(417f) Development of a Process for Purification of High Tds Copper Mine Pool Water

Battelle, with Winner Global Energy and Environmental Services LLC (Winner), has developed a process that uses Battelle’s Acid Mine Drainage Value Extraction Process (AMD VEP™) for the purification of  copper mine pool water. This Norway-based acid mine drainage (AMD) water represents a surface water contamination source that is damaging to the local fishing industry. The primary contaminants of concern are copper (Cu) and high TDS (especially sulfate), though this water is highly contaminated with other metals (Table 1) necessitating a process capable of producing a water product of sufficient purity to discharge to surface waters. 

Parameter	mg/L	g/100 gal
Pb	0.02	0.00758
Fe	790	299.24
Zn	49.5	18.75
Ni	0.61	0.23115
SO4	4100	1550
Al	208	78.81
Cu	81.4	30.85
Cd	0.17	0.06442

Table 1.  Composition of AMD water

 The AMD VEP is based on Flotation-Liquid Liquid Extraction (F-LLX™) water purification separation technology that has been developed to produce discharge quality water from high TDS mine pool water.  F-LLX, developed for Winner by Battelle for AMD prevention, features high throughput processing rates, high water recovery, no significant waste generation, removal of metals and sulfate ions to dischargeable levels and, further, produces useful product metal and sulfate concentrates.

In order to develop the process, testing was performed in several stages.  The first stage was to use a surrogate water based on the composition of mine pool water provided by the client (Table 1).  Due to Battelle’s experience with both lab and pilot (bench scale) capabilities, the program proceeded directly to bench scale continuous flow conditions of a pilot-prepared surrogate water sample. Based on the positive results of this feasibility study, a subsequent continuous bench scale test program was conducted with the actual mine pool water. The results of this continuous bench scale test were used to determine the process design and operating parameters for a demonstration plant to be constructed in Norway. This presentation will discuss the requirements for purification of the source water, the scope and results of the laboratory testing, and the development of the F-LLX process for the planned demonstration plant.