Implementation

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to examples.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] This embodiment takes the impurity removal process as an example, with the deep cone thickener having a processing capacity of 600m³ per hour. 3 Slurry.

[0046] Expected target: Turbidity of the clear liquid from solid-liquid separation using a deep cone thickener ≤ 5 NTU.

[0047] Ionic rare earth ore mother liquor contains rare earth ions (RE). 3+ The solution contains rare earth ions, and the mother liquor in this process section also contains Al. 3+ Fe 2+ / Fe 3+ Ca 2+ Mg 2+ SiO3 2- The impurity ions in the mother liquor are either positively or negatively charged, with aluminum ions being the most abundant. The purpose of the impurity removal process is to remove as many impurity ions as possible while minimizing the loss of rare earth ions. During the impurity removal process, the Al in the mother liquor... 3+ Fe 2+ / Fe 3+ The solids are converted into precipitates such as Al(OH)3, Fe(OH)2, and Fe(OH)3. However, the generated Al(OH)3, Fe(OH)2, and Fe(OH)3 particles are extremely fine and will remain stably suspended in water in a negatively charged colloidal form, making solid-liquid separation difficult.

[0048] Flocculants are mainly used to enhance solid-liquid separation, primarily targeting colloidal particles such as Al(OH)3, Fe(OH)2, and Fe(OH)3. Flocculants accelerate solid-liquid separation mainly through charge neutralization and adsorption bridging. Charge neutralization involves the charged groups in the flocculant neutralizing the surface charge of the precipitated particles, disrupting their double-layer structure and eliminating electrostatic repulsion between particles. Adsorption bridging involves the long molecular chains of the polymeric flocculant adsorbing multiple fine particles, "bridging" them into larger flocs, thus accelerating sedimentation. Under these two effects, the originally stable suspended fine precipitated particles in the mother liquor agglomerate into dense flocs, significantly increasing the sedimentation rate.

[0049] See Figure 1 This invention provides a method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor, comprising the following steps:

[0050] Step 1: Conduct parallel selection and comparison experiments on different flocculants to determine the optimal flocculant selection.

[0051] The flocculants selected were AH912SH, AN905MPM, AN905SH, AN913SH, ​​AN923MPM, AN926SHU, FO4140SSH, and FO4190SSH, and the on-site reagent (cationic). They were divided into three groups of four for parallel comparative selection experiments. The experimental groups are shown in Table 1.

[0052] Table 1 Experimental Grouping of Flocculant Types

[0053]

[0054] (1) Prepare flocculant solutions of different types with a mass concentration of 0.1% respectively. Take 10L of raw water sample of ion-type rare earth mineral mother liquor from the impurity removal process on site and divide it into 12 test water samples of 500ml each.

[0055] (2) Flocculation and sedimentation tests were conducted on the flocculant solutions and test water samples to obtain sedimentation data for each flocculant. Specifically, each test water sample was placed in one of four separate containers of three sets of four-unit stirrers. The flocculant solution of each experimental group was added to the test water sample at a dosage of 0.4 ppm. The mixture was stirred at 100 rpm for 3 minutes, then stirred and allowed to settle for 5 minutes. The sedimentation rate was then photographed and recorded. Figure 2-4 The experimental data on floc size and supernatant turbidity are shown in Table 2-4.

[0056] Table 2. Sedimentation test data of different flocculants in experimental group 1

[0057]

[0058] Table 3. Sedimentation test data of different flocculants in Experiment Group 2.

[0059]

[0060] Table 4. Sedimentation test data of three different flocculants in experimental group 3

[0061]

[0062] By comparing the settling velocity, floc size, and supernatant turbidity, the cationic flocculant FO4190SSH was determined to be the best choice and is more suitable for the impurity removal process.

[0063] Step 2: Determine the optimal dosage of the selected flocculant for actual production.

[0064] (1) Two tests were conducted on the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at the site as a reference. The dosage of the on-site agent was 0.75 ppm.

[0065] (2) The selected flocculant FO4190SSH in step 1 was used as the test flocculant. Under the same conditions, the test flocculant FO4190SSH was switched on site. After the switch, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water was tested. At this time, the dosage of the test flocculant FO4190SSH was 0.75 ppm. The dosage of the test flocculant FO4190SSH was adjusted to 0.6 ppm. After the adjustment was stable, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water was obtained twice. The sampling interval was 2 hours. The dosage of the test flocculant FO4190SSH was adjusted to 0.9 ppm. After the adjustment was stable, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water was obtained twice. The sampling interval was 2 hours. The test results of the turbidity values ​​of the on-site reagents and the test flocculant FO4190SSH are shown in Table 5.

