Method for reducing or removing solids from a liquid

Abstract

Methods of reducing or removing solids from a liquid are provided. The methods can include contacting a liquid having solids suspended therein with a polymer and a surfactant. The surfactant and the polymer can act synergistically to increase the settling rate of the suspended solids. The liquid subjected to the methods can be obtained from a leaching process.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Finnish Patent Application No. 20245378, filed March 28, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,940, filed February 7, 2024, which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to methods for reducing or removing solids from liquids, such as liquids obtained from ore leaching. Background Technology

[0004] Solvent extraction (which may be called liquid-liquid extraction or partitioning) can be used to separate compounds based on solubility (such as the solubility of different parts of a compound). Typically, solvent extraction relies on two liquids that are immiscible or have limited miscibility (such as water and an organic liquid).

[0005] Solvent extraction processes typically include a leaching process (such as leaching ore with sulfuric acid) or the leaching process is performed prior to solvent extraction. During these processes, metals (such as copper) and other ions in the ore dissolve in the acid. This process may also result in the presence of other solid particles in the mixture, especially suspended solids. These suspended solids are typically removed prior to solvent extraction to avoid or reduce the possibility of damage or downtime to the solids extraction and / or electrowinning units.

[0006] Nonionic polymers, such as nonionic polyacrylamide, are typically used for solids removal. However, the normal dosage range of nonionic polymers is usually insufficient to achieve efficient and / or effective solids removal.

[0007] There is still a need for improved solids removal methods, including methods to achieve further and / or complete solids removal and / or more efficient solids removal. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This document provides methods for treating fluids, including methods for achieving further and / or complete solid removal and / or increasing the settling rate of solids suspended in the liquid. In some embodiments, polymers and surfactants work synergistically to increase the settling rate to surprising and unexpected degrees.

[0009] On one hand, methods for treating fluids are provided. By treating the fluid, the method may be part of a process or application (such as solvent extraction or other processes such as water treatment, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper processing, pulp and paper wastewater, industrial wastewater, food and beverage wastewater and water, etc.) or may prepare a fluid for said process or application. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a liquid and a plurality of solids, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of solids is suspended in the liquid; providing a polymer and a surfactant; and contacting the liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant to form a treated liquid. The contacting of the liquid and the polymer may begin before, simultaneously with, or before the contacting of the liquid and the surfactant. The settling rate of the plurality of solids in the treated liquid may be increased to a surprising and unexpected degree, such as at least 10% or at least 25%, relative to the settling rate achieved by the same method in the absence of said surfactant.

[0010] In another aspect, compositions are provided. In some embodiments, the compositions comprise polymers and surfactants as described herein.

[0011] Other aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practice of the aspects described herein. The advantages described herein can be realized and obtained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory, and not restrictive. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of the method described herein is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0013] This document provides a method for solid removal. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a liquid and a plurality of solids, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of solids is suspended in the liquid. The method may further include contacting the liquid, a polymer, and a surfactant to form a treated liquid.

[0014] The liquid, polymer, and surfactant can be contacted in any manner and in any order, such as sequentially (e.g., contacting the liquid with at least a portion of the polymer and then with at least a portion of the surfactant), simultaneously (e.g., contacting the liquid with a mixture comprising the polymer and the surfactant), or a combination of sequential and simultaneous contact. In some embodiments, contacting the liquid and polymer begins or is completed before contacting the liquid and surfactant. In some embodiments, contacting the liquid and polymer and contacting the liquid and surfactant begin simultaneously, such as when the polymer and surfactant are mixed together before contacting the liquid.

[0015] Contacting a liquid and a polymer may include contacting a portion of the liquid and the polymer, and then contacting at a later time at least one or more additional portions (e.g., one, two, three, etc.) of the liquid and the polymer. Contacting a liquid and a surfactant may include contacting a portion of the liquid and the surfactant, and then contacting at a later time at least one or more additional portions (e.g., one, two, three, etc.) of the liquid and the surfactant. The polymer and the surfactant may be provided as a mixture, and contacting the liquid and the polymer may include contacting at least a portion of the liquid and the mixture, and then contacting at a later time at one or more additional portions (e.g., one, two, three, etc.) of the liquid and the mixture. The method may include agitating the liquid at any time during the method described herein (e.g., before, during, and / or after contacting the liquid and the polymer and / or surfactant).

[0016] Settlement rate

[0017] Without wanting to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that polymers and surfactants can work synergistically to improve one or more properties of the treated liquid (such as sedimentation rate) to surprising and unexpected degrees.

[0018] In some embodiments, the settling rate of multiple solids in a liquid is increased by at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 250%, or at least 300% relative to a settling rate achieved without a surfactant using the same method (e.g., the same liquid, the same polymer and polymer dosage, the same procedure, etc.). For example, when the settling rate achieved by the same method is 50 units, and the settling rate of one embodiment of the method described herein is 75 units, the settling rate is increased by 50%.

[0019] When assessing the improvement in settlement rate, the settlement rate is measured using the method described in Example 1.

[0020] polymer

[0021] The polymers used in the methods described herein may include any polymers known or used in the art, particularly those used for the removal or reduction of suspended solids. In some embodiments, the polymer is a nonionic polymer. In some embodiments, the polymer includes polyacrylamide.

[0022] The polymer can be used in the methods described herein at any effective concentration or dosage. In some embodiments, the dosage of the polymer is from about 5 g / ton (gpt) to about 100 gpt, from about 5 gpt to about 80 gpt, from about 5 gpt to about 60 gpt, from about 5 gpt to about 40 gpt, from about 5 gpt to about 20 gpt, from about 5 gpt to about 15 gpt, or about 10 gpt.

[0023] surfactants

[0024] In some embodiments, the surface active agent has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value greater than 10. In some embodiments, the surfactant has an HLB value of about 12 to about 18, about 13 to about 17, about 14 to about 16, or about 15.

[0025] In some embodiments, the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant. In some embodiments, the surfactant is a sorbitol-based surfactant. In some embodiments, the surfactant is an ethoxylated surfactant based on sorbitol. In some embodiments, the surfactant includes polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monopalmitate, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the surfactant may include a copolymer. The copolymer may be a block copolymer. In some embodiments, the surfactant includes a nonionic triblock copolymer of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene, poloxamer, polyethylene glycol, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid), polylactic acid, polyglutamic acid, polycaprolactone, or combinations thereof. The surfactant may include a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer.

