Improvement of operation of tailings storage facilities at mining and processing plants

Abstract

Purpose. To study the schemes of transportation of iron ore enrichment tailings for their storage in the mined-out space of the spent mines in conditions of increased production of iron ore concentrate. The methods. The results of the study were obtained by means of a feasibility study for the comparison of five different schemes of transportation of enrichment tailings: rail transport, belt conveyor, rope-belt conveyor, tubular conveyor, pipeline. A comparative assessment of capital costs, annual operating costs and the number of employees of the process of transportation and storage of enrichment tailings in the mined-out space of the spent mine was carried out. Findings. The issue of transportation of iron ore enrichment tailings in conditions of open development of mineral deposits is considered. Different types of transport were considered from the point of view of delivery and storage of enrichment tailings. It has been established that the most effective modes of transport, from the point of view of cost reduction and environmental protection, are a tubular conveyor for transporting dry mass and a pipeline for pulp. It has been established that in some cases –provided there is a corresponding technological necessity –it is advisable to use the lower branch of the tubular conveyor for transportation. The originality. The dependence of capital and annual operating costs for the transportation and storage of enrichment tailings in the spent pit on the considered options for transportation by rail transport, belt conveyor, rope-belt conveyor, tubular conveyor, and pipeline was established. The dependence of the change in the number of workers involved in the process of transportation and storage of enrichment tailings on the scheme of their transportation has been established. Practical implementation. Reasonable conditions for the use of a tubular conveyor for the transportation of enrichment tailings to the produced space of the spent pit and to the beneficiation factory are substantiated. In schemes that provide for the reprocessing of enrichment tails, both branches of the tubular conveyor can be used as transport: the lower and the upper.