First Principles Modelling of Mine Wastewater Treatment

In keeping with the MetPlant 2023 conference theme of “World’s Best Practice in Metallurgical Plant Design and Operating Strategies”, we demonstrate how SysCAD with the PHREEQC Thermodynamic Calculation Engine (TCE) interface can predict the performance of a traditional mine wastewater treatment plant using a two-stage ferric-lime process. Using a model framework based upon fundamental thermodynamic principles, free energy minimisation calculations are used to determine multiphase equilibrium. These results include solids precipitation and multicomponent, multi-surface adsorption.

• Provide insight into wastewater treatment costs associated with the processing of ores of varying grades and contaminant loadings.
• Identify process risks, providing operators and designers with focus areas for test work and technology selection.
• Predict important parameters such as effluent volume and quality, and water treatment sludge mineralogy.
• Serve as a design, operations, and teaching tool to improve understanding of the impacts of process conditions, equipment performance and other factors on plant KPIs.

The SysCAD TCE interface add-on allows for seamless communication with a range of thermodynamic packages, including PHREEQC, AQSol, OLI and ChemApp. Combined with the significant chemical process simulation capabilities of SysCAD for both steady state and dynamic, these TCEs provide a means to perform targeted first-principles calculations as needed. This approach balances chemical model complexity with computational efficiency for full plant process simulation.

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Design | Operate | Optimise