[0066] Table 5. Turbidity test results of on-site reagents and test flocculant FO4190SSH

[0067]

[0068] In the table, the flocculant feed rate refers to the feed ratio of flocculant solution to mixed liquid, and the dosage = flocculant solution concentration * flocculant feed rate.

[0069] Table 5 shows that, in the impurity removal process section, after switching to flocculant FO4190SSH in actual production, the average turbidity of the overflow water from impurity removal thickeners #1 and #2 were 4.89 NTU and 3.77 NTU, respectively, indicating a decrease in turbidity. When the dosage of the experimental flocculant FO4190SSH was reduced to 0.6 ppm, the average turbidity of the overflow water from impurity removal thickeners #1 and #2 were 3.81 NTU and 3.0 NTU, respectively. When the dosage was increased to 0.9 ppm, the average turbidity of the overflow water from impurity removal thickeners #1 and #2 were 6.18 NTU and 6.6 NTU, respectively. This indicates that reducing the dosage lowered the overflow water turbidity, and increasing the dosage increased the turbidity. Therefore, in the impurity removal process section, the optimal dosage is 0.6 ppm (flocculator solution concentration of 0.6‰, flocculant feed rate of 1‰ of the mixed feed liquid), resulting in the lowest turbidity.

[0070] Step 3: Determine whether the turbidity reaches the expected level and whether there is any turbidity return when the selected flocculant is used at the optimal dosage. If it meets the standard and there is no turbidity return, the process ends; otherwise, proceed to Step 4.

[0071] The selected flocculant FO4190SSH was used at the optimal dosage of 0.6 ppm, and the turbidity was 3~5 NTU. The turbidity ≤5 NTU achieved the expected target. However, during use, it was found that its anti-interference was not strong and it was easy to cause turbidity back due to changes in the use environment. The turbidity back sometimes reached 15~30 NTU. Therefore, step 4 was carried out.

[0072] Step 4: Combine cationic or anionic flocculants with nonionic flocculants to determine the optimal combination of flocculants.

[0073] Since the mother liquor contains both negatively charged and positively charged precipitated particles, it is difficult to take care of both with a single flocculant, resulting in incomplete solid-liquid separation and easy turbidity after sedimentation. Therefore, a combination of different types of flocculants is used to achieve synergistic removal of particles with different charges.

[0074] The selected cationic flocculant FO4190SSH and nonionic flocculant AH920SH were combined to form a cationic-nonionic composite flocculant. Different mass ratio gradients were set, and the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at each composite ratio was tested under the optimal dosage, and backflow turbidity was monitored. The turbidity and backflow status of the flocculant composite ratios are shown in Table 6.

[0075] Table 6. Turbidity and backflow of flocculants with different mass ratios

[0076]

[0077] As shown in Table 6, when the impurity removal process uses a combination of cationic FO4190SSH and nonionic AH920SH, with a cationic-to-nonionic mass ratio of 1:8 and a flocculant dosage of 0.6 ppm, the turbidity of the supernatant in the impurity removal thickener is 1~2 NTU, which meets the expected turbidity. No turbidity recurrence occurred after one month of continuous use, indicating that the solid-liquid separation and clarification effect in the deep cone thickener is relatively stable.

[0078] See the experimental results of the reagent test at the site of the impurity removal and thickening machine #1. Figure 5 The experimental results of using the combined flocculant in impurity removal and thickening machine #1 are shown in the figure. Figure 6 As can be seen from the effect comparison chart, the supernatant after treatment with the combined flocculant is clear and transparent, while the supernatant after on-site chemical treatment is turbid and unclear.

[0079] Therefore, the flocculant selected for the impurity removal process is: cationic FO4190SSH + nonionic AH920SH (cationic to nonionic ratio is 1:8); the flocculant dosage is: flocculant solution concentration is 0.6‰, and the flocculant solution feed rate is 1‰ of the impurity removal mixture feed rate.

[0080] Example 2

[0081] This embodiment takes the sedimentation process as an example, with the deep cone thickener having a processing capacity of 600m³ per hour. 3 Slurry.

[0082] Expected target: Turbidity of the clear liquid from solid-liquid separation using a deep cone thickener ≤ 5 NTU.

[0083] In the precipitation process of ion-adsorption rare earth ore mother liquor, the main ions in the mother liquor are rare earth ions (RE). 3+ The solution contains a small amount of residual impurity ions. The precipitation process occurs after the impurity removal process. By adding a precipitant (such as sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, etc.) to the mother liquor, rare earth ions are precipitated out as rare earth carbonates or rare earth hydroxides, and suspended in the water as fine particles. The role of the flocculant in the precipitation process is to rapidly aggregate the fine rare earth precipitates into large flocs through charge neutralization and adsorption bridging, allowing them to settle quickly, thereby achieving efficient solid-liquid separation in the deep cone thickener.

