Particle Size Of Tailings Research Articles

Tailings particle size effects on pollution and ecological remediation: A case study of an iron tailings reservoir

The particle size distribution in tailings notably influences their physical properties and behavior. Despite this, our understanding of how the distribution of tailings particle sizes impacts in situ pollution and ecological remediation in in-situ environment remains limited. In this study, an iron tailings reservoir was sampled along a particle flow path to compare the pollution characteristic and microbial communities across regions with different particle sizes. The results revealed a gradual reduction in tailings particle size along the flow direction. The predominant mineral composition shifts from minerals such as albite and quartz to layered minerals. Total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total metal concentrations increased, whereas the acid-generating potential decreased. The region with the finest tailings particle size exhibited the highest microbial diversity, featuring metal-resistant microorganisms such as KD4–96, Micrococcaceae, and Acidimicrobiia. Significant discrepancies were observed in tailings pollution and ecological risks across different particle sizes. Consequently, it is necessary to assess tailings reservoirs pollution in the early stages of remediation before determining appropriate remediation methods. These findings underscore that tailings particle distribution is a critical factor in shaping geochemical characteristics. The responsive nature of the microbial community further validated these outcomes and offered novel insights into the ecological remediation of tailings.

Decomposition of zinc ferrite-based solid waste by reductive leaching: Leaching kinetics and mechanism

Zinc ferrite-based solid waste is a vital zinc and iron secondary source in view of the numerous zinc ferrite will be ineluctably produced and enters into slags or residues during zinc smelting process. In this study, a reductive leaching process with zinc sulfide powder was employed to decompose zinc ferrite from solid waste. The leaching efficiency of zinc and iron can reach 90.27 % and 81.96 %, respectively, while the process went to the 90th min at 90 ℃ under the conditions: sulfuric acid concentration of 500 g/L, liquid-to-solid ratio of 20 mL g−1, mass ratio of silver flotation tailings to zinc sulfide of 5/1, silver flotation tailings particle size of + 180–250 μm, rotary speed of 400 rpm. Then, this leaching process confirmed to shrinking core model and was conducted by surface chemical reaction after kinetics and thermodynamics investigations. Ultimately, according to various tested data, the corresponding reaction mechanism was speculated as: Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+ by zinc sulfide and hydrogen sulfide which was the product of zinc sulfide with H+, resulting in potential reduction and H+ activity elevation, accelerating zinc dissolution eventually. Meanwhile, almost all zinc sulfide and hydrogen sulfide were oxidized to monomorphic sulfur by Fe3+ where the utilization ratio of zinc sulfide was 97.28 %.

Experimental Study on Tailings Deposition Distribution Pattern and Sedimentation Characteristics.

Tailings pond accidents frequently occur during an extended period, resulting in loss of life and property, wastage of resources, and environmental pollution. Relying on tailings pond engineering, this paper carried out sample particle fragmentation experiments and settling column experiments to explore the deposition distribution pattern of tailings in both horizontal and vertical directions as well as the impact of particle size distribution on the sedimentation stratification effect. The results show that the median particle size on the dry beach surface in the horizontal direction slowly decreased with the increase in the distance from the subdam. The particle size of tailings showed great fluctuations in the vertical direction, which gradually became finer with the increase in the depth overall. At the same time, saturated sedimentation experiments suggested the inconsistent variation rule with the field test, namely, coarse on the bottom and fine at the top, and the change in particle size greatly affected the tailing sedimentation stratification effect. With the increase in fine particle content in tailings, the appearance time of the water-sand interface was shortened to within 30 min, but the sedimentation and consolidation completion times were delayed to about 1400 min. The settling column results indicate that the increase in fine particle content gradually weakened the sedimentation stratification effect, and the sedimentation pattern transformed from independent sedimentation to floc-type average sedimentation, which led to the enhanced water-retaining property of the settled layer. This may lead to an increase in the saturation line and a decrease in the length of the dry beach, seriously affecting the safe operation of the tailings pond. The research results provide some theoretical guidance and basic data for analyzing the consolidation efficiency of tailings and the stability of the tailings pond.

Study on Correlations between Tailings Particle Size Distribution and Rheological Properties of Filling Slurries

The influence of the mass concentration and particle size distribution on rheological parameters and slump was investigated by analyzing the mixture of overflow tailings (OT) and classified tailings (CT). The correlation between the rheological parameters, slump and characteristic value of the tailings particle diameter was discussed. Finally, the ratio parameters of a mixed tailings filling slurry were optimized using a lead–zinc mine in Guangdong, China as the engineering background. The results showed a quadratic decrease in the slump of the tailings slurry as the mass concentration increased, while the slump decreased with a decreasing particle size. With the increase in the mass concentration, the yield stress of the tailings slurry follows a quadratic function, while the plastic viscosity exhibits linear growth. The influence of tailings fine particles on the sensitivity of the yield stress and plastic viscosity to the mass concentration is reduced as their content increases. The yield stress and plastic viscosity of the tailings slurry exhibit a quadratic function decrease and linear growth as the slump increases. The slump of the tailings slurry is related to the particle size characteristic value and the mass concentration of the slurry. The correlation coefficient between the yield stress and the aggregate characteristic particle size increases most obviously at d10~d50, and the increase in the characteristic particle size will enhance the correlation between the yield stress and particle gradation. The correlation coefficient between the plastic viscosity and aggregate particle gradation parameters exhibits an initial increase followed by stabilization with an increasing characteristic particle size, with the most significant increase observed at d10~d50.

