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Tailings and Mine Waste Conference
Experimental Evaluation of Acid Mine Drainage Potential for Cemented Paste Backfill Jamil, Mohammad Shafaet; Marsh, Michael; Butt, Stephen
Abstract
Safe environmental management of sulfide-bearing tailings material is a significant concern for mining operations. Iron sulfides (mostly pyrite and pyrrhotite) are common in sulfide-bearing mining waste materials. Surface disposal of these waste materials will lead to oxidation in the presence of air and water, eventually generating acid mine drainage (AMD). The utilization of tailings using the cemented paste backfilling method eliminates the necessity of storing most of the tailings on the surface, reducing the environmental footprint. In this study, static and kinetic testing were conducted on the tailings and cemented past backfill mixture to evaluate the potential of acid mine drainage. From the performed static test on the tailings sample through the Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) method, the results of the net neutralization potential and the ratio of neutralization potential to acid potential show that the tailings material will be acid-generating. An X-Ray diffraction (XRD) test was conducted on the tailings sample for composition analysis. Kinetic tests measure the dynamic performance or reactivity of excavated and exposed materials over time. The column leach testing setup in the laboratory is designed to observe the weekly wet-dry and leaching cycles of cemented paste backfill (CPB) mixtures. The 6-inch diameter by 12-inch long cylindrical PVC columns are filled with CPB materials. The mixture contains tailings, Portland cement, and water. The test set-up was designed following a components matrix, in which six columns contained CPB mixtures and two columns contained tailings only. The columns are wetted by applying deionized water from the surface, and the leachate water is collected for measurement in a container located at the base. To simulate the drying environment of natural weather, heat lamps at the top are used to ensure sample drying between test solution applications. Typically, the test solution was applied weekly and the leachates were collected every week. For over fifty weeks, the pH and electrical conductivity were measured and analysed weekly on the percolated water for potential AMD evaluation. In the control column, it was observed that the pH value transitioned towards acidic within the first few weeks of measurements. During the initial week of measurements on cemented columns, the compacted samples showed higher pH values than the uncompacted samples. In the first few weeks, the cemented columns showed pH values around 10 to 12. Then in later weeks, the pH values gradually started to stabilize around 6 to 8.
Item Metadata
Title |
Experimental Evaluation of Acid Mine Drainage Potential for Cemented Paste Backfill
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Creator | |
Contributor | |
Date Issued |
2023-11
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Description |
Safe environmental management of sulfide-bearing tailings material is a significant concern for mining operations. Iron sulfides (mostly pyrite and pyrrhotite) are common in sulfide-bearing mining waste materials. Surface disposal of these waste materials will lead to oxidation in the presence of air and water, eventually generating acid mine drainage (AMD). The utilization of tailings using the cemented paste backfilling method eliminates the necessity of storing most of the tailings on the surface, reducing the environmental footprint. In this study, static and kinetic testing were conducted on the tailings and cemented past backfill mixture to evaluate the potential of acid mine drainage. From the performed static test on the tailings sample through the Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) method, the results of the net neutralization potential and the ratio of neutralization potential to acid potential show that the tailings material will be acid-generating. An X-Ray diffraction (XRD) test was conducted on the tailings sample for composition analysis. Kinetic tests measure the dynamic performance or reactivity of excavated and exposed materials over time. The column leach testing setup in the laboratory is designed to observe the weekly wet-dry and leaching cycles of cemented paste backfill (CPB) mixtures. The 6-inch diameter by 12-inch long cylindrical PVC columns are filled with CPB materials. The mixture contains tailings, Portland cement, and water. The test set-up was designed following a components matrix, in which six columns contained CPB mixtures and two columns contained tailings only. The columns are wetted by applying deionized water from the surface, and the leachate water is collected for measurement in a container located at the base. To simulate the drying environment of natural weather, heat lamps at the top are used to ensure sample drying between test solution applications. Typically, the test solution was applied weekly and the leachates were collected every week. For over fifty weeks, the pH and electrical conductivity were measured and analysed weekly on the percolated water for potential AMD evaluation. In the control column, it was observed that the pH value transitioned towards acidic within the first few weeks of measurements. During the initial week of measurements on cemented columns, the compacted samples showed higher pH values than the uncompacted samples. In the first few weeks, the cemented columns showed pH values around 10 to 12. Then in later weeks, the pH values gradually started to stabilize around 6 to 8.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2023-12-08
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives 4.0 International
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0438143
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URI | |
Affiliation | |
Peer Review Status |
Unreviewed
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Scholarly Level |
Other
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Rights URI | |
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives 4.0 International