A processing method for perennially and deeply polluted sludge containing oils and water, waste residues, or oil sands in natural oil mines, and a processing system thereof. In the method, a solid substance containing oils and water is in full contact with an organic liquid solvent with a low boiling point and a weak polarity or no polarity at room temperature under pressurized condition to extract oil and water from the solid substance to the liquid, the organic solvent with low boiling point and low latent heat is easily separated from oil and water in the liquid after solid-liquid separation by decompression or heating evaporation, the gas solvent is compressed and condensed for recycling, the extracted oil and water are subjected to oil-water separation, and the extracted oil may be used as fuel or used for refining.

A processing method for perennially and deeply polluted sludge containing oils and water, waste residues, or oil sands in natural oil mines, and a processing system thereof. In the method, a solid substance containing oils and water is in full contact with an organic liquid solvent with a low boiling point and a weak polarity or no polarity at room temperature under pressurized condition to extract oil and water from the solid substance to the liquid, the organic solvent with low boiling point and low latent heat is easily separated from oil and water in the liquid after solid-liquid separation by decompression or heating evaporation, the gas solvent is compressed and condensed for recycling, the extracted oil and water are subjected to oil-water separation, and the extracted oil may be used as fuel or used for refining.

An apparatus, method and system is provided for treating sewage sludge by dewatering the sewage sludge, heating the sewage sludge being treated to destroy pathogens, and then reducing volatile solids in the sewage sludge being treated through biochemical decomposition to produce a treated biosolids product that meets government regulations for pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction.

The present disclosure is generally related to the separation of liquids from solids and for the recovery of solids and/or liquids from slurries. In some embodiments, liquids are separated from solids by applying a reduced pressure. In some embodiments, slurries are flowed by applying a pressure gradient. In some embodiments, an apparatus is provided that comprises a channel, an inlet, an outlet, and one or more ports. One or more ports may be constructed and arranged to apply a pressure differential and/or a reduced pressure to the channel. Such systems and methods may, in some embodiments, facilitate continuous manufacturing of solid products.

A method of treating process water of a flotation plant is disclosed. The flotation plant comprises a mineral flotation line and a process water circuit for treating underflow and/or overflow of the flotation line. The process water circuit comprises a gravitational solid-liquid separator for dewatering underflow and/or overflow of the mineral flotation line to separate sediment from supernatant comprising at least water and unrecovered fine particles comprising valuable material; and a recover water tank for collecting process water. According to the method, prior to leading supernatant from the gravitational solid-liquid separator into the recover water tank, it is subjected to cleaning flotation, in which at least 90% of the flotation gas bubbles have a size from 0.2 to 250 μm, in a cleaning flotation unit. An arrangement for treating process water of a flotation plant, and its use are also disclosed.

A thickener for dewatering fluids having a vessel with a central well extending proximate a top portion of the vessel to a lower cone-shaped portion, a hindered settling zone, and a compressible sediment layer zone within the lower cone-shaped portion. Eductors housed in inlet wells have an inlet nozzle and a mixing tube to receive slurry to be treated and clear fluid to be mixed with the slurry. The fluid from the eductors is directed in counter circular paths via circular chambers situated proximate the inlet wells, such that fluid flowing in each direction collides and forms turbulence within the central well. Resultant fluid is directed into a lamella-type separator circumferentially located about a portion of the central well, having layered fluid paths directed radially outwards from said center longitudinal axis and upwards towards said vessel top portion through a conical, inclined fluid path, plate structure. The eductors are adjustable with a movable iris for limiting the amount of clear fluid exiting the eductor.

A thickener for dewatering fluids having a vessel with a central well extending proximate a top portion of the vessel to a lower cone-shaped portion, a hindered settling zone, and a compressible sediment layer zone within the lower cone-shaped portion. Eductors housed in inlet wells have an inlet nozzle and a mixing tube to receive slurry to be treated and clear fluid to be mixed with the slurry. The fluid from the eductors is directed in counter circular paths via circular chambers situated proximate the inlet wells, such that fluid flowing in each direction collides and forms turbulence within the central well. Resultant fluid is directed into a lamella-type separator circumferentially located about a portion of the central well, having layered fluid paths directed radially outwards from said center longitudinal axis and upwards towards said vessel top portion through a conical, inclined fluid path, plate structure. The eductors are adjustable with a movable iris for limiting the amount of clear fluid exiting the eductor.

A process for treating a tailings stream comprising water, solids, and optionally polyacrylamide. The process involves (a) contacting the tailings stream with a silicate source for a pre-determined period of time to form a mixture; b) after a pre-determined period of time of at least 5 minutes, contacting the mixture with an activator to initiate gel formation, wherein the gel entraps the solids within the gel; and c) allowing the gel to strengthen and solidify; wherein the gel formation is delayed compared with a non-delayed process.

Disclosed herein are processes for treating high-P fluid involving (1) providing a high-P containing stream; (2) chemically treating the high-P stream such that a majority of dissolved P in the stream is transformed into a solid form via sorption of P onto particles placed or precipitated within the stream; and (3) removing the solid form containing P from the chemically treated fine solids stream, such that >about 90% of the total P is removed from the high-P fluid. Also disclosed are systems for treating a high-P stream, the systems involving (1) a chemical treatment station operable to chemically treat and transform equal to or greater than about 90% of dissolved P in a high-P stream into a solid form; and (2) a liquid-solid separator station operable to remove the solid form containing P from the chemically treated high-P stream.

An apparatus for recovering nutrients or water from digestate comprises one or more solid-liquid separation units, an ammonia stripping device, and a gas scrubbing unit. In a process, digestate is separated into a solids portion and a liquid portion. Ammonia is stripped from the liquid portion and converted into an ammonium salt solution which may be sold or used as, or blended with, a fertilizer product. Optionally, at least part of the remaining liquid portion may be concentrated to produce brine. The brine is mixed with the solids portion. The mixture may be dried and used as, or blended with, a fertilizer product. Optionally, a least part of the remaining liquid portion may be re-used as dilution water in a digester. A solids portion of the digestate, and one or both of an ammonium salt solution and a brine, may be used as fertilizer without thermal drying.