[0026] Generally, any effective dose of surfactant can be used in the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the dose of surfactant is from about 10 g / ton (gpt) to about 90 gpt, from about 10 gpt to about 90 gpt, from about 10 gpt to about 80 gpt, from about 20 gpt to about 70 gpt, from about 30 gpt to about 60 gpt, from about 40 gpt to about 60 gpt, or about 50 gpt.

[0027] The polymer and surfactant may be present in the treated liquid in any relative amount or concentration. In some embodiments, after contacting the liquid, polymer, and surfactant, the polymer and surfactant are present in the liquid in a weight ratio of about 0.1:5 to about 20:5, about 0.1:5 to about 15:5, about 0.1:5 to about 10:5, about 0.1:5 to about 5:5, about 0.1:5 to about 2:5, about 0.5:5 to about 1.5:5, or about 1:5 (polymer:surfactant). In some embodiments, after contacting the liquid, polymer, and surfactant, the polymer and surfactant are present in the liquid at a weight ratio of about 0.1:1.5 to about 20:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 15:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 10:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 5:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 2:1.5, about 0.5:1.5 to about 1.5:1.5, or about 1:1.5 (polymer:surfactant).

[0028] liquid

[0029] A liquid can generally be any liquid in which solids can be suspended. Liquids can include water. Therefore, a liquid can be an aqueous liquid or an acidic aqueous liquid.

[0030] Liquids can be produced through one or more processes, such as leaching, water treatment, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper processing, pulp and paper wastewater treatment, industrial wastewater treatment, food and beverage wastewater, or water treatment. For example, leaching of ores can produce liquids in which solids are suspended. Any ore (e.g., iron ore, copper ore, etc.) can be subjected to a leaching process to produce liquids.

[0031] The concentration of suspended solids in a liquid can be altered using any known technology and / or equipment. In some embodiments, the method includes placing the liquid in a thickener to change the concentration of multiple solids in the liquid.

[0032] Contact between the liquid, polymer, and surfactant can occur after the leaching process. Contact between the liquid, polymer, and surfactant can occur after the leaching process and before, during, or after the liquid is placed in the thickener, or a combination thereof.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of the method described herein is provided. Figure 1 The method / system 100 includes an leaching device 110, a thickener 120, a clarifier 130, and a solvent extraction circuit 140, which may include one or more components known in the art. Figure 1Two possible dosing sites 101 and 102 are also described. At one or both of these dosing sites 101 and 102, the polymer and surfactant can be administered into the liquid, as described herein.

[0034] solid

[0035] When a liquid comes into contact with a polymer and a surfactant, multiple solids can typically be present at any concentration. In some embodiments, the multiple solids include suspended solids, and the suspended solids (total suspended solids (TSS)) are present in the liquid at a concentration of about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%, or about 7 wt% to about 15 wt%, based on the total weight of the liquid and the multiple solids.

[0036] Extraction methods

[0037] In some embodiments, the method includes providing a treated liquid produced by any of the methods described herein, wherein the treated liquid is or comprises an aqueous phase, contacting the aqueous phase and an organic phase to form a mixture, and then separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase. Contacting the aqueous phase and the organic phase, as well as separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase, can be achieved by any known technique, including solvent extraction techniques known in the art.

[0038] Improved phase separation time

[0039] In some embodiments, the method includes contacting (1) an aqueous phase, an organic phase, or a mixture of an organic and an aqueous phase and (2) a phase-removing agent. For example, the aqueous phase may be contacted with all or part of a phase-removing agent before and / or after contacting the aqueous and organic phases (e.g., the aqueous phase may be (i) contacted with a first portion of the phase-removing agent before contacting the aqueous and organic phases, and (ii) contacted with a second portion of the phase-removing agent after contacting the aqueous and organic phases). As another example, a mixture of the aqueous and organic phases may be contacted with a phase-removing agent.

[0040] In some embodiments, contacting the aqueous and organic phases includes mixing the aqueous and organic phases. Any mixing device can be used to mix the aqueous and organic phases. Mixing can continue for a specified mixing time, which can be a preset mixing time, and contacting the phase release agent with the aqueous phase, organic phase, or mixture thereof can occur before the start of the mixing time, or after at least 25%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the mixing time has elapsed, or after 100% of the mixing time has elapsed. For example, a preset mixing time of one minute can be used to mix the aqueous and organic phases, and contacting the mixture with the phase release agent can be achieved 30 seconds after the start of mixing.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method includes subjecting the aqueous phase to leaching before contacting the aqueous and organic phases, and contacting the aqueous phase and a phase-removing agent (i) after the leaching, or (ii) after the leaching and before contacting the aqueous and organic phases. As used herein, the term “leaching” means and includes (i) a process or part of a process comprising extracting a substance from a medium by dissolving the substance in a solvent or leaching agent, and (ii) bioleaching (e.g., microbial leaching), which generally involves extracting materials such as metals from ores using organisms.

[0042] In some embodiments, the separation of the aqueous phase and the organic phase is completed within the phase separation time (i.e., phase separation is completed, see Example 1), and the phase separation time is at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, or at least 60% less than the time required to separate the aqueous phase and the organic phase in the absence of a phase separation agent or in the presence of a comparable phase separation agent (i.e., to achieve the same complete phase separation). %, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, about 2% to about 90%, about 2% to about 80%, about 2% to about 70%, about 2% to about 60%, about 2% to about 50%, about 2% to about 45%, about 2% to about 40%, about 2% to about 35%, about 2% to about 30%, about 2% to about 25%, about 2% to about 20%, about 2% to about 15%, about 2% to about 10%, about 2% to about 5%, about 2% to about 4%, about 5% to about 10%, about 40% to about 90%, or about 40% to about 80%. For example, if the time to separate the aqueous phase and the organic phase in the absence of a phase release agent is 100 seconds, then contacting the aqueous phase with a phase release agent can reduce the time to separate the aqueous phase and the organic phase (i.e., the phase release time) to 75 seconds or less (reduced by at least 25%), 70 seconds or less (reduced by at least 30%), etc.

