Abstract
In this study, the particle size distribution and chemical composition of gold mine tailings were examined experimentally. A series of viscosity and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests were used to study the relations between the viscosity of cemented tailings backfill (CTB) slurry, the solid content (SD), and the cement-to-tailings ratio (c/t). Relations between UCS performance of CTB and SD, c/t, and curing time (CT) were discussed while examining the microstructure of 28-day cured backfill with different solid contents. Results illustrate that a major increase in CTB viscosity by increasing the SD leads to the formation of tailings grains for a skeleton formation, which is formed due to consolidation and gravitational forces. The CTB’s strength increases with the increase of c/t, SD, and CT, due to a decrease in water-to-cement ratio and porosity, and an increase in hydration products over time. The SEM micrographs show how CTB’s microstructure is affected by the SD, generating ettringites and calcium silicate hydrates in the backfill matrix. The findings of this study will lead to an efficient CTB mix design for reaching the higher performance in underground mining structures, thereby reducing expenses related to the backfill.
Highlights
After useful metal elements in the underground ore body are separated by various mineral processing techniques on the surface plants, huge amounts of processing tailings are left on mining grounds
A comprehensive understanding of the rheological characteristics of cemented tailings backfill (CTB) throughout the paste operation is required for achieving the desired characteristics for underground backfilling. The rheological such as viscous flow and yield stress are significant for the prediction of deposition
A number of quantitative relationships between the viscosity of the cemented backfill slurry mixes, the solid content (SD), the cement-to-tailings ratio (c/t), and curing time were developed for different CTB samples
Summary
After useful metal elements in the underground ore body are separated by various mineral processing techniques on the surface plants, huge amounts of processing tailings are left on mining grounds. These tailings are most often hazardous and must be efficiently disposed of in order to meet environmental regulations [1,2,3]. The extraction of ore minerals from underground mines results in the creation of voids [6] If these mined-out openings or stopes are not well back-filled in time, they may give rise to the stope collapses, induce surface deformations, and acutely threaten the safety of underground workers and/or equipment [7]. It is very important to safely transfer these problematic tailings into underground voids, which will back-fill the underground mined-out stopes, and reduce the volume and emissions of the environmentally harmful processing tailings to be disposed of causally at the surface on fertile lands
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