Beneficiation Tailings Research Articles

Comprehensive assessment of the earth’s surface state disturbed by mining and ways to improve the situation: case study of Kryvyi Rih Iron-ore Basin, Ukraine

IntroductionComplex mineral mining leads to critical earth’s surface disturbance and environmental pollution from industrial waste. This research aims to comprehensively study, assess and show the current scale of the earth’s surface disturbances in the largest mining region of Ukraine – the Kryvyi Rih. Iron-ore Basin and suggests ways to improve the situation based on backfill technologies for the earth’s surface rehabilitation and industrial waste utilization.MethodsTo identify the forms of surface disturbance, their parameters, and spatial location, satellite images of the region, government statistical data, and a geographic information system software suite were studied. An analysis of the effectiveness of existing reclamation measures for technogenic voids in the region was carried out, and a new concept of surface restoration was proposed using beneficiation tailings, which are difficult to utilize in the region.ResultsIt has been determined that the contribution of the Kryvyi Rih Iron-ore Basin to waste generation is 92.08% of the total volume of waste accumulations in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 65.5% in Ukraine as a whole, amounting to 10.7 billion tons. It is determined that 65.25% of the total disturbed land area is industrial waste, 34.76% – quarry cavities and mine failure zones, occupying 49% of the Kryvyi Rih city area. An analysis of waste accumulation density in allotted areas shows that per 1 m2 of land area, on average, 183.5 tons of dump waste rocks and 73.5 tons of beneficiation tailings are placed. Disposal of beneficiation tailings is recognized as a priority, because their utilization is slower, occupy the largest area, creating a risk of dams breaching and intense dusting from tailings dams surface, threatening the environment and public health. For the first time in Ukraine, a concept for the earth’s surface rehabilitation for various industrial purposes has been developed based on paste backfill technologies.DiscussionPaste backfill technology implementation is prioritized in the central and northern parts of the city, which can dispose of at least 65–70 million tons of waste in cavities and reclaim about 200 ha of land. The research results are valuable for the development of strategies or programs to overcome the technogenic-ecological crisis in the city. The rehabilitated earth’s surface can be usefully involved in various infrastructure projects for the development of the industrial and economic potential of an industrial city such as Kryvyi Rih.

Optimization of joint electric smelting of the Shalkiya sulfide ore and its beneficiation tailings with medium-silicon ferrosilicon production

Optimization of joint electric smelting of the Shalkiya sulfide ore and its beneficiation tailings with medium-silicon ferrosilicon production

Multi-year in situ hydrogeochemical monitoring of hard rock lithium mine tailings in a large-scale experimental pile

Spodumene, a lithian mineral found in granitic pegmatites, is a major source of lithium. In situ, multi-year and large-scale (>10s of tons) predictive hydrogeochemical studies can be of great value for informing mine waste rock and tailings management, not least because the material is exposed to the actual climate where it is meant to be stored. However, such studies are rare given their cost and size, and previous ones have focused mainly on sulfide-bearing materials. An experimental field cell filled with spodumene beneficiation tailings was built at the Whabouchi lithium mine site in northern Québec (Canada) and monitored during four consecutive years. In parallel, column laboratory kinetic testing on the same material was conducted for water quality parameters to compare the effect of testing scales on the geochemical behavior. Geochemical results and release rates were overall similar between laboratory and field, and consistent with previously published laboratory results for materials from the same site. The leachates were neutral to slightly alkaline, with ions from feldspars (Ca > Na > K) and residual spodumene (Li) being notable solutes. Concentrations for most solutes surveyed remained higher in the field after four years than in columns at the end of the experiment. One major difference between laboratory and field was a brief (less than 2 years) increase in iron concentrations from the field cell, resulting in Fe-oxyhydroxides precipitation, that was not observed in laboratory. The source of this iron is arguably residual ferrosilicon (used for dense medium separation) and this difference is attributed to the different testing conditions and configurations in the laboratory versus in situ. Field hydrogeological results highlight strong seasonal patterns and the rapid response of this sand-like, sulfide-poor material to ambient temperature changes and wetting-drying events. The tailings both wet and drain rapidly and easily given their water retention curve and the range of matrix suctions recorded during frost-free months. Net infiltration through the tailings was estimated to represent 55% of total precipitation in summer (June–October) 2021. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental behavior of hard rock lithium mine tailings under real, sub-arctic climatic conditions and outlines similarities and differences between laboratory- and field-generated geochemical results.