[0043] The aqueous phase, organic phase, or mixture may be contacted with any effective amount of the phase release agent. In some embodiments, the phase release agent is present relative to the aqueous phase, organic phase, or mixture in amounts of about 5 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 25 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 20 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 15 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, 100 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 700 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 600 ppm, about 200 ppm to about 600 ppm, about 300 ppm to about 600 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 400 ppm, or about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

[0044] Reduced sludge

[0045] In some embodiments, the methods provided herein include providing a treated fluid obtained from any of the methods described herein, wherein the treated fluid is an aqueous phase or a component of the aqueous phase; contacting the aqueous phase with a sludge reducing agent; and removing at least a portion of a first amount of silica from the aqueous phase to form a treated aqueous phase comprising a second amount of silica. The methods may further include contacting the treated aqueous phase with an organic phase, and separating the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase. As described herein, contacting the treated aqueous phase with the organic phase may include mixing the aqueous phase and the organic phase.

[0046] Sludge reducing agents can alleviate sludge in an aqueous phase and / or promote the removal or reduction of sludge in the aqueous phase. For example, sludge reducing agents can increase the average particle size of silica-containing aggregates, thereby allowing sedimentation, increasing sedimentation rate, or a combination thereof. For example, a first amount of silica may be present in the aqueous phase in the form of particles having a first average particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering, and after contacting the aqueous phase with the sludge reducing agent (e.g., at least 5 seconds, at least 10 seconds, or at least 20 seconds after contacting the aqueous phase with the sludge reducing agent), the first amount of silica may be present in the aqueous phase in the form of particles having a second average particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering, and the second average particle size may be at least 2 times, at least 3 times, at least 4 times, at least 5 times, or at least 10 times larger than the first average particle size.

[0047] Removing at least a portion of solids and / or silica (e.g., a first amount of silica) from an aqueous phase to form a treated aqueous phase containing a second amount of silica can be achieved by any known technique, including conventional solid-liquid separation techniques. The technique can be active, passive, or a combination thereof. A “passive technique” relies on gravity to achieve sedimentation, while an “active technique” relies on at least one force other than gravity. For example, removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica can include centrifuging the aqueous phase, which is an “active technique.” As described herein, sedimentation can occur at least in part due to an increase in the particle size of the silica-containing aggregates and / or have an increased rate. After sedimentation reaches a desired level, the silica (e.g., the silica-containing aggregates) can be removed by any known technique, such as decantation.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first amount of silica in the aqueous phase is about 0.5 g / L to about 3 g / L, about 0.5 g / L to about 2 g / L, or about 0.5 g / L to about 1.5 g / L. In some embodiments, the second amount of silica is at least 2%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% less than the first amount of silica. For example, if the first amount of silica in the aqueous phase is 2 g / L and the second amount of silica is at least 99% less than the first amount of silica, then the second amount of silica is 0 g / L to about 0.02 g / L.

[0049] Typically, the aqueous phase can be contacted with any effective amount of the sludge reducer. For example, the effective amount can include a concentration less than or equal to the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the sludge reducer. In some embodiments, after contacting the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent, the sludge reducing agent is applied at concentrations of approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 200 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 180 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 160 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 140 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 120 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 100 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 80 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 60 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 40 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 20 ppm, approximately 0.1 ppm to approximately 12 ppm, approximately 1 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 2 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 3 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 4 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 5 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 6 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 7 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 8 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 9 ppm to approximately 10 ppm, approximately 2 It exists in the aqueous phase in amounts of about ppm to about 8 ppm, about 3 ppm to about 7 ppm, or about 4 ppm to about 6 ppm.

[0050] When performed, centrifuging the aqueous phase may include subjecting the aqueous phase to an effective gravitational equivalent (gravity) (such as up to 20,000, up to 15,000, or up to 10,000). In some embodiments, centrifuging the aqueous phase includes subjecting the aqueous phase to a gravitational force of about 10 to about 8,000, about 100 to about 8,000, about 1,000 to about 8,000, about 2,000 to about 5,000, or about 3,000 to about 4,500.

[0051] The effective duration of aqueous phase centrifugation can depend on one or more factors, such as feed volume, centrifuge type, and centrifuge operating parameters. Aqueous phase centrifugation can last for periods ranging from approximately 10 seconds to approximately 500 seconds, approximately 10 seconds to approximately 400 seconds, approximately 10 seconds to approximately 300 seconds, approximately 10 seconds to approximately 200 seconds, approximately 10 seconds to approximately 120 seconds, approximately 20 seconds to approximately 100 seconds, or approximately 30 seconds to approximately 60 seconds.

[0052] Phase separation agent and sludge reduction agent

[0053] Phase release agents and sludge reduction agents may include any compound that effectively achieves the limitations described herein. In some embodiments, a phase release agent or sludge reduction agent includes a first nonionic surfactant and optionally a second nonionic surfactant.

[0054] In some embodiments, the phase release agent or sludge reducing agent comprises or substantially comprises a first nonionic surfactant and optionally a second nonionic surfactant, wherein “substantially comprises” means that no other surfactants affect the phase release time or silica removal. In some embodiments, the phase release agent and the sludge reducing agent are the same, and in some embodiments, the phase release agent and the sludge reducing agent are different in one or more ways, such as by having a different weight ratio of the first nonionic surfactant to the second nonionic surfactant.

[0055] The first nonionic surfactant may be a sorbitol-based surfactant. In some embodiments, the first nonionic surfactant is an ethoxylated surfactant based on sorbitol. In some embodiments, the first nonionic surfactant includes polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monopalmitate, or combinations thereof. The first nonionic surfactant may include polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate. In some embodiments, the first nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 3000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 2000 g / mol, about 1000 g / mol to about 1500 g / mol, about 1100 g / mol to about 1400 g / mol, about 1200 g / mol to about 1400 g / mol, or about 1300 g / mol.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second nonionic surfactant may include a copolymer. The copolymer may be a block copolymer. In some embodiments, the second nonionic surfactant includes a nonionic triblock copolymer of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene, poloxamer, polyethylene glycol, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid), polylactic acid, polyglutamic acid, polycaprolactone, or combinations thereof. The second nonionic surfactant may include a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer. In some embodiments, the polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer has a structure according to the following formula:

[0057] ,

[0058] Where x is from 2 to 150, and y is from 5 to 100. In some embodiments, x and y are selected from the following table:

[0059]

[0060] In some embodiments, the second nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol, about 1000 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 2000 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 2500 g / mol to about 3500 g / mol, about 2600 g / mol to about 3400 g / mol, about 2700 g / mol to about 3300 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3200 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3100 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3000 g / mol, or about 2900 g / mol.

