The invention relates to a method and system for phosphate recovery from a stream such as waste flow, sewage or another sludge stream. The method comprises the steps of: providing an incoming stream comprising an initial amount of phosphate; dosing/controlling iron salt to the stream such that precipitates are formed in the stream, wherein the precipitates comprise vivianite like structures comprising more than 60% of the initial amount of phosphate in the incoming stream, and preferably also the steps of: separating the vivianite like structures from the stream; and recovering the phosphates from the separated vivianite like structures.

Various techniques are provided in relation to flocculation and/or dewatering of thick fine tailings, with shear conditioning of flocculated tailings material in accordance with a pre-determined shearing parameter, such as the Camp Number. One example method of treating thick fine tailings including dispersing a flocculant into the thick fine tailings to form a flocculating mixture; shearing the flocculating mixture to increase yield stress and produce a flocculated mixture; shear conditioning the flocculated mixture to decrease the yield stress and break down flocs, the shear conditioning being performed in accordance with the pre-determined shearing parameter to produce conditioned flocculated material within a water release zone where release water separates from the conditioned flocculated material. The conditioned flocculated material can then be subjected to dewatering, for example by depositing, thickening or filtering. The design, construction and/or operation of a flocculation pipeline assembly can be facilitated.

A mineral recovery system for use in a mining operation is described. The mineral recovery system a thickener includes a process water input, an underflow output having an underflow controller configured to adjust outflow of thickened slurry from the thickener, an overflow output configured to dispense clarified water from the thickener; and a flocculant input and a flocculant dilution input, a thickener controller configured to control an operation of the thickener; and a processor executing a mining operations generated model to issue commands to the thickener controller, based on inputs of sensed conditions, wherein the mining operations model incorporates a thickener sub-model and a material sub-model, wherein the mining operations model is employed to predict a future state of a thickener based on inputs of sensed conditions in the thickener and predictions made by the thickener sub-model and the material sub-model in real time.

The present disclosure relates to recycling automotive phosphate rinse water. An apparatus and method is disclosed for treating process water containing phosphate. The apparatus may include a process water line. The process water line may be in fluid communication with a sample process water line. The sample process water line may be in fluid communication with a dilution line. The sample process water line, the dilution line, and a phosphate analyzer may be in fluid communication with a diluted process water line. The apparatus may also include a chemical additive feed line in fluid communication with the process water line downstream from the sample process water line.

Disclosed herein are graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compounds or polymers, and methods of making and using. Also described herein are tagged compositions including an industrial water source treatment compound or polymer combined with a graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The tagged materials are tailored to fluoresce at wavelengths with minimized correspondence to the natural or “background” fluorescence of irradiated materials in industrial water sources, enabling quantification of the concentration of the water source treatment compound or polymer in situ by irradiation and fluorescence measurement of the water source containing the tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The fluorescence measurement methods are similarly useful to quantify mixtures of tagged and untagged water source treatment compounds or polymers present in an industrial water source.

The invention relates to a method for separating solids and liquids in suspensions, in particular sewage sludge (K), said method working by adding flocculants (F1) and/or flocculating agents. The suspension, in particular the sewage sludge (K), is observed by means of a sensor (S1). In a first method step, flocculants (F1) and/or flocculating agents are added to a first mixing stage (M1) until the sensor (S1) detects the formation of first flocs. The addition of the flocculant (F1) and/or the flocculating agent is then interrupted so that the suspension, in particular the sewage sludge (K), has a defined, specifically a first, floc-comprising state at that moment. The suspension, in particular the sewage sludge (K), is now fed to a further mixing stage (M2, MM). In this further mixing stage (M2, MM), the same (F1) or another (F2, F3) flocculant or flocculating agent is added in a quantity which is predefined and which, starting from the defined state of the suspension, in particular the sewage sludge (K), causes a desired amount of flocs in the suspension, in particular the sewage sludge (K). The resulting mixture is then fed directly or indirectly to a solid/liquid separation system.

Systems and methods for dosing slurries to remove suspended solids from the slurry are disclosed. The systems and methods may be used to dewater slurries having relatively high solids content such as earthen slurries. In some embodiments, the zeta potential of the slurry is monitored by an electroacoustic zeta potential sensor to control coagulant addition.

Systems and methods for dewatering slurries having relatively high solids content such as earthen slurries are disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more transducer devices configured for acoustic spectroscopy and/or electroacoustic spectroscopy are used to determine a parameter related to the particle size distribution (e.g., specific surfaced area) and/or zeta potential of the slurry.

Methods and systems for removal of ions from aqueous fluids are provided. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of removing one or more oxyanions from an aqueous fluid, including the steps of contacting an aqueous fluid containing oxyanions with an aluminum metal whereby aluminum ions are released from the aluminum metal into the aqueous fluid, wherein the one or more oxyanions in the aqueous fluid react with the aluminum ions to form one or more ettringites; controlling a rate of release of the aluminum ions from the aluminum metal; and removing at least a portion of precipitated ettringites from the aqueous fluid.

A method of inhibiting scale in an industrial water system includes the steps of dosing the industrial water system with a water treatment polymer comprising at least 10 mol % of carboxylic acid monomer and a quaternized naphthalimide fluorescent monomer as disclosed herein, and then monitoring the fluorescence of the water system. The polymers are also useful for flocculation and coagulation in wastewater treatment.