Rapid flocculation and settlement (FS) of mine tailings is significant for the improvement and development of the filling process, whereas the settlement velocity (SV) of tailings in FS has been recognized as a key parameter to evaluate the settlement effect. However, the influence of temperature on the SV and its mechanism have not been studied. FS experiments on tailings with various ambient temperatures were carried out. The SVs of tailings with a solid waste content of 10wt% and an anionic polyacrylamide content of 20 g·t⁻¹ were measured at different temperatures. The SV presented an “N”-shaped variation curve as the temperature changed from 5 to 40°C. The mechanism of these results can be explained from the perspective of the electric double-layer repulsive force, molecular dynamics, and the polymer flocculation principle, as revealed from the scanning electron microscopy of floc particles. The findings will be beneficial in the design of tailings dewatering processes and save costs in the production of cemented paste backfill.

矿山尾矿的快速絮凝和沉降（FS）对充填过程的改进和发展具有重要意义，而矿山尾矿在FS中的沉降速度（SV）已被认为是评估沉降效果的关键参数。但是，尚未研究温度对SV的影响及其机理。在具有不同环境温度的尾矿上进行了FS实验。固体废物含量为10wt％，阴离子聚丙烯酰胺含量为20 g·t ^-1的尾矿的SV在不同温度下测量。当温度从5变为40°C时，SV呈现“ N”形变化曲线。这些结果的机理可以从电双层排斥力，分子动力学和聚合物絮凝原理的角度进行解释，这从絮凝颗粒的扫描电子显微镜可以看出。该发现将对尾矿脱水工艺的设计有益，并节省水泥浆回填的生产成本。