[0061] When a second nonionic surfactant is present, the first and second nonionic surfactants can typically be present in any weight ratio. In some embodiments, the first and second nonionic surfactants are present in the phase release agent in a weight ratio of about 5:95 to about 45:55, about 10:90 to about 45:55, about 20:80 to about 45:55, about 25:75 to about 45:55, about 25:75 to about 40:60, or about 30:70 to about 40:60 (first nonionic surfactant: second nonionic surfactant). In some embodiments, the first and second nonionic surfactants are present in the phase release agent in a weight ratio of about 20:80 to about 1:99, about 20:80 to about 5:95, about 15:85 to about 5:95, or about 10:90 (first nonionic surfactant: second nonionic surfactant).

[0062] Phase release agents or sludge reducing agents may include one or more additional surfactants, which may be cationic, anionic, amphoteric, or nonionic surfactants. In some embodiments, phase release agents or sludge reducing agents may further include polyethylene glycol dehydrated sorbitan monolaurate.

[0063] The first and second nonionic surfactants (when present) may independently have an HLB of 10 or greater (e.g., about 10 to about 18, about 12 to about 18, about 12 to about 17, about 13 to about 16, or about 14.5 to about 15.5).

[0064] In some embodiments, (i) the phase detachment agent and / or sludge reducing agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, (ii) the aqueous phase does not contain a compound containing a thiocarbonyl functional group, or (iii) the phase detachment agent and / or sludge reducing agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, and the aqueous phase does not contain a compound containing a thiocarbonyl functional group.

[0065] Aqueous phase

[0066] In some embodiments, the aqueous phase provided herein comprises water. In some embodiments, the aqueous phase provided herein comprises water and the material to be extracted. In some embodiments, the aqueous phase provided herein comprises water, the material to be extracted, and silica. The aqueous phase may include one or more suspended solids; therefore, in some cases, the aqueous phase may be referred to as a “slurry.” Thus, limitations such as “providing an aqueous phase” and “contacting the aqueous phase with a sludge reducing agent” cover providing a slurry and contacting the slurry with a sludge reducing agent. The aqueous phase may also include acids such as sulfuric acid.

[0067] The water in the aqueous phase described herein may include deionized water. Water may be present in the aqueous phase in any effective amount. Typically, water is present in the aqueous phase at a concentration and / or amount greater than that of each of the other components that may be present in the aqueous phase. In some embodiments, water is present in the aqueous phase in amounts of about 40 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 50 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 60 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 75 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 80 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 85 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 90 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 95 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 98 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, or about 99 wt% to about 99.999 wt%.

[0068] Silica may be present in any amount. In some embodiments, silica is present in the aqueous phase in amounts of about 0.5 g / L to about 3 g / L, about 0.5 g / L to about 2 g / L, or about 0.5 g / L to about 1.5 g / L (e.g., before contacting the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent). Silica may at least initially (e.g., before contacting the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent) be present in the aqueous phase in the form of particles having a first average particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering.

[0069] The aqueous phase may have an acidic pH. In some embodiments, the aqueous phase has a pH less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2.5, or about 2. The pH of the aqueous phase may be changed during and / or after the preparation of the aqueous phase, such as by lowering the pH.

[0070] "Materials to be extracted" may include elements and / or compounds that can be extracted using the methods provided herein. In some embodiments, the materials to be extracted include one or more metals. The one or more metals may include one or more rare earth metals, one or more noble metals, or combinations thereof. The one or more metals may include copper, iron, uranium, nickel, cobalt, vanadium, molybdenum, germanium, palladium, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the metal is copper. The one or more metals may be present in the form of one or more metal-containing compounds, such as one or more metal oxides, one or more metal sulfides, one or more metal salts, such as CuSO4, FeSO4, MnSO4, CoSO4, or combinations thereof. Each material to be extracted, such as each of the one or more metals (e.g., copper), may be present in the aqueous phase (before contacting the aqueous and organic phases) in amounts of about 1 g / L to about 20 g / L, about 1 g / L to about 15 g / L, about 1 g / L to about 10 g / L, about 2 g / L to about 8 g / L, or about 3 g / L to about 6 g / L.

[0071] organic phase

[0072] In some embodiments, the organic phase provided herein comprises an organic liquid. In some embodiments, the organic phase provided herein comprises an organic liquid and an extraction reagent. Typically, the organic liquid is present in the organic phase at a concentration and / or amount greater than that of each of the other components that may be present in the organic phase.

[0073] As used herein, the phrase "organic liquid" refers to a compound that: (i) is in a liquid phase at 20°C and 1 atmosphere, (ii) is insoluble or has limited solubility in water (i.e., ≤ 10 mg / L), and (iii) has a chemical formula characterized by carbon and hydrogen, wherein carbon and hydrogen together constitute at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or 100% of the molecular weight of the compound. Non-limiting examples of organic liquids include alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, each of which may be straight-chain, branched, cyclic (e.g., aromatic), or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, organic liquids include oils, such as kerosene, diesel, or other fuel oils.

[0074] In some embodiments, the organic liquid is present in the organic phase in an amount of about 75% to about 100% by volume, about 75% to about 98% by volume, about 80% to about 95% by volume, or about 85% to about 95% by volume.

[0075] Typically, the organic phase may include any extraction reagent known in the art, including those commercially available. In some embodiments, the extraction reagent includes an aromatic moiety. In some embodiments, the extraction reagent includes an aromatically substituted oxime. The extraction reagent may be present in any effective amount. In some embodiments, the extraction reagent is present in the organic phase in amounts of about 2 vol% to about 30 vol%, about 2 vol% to about 25 vol%, about 2 vol% to about 20 vol%, about 5 vol% to about 20 vol%, or about 5 vol% to about 15 vol%.

[0076] Example

[0077] The following is a non-limiting list of embodiments.

[0078] Example 1. A method for processing a fluid, the method comprising, substantially comprising, or comprising: (a) providing a liquid and a plurality of solids, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of solids is suspended in the liquid; (b) providing a polymer; (c) providing a surface active agent (i.e., surfactant); and (d) contacting the liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant to form a treated liquid, wherein optionally, the treated liquid is subjected to a solvent extraction process.

[0079] The order of contact elements

[0080] Example 2. The method according to Example 1, wherein the contacting of the liquid and the polymer begins or is completed before the contacting of the liquid and the surfactant.

[0081] Example 3. The method according to Example 1, wherein the contacting of the liquid and the polymer and the contacting of the liquid and the surfactant are initiated simultaneously.

[0082] Example 4. The method according to Example 3, wherein the polymer and the surfactant are provided as a mixture of the polymer and the surfactant.