ОТХОДЫ ОБОГАЩЕНИЯ ЖЕЛЕЗИСТЫХ КВАРЦИТОВ КАК СТРУКТУРНЫЙ КОМПОНЕНТ МЕЛКОЗЕРНИСТОГО БЕТОНА

The article describes problematic situation with waste accumulation from iron ore concentrate production (beneficiation tailings) from ferruginous quartzite at JSC Olkon (Murmansk Region). The task is to utilize beneficiation tailings as a fine-grained concrete component. The paper presents results of beneficiation tailings diagnostics and their testing as a part in the processes of fine-grained concrete structure formation in comparison with quartz sand from the Olenegorsk quarry. According to the research, the replacement of natural sand with beneficiation tailings in their original form leads to a decrease in strength due to insufficient compaction of mixture under adopted vibration compaction modes. At the same time, the use of ground beneficiation tailings in binder composition ensures increase in strength of concrete compared to concrete on "pure" cement and increase of efficiency by using clinker part of binder in formation of concrete strength by 57-58%. The study recommends the use of fine-grained concrete composition of class B40 for production of vibration-pressed urban land improvement products (paving slabs, curbstones, etc.). It reveals prospects for further research in construction and technological utilization of ferruginous quartzite enrichment tailings as a factor in the formation of biosphere-compatible living environment in the region.

Characterization of Nickel in Chromite Beneficiation Tailings by Mineral Liberation Analysis and Its Recovery by H2SO4 Leaching Followed by Oxalic Acid Precipitation

Characterization of Nickel in Chromite Beneficiation Tailings by Mineral Liberation Analysis and Its Recovery by H2SO4 Leaching Followed by Oxalic Acid Precipitation

Recovery of rare earths and niobium from a potash feldspar ore beneficiation tailings

In this paper, a hydrometallurgy process was investigated for recovering rare earths (REs) and niobium (Nb) from a potash feldspar ore beneficiation tailings. Firstly, the REs and Nb could be leached from potash feldspar ore beneficiation tailings by sulfuric acid roasting-water leaching process, and the effects of the roasting temperature, roasting time, sulfuric acid addition, leaching temperature, ratio of solid to liquid and leaching time for REs and Nb leaching rate were investigated, and the REs and Nb leaching rate could reach to 89.9% and 80.6% respectively at the optimum test conditions. Then, the REs was removed from the leaching liquor by adding HF, the precipitation rate could reach to 91.53%. The rare earths fluoride (REF3) with the purity 60.51% was obtained, and the REs recovery rate reached to 70.6%. Finally, the Nb was recovered by solvent extraction with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), Nb extraction rate could be reached 99.59%. The loaded organic phase could be stripped easily, nearly all niobium was stripped using 0.5 M sulfuric acid as strip liquor. The Nb2O5 products with the Nb2O5 content 87.61% was obtained by ammonia precipitation-roasting process, and the recovery Nb was 76.31% in the whole process.

Use of clay-containing waste as pozzolanic additives

Growing productivity of mining and processing enterprises entails an increase in the volumes of liquid tailings impoundments and upstream impoundments of ore processing waste. Enterprises face the challenge of minimizing the environmental impact of waste and guaranteeing the sanitary and epidemiological safety of population. The article presents a possibility of recycling one type of such waste (clay-containing concentration tailings of apatite-nepheline and sylvinite ores, coal beneficiation tailings) by using them after preliminary thermochemical treatment as pozzolanic additives to cements and concretes, including concrete mixtures used for soil stabilization, development of territories, reclamation of mine workings, as a component of the insulating layer of landfills for the disposal of municipal solid waste. An analysis of the phase changes of kaolinite, one of the main minerals that make up clay-containing waste, in the temperature range of 200-1,000 °С showed that a change in its mineral form during heat treatment is the main factor in changing its pozzolanic activity. The effect of heat treatment of clay minerals at temperature of 700-800 °C on their pozzolanic activity, estimated by the ability to absorb calcium hydroxide (0.7 g Ca(OH)2 per 1 g of modified kaolinite), is considered. It is shown that the addition of heat-treated samples (20 % by weight) improves the quality of cement increasing its activity by 15 %, in comparison with the use of unmodified clay minerals. It was proved experimentally that partial replacement of Portland cement with thermally modified kaolinite increases the strength of consolidating stowing mixture by up to 15 %. This approach to processing of ores containing layered silicates, which provides for thermochemical modification of run-of-mine ore, intensifies the processes of tailings thickening and filtering.

