Shahrood University of Technology Journal of Mining and Environment 2251-8592 12 3 2021 07 01 An Investigation on Tailing Slurry Transport in Kooshk lead-Zinc Mine in Iran Based on Non-Newtonian Fluid Rheology: an Experimental Study 877 893 2185 10.22044/jme.2021.11105.2093 EN J. Vazifeh Mehrabani Department of Mineral Processing, Faculty of Mining Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran M. Goharkhah Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran Journal Article 2021 08 24 In the current research work, a piping system is designed for slurry transport to the tailing dam in the Kooshk lead-zinc mine, Iran. The experiments are carried out primarily to investigate the rheological behavior of the slurry at different densities and obtain a non-Newtonian model for the shear stress variation with the deformation rate. It is shown that the shear stress of concentrated slurry follows the plastic Bingham model. The results obtained also indicate the increasing trend of the yield stress and the apparent viscosity of the slurry with the density. Appropriate correlations are proposed for the apparent viscosity and yield stress as a function of pulp concentration. At the next step, the required design parameters such as the slurry flow rate, pressure drop, critical velocity, and minimum required head for flow initiation and head losses are calculated for different slurry densities and pipe sizes. The appropriate piping system is finally designed based on the experimental data and the calculated parameters. It is concluded that the 3 in diameter pipe can be used to deliver the slurry with solid concentrations between 44% < C_w< 60% by weight, without a pumping system. https://jme.shahroodut.ac.ir/article_2185_2e7ba565dcf33fb3d7ef58be1633bb12.pdf