Effect of fine material content on

copper tailings yield stress

The rheological characterization of copper tailings considers determining Pamela Garrido. Jri Ingeniería s.a .,
Chile
yield stress versus percentage of solids curves. It also evaluates the effect of
variables such as pH, mineralogical composition (clay content), zeta potential Nestor Rojas. Universidad Nacional
de Colombia
and reagents on these processes.
Another variable that significantly influences the rheological behavior
of mine slurries is particle size distribution, particularly fine material con-
tent. It has been generally established that, while taking into account the
other constant variables, variations in the particle size distribution profile
—mainly the shift toward finer sizes in a sample— affect the yield stress
values of the slurry.
The objective of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the effect
of particle size distribution on the rheological behavior of copper tailings.
The procedure followed to achieve this objective considers the generation
of three sizes arbitrarily denominated as fines, which are: material under
mesh 200 (74 microns), material under mesh 400 (37 microns) and material
under mesh 500 (25 microns). Each of these sizes is incorporated into the
original tailings in different percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%)
and five percentages of solids —which are measured for yield stress and
viscosity by cylinder and cup in a Haake rs1 rotational rheometer— are ge-
nerated for each ‘new particle size distribution.’
The results obtained confirm the influence of fine material content on the
rheological properties of copper tailings and indicate that —with a certain
content of fine material, which in this study is around 30%— higher fine con-
tent in the material correlates with higher yield stress and viscosity values.
For percentages over 40% under Tyler mesh 200 (75 µm), 30% under Tyler
mesh 400 (35 µm) and 20% under Tyler mesh 500 (25 µm) the increase in yield
stress and viscosity values starts to become significant.

375
INTRODUCTION
The grade of valuable ores is becoming lower by the day, producing a larger quantity of copper tailing.
The numbers speak for themselves; in Chile, over a million tons of tailings that need to be disposed of in a
safe and stable way are generated each day. The hydraulic characteristics of these slurries and the design
of the systems for ore concentrating and final disposal of tailings are the main areas in which rheological
characterization, mainly determination of viscosity and yield stress, are indispensable.
In Chile, during the last decade, rheological studies have become an indispensable stage in thickening and
transport processes and a frequent procedure in the control and optimization stages of thickeners and
dams. In the case of copper tailings, studies focus on issues such as increasing water recovery by
generating thickened tailings (pastes), rheological modifiers, transport and stable final disposal.
Regarding the determination of yield stress, the methodology currently most used is the vane method
described in detail by Nguyen and Boger (1983, 1985) and applied in studies by Alderman et al. (1991),
Petra and Boger (1996), Barnes and Nguyen (2001), Zhou et al. (2001), among others. When the objective is
to determine the viscosity of the suspension as well as yield stress, rotational rheometers with cylindrical
sensors and cups are usually used, as indicated in papers by Nguyen and Boger (1987), Dabak and Yucel
(1987), Tangsathitkulchai (2003), among others whose studies enable us to comprehend the importance of
rheological properties and the way to interpret these results.
Other studies are related to the effect of parameters, mainly the concentration of solids and pH, and it is
also possible to find studies (though fewer)related to zeta potential and particle size distribution,
Mikuláek et al. (1997), Zhou et al.(2001), Turian et al. (1997), He M. et al. (2004), Logos and Nguyen (1996),
Leong (1995,).
Most of these studies have been carried out with suspensions of laterite, gypsum, titanium dioxide and
bentonite ores, whose characteristics differ considerably from Chilean tailings. Figure 1 shows the
rheological behavior of a laterite and copper tailings. In the photograph you can observe similar behavior
in an abatement test, however, copper tailing and laterite slurries have 70% and 45% solids in weight
respectively, which would indicate that finer suspensions have higher yield stress values, which is in turn
reflected in the yield stress versus concentration of solids for laterite curve that shifts towards the left.
It is clear that the fine material content is not the only variable; the mineralogical characteristic of the
suspensions is fundamental and directly influences the granulometric profile that the studied material
will have.

376
 Tailing Copper 70 wt%solid Limonite 40 wt%solid

Figure 1 Rheological behavior of ores with different particle size distributions

The objective of this study is to be a contribution to the comprehension of the effect of particle size
distribution on the rheological behavior of copper tailings, considering the fact that they exhibit
fluctuating particle sizes; for example, studies conducted at CdI-

between 30 and 64%.

METHODOLOGY
The copper tailings used have 99% under size 420 μm (35 Tyler mesh). Three fine sizes, under Tyler mesh
200 (74 μm), under Tyler mesh 400 (38 μm) and under Tyler mesh 500 (25 μm) were obtained from this
material. These materials are incorporated in different percentages into the material that is above these
sizes; in Figure 3 you can observe the granulometric profiles of the samples prepared.
The concentrations of solids considered in the study were: 55; 60; 65; 70 and 75 wt%, and the percentages
of fines analyzed in the suspensions were: 0; 10; 20; 40; 60 and 80%.

