Abstract

Polymeric flocculation represents a widely used approach to accelerate consolidation of fluid fine tailings (FFTs), generated by mining bitumen from oil sands. Questions remain, however, regarding the structure produced by polymer addition, and its evolution over time. Dynamic strain amplitude sweep tests on undisturbed specimens show that flocculation leads to an improvement in stiffness and strength, delays yield, and modifies the damping properties. These effects are attributed to the percolated network formed as the polymer aggregates mineral particles, and further bridges these aggregates. This structure dominates the response of the material and controls the solid-to-fluid transition, which has characteristics typical of a highly networked system. Increasing disturbance causes rapid and irreversible degradation of the response, evidence of the sensitivity of the structure. The data for FFTs from two tailings ponds demonstrate the uniqueness of these materials with differences observed in the response before and after flocculation, and in the water release process.

中文翻译：

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振荡流变学表征流体细尾矿的聚合物絮凝

摘要

聚合物絮凝是一种广泛使用的方法，可以加速流体细尾矿 (FFT) 的固结，这些尾矿是通过从油砂中开采沥青而产生的。然而，关于聚合物添加产生的结构及其随时间演变的问题仍然存在。对未受干扰的试样进行的动态应变振幅扫描测试表明，絮凝可提高刚度和强度，延迟屈服并改变阻尼特性。这些影响归因于聚合物聚集矿物颗粒并进一步桥接这些聚集体时形成的渗透网络。这种结构支配着材料的响应并控制着固体到液体的转变，它具有高度网络化系统的典型特征。增加的干扰会导致响应迅速且不可逆转地退化，结构敏感性的证据。来自两个尾矿池的 FFT 数据证明了这些材料的独特性，在絮凝前后以及水释放过程中观察到的响应存在差异。