[0084] See Figure 1 This invention provides a method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor, comprising the following steps:

[0085] Step 1: Conduct parallel selection and comparison experiments on different flocculants to determine the optimal flocculant selection.

[0086] The flocculants selected were AH912SH, AN905MPM, AN905SH, AN913SH, ​​AN923MPM, AN926SHU, FO4140SSH, and FO4190SSH, and the on-site reagent (anionic). Parallel selection and comparison experiments were conducted in three groups. The experimental groups are shown in Table 7.

[0087] Table 7 Experimental Grouping of Flocculant Types

[0088]

[0089] (1) Prepare flocculant solutions of different types with a mass concentration of 0.1% respectively. Take 10L of raw water sample of ion-type rare earth mineral mother liquor from the sedimentation process and divide it into multiple 500ml test water samples.

[0090] (2) Flocculation and sedimentation tests were conducted on the flocculant solutions and test water samples to obtain sedimentation data for each flocculant. Specifically, each test water sample was placed in one of three sets of four-unit stirrers. The flocculant solution of each experimental group was added to the test water sample, with a flocculant dosage of 0.4 ppm. The mixture was stirred at 100 rpm for 3 minutes, then stirred and allowed to settle for 5 minutes. The sedimentation rate was then photographed and recorded. Figure 7-9 The experimental data on floc size and supernatant turbidity are shown in Table 8-10.

[0091] Table 8. Sedimentation test data of different flocculants in experimental group 1

[0092]

[0093] Table 9. Sedimentation test data of different flocculants in Experiment Group 2.

[0094]

[0095] Table 10 Settling test data of three different flocculants in experimental group 3

[0096]

[0097] By comparing the floc size and supernatant turbidity value at the settling velocity, the anionic flocculant AN926SHU was determined to be the best choice and is more suitable for the sedimentation process.

[0098] Step 2: Determine the optimal dosage of the selected flocculant for actual production.

[0099] (1) Two tests were conducted on the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at the site as a reference. The dosage of the on-site agent was 0.75 ppm.

[0100] (2) The selected flocculant AN926SHU in step 1 was used as the test flocculant. Under the same conditions, the test flocculant AN926SHU was switched on site. After the switch, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water was tested. At this time, the dosage of the test flocculant AN926SHU was 0.75 ppm. The dosage of the test flocculant AN926SHU was adjusted to 0.6 ppm. After the adjustment was stable, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water was obtained twice. The sampling interval was 2 hours. The dosage of the test flocculant AN926SHU was adjusted to 0.9 ppm. The turbidity of the thickener overflow water was obtained twice. The sampling interval was 2 hours. The test results of the turbidity values ​​of the on-site reagents and the test flocculant AN926SHU are shown in Table 11.

[0101] Table 11 Turbidity test results of on-site reagents and test flocculant AN926SHU

[0102]

[0103] In the table, the flocculant feed rate refers to the feed ratio of flocculant solution to mixed liquid, and the dosage = flocculant solution concentration * flocculant feed rate.

[0104] As shown in Table 11, in the actual production of the sedimentation process section, after switching to flocculant AN926SHU, the average turbidity of the overflow water from sedimentation thickeners #1 and #2 were 4.58 NTU and 9.85 NTU, respectively. After reducing the dosage of flocculant AN926SHU to 0.6 ppm, the average turbidity of the overflow water from sedimentation thickeners #1 and #2 were 5.28 NTU and 11.06 NTU, respectively. After increasing the dosage of flocculant AN926SHU to 0.9 ppm, the average turbidity of the overflow water from sedimentation thickeners #1 and #2 were 7.5 NTU and 11.65 NTU, respectively, indicating that the overflow water turbidity increased after adjusting the dosage. Therefore, in the sedimentation process section, the optimal dosage is 0.75 ppm (flocculator solution concentration of 0.75‰, flocculant feed rate of 1‰ of the mixed feed liquid) to achieve the lowest turbidity.

[0105] Step 3: Determine whether the turbidity reaches the expected level and whether there is any turbidity return when the selected flocculant is used at the optimal dosage. If it meets the standard and there is no turbidity return, the process ends; otherwise, proceed to Step 4.

[0106] The selected flocculant AN926SHU, when used at the optimal dosage of 0.75 ppm, produced a turbidity of 5-10 NTU, which was ≥5 NTU and did not meet the expected target. In addition, during use, it was found that its anti-interference was not strong. It was not only prone to back turbidity due to changes in the operating environment, but also experienced a major back turbidity every 10-15 days under normal operation. The supernatant was white to milky white with a turbidity of 20-40 NTU. Therefore, step 4 was performed.

