Thickener Waste and Concentrate Thickening Tank Systems

A thickener is a large settling tank used in mining and mineral processing plants to separate solids from liquids.

In Turkish, it is generally referred to as:

• Thickener
• Sedimentation Tank
• Concentrate Thickener
• Waste Thickener.

 

Its main purpose is:

To settle the solids in the pulp and recover the water.

 

 

Where is it used?

 

Concentrate Thickener

Concentrates the valuable concentrate after flotation.

 

Waste Thickener

Concentrates the waste sludge and recovers water.

 

 

Working Principle

 

The system is quite simple:

1. Pulp enters the tank from the center
2. Heavy solids settle to the bottom
3. Clean water collects at the top
4. Dense sludge forms at the bottom
5. Rake arms push the sludge to the center
6. Dense pulp is taken from the bottom outlet

 

Main Parts

Tank Body: Large cylindrical pool.

Feed Well: Feeding inlet area.

Rake Arms: Scrapes the bottom mud.

Drive Unit: Rotates the rake system.

Overflow Launder: Collects clean water.

Underflow Pump: Drains dense mud.

 

 

Types of Thickeners:

 

Conventional Thickener

Classic type.

 

High Rate Thickener

Faster settling.

 

High Density Thickener

Denser underflow.

 

Paste Thickener

Produces paste-like waste.

 

Deep Cone Thickener

Produces very dense mud.