Associated Event
28th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings
14–16 April 2026 InterContinental Lisbon | Lisbon, Portugal
Rheology Fundamentals for Slurries and Pastes Workshop
17 April 2026 | InterContinental Lisbon | Lisbon, Portugal
Integral to process plant design is identification of the slurry system operating window that allows increased throughput and recovery while safely decreasing capital and operating costs. For any system involving thickening, filtration or paste production, understanding the material rheological and dewatering characteristics is prerequisite to identifying this window and optimal, reliable and safe operation.
Workshop overview
An understanding of slurry and paste rheology or fluid flow, dewatering including thickening and filtration and surface chemistry/rheology interrelationships is fundamental to process system design, optimal operation and risk management.
Investment into an integrated understanding of slurry, dewatering and cake property fundamentals is often insufficient to mitigate against the risk of under- or over-design and poor operating performance.
This workshop will focus on identifying what information is required, how to interpret measured data and how to apply it to new system design and existing operations.
Attendees will learn about slurry physical and chemical properties, how flow and dewatering properties or rheology are measured and how to meaningfully interpret rheological data for viscosity, yield stress, time dependence and dewatering information. This workshop will outline how to apply rheology, dewatering and surface chemistry knowledge to pipeline transport, and thickening and filtration equipment selection and optimal control and operation.
Key learning outcomes
- What constitutes a slurry – slurry physical and chemical properties
- An understanding of rheological properties and their impact on flow and unit operations
- An understanding of dewatering properties and their impact on unit operations, with a focus on pressure filtration and dry
- How slurry flow and dewatering properties are measured and how to meaningfully interpret/use the data
- An understanding the interconnection between flow, dewatering properties and physical/chemical factors on pipeline transport, dewatering and dewatered filter cake behaviour
Who should attend?
- Managers and decision-makers in mining and industrial areas
- Operational, environmental, tailings and maintenance engineers
- Plant designers, and equipment and reagent suppliers
Preliminary Program*
*Program subject to change.
Workshop material
Participants will receive an electronic copy of the presentation materials pre-workshop.
Presenters
Dr Fiona Sofra
Managing Director
Rheological Consulting Services Pty Ltd
Fiona is co-founder and managing director of Rheological Consulting Services Pty Ltd and an honorary fellow of the University of Melbourne. Fiona is an internationally recognised expert in slurry handling and rheology, having consulted to many world leading minerals companies for over 20 years. Fiona’s approach is focused on understanding the complex interrelationships that contribute to rheological phenomena in slurries and pastes and translating these into relevant and valuable inputs for optimal and reliable plant operation.
Emeritus Professor Peter Scales
Director
Rheological Consulting Services Pty Ltd
Peter is an emeritus professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He is a founding director of Rheological Consulting Services Pty Ltd and has over 30 years of academic and industrial experience in particle processing, conducting research and consulting in the areas of slurry flow, particle dispersion, particle flocculation and separations technologies including thickening, filtration and centrifugation.
Dr Ross de Kretser
Technical Consultant
Acclarium Tailings and Solid-Liquid Separations Consulting
Ross has over 25 years’ experience with the mineral processing and water treatment industries in the areas of
solid–liquid separations, slurry surface chemical modification and rheology. This experience has been both in collaborative industrial research at the University of Melbourne, as well as with Rio Tinto in their water, waste and tailings global technical expertise group. In 2016, he founded Acclarium Tailings and Solid-liquid Separation Consulting, focusing on delivering value to the mineral processing industry through a strong integration of
multi-disciplinary practical and fundamental knowledge of tailings dewatering and management.