[0083] Other procedural elements

[0084] Example 5. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein contacting the liquid and the polymer comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises a portion thereof: contacting a portion thereof and then contacting at a later time at least one or more additional portions thereof.

[0085] Example 6. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein contacting the liquid and the surfactant comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises: contacting a portion of the liquid and the surfactant, and then contacting at least one or more additional portions of the liquid and the surfactant at a later time.

[0086] Example 7. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the polymer and the surfactant are provided as a mixture, and the contacting of the liquid and the polymer comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises comprises: contacting at least a portion of the liquid and the mixture, and then contacting one or more additional portions of the liquid and the mixture at a later time.

[0087] Example 8. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the method further comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises the following: agitating the liquid before, during, and / or after contacting the liquid with the polymer and / or the surfactant.

[0088] The effect of the method

[0089] Example 9. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the settling rate of the plurality of solids in the liquid is increased by at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 100%, at least 150%, at least 200%, at least 250%, or at least 300% relative to the settling rate achieved by the same method (e.g., the same liquid, the same polymer and polymer dosage, the same procedure, etc.) in the absence of the surfactant. (For example, if the settling rate achieved by the method without the surfactant is about 35 m / h, and the settling rate achieved by the same method with the surfactant is about 70 m / h, then the settling rate is increased by about 100%).

[0090] polymer

[0091] Example 10. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the polymer is a nonionic polymer.

[0092] Example 11. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the polymer comprises polyacrylamide, is substantially composed of polyacrylamide, or is composed of polyacrylamide.

[0093] Example 12. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the dosage of the polymer is about 5 g / ton (gpt) to about 100 gpt, about 5 gpt to about 80 gpt, about 5 gpt to about 60 gpt, about 5 gpt to about 40 gpt, about 5 gpt to about 20 gpt, about 5 gpt to about 15 gpt or about 10 gpt.

[0094] surfactants

[0095] Example 13. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the surfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of about 12 to about 18, about 13 to about 17, about 14 to about 16 or about 15.

[0096] Example 14. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the surfactant comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of: (A) a sorbitol-based surfactant, (B) an ethoxylated surfactant based on sorbitol, (C) polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monopalmitate, or combinations thereof, (D) a copolymer, such as a block copolymer, or (E) a nonionic triblock copolymer of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene, poloxamer, polyethylene glycol, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid), polylactic acid, polyglutamic acid, polycaprolactone, or combinations thereof.

[0097] Example 15. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the dosage of the surfactant is about 10 g / ton (gpt) to about 100 gpt, about 10 gpt to about 90 gpt, about 10 gpt to about 80 gpt, about 20 gpt to about 70 gpt, about 30 gpt to about 60 gpt, about 40 gpt to about 60 gpt, or about 50 gpt.

[0098] Example 16. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein after contacting the liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant is completed, the polymer and the surfactant are present in the liquid at a weight ratio of about 0.1:5 to about 5:5, about 0.1:5 to about 2:5, about 0.5:5 to about 1.5:5, about 1:5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 20:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 15:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 10:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 5:1.5, about 0.1:1.5 to about 2:1.5, about 0.5:1.5 to about 1.5:1.5, or about 1:1.5 (polymer:surfactant).

[0099] liquid

[0100] Example 17. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the liquid provided comprises leaching ore to produce a rich leaching solution, wherein the rich leaching solution is the liquid or a component of the liquid.

[0101] Example 18. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein providing the liquid comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises: leaching an ore to produce a rich leaching solution (PLS), and placing the rich leaching solution in a thickener to change the concentration of the plurality of solids; wherein optionally, contacting the liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant occurs after the leaching and before, during, or after placing the rich leaching solution in the thickener, or a combination thereof.

[0102] Example 19. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the ore comprises copper ore, is substantially composed of copper ore, or is composed of copper ore.

[0103] Example 20. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the liquid is an aqueous liquid or an acidic aqueous liquid.

[0104] solid

[0105] Example 21. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the plurality of solids comprises suspended solids, is substantially composed of suspended solids, or is composed of suspended solids, and the suspended solids (total suspended solids (TSS)) are present in the liquid at a concentration of about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt%, about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%, or about 7 wt% to about 15 wt%, based on the total weight of the liquid and the plurality of solids.

[0106] Solvent extraction method

[0107] Example 22. A solvent extraction method, said method comprising, substantially comprising, or comprising the following:

[0108] (A) Providing an aqueous phase comprising, substantially composed of, or composed of a liquid treated according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, according to any one of the foregoing embodiments; contacting the aqueous phase and an organic phase to form a mixture; contacting (i) the aqueous phase, the organic phase, or the mixture with (ii) a phase release agent; or

[0109] (B) Providing an aqueous phase comprising the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, substantially composed of the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, or composed of the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the treated liquid comprises the material to be extracted; contacting the aqueous phase and an organic phase to form a mixture, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; contacting (i) the aqueous phase, the organic phase, or the mixture with (ii) a phase release agent; or

[0110] (C) Providing an aqueous phase comprising the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, substantially composed of the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, or composed of the treated liquid of any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the aqueous phase comprises the material to be extracted and silica; contacting the aqueous phase and an organic phase to form a mixture, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; contacting (i) the aqueous phase, the organic phase, or the mixture with (ii) a phase release agent; and separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase; or

[0111] (D) Providing an aqueous phase comprising the treated liquid of any one of the preceding embodiments, substantially composed of the treated liquid of any one of the preceding embodiments, or composed of the treated liquid of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aqueous phase comprises the material to be extracted and a first amount of silica; contacting the aqueous phase with a sludge reducing agent; removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica from the aqueous phase to form a treated aqueous phase comprising a second amount of silica, wherein removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica from the aqueous phase comprises an active technique (such as centrifugation), a passive technique, or a combination thereof; contacting the treated aqueous phase with an organic phase, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; (i) contacting the treated aqueous phase with a phase release agent before contacting the treated aqueous phase with the organic phase, or (ii) contacting the treated aqueous phase with the organic phase after contacting the treated aqueous phase with the organic phase; and separating the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase.

