Investigating the drying behaviour of clay-containing slurries

Managing clay-containing slurries during drying process remains a persistent challenge in various industries. Despite challenges of drying clay-containing-slurries, limited information is available. The aim of this study is to explore the drying performance of slurries containing kaolin and bentonite and gain insights into the underlying drying mechanisms. The research presented integrates drying experiments, rheology measurements, settling experiments, zeta potential measurements, FTIR, TGA/DTA, and SEM analysis. Bentonite-containing slurries retained more moisture due to their high-water adsorption capacity, with higher bentonite percentages extending drying times. The addition of Ca2+ ions reduced moisture content by replacing Na+ ions with smaller Ca2+ ions, making the slurries less viscous. The addition of Ca2+ disrupted the gel-like structure of bentonite as confirmed by SEM and FTIR. In contrast, kaolin-containing slurries maintain lower moisture levels owing to the non-swelling structure of kaolinite. SEM showed the formation of agglomerates for kaolin when Ca2+ was added The addition of Ca2+ ions had a subtle impact on drying rates, despite a slight increase in slurry viscosity probably due to the agglomeration of kaolinite particles. Both slurries exhibited three drying phases: rapid drying due to high moisture, a moderate phase with reduced rates, and a final phase of slowed drying as tightly bound moisture was harder to remove. This paper demonstrated the significance of understanding the drying processes of clay-containing slurries to enhance the overall drying efficiency. •Detrimental effect of clays on drying of clay-containing ores was observed.•Three different drying regions were observed for kaolin and bentonite slurries.•The addition of Ca2+ disrupted the gel-like structure of bentonite.•SEM showed the formation of agglomerates for kaolin when Ca2+ was added.•Ca2+ ions significantly improved drying of bentonite slurries but not kaolin slurries.