Experimental study on the mechanical properties and cementation mechanism of microbial cemented fine tailings backfill

Abstract

The extensive exploitation of metal mines has resulted in the generation of vast quantities of fine tailings, posing significant environmental challenges such as surface subsidence and deposition. The conventional cemented backfill technology, which has been widely used for tailings processing, requires substantial cement consumption and thus leads to escalated economic costs and carbon emissions. In this paper, we propose a pollution-free alternative, Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) technology, as a promising solution for sustainable mine filling. The study employs microscopic and macroscopic analysis techniques, including laser diffraction particle size (LDPS) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), to investigate the inner structure and mechanical properties of the microbial cemented fine tailing backfill (MCFB). Key parameters such as unconfined compressive strength (UCS), CaCO3 content and porosity are examined, with a focus on the effects of bacterial solution dosage and curing time. The results reveal that the MICP-processed fine tailings exhibit an increase in particle size by approximately 292.1% compared to their original size. Furthermore, MCFB specimens demonstrates significantly enhanced UCS and decreasing porosity under comparable conditions, surpassing the performance of traditional cemented fine tailings backfill (CFB) specimens. Microscopic analysis highlights that the strength development in MCFB predominantly arises from the cementation effects of MICP-induced CaCO3, primarily in the form of calcite, rather than the cementation effects resulting from hydration products (C-S-H) in conventional CFB.