The clarification of washery water and the concentration of tailings by the use of several thickeners in series. The water flows in the opposite direction from the solids. The final products are slurry that is removed as fluid mud and clear water that is reused in the circuit.

What is CCD in mining?

Lixiviation is often followed by a Counter Current Decantation (CCD) circuit to recover the valuable mineral from the gangue. CCD consists of washing the feed slurry in a series of thickeners until the majority of the dissolved metals are removed. The conventional choice for this process has been high-rate thickeners.

What is CCD thickener?

Counter Current Decantation (CCD) thickener circuits are used to recover soluble metal as pregnant liquor solution from ore leach residue. The basis of CCD operation is to concentrate suspended solids thereby minimizing liquor content in underflow slurry that flow in one direction.

What is the counter current decantation (CCD)?

The counter current decantation had been used since 90 years ago in the hydrometallurgical plant. It malfunction can limit the production of the plant. This publication is an upgrade of the publication called “Initiation à la simulation des flowsheet” and gives the procedure of CCD circuit design in the simplest way.

What is counter current decantation in hydrometallurgical plant?

The counter current decantation had been used since 90 years ago in the hydrometallurgical plant. It is currently adopted by all new hydrometallurgical plants located in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo since it is applicable to all products; but its malfunction can limit the production of the plant.

What are the factors affecting the efficiency of countercurrent decantation?

The pulp at each step approaches the discharge end of the mill while the solution goes to the feed end—hence countercurrent decantation. The principal variables that may affect the efficiency of the process are: Grade of ore. Ratio of solution precipitated to ore treated. Thickness at which pulp can be discharged.

Why was Randall’s countercurrent decantation plant not successful?

This is the principle on which all successful countercurrent decantation plants operate at the present time, but Randall’s plant was not successful because of mechanical difficulties in getting a continuous thick discharge from his cone tanks.