BACKFILL PASTE PRODUCTION FACILITY AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HIGH DENSITY SLURRY AND PASTE BACKFILLS

摘要

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing high densityslurry and paste backfills for use in mining operations and to associatedbackfill paste production facilities which incorporate the aforesaid methodand apparatus. The high density slurry or paste is produced from a milltailings mixture in a silo (11) which includes a percolation/decant device(12) for percolating water out of the mill tailings mixture and for decantingclarified water (64) from atop the settled tailings (66). While settlingoccurs, air is introduced from the bottom (13) of the silo (11) to agitate themixture to ensure substantially homogeneous settlement of the solids. Oncesettled, the resultant high density slurry or paste is fluidized by air inorder to give the paste more readily flowable characteristics. The flowablepaste can then be mixed with a setting agent and pumped or transported to themine site to be used as a settable backfill.