PAM for Mining
Polyacrylamide accelerates tailings settling, enables water recycling, and reduces tailings pond volume across gold, copper, iron ore, and coal operations.
Tailings Thickening & Settling
PAM dramatically accelerates tailings settling in thickeners and ponds. For acidic ore tailings (gold, copper, molybdenum), nonionic PAM is preferred as it remains stable at low pH. For neutral-to-alkaline tailings (iron ore, coal), anionic PAM provides faster settling rates.
Coal Washing
In coal preparation plants, anionic PAM flocculates fine coal slurry in thickeners, enabling clean water recovery for reuse. Typical dosage: 20-50 g/ton of coal. Our medium-molecular-weight APAM achieves 90%+ water recovery in closed-loop systems.
Gold & Copper Mining
Nonionic PAM handles the acidic conditions in gold CIL/CIP circuits and copper heap leach operations. It settles fine particles without interfering with cyanide or acid leaching chemistry. Also used in CCD (counter-current decantation) circuits.
Iron Ore Processing
High-molecular-weight anionic PAM is the standard flocculant for iron ore tailings. It works in both wet magnetic separation circuits and pelletizing plant effluent treatment. Dosage: 30-80 g/ton of ore processed.
PAM Selection by Ore Type
| Ore Type | pH Range | Recommended PAM | Dosage (g/t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold (CIL/CIP) | 10-11 | Nonionic PAM | 20-50 |
| Copper (heap leach) | 1.5-2.5 | Nonionic PAM | 30-60 |
| Iron ore | 7-9 | Anionic PAM 12-18M | 30-80 |
| Coal washing | 6-8 | Anionic PAM 8-12M | 20-50 |
| Phosphate | 7-8 | Anionic PAM 15-20M | 40-80 |
Need PAM for Your Mine?
Send us your tailings water chemistry and we'll recommend the optimal PAM grade and dosage. Free samples available.
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