The effect of phyllosilicate mineralogy and surface charge on the rheology of mineral slurries

Phyllosilicate minerals exist as common gangue components in many low grade ores. Often broadly classified as ‘clays’, this group of minerals is closely associated with several processing issues. Despite many good studies on the physico-chemical properties of phyllosilicates, there still remains a poor understanding of their suspension flow behaviour. The primary objective of this thesis was to characterise the colloidal behaviour of three commonly occurring phyllosilicates, namely muscovite, vermiculite and chrysotile in terms of their surface charge, mineralogical and resultant rheological properties. The thesis was initiated in order to gain a better understanding of the flow behaviour of these minerals within well-defined model mineral systems, with a longer term view to understanding their impact in complex mineral systems found in mineral processing circuits.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Chemical Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Ndlovu, Bulelwa

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Deglon, David
• Becker, Megan
• Forbes, Elizaveta

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5428

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/5428