[0112] Example 23. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the separation of the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase is completed within a phase separation time, the phase separation time being at least 2%, at least 3%, at least 4%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, or at least 50% less than the time required to separate the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase in the absence of the phase separation agent or in the presence of a comparable phase separation agent. %, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, about 2% to about 90%, about 2% to about 80%, about 2% to about 70%, about 2% to about 60%, about 2% to about 50%, about 2% to about 45%, about 2% to about 40%, about 2% to about 35%, about 2% to about 30%, about 2% to about 25%, about 2% to about 20%, about 2% to about 15%, about 2% to about 10%, about 2% to about 5%, about 2% to about 4%, about 5% to about 10%, about 40% to about 90%, or about 40% to about 80%.

[0113] Example 24. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein contacting the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase comprises mixing the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase.

[0114] Example 25. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the mixing can continue for a mixing time, wherein the mixing time can be a preset mixing time, and the contacting of the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the phase release agent can occur before the start of the mixing time, or after the mixing time has elapsed for at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90%, or after 100%.

[0115] Example 26. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further comprises subjecting the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) to leaching before contacting the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase, wherein after the leaching and before contacting the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) and the organic phase, the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) is contacted with the phase release agent.

[0116] Example 27. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the phase release agent comprises at least two surfactants, is composed of at least two surfactants, or is substantially composed of at least two surfactants.

[0117] Example 28. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein (i) the phase release agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, (ii) the aqueous phase does not contain a compound containing a thiocarbonyl functional group, or (iii) the phase release agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, and the aqueous phase does not contain a compound containing a thiocarbonyl functional group.

[0118] Example 29. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, (i) wherein, relative to the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase), the organic phase, or the mixture, the phase release agent is present in an amount of about 0.1 ppm to about 30 ppm, 1 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 25 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 20 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 15 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 10 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 15 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 20 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 25 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 1 ppm to about 20 ppm, or about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm; or (ii) wherein, relative to the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase), the phase release agent is present in an amount of about 5 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, 100 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 700 ppm, or about 100 ppm to about 100 ppm. It is present in amounts of about ppm to about 600 ppm, about 200 ppm to about 600 ppm, about 300 ppm to about 600 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm, about 100 ppm to about 400 ppm, or about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm.

[0119] Example 30. A solvent extraction method comprising providing a treated liquid according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the treated liquid is an aqueous phase or a component of an aqueous phase, the aqueous phase comprising water, a material to be extracted, and a first amount of silica; contacting the aqueous phase with a sludge reducing agent; and removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica from the aqueous phase to form a treated aqueous phase comprising a second amount of silica, wherein removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica from the aqueous phase comprises an active technique (such as centrifugation), a passive technique, or a combination thereof.

[0120] Example 31. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the second amount of silicon dioxide is at least 2%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% less than the first amount of silicon dioxide.

[0121] Example 32. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further comprises contacting the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; and separating the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase.

[0122] Example 33. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein contacting the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase comprises mixing the treated aqueous phase and the organic phase.

[0123] Example 34. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein removing at least a portion of the first amount of silica from the aqueous phase comprises centrifuging and decanting the aqueous phase.

[0124] Example 35. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein (i) the sludge reducing agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, or (ii) the aqueous phase does not contain a compound containing a thiocarbonyl functional group.

[0125] Example 36. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the sludge reducing agent does not contain a thiocarbonyl functional group, and the aqueous phase does not contain compounds containing a thiocarbonyl functional group.

[0126] Example 37. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein after contacting the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent, the sludge reducing agent is present in the aqueous phase in the following amounts: (i) less than or equal to the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the sludge reducing agent, or (ii) about 0.1 ppm to about 200 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 180 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 160 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 140 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 120 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 100 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 80 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 60 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 40 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 30 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 25 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 20 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 15 ppm, about 0.1 ppm to about 12 ppm, about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm. ppm, about 2 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 3 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 4 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 5 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 6 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 7 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 8 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 9 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 2 ppm to about 8 ppm, about 3 ppm to about 7 ppm, or about 4 ppm to about 6 ppm.

[0127] Example 38. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein centrifuging the aqueous phase comprises subjecting the aqueous phase to a gravitational equivalent (gravity) of up to 20,000, up to 15,000, or up to 10,000 (e.g., about 10 to about 8,000, about 100 to about 8,000, about 1,000 to about 8,000, about 2,000 to about 5,000, or about 3,000 to about 4,500).

[0128] Example 39. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the period during which the centrifugation of the aqueous phase is made continuously effective may depend on one or more factors, such as feed volume, type of centrifuge, operating parameters of centrifuge, etc.

[0129] Example 40. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the water exists in the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) at a concentration and / or amount greater than that of each of the other components that may exist in the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase).

[0130] Example 41. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the water is present in the aqueous phase in an amount of about 40 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 50 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 60 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 75 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 80 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 85 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 90 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 95 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, about 98 wt% to about 99.999 wt%, or about 99 wt% to about 99.999 wt%.

[0131] Example 42. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) has a pH of less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2.5, or about 2.

[0132] Example 43. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the material to be extracted comprises one or more metals.

[0133] Example 44. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the one or more metals comprise (i) one or more rare earth metals, one or more noble metals or combinations thereof; (ii) copper, iron, uranium, nickel, cobalt, vanadium, molybdenum, germanium, palladium or combinations thereof; or (iii) copper.

[0134] Example 45. According to the method of any one of the preceding examples, the one or more metals may exist in the form of one or more metal-containing compounds, such as one or more metal oxides, one or more metal sulfides, one or more metal salts, such as CuSO4, FeSO4, MnSO4, CoSO4, or combinations thereof.

[0135] Example 46. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein each of the one or more metals is present in the aqueous phase in an amount of about 1 g / L to about 20 g / L, about 1 g / L to about 15 g / L, about 1 g / L to about 10 g / L, about 2 g / L to about 8 g / L, or about 3 g / L to about 6 g / L (before contacting the aqueous phase (or the treated aqueous phase) with the organic phase).

[0136] Example 47. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein (i) the silica is present in the aqueous phase in an amount of about 0.5 g / L to about 3 g / L, about 0.5 g / L to about 2 g / L, or about 0.5 g / L to about 1.5 g / L, or (ii) the first amount of silica in the aqueous phase is about 0.5 g / L to about 3 g / L, about 0.5 g / L to about 2 g / L, or about 0.5 g / L to about 1.5 g / L.

[0137] Example 48. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein (i) the silica exists in the aqueous phase in the form of particles, or (ii) the first amount of silica exists in the aqueous phase in the form of particles having a first average particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering.