Morphological and Chemical Characterization

Morphological characterization of the copper tailings was carried out with a JEOL LV-6260 sweep electron
microscope (SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis was carried out with the (EDX) LINK ISIS-200
energy microanalyzer to determine the chemical composition of the tailings particles.

377
Granulometric Characterization
Granulometric measurements were done in a Microtrac S3500 (USA) particle-size analyzer, with a
measurement range of 0.024 to 2000 μm.

Rheological Characterization
Rheological tests were carried out in triplicate in a Haake rotational rheometer, using a cylindrical sensor
with a slotted surface and slotted cup. Although it has been established that the standard methodology for
determining yield stress is the vane method, a cylindrical sensor is used because it is desired that apart
from yield stress, slurry viscosity values also be studied, parameters that in this study are obtained by
adjustment of the Bingham model.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Morphology and Chemical Composition

Figure 1(a) shows the general morphology of copper tailings in which particles of completely
heterogeneous size and shape are observed. Based on the scale of grays, a majority phase is observed:
silica; the whiter grains are metal oxides. This is corroborated by analysis with EDX. Figure 1(b) is an
enlargement of the area shown in Figure 1(a), in which only one silica phase, with grain sizes varying
between 7 and 60 μm, is observed

Figure 1 SEM Micrograph of copper tailings, (a) general view indicating magnified area, (b) particle sizes, and based
on scale of grays, only one predominant phase is evident

Figure 2 gives us the EDS spectrum and the elemental composition of the copper tailings, proving that the
material is mainly silica and to a lesser degree, calcium, aluminum, iron and potassium oxides, among
others.

378
 Figure 2 Spectrum and qualification of elements by EDS of copper tailings

Particle-Size Distribution
Figure 3 shows the original particle size distribution of the sample studied, which contains 69 % of tailings
under 75 m, 50% under 38 m and 40 % under 25 m. These three size fractions were the ones selected for
the study on the effect of fines on the rheology of suspensions.

Figure 3 Particle size distribution of the material used in this study

In Figure 4 you can observe the granulometric profiles of the three types of samples prepared, considering
different percentages of fines in each case.

379
(a) (b) (c)
100 100 100

10% less 75 µm 10% less 38 µm 10% less 25 µm

90 90 90
20% less 75 µm 20% less 38 µm 20% less 25 µm
80 40% less 75 µm 80 40% less 38 µm 80 40% less 25 µm
60% less 75 µm 60% less 38 µm 60% less 25 µm
70 70 70

Cumulative undersize (%)

Cumulative undersize (%)
Cumulative undersize (%)

80% less 75 µm 80% less 38 µm 80% less 25 µm

60 60 60

50 50 50

40 40 40

30 30 30

20 20 20

10 10 10

0 0 0
1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000
Particle size (µm) Particle size (µm) Particle size (µm)

Figure 4 Size distribution of the samples considered in this study (a) material over and under 75 microns, (b) material
over and under 38 microns, (c) material over and under 25 microns.

Rheological Characterization
The three types of tailings obtained were mixed with 0, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80% of their respective fines, and
the mixes obtained were analyzed for 5 percentages of solids in weight (55; 60; 65; 70 and 75 %). The
results correspond to deformation rate versus shear stress curves.
Figure 5 shows an example of the kind of curves obtained; you can observe the results for two samples of
60% solids in weight. The one on the left represents tailings (+25 µm) with different percentages of fines (-
25 µm), and the one on the right, tailings (+75 µm) with different percentages of fines (-75 µm).
Figure 5 shows an example of the kind of results obtained for two 60 wt% tailings slurries with fines (-25
µm y -75 µm), in which you can observe how shear stress values increase with the increase in the content of
fines, which in both cases is considerably greater when fines are incorporated in quantities above or equal
to 60%. Furthermore, the influence of fines content on shear stress values is more significant for the
sample into which material below 25 µm is incorporated.
70 30

60 wt% solid 60 wt% solid

60
25

50
20
Shear Stress [Pa]

Shear Stress [Pa]

40
15
30

10
20

5
10

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Shear rate [1/s] Shear rate [1/s]

10% less 25 µm 20% less 25 µm 40% less 25 µm 60% less 25 µm 80% less 25 µm 10% less 75 µm 20% less 75 µm 40% less 75 µm 60% less 75 µm 80% less 75 µm

Figure 5 Flow curve for slurries with 60% solids with various fine contents: on the left, fines under 25 µm and on the
right, fines under 75 µm

380
Analysis of the information obtained for each of the slurries studied considers an adjustment of the
Bingham model in the linear zone of the curves to determine yield stress (τB) and viscosity (ηB). Figures 6
and 7 sum up the τB and ηB values obtained in slurries of different percentages based on the content and
size of the studied fine.

