Study on the Factors Affecting the Performance of a Pressure Filtration–Flocculation–Solidification Combined Method for Mud Slurry Treatment

Abstract

A pressure filtration–flocculation–solidification combined treatment possesses great potential for the reutilization of the waste mud slurry generated from diverse construction projects as filling material due to its versatility and high efficiency. However, very limited existing studies have focused on the factors affecting pressure filtration’s efficiency. In this paper, a calculation model for compression filtration is established based on laboratory pressure filtration model tests and one-dimensional large-strain consolidation theory. The influence of various parameters on pressure filtration’s efficiency is analyzed, and favorable values for these parameters are recommended. The results show that an increased initial mud cake thickness significantly increases the dewatering time and reduces the treatment’s efficiency. A lower dewatering time and higher efficiency can be achieved by increasing the filtration pressure, but the efficiency improvements become limited after reaching the critical pressure threshold. For the mud slurry used in this study, the optimal values for the initial mud slurry bag thickness, filtration pressure, and dewatering time are 240 mm, 1.0 MPa, and 30 min, respectively, yielding a final mud cake water content of 58.7% after filtration.