Study of the composition and properties of the beneficiation tailings of currently produced loparite ores

The increase in demand for rare earth metals and the depletion of natural resources inevitably causes the need to search for alternative unconventional sources of rare metal raw materials. The article presents the results of a study of the composition and properties of the beneficiation tailings of currently produced loparite ores. Sieve, mineralogical, chemical, and radionuclide analyses were carried out. The average content of loparite in tailings was determined. Using scanning electron microscopy, minerals-concentrators of rare earth elements in the loparite ore beneficiation tailings were diagnosed. The distribution of valuable components and thorium in the tailings was determined depending on the particle size class. The radium-thorium nature of radioactivity was established, the values of the effective specific activity of the samples were calculated. We concluded that it is necessary to develop an integrated technology for processing the beneficiation tailings of loparite ore, due to the complex and heterogeneous mineral and chemical composition of the tailings material.

Study on Natural Settlement Index Characteristics of Iron-Bearing Tailings Applied to Goaf Filling Treatment

In order to provide a technical basis for the subsequent concentration and utilization of the tailings treatment process in an iron ore mine, and to achieve the objectives of cost reduction and sustainable development, the settling concentration and settling capacity of a tailings slurry with an initial concentration of 40% in its natural state were tested in conjunction with the pumping supply concentration index of the beneficiation tailings slurry in a metal mine. The test results show that the iron ore tailings particles settle at an overall fast rate: basically, within 10 to 20 min they are able to reach or approach 85 to 99.5% of the final settling state-related index. During the settling process in the fixed container, at first, the clarified water at the top of the tailings slurry is very turbid. With the passage of time, the clarified water gradually becomes blurred and clear from turbidity, and the interface between the slurry and the water gradually becomes clearer. From the phenomena observed during the settling process and the test parameters such as the net increase in clear water and slurry variation, the maximum settling concentration and settling capacity indicators of 50% and 90% can be reached or approached in 5.5 to 7.25 and 10.5 to 15.5 min after settling, and the maximum settling concentration and settling capacity can be reached or approached in 10 to 20 min after the settling process. As the settling tests and observations continued, the relevant settling parameters basically reached the final settling state within the time period of 20 to 1440 min, during which the settling concentration of the tailing sand was 71.33 to 73.42% and the settling capacity was 1.85 to 1.91 g/cm3. It can be judged from the test results that the natural settling of the low concentration tailings slurry can meet the technical specifications required for the filling process, and that the natural settling and concentration of dewatering can save the costs of the relevant facilities and flocculation chemicals, and therefore has good technical and economic feasibility.

Reprocessing of ore heap leach tailings at the Vasilkovsky GOK, Kazakhstan

Purpose. Representation in a generalized form of the conducted research on the development of technology for heap leaching of gold-bearing tailings at the Vasilkovsky GOK (Altyntau Kokshetau), which can be used to recover gold from technogenic deposits in Kazakhstan. Methods. The research on the gold recovery from the ore beneficiation tailings at the Vasilkovsky deposit is conducted using direct cyanidation. Experiments are performed in open heat-resistant beakers equipped with a mechanical agitator. The preparation of the material for cyanidation consists of the following operations, such as grinding, water washing and alkaline treatment followed by cyanidation. The optimal cyanidation parameters are determined by performing a series of experiments with a change in one parameter at a constant value of others. After the optimal process duration is determined, a series of experiments are conducted with a change in the solids content in the pulp of 20, 25, 33, 50 and 100%. The concentration of cyanide in the solution is 0.1-1.0 g/dm3. The concentration of sodium thiosulphate in the cyanide solution is 0.5-5.0 g/dm3. The process temperature varies within 20, 30, and 40°С. The content of the nutrient medium is the sodium thiosulphate for the used culture T10. Findings. It has been determined that with an increase in the solids content in the pulp, the degree of gold recovery from tai-lings increases, reaching a maximum of 97.5%, with a ratio of (solid : liquid) S:L = 1:1. When the solids content in the pulp is below 50%, a longer agitation leaching of the pulp is required to achieve a recovery of at least 85-90%, which, in turn, leads to high operating costs. Originality. For the first time it has been found that the optimal solids content for maximum gold recovery in the pulp can be considered 50% (or S:L = 1:1). Practical implications. Increasing the solids content in the pulp contributes to the duration of the solvent contact with the ore mass, which allows the use of less concentrated solutions of the leaching agent.