[0138] Example 49. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein after the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent are contacted (e.g., at least 5 seconds, at least 10 seconds, or at least 20 seconds after the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent are contacted), the first amount of silica exists in the aqueous phase in the form of particles having a second average particle size as measured by dynamic light scattering, wherein the second average particle size is at least 2 times, at least 3 times, at least 4 times, at least 5 times, or at least 10 times larger than the first average particle size of Example 27.

[0139] Example 50. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the phase release agent or the sludge reducing agent comprises, substantially comprises, or comprises the following: a first nonionic surfactant and optionally a second nonionic surfactant.

[0140] Example 51. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first nonionic surfactant comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of: (A) a sorbitol-based surfactant, (B) a sorbitol-based ethoxylated surfactant, (C) polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitol monopalmitate, or a combination thereof.

[0141] Example 52. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the second nonionic surfactant comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of: (A) a copolymer, such as a block copolymer, or (B) a nonionic triblock copolymer of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene, poloxamer, polyethylene glycol, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid), polylactic acid, polyglutamic acid, polycaprolactone, or a combination thereof.

[0142] Example 53. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant are present in the phase release agent in a weight ratio of about 5:95 to about 45:55, about 10:90 to about 45:55, about 20:80 to about 45:55, about 25:75 to about 45:55, about 25:75 to about 40:60, about 30:70 to about 40:60, about 20:80 to about 1:99, about 20:80 to about 5:95, about 15:85 to about 5:95, or about 10:90 (first nonionic surfactant: second nonionic surfactant).

[0143] Example 54. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first nonionic surfactant comprises polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, is substantially composed of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, or is composed of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

[0144] Example 55. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the phase release agent or the sludge reduction agent further comprises polyethylene glycol dehydrated sorbitol monolaurate, is substantially composed of polyethylene glycol dehydrated sorbitol monolaurate, or is composed of polyethylene glycol dehydrated sorbitol monolaurate.

[0145] Example 56. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol block copolymer has a structure according to the following formula:

[0146] ,

[0147] Where x ranges from 2 to 150, and y ranges from 5 to 100.

[0148] Example 57. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein x and y are selected from the following table:

[0149]

[0150]

[0151] Example 58. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant independently have an HLB of 10 or greater (e.g., about 10 to about 18, about 12 to about 18, about 12 to about 17, about 13 to about 16, or about 14.5 to about 15.5).

[0152] Example 59. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 3000 g / mol, about 500 g / mol to about 2000 g / mol, about 1000 g / mol to about 1500 g / mol, about 1100 g / mol to about 1400 g / mol, about 1200 g / mol to about 1400 g / mol, or about 1300 g / mol; and wherein the second nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol, about 1000 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 2000 g / mol to about 4000 g / mol, about 2500 g / mol to about 3500 g / mol, about 2600 g / mol to about 3400 g / mol, or about 2700 g / mol. Weight-average molecular weight of about 3300 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3200 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3100 g / mol, about 2800 g / mol to about 3000 g / mol, or about 2900 g / mol.

[0153] Example 60. The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the first nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant independently have a weight-average molecular weight (Mn) of about 0.2 kDa to about 100 kDa, about 0.5 kDa to about 100 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 80 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 60 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 40 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 20 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 10 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 5 kDa, about 0.2 kDa to about 2 kDa, about 1 kDa to about 2 kDa, about 1 kDa to about 1.5 kDa, or about 1.2 kDa to about 1.4 kDa. w ).

[0154] Example 61. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the organic liquid exists in the organic phase in an amount of about 75% to about 100% by volume, about 75% to about 98% by volume, about 80% to about 95% by volume, or about 85% to about 95% by volume.

[0155] Example 62. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the extraction reagent is present in the organic phase in an amount of about 2 vol% to about 30 vol%, about 2 vol% to about 25 vol%, about 2 vol% to about 20 vol%, about 5 vol% to about 20 vol%, or about 5 vol% to about 15 vol%.

[0156] Example 63. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the organic liquid comprises alkanes, alkenes, alkynes or combinations thereof, each of which may be straight-chain, branched, cyclic or combinations thereof.

[0157] Example 64. The method according to any one of the foregoing examples, wherein the organic liquid includes oil, such as kerosene, diesel or other fuel oil.

[0158] Example 65. A composition comprising, substantially comprising, or comprising the following: a polymer of any of the preceding examples and a surfactant of any of the preceding examples.

[0159] All cited publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where the definition or usage of a term in a reference incorporated herein by reference is inconsistent with or contrary to the definition of the term provided herein, the definition provided herein shall apply, and the definition in the reference shall not apply.

[0160] While certain aspects of conventional techniques have been discussed to facilitate the disclosure of various embodiments, the applicant does not deny these technical aspects, and it is anticipated that this disclosure may cover one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.

[0161] This disclosure can solve one or more of the problems and defects of known methods and processes. However, various embodiments are contemplated and may prove useful in solving other problems and defects in many other technical fields. Therefore, this disclosure is not necessarily to be construed as limiting itself to solving any particular problem or defect discussed herein.

[0162] In this specification, whenever a document, act, or knowledge item is referenced or discussed, such reference or discussion does not imply that the document, act, or knowledge item, or any combination thereof, was publicly available, publicly known, was part of the general common knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under applicable law; or is known to be related to any attempt to solve any problem covered in this specification.

[0163] In the description provided herein, the terms “comprising,” “is,” “contains,” “has,” and “includes” are used in an open-ended manner and should therefore be construed as meaning “including, but not limited to.” When a method is claimed or described in terms of “comprising” individual steps or components, the method may also be “substantially composed of individual steps or components” or “composed of individual steps or components” unless otherwise stated.

[0164] The terms “a,” “an,” “the,” etc., are intended to include plural alternatives, such as at least one. For example, unless otherwise stated, the disclosure of “surfactant,” “organic liquid,” etc., is intended to cover one surfactant, organic liquid, etc., or a mixture or combination of more than one surfactant, organic liquid, etc.

[0165] This document may disclose various numerical ranges. Unless otherwise specified, when an applicant discloses or claims any type of range, the applicant intends to individually disclose or claim every possible number that such range can reasonably cover, including the endpoints of the range and any subranges and combinations thereof covered therein. Furthermore, all numerical endpoints of the ranges disclosed herein are approximate values. As a representative example, the applicant discloses that in some embodiments, the extraction reagent is present in the organic phase in an amount from about 5 vol% to about 15 vol%. This range should be interpreted as covering about 5% and about 15%, and further covering each of “about” 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, and 14%, including any range and subrange between any of these values.

