Garmsiri, MR & Haji Amin Shirazi, H 2009, 'An Investigation into the Effect of Operational Factors on Tailings Deep Cones Efficiency at Miduk Copper Complex', in R Jewell, AB Fourie, S Barrera & J Wiertz (eds), Paste 2009: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 101-107, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/963_12
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/963_12_Garmsiri/)
Abstract: The significance of dewatering and high capital cost of conventional thickeners considering installations and 
required surface area, lead to deep cone development. In comparison with conventional thickeners, diameter 
to height ratio of deep cones, having shorter diameter and greater depth, requires less area. Thus in spite of 
less surface area requirement, using deep cone results in 20–40% increase in recycled water. Being recently 
innovated, the effect of operational factors on deep cone thickener efficiency has not been reported. In this 
work the effect of sludge depth and flocculant dosage on underflow concentration of deep cones of Miduk 
copper complex was investigated. Then the effect of feed rate variation and feed solids per cent on deep cone 
efficiency was studied. It is shown that 4m increase in sludge depth contributed to 4% increase in underflow 
solids concentration. Increasing flocculant dosage resulted in decreasing underflow solids per cent, however 
in comparison with the effect of sludge depth, its impact is not considerable. In addition, 0.6% increase in 
feed solids per cent resulted in about 1% increase in underflow solids per cent. It is concluded that there is 
an optimum level for feed solids concentration, above which hindered settling is responsible for a reduction 
in settling rate and hence disturb deep cone operation, however its impact on underflow solids per cent is 
desirable.