In the complex process of mineral resource mining and processing, the composition of wastewater is also very complex. The concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury exceeds the standard, and harmful substances such as acidic substances, suspended solids and cyanide are also mixed in. The traditional treatment methods are inefficient, costly, and have high risks of secondary pollution. Problems such as these are gradually exposed, and innovative technologies are urgently needed to break the deadlock.
1. Five major pain points faced by mineral wastewater treatment
(I) Incomplete removal of heavy metals
Although the traditional chemical precipitation method can initially precipitate and separate heavy metals, the heavy metal-containing sludge produced may cause secondary leakage at any time if it is not properly treated, posing a long-term threat to the environment.
(II) High cost of acid and alkaline wastewater treatment
For acidic or alkaline wastewater, the large amount of neutralizing agents makes the treatment cost high, and the operating cost usually accounts for more than 30% of the overall treatment cost, which makes the company overwhelmed.
(III) Difficult separation of fine impurities
Fine particles and colloidal substances such as tailings mud are very "stubborn", and conventional filtration methods are difficult to effectively intercept them, resulting in the suspended solids content in the effluent being difficult to meet the standards.
(IV) Hidden dangers of chemical agent residues
Flotation agents such as yellow medicine and black medicine, which are widely used in the mineral processing process, are difficult to completely degrade in the conventional treatment process, and the residual agents continue to erode the health of the ecological environment.
(V) Low recycling rate of water resources
Most mines have not yet built a complete wastewater recycling system, and most of the treated water resources are directly discharged, resulting in a huge waste of water resources.
2. Innovative technical solutions for mining wastewater treatment
(I) High-efficiency sedimentation and separation technology
The Lamella clarifier relies on the unique inclined plate sedimentation principle to quickly treat suspended matter and colloidal substances, greatly improving the sedimentation efficiency. When used with coagulants such as aluminum salts and iron salts, it can quickly cause pollutants such as heavy metal ions and organic matter to condense into floccules, and after sedimentation and separation, effectively purify the water quality.
(II) Flotation separation technology
The working principle of the flotation machine is ingenious. By injecting tiny bubbles into the wastewater, pollutants such as suspended matter and colloidal particles float to the water surface together to form scum, achieving efficient separation. This technology is particularly effective in treating oily wastewater and fine particles that are difficult to precipitate.
(III) Precision acid-base adjustment technology
For acidic or alkaline wastewater, neutralizers such as lime and sulfuric acid are added to adjust the pH value to neutral or near neutral. In this process, the Lamela sedimentation tank works together to separate the precipitate produced by the neutralization reaction in time to ensure stable water quality.
(IV) Advanced biological treatment technology
The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) uses the microbial film attached to the surface of the suspended filler to efficiently degrade organic matter in the wastewater. Compared with the traditional activated sludge method, MBBR has the characteristics of low sludge production and high treatment efficiency, and can meet the treatment needs of organic wastewater of different concentrations.
(V) Membrane separation technology
Ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and other membrane technologies are like "precision filters" that can accurately intercept tiny particles, soluble salts and organic matter in wastewater, significantly improve the effluent quality, and lay the foundation for the recycling of water resources.
(VI) Advanced oxidation technology
Advanced oxidation methods such as ozone oxidation and Fenton oxidation can strongly destroy the molecular structure of refractory organic matter, stabilize heavy metal ions, effectively remove stubborn pollutants in wastewater, and further purify water quality.
