ABSTRACT
In the mining industry both segregation and thickening of flotation tailings are usually used to obtain backfill material. The use of flocculants in the process of thickening tailings causes a change in the rheological parameters of the obtained mixture which directly affects the flow conditions and segregation of the solid phase. The paper presents the results of semi-technical tests of thickening, deposition and segregation of the copper ore flotation tailings. Thickening tests with and without flocculants were carried out. The material obtained at the underflow was deposited in prepared measuring ditches. During the experiments were monitored such parameters as the flow rate, particle size distribution of the solid phase and the density of the feed, overflow and underflow. The results of the experiment were analyzed with regard to the use of the underflow stream as a backfill material. After exceeding critical concentration of the solid phase, the movement of non-Newtonian fluid was observed in measuring ditches whose role was to simulate the spread of backfill in the post-mining void.
