To enhance the concentration of slurry in ore-dressing plants and clarify water, as well as to increase the hydraulic transport concentration of tailings and the utilization rate of return water, many domestic ore-dressing plants have adopted polyacrylamide flocculants to strengthen the settling and concentration of tailings. The purpose of adding polyacrylamide flocculants is to increase the particle size of settled solid particles, thereby accelerating the settling rate. These flocculants are predominantly polyacrylamide products. Polyacrylamide, abbreviated as PAM, finds its primary applications in the mining and metallurgical industries, covering mining, ore dressing, and metallurgy.

In the process of treating mineral processing wastewater, large amounts of water are required to effectively separate solid minerals from water or aqueous solutions. The use of flocculant products can promote the rapid settling of valuable solid minerals, accelerate the concentration of fine particulate materials, and enhance filtration efficiency, thereby improving separation performance and production efficiency, reducing tailings loss, and lowering costs. Mineral processing plants generate substantial volumes of wastewater, with concentrations of heavy metal ions, suspended solids, and chemical oxygen demand all significantly exceeding national discharge standards. It is therefore essential to treat and reuse tailings wastewater using rational and cost-effective methods, and to purify any wastewater that fails to meet discharge standards.

PAM exhibits both flocculation and selective flocculation properties, making it suitable as both a flocculant and a coagulant aid. Uranium mining is one of the earliest and most significant application areas for polyacrylamide (PAM). Currently in China, PAM is also used in mineral processing for lead mines, gold mines, nickel mines, copper mines, aluminum mines, bauxite mines, and other types of ore deposits.

This is mainly reflected in the dewatering processes during mineral processing, including enhanced dewatering and intensified filtration dewatering, as well as coal washing and coal slime treatment. Regarding the dosage of the flocculant PAM, its amount is primarily related to its concentration. Cost analysis can be conducted through laboratory beaker experiments to screen for suitable polyacrylamide flocculant products, optimize formulations, and effectively address issues associated with flocculant usage.