Smelting And Refining List of Job Titles & Descriptions

Thickener Operator Job Description - Tends thickeners that separate waste solids from ore solutions or water, preparatory to recovery of metal or disposal of waste: Turns valves to regulate flow of mixture into thickeners. Inserts indicator into mixture to measure sludge level. Observes operation of equipment, overflow of concentrated metal solution, and flow of sludge from tank. Breaks up sedimentation in troughs with wooden paddle. Prepares sample of sludge for chemical analysis by weighing sample, adding acid to facilitate settling of solids, and reducing amount of sample to desired proportion in splitter. May titrate sample and compare resultant color with standard chart to test overflow solution for metallic content. May add chemicals to soften water in tanks. May fill out forms for scale readings and details of malfunctions. May be designated according to kind of materials separated as Red-Mud Thickener Operator (smelt. & refin.); Tailing-Thickener Operator (smelt. & refin.).
Thickener Operator Dot Code: 511.485-014