Increasing the efficiency of iron ore raw materials beneficiation by separation in an increased magnetic field

Application of the technology with the use of drum separators with increased magnetic field induction (0.3 T) in the initial operations of beneficiation schemes for magnetite and titanomagnetite ores is considered. The technology makes it possible to reduce losses of iron from beneficiation tailings and the iron content in them during dry and wet magnetic separation (DMS, WMS-1) and for the scheme as a whole. When beneficiating titanomagnetite ore, the concentrate yield increases (by 0.22–0.53%) and the extraction of iron into concentrate (by 0.77–1.68%). When beneficiating ferrous quartzites, the concentrate yield increases (by 0.91%) and the extraction of iron into concentrate (by 1.07%). Concentrate production operating costs are unchanged. The disadvantage of this technology is a slight decrease in the iron content in the concentrate, associated with an increase in the load on the mills of the first and second stages of grinding. Therefore, the technology with the use of separators with increased magnetic field induction in DMS and WMS-1 operations can be considered for concentration plants that have the ability to increase the productivity of mills to ensure a given content of the class – 0.071 mm in concentrate. Drum (pulley) separators with the top feeding of material and Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet systems, can be used in beneficiating schemes for weakly magnetic minerals, for example, ilmenite and some manganese-containing minerals. With dry magnetic beneficiation of ilmenite middlings with a content of 20.7% TiO2, a concentrate with a content of 48.28% TiO2 was obtained. Dry concentration of lowquality gravity manganese concentrate with 33.19% Mn resulted in a concentrate with 38.40% Mn.

Leaching Behavior of Lithium-Rich Beneficiation Tailings in Caustic Solution

Leaching Behavior of Lithium-Rich Beneficiation Tailings in Caustic Solution

Environmental protection of a coal-mining region

Research objective is to substantiate the relevance of mining transition to eco-friendly technologies of subsurface use. Methods of research include analyzing theory and practice of environmental technologies application and carrying out a multifactor experiment. Results. An efficiency criterion for mineral resources extraction technologies is proposed that involves reducing the effect made by the by-products of mining and processing enterprises on the state of the environment. The problem is considered of minimizing the environmental damage from storing silt coal in dumps and storages by utilizing their components. The mechanism of environmental pollution has been formulated. Aspects of metal recovery from beneficiation tailings in a disintegrator mill are investigated. A reduced threat to living matter is predicted by implementing the concept of radical waste-free processing of substandard mineral raw materials. The need to improve the processes of crushing, fine grinding, and classification of minerals in mills to reduce the waste of coal production, harmful to the environment, is noted. Conclusions and scope of the results. Deteriorated conditions of mineral deposits development raise the risk of man-made impact on the environment in coal-mining regions. The global human population grows resulting in increased resources production to respond to resource needs. The growing threat to living matter can be reduced by radical measures, the non-waste processing of substandard mineral raw materials being the priority. The research results can be helpful in the development of deposits of solid metal-containing technologically exposed ores

Processing of Anthropogenic Waste of Smelters of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company


 
 
 The industrial sites of the smelters of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company have accumulated a lot of anthropogenic waste, the processing of which is currently economically impractical. These primarily include tailings and beneficiation tailings, as well as waste granulated and copper smelting slag. This article conducts studies on technologies for x-ray-radiometric/magnetic separation enrichment of discard slags of MMSK as well as using jigging machines. Slag and slag enrichment tailings are used for cement production and road construction. For complex processing of fine copper smelting dusts OJSC Chelyabinsk zinc plant developed, tested and implemented a special technology. After implementation of ”Actions to process industrial waste generated by UMMC enterprises at metallurgical enterprises of UMMC-Holding Corp.”, the following were noted: concentrators and special beneficiation facilities process slag; R&D on complete processing of concentrator’s tailings was conducted; smelting dust was not stored but processed in full; the technology of implementing Waelz process for processing of steel smelting dust has been developed and commercially tested; the technology for extraction of copper and precious metals from pyrite dross is to be improved.
 
