Water trouble in old tailings

[modestm0use]

Hi all! I'm new to tailings work and helping out on a small lead-zinc cleanup. The tailings are from the early '90s, and the feed has about 0.25% lead. We ran a test batch and recovery was okay, but the water's acting strange, lots of tiny particles and odd reactions during flotation. Someone said it could be old chemicals still in the mix.

Has anyone seen water problems like this with old tailings? Would love any advice. Thanks!

 

[mine.hunter]

Old tailings can definitely carry residual reagents that mess with flotation, maybe test the water chemistry first

 

[cal west]

Residual reagents from past processing can definitely mess with flotation, things like leftover collectors, frothers, or pH modifiers can change how particles behave. Run a water analysis and maybe pre treat or condition the tailings can help stabilize the system before flotation

 

[Alan]

Hey, also see if you have really fine slimes. As things get older, particles can break down, which messes with how bubbles stick to particles when you're floating stuff. Getting rid of those slimes first could be a good move.