The aim of this study was to model the bauxite scrubbing of bauxite samples from Miltonia 3, a Vale operation at Pará state, Brazil. The experimental program included the design of a standard laboratory test, from which parameters were derived for predicting the operation of a scrubber in steady state conditions. The amount of fines was determined through screening both feed and product of the scrubbing test. The former was considered as a material characteristic, while the second was the dependent variable, i.e. the result of the scrubbing process. An empirical model was developed according to which the load fraction was found to be the most important variable for the scrubbing process. Residence time was also included in the model due to its importance in designing scrubbers for industrial plants. To validate the model, a comprehensive pilot plant program was carried out with the same bauxite sample from Miltonia 3 deposit used in the laboratory investigations. The comparison between experimental data and model's calculated values indicated a good agreement, as most values were within a ±10% deviation range.
Scrubbing; modeling; bauxite; drum scrubber
