techsales@metzix.comPaste Thickener
Thicker underflow, more water recovered, and tailings that can be stacked, pumped or backfilled.
Engineering Overview
A Paste Thickener takes thickening further than a standard high rate thickener. Instead of a runny slurry, it produces a dense paste that keeps its water locked in and does not separate. A high rate thickener’s underflow looks like tomato ketchup, while paste underflow looks like toothpaste.
For tailings and process plants, this means more water returned to the plant, less water lost to ponds and evaporation, and a much smaller storage area. The thick paste can be stacked, pumped to underground backfill, or sent on to filtration. Paste thickeners rely on retention time rather than surface area, so they are built deep to give the solids time to compact. Each unit is custom designed to suit your material and your disposal plan.
Major features available from METZIX Paste Thickeners:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Dense, non-segregating underflow | A thick paste that keeps water bound in the mix and does not separate |
| Deep tank and steep floor | Built tall with a steep cone to compact the solids. Paste designs also add dewatering pickets and a higher torque drive to handle the thick mud. |
| Flocculant and feed dilution system | Helps fine solids settle quickly and compact |
| Automatic control | Holds underflow density steady, even when feed conditions change |
| Clear overflow water | Water that can go straight back into the process |
| Smaller storage footprint | Less space needed for tailings than slurry disposal |
| Custom design | Sized from your slurry characteristics and disposal method |