%0 Conference Paper %A Meiring, S. %D 2015 %T Thickeners versus centrifuges – a coal tailings technical comparison %P 55-65 %E R. Jewell & A.B. Fourie %C Perth %8 5-7 April %B Paste 2015: Proceedings of the 18th International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings %X Both high-rate thickeners and dewatering centrifuges are used in the application of dewatering coal tailings. Both applications are well advanced and accepted as means to dewater coal. This paper compares a high-rate thickener to a solid bowl centrifuge with respect to numerous process, mechanical, electrical, control, layout and operator variables. Process variables include feed, effluent water discharge, retention time, and centrifuge cake moisture/thickener underflow percent solids. A comparison of a 33 m diameter thickener and a 1.117 m diameter solid bowl centrifuge with respect to g square meters is shared. The suitability of the dewatering application is governed by the properties of the resultant solids mixture. Different ash tailings, particularly those containing clay, presented a challenge to both the operations of the thickener and the centrifuge. A holistic view to the entire process is required. %1 Perth %I Australian Centre for Geomechanics %U https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1504_02_Meiring/ %R 10.36487/ACG_rep/1504_02_Meiring