Utilização, reúso e gerenciamento da água nas usinas de beneficiamento de minério de ferro

Abstract

The activities in mining processes are connected with the use of water in most of its stages. The knowledge in applying and recycling water is possible through mass, metallurgical and water balancing in which quantify the water flow needed for each operation level. The recovery of water at tailing dams, thickener overflow and the water at the filterer represents a substantial reduction on new water flow acting as process water in stages like screening, grinding, classification, magnetic separation, flotation and plant utilities and services. The development of tools that make possible for the administration of water resources inside the industry is dependent to the legislation concerning this topic as well as new technologies, in which elevates the priority in the conscious use of water. The study presented in this work makes the quantifying of water inside the process plant possible and highlights that the total water required by the mine and plant, 53,07% water was obtained as recovery in the tailings dam, 46,93% from new water flow and 87,67% from the recycling of water from the thickeners overflow, destined to applications in the process, showing that the reutilization of water is indispensable in the mining industry. Reutilizing the water and reducing the generation of liquid waste means reduction of costs acquiring new water, treating industrial waste products, power consumption and contributes to the optimization of all industrial process tree elevating the overall inherent value of its products in the consumer market.