Abstract
Mine tailings have often to be stabilized by mixing them with cementing agents. In this study, the pore structure of gold tailings stabilized with Portland cement was evaluated by means of mercury intrusion porosimetry. The investigation was conducted on samples prepared with different fractions of tailings and cement as well as on samples activated with elevated temperature curing and chemical (CaCl2) addition. It was observed that all mixed samples exhibit a mono-modal pore size distribution, indicating that the cement-stabilized tailings are characterized by a single-porosity structure. The results also showed that the higher fraction of tailings and cement leads to a dense and finer pore structure. The total porosity of mixture samples decreases with increasing curing temperature and CaCl2 concentration due to the acceleration of hydration reaction.
Highlights
Mine tailings, produced from mineral processing in the mining industry, are ground rock particles after extraction of valuable metals and minerals from orebody
It is attributed to the hydration reaction, which produces cementitious materials in the mixture matrix
The objective of this study is to evaluate the pore structure of the cement-stabilized tailings by in terms ofusing the mercury critical intrusion pore diameter andtechnique
Summary
Mine tailings, produced from mineral processing in the mining industry, are ground rock particles after extraction of valuable metals and minerals from orebody. The tailings are in the form of slurry or paste that are deposited hydraulically in tailings impoundments, which utilize large areas and are costly for management. To reduce the environmental and geotechnical vulnerability, a stabilization-solidification technique, transformed tailings slurry and paste into an inert material by the addition of binders (e.g., cement, lime, fly ash, and inorganic polymer) has been developed and implemented [3,4]. It is attributed to the hydration reaction, which produces cementitious materials in the mixture matrix. The cement hydration can ensure the stabilization of heavy metal contamination within the matrix as well as the formation of a structure within the particle assemblage [5]. The term “ucture” defines the combination of fabric and bonding (inter-particle forces including cementation and electrostatic forces) [6]
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