10 30
9
55 wt% solid 25 60 wt% solid
8

Bingham Yield Stress [Pa]

Bingham Yield Stress [Pa]

7
20
6
5 15
4
3 10

2
5
1
0 0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Content of fine particles Content of fine particles

fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um

300 500
450
250 65 wt% solid 70 wt% solid
400
Bingham Yield Stress [Pa]

Bingham Yield Stress [Pa]

200 350
300
150 250
200
100
150

50 100
50
0 0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Content of fine particles Content of fine particles
fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um

Figure 6 Effect of particle size on yield stress values

0,06 0,14

55 wt% solid 0,12 60 wt% solid

0,05
Bingham Viscosity [mPa s]
Bingham Viscosity [mPa s]

0,10
0,04
0,08
0,03
0,06
0,02
0,04

0,01 0,02

0,00 0,00
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Content of fine particles Content of fine particles

fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um

381
 0,45 1,40
0,40
65 wt% solid 1,20 70 wt% solid
Bingham Viscosity [mPa s]

Bingham Viscosity [mPa s]

0,35
1,00
0,30
0,25 0,80

0,20 0,60
0,15
0,40
0,10
0,05 0,20

0,00 0,00
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Content of fine particles Content of fine particles

fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um fine less than 75 um fine less than 38 um fine less than 25 um

Figure 7 Effect of particle size on viscosity values

The results obtained indicate that the three sizes of fines considered in the study modify the yield stress
and viscosity values of the studied slurries to different degrees.
When the content of the two finest materials is increased (25 and 38 µm.), the highest yield stress values
are obtained. The results obtained particularly indicate that for slurries with 55 and 60 wt% of solids, it is
the material under 38 µm. that increases yield stress values, whereas with more concentrated slurry (70 wt
%), it is the material under Tyler mesh 500 (25 μm.) that generates the highest τB values.
The effect of fine material on the increase in τB values is linked to the spatial disposition of particles and
packing concentration. The results indicate that percentages of fines of around 20% could improve
transport properties as can be observed in the viscosity values presented in Figure 7, in which you can see
that in most of the cases studied, for percentages of fines of around 20%, you obtain viscosity values lower
or equal to the sample without fines, and that on the other hand, for these fine contents, the yield stress
values do not show significant increases (Figure 6).
A hypothesis regarding the previously mentioned behavior is that a certain percentage of fine material
places itself in the interstices between the larger particles, acting as a “facilitator” of the flow because it
does not modify the structure or disposition of the particles. If the percentage of fines is higher than this
value, their physical-chemical characteristics, especially their superficial interaction and their electrostatic
charge, start to hinder the rheological behavior of the system.
Two parameters, φ100 and φ200 , have been defined in the analysis of the results. They correspond to the
volumetric concentrations of solids for which the slurry yield stress is 100 [Pa] and 200 [Pa] respectively.
These new parameters allow us to evaluate the effect of fine material content on slurry and also to identify
which of these sizes of fine material affects the most.

382
 23% 23% 23%
φ100 φ200 φ100 φ200 φ100 φ200
22% 22% 22%

Volume fraction of solids

Volume fraction of solids

Volume fraction of solids

21% 21% 21%

20% 20% 20%

19% 19% 19%

18% 18% 18%

17% 17% 17%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Content of fine particles smaller than 75 µm Content of fine particles smaller than 38 µm Content of fine particles smaller than 25 µm

Figure 8 Effect of particle size on the φ100 and φ200 parameters

Figure 8 sums up the results obtained for the slurries studied, and in it we can observe that just as
previously mentioned, mainly for samples modified with 38 µm and 25 µm fines, there exists a zone that
corresponds to percentages of fines of around 20% which could be beneficial for the rheological properties
of the suspension, allowing higher concentrations of solids to be attained without rising above 100 or 200
[Pa].
The results show how sensitive yield stress values are to the percentage of solids, seeing as small
fluctuations of its value could generate large variations in τB, once again confirming what has been stated
by a number of authors.

CONCLUSION
The results obtained confirm the influence of fine material content on the rheological properties of copper
tailings and indicate that above a certain percentage of fine material, which in this study is close to 20%,
the higher the content of fines present in the material, the higher the yield stress and viscosity values will
also be.
We can state that for the material we studied, for percentages higher than 40% under Tyler mesh 200(75
µm), 30% under Tyler mesh 400 (35 µm) and 20% under Tyler mesh 500(25 µm), the increase in yield
stress and viscosity values starts to become significant.
It has been determined that for highly concentrated slurries (pastes), the finest material (-25 µm) is the one
that most affects yield stress values, concluding that it would be appropriate to complement this study
with the evaluation of sizes smaller than the ones considered here.

383
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the Laboratorio de reología de suspensiones (Suspension rheology
laboratory) of the Universidad Católica del Norte where most of the measurements presented here were
carried out.

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