 
 
 Keywords: anthropogenic waste, dust, tailings, slag, pyrite dross
 
 
 
 
 

Study on the technology of preparing foamed cement insulation board by using beneficiation tailings

In order to reuse the tailings of beneficiation, a novel method which mixes and foams cement, micronized tailings powder, calcium stearate, polycarboxylic acid superplasticizer, early strength superplasticizer, HPMC and hydrogen peroxide under certain conditions is proposed in this work. The results showed that the best ratio is as follows: water temperature 50°C, hydrogen peroxide content 6.5%, water to material ratio 0.5, early strength water reducing agent 1.5%, HPMC4/10000, polycarboxylic acid superplasticizer 0.1%, calcium stearate 1.6%, 17% of tailings fine powder. The foamed cement compressive strength is 0.71MPa, dry density less than 260 kg/m3, and no collapse phenomenon, which guarantees good performance.

Use of coal beneficiation tailings as solid sorbents in the treatment of nitrate-contaminated real wastewater

This work evaluates the application efficiency of coal tailings beneficiation as a solid sorbent in the treatment of real wastewater contaminated with nitrate. The solid was characterized by XDR, SEM, FTIR and TGA. Adsorption experiments were performed in batch evaluating the effects of pH, solids concentration and contact time parameters. The kinetics of nitrate adsorption was evaluated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. Equilibrium isotherms for this system were analyzed at three different temperatures (298, 308 and 318 K) by Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips models. The best results from the adsorption experiments were pH 6, contact time of 60 min and 1 g 100 mL−1 of solid. The thermodynamics model that best described the behavior of the process was Sips. By applying these conditions to real wastewater, a nitrate removal of 93% was achieved. This result shows that adsorption using coal beneficiation tailings is technically possible.

Rare Earth Occurrences in Streams of Processing a Phosphate Ore

Rare earth elements (REEs) are defined as lanthanides with Y and Sc. Rare earth occurrences including the REE-bearing phases and their distributions, measured by rare earth oxides (REOs), in the streams of processing a phosphate ore were determined by using MLA, the mineral liberation analysis and EPMA, the electron probe microanalysis. The process includes an apatite ore beneficiation by flotation and further processing of the beneficiation concentrate with sulfuric acid. Twenty-six, sixty-two and twelve percent of the total REOs (TREO) contents from the ore end up in the products of beneficiation tailings, phosphogypsum (PG) and phosphoric acid, respectively. Apatite, allanite, monazite and pyrochlore are identified as REE-bearing minerals in the beneficiation process. In the beneficiation tailings, the REEs are mainly distributed in monazite (10.3% TREO), apatite (5.9% TREO), allanite (5.4% TREO) and pyrochlore (4.3% TREO). Gypsum, monazite, apatite and other REE-bearing phases were found to host REEs in the PG and the REEs distributions are 44.9% TREO in gypsum, 15.8% TREO in monazite, 0.6% TREO in apatite and 0.6% TREO in other REE-bearing phases. Perspectives on the efficient recovery of REEs from the beneficiation tailings and the PG are discussed.

The Ways of Development of Combined Hydrometallurgical Technology for Processing of Complex Ores’ Beneficiation Tailings

The article reviews the need to involve poor raw materials in processing, presents the results of the information search on the processing of technogenic wastes from beneficiation. It is shown which factors influence the choice of a specific flowsheet. The review of processing technologies for poor refractory raw materials was performed. The basic trends in processing of technogenic wastes from polymetallic ores beneficiation were established. It is noted that it is more advantageous to use combined hydrometallurgical methods for processing of technogenic wastes from beneficiation.

Application Of Superconducting High Gradient Magnetic Separation Technology On Silica Extraction From Iron Ore Beneficiation Tailings

ABSTRACTComprehensive utilization of tailings resources not only solves environmental problems but also creates huge economic benefits. In this paper, fine weakly magnetic particles were extracted from iron ore beneficiation tailings and silica (SiO2) was separated and purified using a superconducting high gradient magnetic separator. Based on plenty of contrast experiments, SiO2 content of the magnetic concentrate could be increased from 68.67% to 92.57% with the selected optimal parameter combination, i.e., a magnetic flux density of 3.2 T, a pulp concentration of 40 g/L and a slurry flow velocity of 500 mL/min. The concentrate can be utilized as low-grade normal SiO2 sands for industrial use, or act as the raw materials for preparing high-purity SiO2 product.

Glass Ceramic Materials Based on Beneficiation Tailings of Lead-Zinc Ore

A glass ceramic material was obtained from the beneficiation tailings of lead-zinc ores. The strength of the control samples was 22.26 MPa in bending and 90.22 MPa in compression. After 100 cycles of testing the samples for frost resistance, these characteristics changed to 9.61 MPa in bending and 35.30 MPa in compression.