Washing is typically required for recovery of soluble, valuable metals or salts.  This can be accomplished in a countercurrent decantation (CCD) circuit.  In CCD circuits washing efficiency increases and the number of stages required decreases when the thickener underflow content is increased. With a paste thickener, solids concentration levels can be achieved which allows the CCD circuit to operate at higher recoveries and greater washing efficiency.  



WesTech offers the following types of paste thickeners:

Deep Bed™ Paste Thickener
     • Solids concentrations which approach the limit of pumping 
     • Diameters up to 20 m
     • Elevated or on-the-ground tanks
     • Drives designed to handle the thickest possible paste
     • Bridge drives

High Density Paste Thickener 
     • Paste and thickened tailings for surface stacking at lower yield stress
     • On-the-ground tanks
     • Diameters to 50 m
     • Bridge or column drives

WesTech Offers the Following Services:
Testing for paste thickener design
     • Bench and pilot scale
Operator training
     • Operating manual
               P&ID development
               Paste Process System Design
               Process commissioning
     • Pre-startup audit
     • Control system review 
     • Start-up
     • Post start-up optimization

Applications for WesTech Paste Thickeners:
Paste, also called “thickened tailings”, is a non-settling, high solids suspension that offers advantages in handling tailings including:
     • Ability to stack tailings, eliminating tailings dams
     • Extend the life of existing tailings dams 
     • Water recovery at the thickener with less evaporation and seepage loss from the tailings pond
     • Higher CCD efficiencies with fewer stages and less wash water
     • Paste backfill for improved underground mine productivity and tailings disposal
     • Alternative to the high capital and operating costs of filters