Dewatering of industrial clay wastes

As a part of research conducted to effect pollution a dewatering technique that allows for disposal of clay wastes, for reuse of water now lost with clays, and for reclamation of mined land was developed. The technique utilizes a high-molecular-weight nonionic polyethylene oxide polymer (PEO) that has the ability to flocculate and dewater materials containing clay wastes. In laboratory experiments, coal-clay waste, potash-clay brine slurry, phosphatic clay waste, uranium tailings, and talc tailings were successfully consolidated. Coal-clay waste was consolidated from 3.6 to 57%; potash-clay brine slurry was consolidated from 3.8 to 35%; phosphatic clay waste from 15.6 to 49%; uranium tailings from 15.4 to 67%; tailings from talc production from 9.7 to 53%; and an acidic TiO2 slurr slurry from 1.68 to 30%