[0166] As used in this article, the term “about” means ± 10% of the value of the number being used.

[0167] Example

[0168] The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, which should not be construed as limiting its scope in any way. Rather, it should be clearly understood that various other aspects, embodiments, modifications, and equivalents may be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this description without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein.

[0169] Example 1 – Solid Removal Test

[0170] In this example, the leaching slurry was separated and processed as follows to evaluate solids removal. Many flotation / leaching processes are carried out at a solids concentration of at least 30 wt%, but settling is generally most efficient at a solids concentration of about 7 wt% to about 15 wt%. Therefore, the slurry is typically diluted in the feed well of the thickener. Thus, the slurry was diluted in the following test. The slurry was divided into 6 cylinders (1 L) (2 × control cylinders and 2 × test cylinders). The cylinders were filled with slurry to the 1 L mark.

[0171] A calculated dose of nonionic polyacrylamide was added to two reference cylinders.

[0172] Add a calculated dose of surfactant to the remaining cylinder. In this example, the surfactant is polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

[0173] Then, the slurry is vigorously agitated in the cylinder using a plunger (i.e., five full-length strokes from the surface of the slurry to the bottom of the cylinder).

[0174] Allow 60 seconds before adding nonionic polyacrylamide to the cylinder for settling. Continue adding and metering the existing flocculant into the test cylinder. Then resuspend the solids with a plunger. Add a first dose (typically 50%) to attempt to simulate adding polymer to the thickener's feed line. Mix the slurry by rapidly reciprocating the plunger (± 1 s / stroke – typically 8 plunger strokes). Add a second dose to attempt to simulate adding polymer to the feed well. Mix the slurry by slowly reciprocating the plunger (> 8 s / stroke – typically 3 gentle plunger strokes). Start timing when the plunger is removed. Using a second timer or by calculation, record the duration of the interface / mudline descent from the 900 mL mark to the 700 mL mark on the graduated cylinder. After a fixed time period, determine the NTU / TSS (scattered turbidity units / total suspended solids) (typically after 10 minutes).

[0175] The results of this example are described in the table below.

[0176]

[0177] These results indicate that in the absence of surfactant, a polymer dose of 10 gpt achieves a sedimentation rate of only 35.27 m / h, but surfactant synergistically increases the sedimentation rate of a polymer dose of 10 gpt to 121.19 m / h, which far exceeds the sedimentation rate observed for a polymer dose of 30 gpt.

[0178] Furthermore, the supernatant produced by test #1 was significantly clearer than the supernatant produced by the control test.

Claims

1. A method for treating a fluid prior to solvent extraction, the method comprising: A liquid and a plurality of solids are provided, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of solids are suspended in the liquid; Provide polymers and surfactants; and The liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant are brought into contact to form a treated liquid; The settling rate of the various solids in the treated liquid is increased by at least 10% relative to the settling rate achieved by the same method in the absence of the surfactant; The polymer is present in the treated liquid at a concentration of about 5 g / t (gpt) to about 100 gpt; and Optionally, the weight ratio of the polymer to the surfactant in the treated liquid is from about 0.1:5 to about 5:5 (polymer:surfactant).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the liquid, the polymer and the surfactant comprises (i) contacting at least a portion of the liquid and the polymer before contacting the liquid and the surfactant, or (ii) contacting the liquid, the polymer and the surfactant simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the liquid, the polymer, and the surfactant comprises (i) contacting a portion of the liquid and the polymer, and then contacting at least one or more additional portions of the liquid and the polymer at a later time, (ii) contacting a portion of the liquid and the surfactant, and then contacting at least one or more additional portions of the liquid and the surfactant at a later time, or (iii) a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the polymer and the surfactant comprises providing a mixture comprising the polymer and the surfactant; and wherein contacting the liquid, the polymer and the surfactant comprises contacting at least a portion of the liquid and the mixture, and then contacting one or more additional portions of the liquid and the mixture at a later time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the liquid comprises leaching the ore to produce a rich leaching solution, and optionally placing the rich leaching solution in a thickener to change the concentration of the plurality of solids, wherein the liquid comprises the rich leaching solution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the contact of the liquid, the polymer and the surfactant occurs (i) after the leaching and before the liquid is placed in the thickener, (ii) during or after the liquid is placed in the thickener, or (iii) a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a nonionic polymer, and wherein the surfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of about 12 to about 18.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polyacrylamide, and / or wherein the surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant.

9. A solvent extraction method, the method comprising: Provided a treated liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the treated liquid is an aqueous phase or a component of the aqueous phase, the aqueous phase comprising water and the material to be extracted; The aqueous phase and the organic phase are brought into contact to form a mixture, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; To de-contact (i) the aqueous phase, the organic phase, or the mixture with (ii) the phase; as well as Separate the aqueous phase and the organic phase; The separation of the aqueous phase and the organic phase is completed within the phase separation time, which is at least 2% less than the time required to separate the aqueous phase and the organic phase in the absence of the phase separation agent. The phase release agent comprises a first nonionic surfactant, or the first nonionic surfactant and a second nonionic surfactant.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the phase release agent is present relative to the mixture in an amount of about 1 ppm to about 400 ppm.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol.

13. A solvent extraction method, the method comprising: Provided a treated liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the treated liquid is an aqueous phase or a component of the aqueous phase, the aqueous phase comprising water, the material to be extracted, and a first amount of silica; This allows the aqueous phase and the sludge reducing agent to come into contact; as well as At least a portion of the first amount of silica is removed from the aqueous phase to form a treated aqueous phase containing a second amount of silica; The second amount of silicon dioxide is at least 20% less than the first amount of silicon dioxide. The sludge reducing agent comprises a first nonionic surfactant, or the first nonionic surfactant and a second nonionic surfactant. The first nonionic surfactant comprises a sorbitol-based surfactant. The second nonionic surfactant comprises a copolymer, and When the second nonionic surfactant is present, the first nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant are present in the sludge reducing agent in a weight ratio of about 20:80 to about 5:95 (first nonionic surfactant: second nonionic surfactant).

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The treated aqueous phase and organic phase are brought into contact, wherein the organic phase comprises an organic liquid and optionally an extraction reagent; and The treated aqueous phase and the organic phase are separated.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first nonionic surfactant has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol, and wherein the second nonionic surfactant, when present, has a weight-average molecular weight of about 500 g / mol to about 5000 g / mol.

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