Process for dewatering a mineral slurry concentrate and increasing the production of a filter cake

PROCESS FOR DEWATERING A MINERAL SLURRY CONCENTRATE AND INCREASING THE PRODUCTION OF A FILTER CAKE 5 The present invention provides a process for dewatering a mineral slurry concentrate and increasing the production of the resulting filter cake consisting essentially of mixing an aqueous mineral slurry concentrate with an effective amount of a nonionic surfactant and an effective amount of a cationic polymer to form a nonionic surfactant and cationic polymer treated aqueous mineral slurry concentrate, and subjecting the 1o treated aqueous mineral slurry concentrate to a liquid water removal process for dewatering the treated aqueous mineral slurry and for increasing the production of a resulting filter cake of the dewatered mineral slurry. An improved mineral slurry concentrate composition and an improved mineral concentrate filter cake is also disclosed. Fig. I Production vs Filter Cake Moisture at 0.3#/t Dewatering Aid plus Process Aid Compared to No Treatment 140.00 - -- 130,00 125.00- DWAA and PAuli -- DWAAand PAVII 115.00 -A- "no treatment" nu- DWAA 110 00 --- -DW A 9 10 11 12 13 14 Filter Cake /oMoisture