PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, PD Norilsk, Russia:
Ya. N. Arabadzhi, Chief Specialist of the Center for Production Engineering Support1, e-mail: yana_arabadzi@mail.ru
A. M. Kurchukov, Head of the Directorate for Enrichment Sales
T. A. Likhacheva, Leading Process Engineer, Center for Engineering Support of Production

JSC “Outotec”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

A. S. Olennikov, Head of the Group of Supervision Works

Talnakh Concentrator processes the mixture of high grade and cuprous ore. Ionic composition of purified mine water and recycled water from the settling pond used for process needs is critical to flotation performance. Deviations from the optimal slurry settling conditions result in growth of the solid phase sent with the thickeners overflow to the settling pond, which consequently increase the operating costs for work-in-process inventory due to treatment of technogenic material accumulated in the settling pond as well as materials and equipment costs. In late 2014, Talnakh Concentrator launched a project for modernization and technical upgrade with 1.3 fold increase in ore processing capacity upon the completion of Phase II in 2016 and another 80% by 2023. Since 2009, the thickening has been the bottleneck for the Concentrator capacity with 18 radial thickeners of 25m and 50m in operation. The partial reconstruction of the existing dehydration facilities within the frames of the Phase II ensured the Concentrator capacity ramp-up without construction of new dehydration facilities. Seven existing radial thickeners used to thicken the intermediate products were replaced with High Rate Thickener (HRT) Outotec. The use of HTR "Outotec" thickeners during dehydration of crushed ore raw materials and intercycle pulps allowed not only to increase the efficiency of using existing sedimentation areas, but also to ensure the consistency of the density and volume characteristics of pulp materials, which is the key to the efficiency of the flotation process and the stable operation of the factory as a whole.

1. Popov G. S., Ozerov A. I. et al. Purification of sewage and circulating waters and methods for controlling the content of harmful impurities in them. Collection of scientific works. Alma-Ata, 1989. 154 p.
2. Chebakova I. B. Wastewater treatment. Study manual. Omsk, 2001. 84 p.
3. Bauman A. V. Criteria for choosing radial thickeners for dewatering and water circulation. Obogashchenie rud. 2013. No. 4. pp. 40–43.
4. Bauman A. V. Upon modernization of domestically produced radial thickeners. Obogashchenie Rud. 2013. No. 1. pp. 44–49.
5. Nechaeva E. B., Panov A. V. et al. Intensification of processes of thickening of gold-bearing ore. Tsvetnye Metally. 2010. No. 2. pp. 43–47.
6. Zhmarin E. E., Nechaeva E. B., Beloborodko Yu. S., Rublev O. V. Enrichment equipment Outotec. Gornaya promyshlennost. 2012. No. 4. pp. 62–64.
7. Nechaeva E., Prokkola S., Saastamoynen E. Advantages of using highperformance thickeners SUPAFLO. Obogashchenie Rud. 2001. Special issue. pp. 13–18.
8. Fridman S. E., Shcherbakov O. K., Komlev A. M. Dehydration of the products of enrichment. Moscow : Nedra, 1988. 239 p.
9. Nebera V. B. Flocculation of mineral suspensions. Moscow : Nedra, 1983. 288 p.
10. Jin S., Chen W., Feng Q., Zhang G., Li L. Effect of energy input on flocculation process and flotation performance of fine scheelite using sodium oleate. Minerals Engineering. 2017. Vol. 112. pp. 27–35.
11. Lapointe M., Barbeau B. Dual starch-polyacrylamide polymer system for improved flocculation. Water Research. 2017. Vol. 124. pp. 202–209.
12. Rahim M., Abdollahzadeh A., Rezai B. Dynamic simulation of tailing thickener at the Tabas coal washing plant using the phenomenological model. International Journal of Mineral Processing. 2016. Vol. 154. pp. 35–40.
13. Zatulovsky K. A., Firsov A. Yu. Modeling and control of condensation process. Moscow : The Mountain Book, 2013. 17 pp.
14. Concha F., Segovia J. P., Vergara S., Pereira A. Audit industrial thickeners with new on-line instrumentation. Powder Technology. 2017. Vol. 314. pp. 680–689.
15. Chuyanov G. G. Dehydration, dust collection and environmental protection. Moscow : Nedra, 1987. 259 p.
16. Gupta A., Yan D. Mineral Processing Design and Operation. An Introduction. Second Edition. Elsevier Science & Technology Books, 2016. 882 p.
17. Lebedeva A. A., Kravtsova O. A., Maksimov V. I., Lyalinov D. V., Shorikov A. P. Mineral forms of losses of useful components in the enrichment of ores from the deposits of the Pechenga ore field at the concentrator of JSC Kola MMC. Tsvetnye Metally. 2011. No. 8/9. pp. 41–46.
18. Bulatovic S. M., Srdjan M. Handbook of Flotation Reagents: Chemistry, Theory and Practice. Amsterdam : Elsevier, 2007. 443 p.
19. Senior G. D., Thomas S. A. Development and implementation of a new flowheet for the flotation of a low grade nickel ore. International Journal of Mineral Processing. 2005. No. 1. pp. 49–61.