Rheological characteristics of bauxite slurry with varying concentration, particle size distribution, and modal distribution for pipeline transportation

Abstract

Some of the foremost parameters effecting the slurry rheology, preferably the slurry concentration, particle size distribution, and modal distributions, were studied in the current findings, figuring out the variation in shear stress and apparent viscosity using a rotational rheometer. The particle size considered for the test ranges from fine particle size of −75 µm to coarse particle size of +75–300 µm, separated at varied size fractions of +75–105, +105–150, +150–210, and +210–300 µm. The −75 µm bauxite slurry at 60 wt% has shown a maximum static settled concentration (C_w-max) under gravity after 48 h free settlement. This fine particle slurry at varying concentrations of C_w = 45–65% is discerned to behave like a Non-Newtonian Bingham plastic fluid at lower concentrations, unlike the other coarse fraction bauxite slurries at C_w =  55%, which exhibit shear thickening behavior. The present work carried out adds knowledge on the rheological behavior of bimodal, trimodal, and multimodal with four and five different size fraction bauxite slurries in finding the optimum mass concentration for a particle size fraction of (coarse):(fine), obtained in the ratio (25):(75), (25:25):(50), (25:25:10):(40), and (15:15:15:15):(40), respectively of the total 60 wt%. Certain parameters, like yield stress, consistency index (k), and flow behavior index (n), were estimated upon fitting the modal distributions to the Herschel Bulkley model to choose the best particle size distribution of the bauxite sample showing improved slurry stability, rheology, and flow characteristics.

Keywords:

• Bauxite slurry
• solids concentration
• particle size distribution
• modal distribution
• rheology
• maximum static settled concentration

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Director, CSIR-IMMT, for the consistent support and emboldenment provided to carry out research and publish the paper. The authors also acknowledge the central characterization department of CSIR-IMMT for its characterization facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data will be made available on request.

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02726351.2024.2328459).

Additional information

Funding

The corresponding author (Nosum Reddy) acknowledges AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research), and CSIR-HRDG (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Human Resource Development Group) for providing fellowship under CSIR-GATE-SRF (File No. 31/GATE/09(19)/2021-EMR-I).