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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

This study analyzes the behavior of sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) as a rheological modifier for clay-based tailings. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of calcium and magnesium ions in industrial water, which are analyzed through rheograms, zeta potential measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations. The results are interpreted as electrostatic interactions, steric phenomena, and cation solvation. This interpretation integrates experimental studies with microscopic analyses, employing molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In all cases, a decrease in the yield stress of synthetic slurries is observed as the dosing of NaPA increases due to greater repulsion between tailings particles through an increase in electrostatic repulsion and larger steric forces that hinder agglomeration. However, efficiency is reduced in the presence of divalent cations as zeta potential measurements suggest a reduction in the electrical charges of the particles and the polymer, making its application more challenging. The differences obtained in the presence of calcium compared to magnesium are explained in terms of the solvation of these ions and their impact on the polymer conformation in solution and adsorption on the mineral surfaces. This explanation is reinforced by molecular dynamics studies, which indicate that polymer adsorption on minerals depends on the type of mineral and type of ion. Particularly for quartz, the highest adsorption of NaPA occurs in the presence of calcium, whereas for a kaolinite surface, the highest polymer adsorption is obtained in the presence of magnesium. The competitive effect of these phenomena leads to the rheological behavior of the tailings being dominated by the effects originating in the clay.

Details

Title
Rheological Behavior of Clay Tailings in the Presence of Divalent Cations and Sodium Polyacrylate: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Author
Ramos, Jahir J 1 ; Nieto, Steven 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Quezada, Gonzalo R 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Williams Leiva 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Robles, Pedro 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Betancourt, Fernando 6 ; Jeldres, Ricardo I 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Procesos de Minerales, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile; [email protected] 
 Advanced Mining Technology Center (AMTC), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile; [email protected] 
 Escuela de Ingeniería Civil Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad del Bio-Bio, Concepción 4030000, Chile; [email protected] 
 Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Sede Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile; [email protected] 
 Escuela de Ingeniería Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; [email protected] 
 Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile; [email protected] 
First page
3091
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734360
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3126010234
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.