[0107] Step 4: Combine cationic or anionic flocculants with nonionic flocculants to determine the optimal combination of flocculants.

[0108] The selected anionic flocculant AN926SHU and nonionic flocculant AH920SH were combined to form an anionic-nonionic composite flocculant. Different mass ratio gradients were set, and the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at each composite ratio was tested under the optimal dosage, and backflow turbidity was monitored. The turbidity and backflow status of the flocculant composite ratios are shown in Table 10.

[0109] Table 12 Turbidity and backflow of flocculants with different mass ratios

[0110]

[0111] As shown in Table 12, when the precipitation process uses a combination of anionic AN926SHU and nonionic AH920SH, with an anionic-to-nonionic mass ratio of 1:4 and a flocculant dosage of 0.75 ppm, the turbidity of the supernatant in the precipitation thickener is 2~5 NTU, which meets the expected turbidity. No turbidity recurrence occurred after one month of continuous use, indicating that the solid-liquid separation and clarification effect in the deep cone thickener is relatively stable.

[0112] See the on-site reagent test results of the No. 1 sedimentation thickener. Figure 10 The experimental results of using the combined flocculant in sedimentation thickener #1 are shown in the figure. Figure 11 As can be seen from the effect comparison chart, the supernatant after treatment with the combined flocculant is clear and transparent, while the supernatant after on-site chemical treatment is turbid and unclear.

[0113] Therefore, the flocculant selection for the sedimentation process is: anionic AN926SHU + nonionic AH920SH (anionic-to-nonionic ratio of 1:4); the flocculant dosage is: flocculant solution concentration of 0.75‰, and flocculant solution feed rate of 1‰ of sedimentation mixture feed rate.

[0114] The above description is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made under the technical spirit of the present invention should be covered by the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Conduct parallel comparative selection experiments on different flocculants to determine the optimal flocculant selection. Different types of flocculants were prepared into flocculant solutions of the same concentration. On-site samples of raw water from ion-type rare earth mineral mother liquor were taken and divided into multiple test water samples of the same volume. Flocculation and sedimentation tests were conducted on flocculant solutions and test water samples to obtain sedimentation data for each flocculant, thereby determining the optimal type of flocculant. Step 2: Determine the optimal dosage of the selected flocculant for actual production. The selected flocculant in step 1 is used as the test flocculant. Under the same conditions, the test flocculant is switched on site. After switching, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water is tested, the dosage of the test flocculant is adjusted, the turbidity of the thickener overflow water after adjustment is obtained, and the optimal dosage of the test flocculant is determined based on the turbidity value. Step 3: Determine whether the turbidity reaches the expected level and whether there is turbidity return when the selected flocculant is used at the optimal dosage. If it meets the standard and there is no turbidity return, the process ends; otherwise, proceed to Step 4. Step 4: Combine cationic or anionic flocculants with nonionic flocculants to determine the optimal combination of flocculants. Selected flocculants are combined with other types of flocculants to form cation-non-cation combined flocculants or anion-non-cation combined flocculants. Different mass ratio gradients are set, and the turbidity of the thickener overflow water of each combination ratio of flocculants at the optimal dosage is tested. The back turbidity phenomenon is monitored, and the optimal selection combination of flocculants is determined based on the turbidity value and the back turbidity status.

2. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flocculation and sedimentation test conducted on the flocculant solution and the test water sample includes: The test water samples were divided into groups of four, and each group was placed in one of the four separate containers of the four-unit stirring unit. Each flocculant solution was added to the test water sample at the same dosage. Turn on the stirrer and stir at 100 rpm for 3 minutes to ensure that each flocculant solution is mixed evenly with the test water sample; Stop stirring and let it settle for 5 minutes. Record the settling data.

3. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The sedimentation data includes sedimentation velocity, floc size, and supernatant turbidity.

4. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In step 1, the mass concentration of the flocculant solution is 0.1%.

5. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In the flocculation and sedimentation test, the dosage of flocculant was 0.4 ppm.

6. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Step 2 also includes: At least one turbidity test of the thickener overflow water was conducted on the on-site reagents as a comparison benchmark.

7. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment of the experimental flocculant dosage includes: Increase the dosage gradually according to the preset gradient; or... The dosage should be gradually reduced according to the preset gradient.

8. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the turbidity of the thickener overflow water after adjustment includes: After stabilizing at each dosage level, obtain the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at least once.

9. The method for determining the type and dosage of flocculant for ionic rare earth ore mother liquor as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The requirement to obtain the turbidity of the thickener overflow water at least once includes: Multiple turbidity measurements of the thickener overflow water were continuously obtained, with each sampling interval being 2-3 hours.

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