Estimations of water retention curves for fine-grained soils and tailings using their fractal particle size distributions

A water retention curve (WRC) enables the quick determination of suction in a soil or tailings using the gravimetric water content or degree of saturation. However, establishing the WRC is reliant on time consuming laboratory testing. Here an empirical method is presented that allows the WRC to be estimated quickly, including its void ratio dependency, by relating the fractal and other characteristics of the soil or tailings particle size distributions (PSD) to the parameters which define the WRC. The defining parameters, from a fractal mathematics viewpoint, depend on the particle and pore surface areas and shapes as well as their fractal dimensions. More generally, the clay percentage must also have an important role as it has a major influence on these properties, especially the surface areas. Twelve WRCs for soils and tailings were compiled and compared and used to establish the new empirical expressions. Estimated WRCs using these new empirical expressions compare well with those fitted directly to experimental results. Guidelines are also given on how to quantify suction’s contribution to strength using the location of the hydraulic state on the WRC, adding to the practical appeal of this work.

Development law and growth model of dynamic pore water pressure of tailings under different consolidation conditions.

Tailings dams are in danger of liquefaction during earthquakes. The liquefaction process can be indirectly reflected by the evolution rule of the dynamic pore water pressure. To study the development law of dynamic pore water pressure of tailing sand under different consolidation conditions, the evolution equation of critical dynamic pore water pressure of tailings under isotropic and anisotropic consolidation conditions was derived based on the limit equilibrium theory. Moreover, the development law of dynamic pore water pressure was expounded theoretically. The dynamic triaxial tests of tailing silty sand and tailing silt under different dry densities, consolidation ratios, and confining pressures were performed. The dynamic pore water pressure ratio and vibration ratio curves of tailings under isotropic and anisotropic consolidation were analyzed, and a dynamic pore water pressure growth index model suitable for both isotropic and anisotropic consolidation was derived. The results showed that the critical dynamic pore water pressure was positively correlated with the confining pressure and average particle size of tailings under isotropic consolidation conditions. The tailings have a limit dynamic effective internal friction angle [Formula: see text] under the anisotropic consolidation condition. The evolution law of critical dynamic pore water pressure can be judged according to the dynamic effective internal friction angle of tailing sand φd and [Formula: see text] values. The consolidation ratio significantly affects the dynamic pore pressure growth curve while confining pressure and dry density do not. For different tailing materials, the dynamic pore water pressure ratio is positively correlated with tailing particles. The dynamic pore water pressure growth process of tailing silty sand and tailing silt can be divided into two stages: rapid and stable growths. The development law of two types of tailings can be described by the dynamic pore water pressure growth index model. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the seismic design of tailings dams in practical engineering.

Experimental study on tailings cementation by MICP technique with immersion curing.

The filling mining method is an effective method for controlling ground stress and preventing surface subsidence in the mining field during exploitation of underground resources. Tailings can be utilized as the filling material, so as to realize the reuse of industrial waste. However, utilization of the traditional Portland cement as the cementing material for tailings leads to groundwater pollution. In addition, production of Portland cement results in consumption of a great amount of ore and air pollution. In this paper, a tailings cementation method by using the microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) technique with immersion curing is proposed. Tailings are cemented by the MICP technique with aerobic bacteria (Sporosarcina pasteurii) under a soaked curing environment. The variable control method is applied to investigate the factors influencing the cementation effects by the MICP technique with Sporosarcina pasteurii, including the bacterial solution concentration, the cementing solution concentration, the particle size of tailings, and the curing temperature. The results indicate that: when OD600 of the Sporosarcina pasteurii solution is 1.6, the urea concentration in the cementing solution is 0.75 mol/L, the tailings are raw materials without grinding, and the curing temperature is 30°C, the cementation effect is the best. In view of uneven calcification during MICP with Sporosarcina pasteurii, mixed Sporosarcina pasteurii and Castellaniella denitrificans are used for tailings cementation. Higher strength of cemented tailings is achieved. It is proved that the MICP technique with mixed aerobic bacteria and facultative anaerobes is an effective method for tailings cementation.

Experimental Study on Capillary Water Migration Characteristics of Tailings with Different Particle Sizes

Capillarity influences the long-term stability of the dam greatly and affects the sustainable development of tailings dam. The online monitoring capillary water rise test system was independently developed by SM3001B temperature and humidity sensor, SU9101B RS485 converter, SV3010 data acquisition system, and other equipment to carry out the whole process test of water absorption and water release of tailings with different particle sizes. The results show that the capillary rising trend of tailings with different particle sizes is basically consistent, the relationship between the rising height and the diameter are negatively correlated, and the logarithm function can better fit the height of capillary rising over time well enough. The water content of tailing capillary zone decreases with the height, and the smaller the size of tailings, the greater the change of water content. The water release process of tailings is an unsaturated permeability process, which largely depends on the saturation before water release. The larger the particle size of tailings is, the smaller the water content after water release. Based on the above results, the relationship between capillary diameter and tailings particle size was discussed, and the relationship formula between water content change and particle size was deduced. The research results systematically show the water migration law under the tailing capillaries. It is suggested that the unsaturated tailings water content index should be added in the monitoring of the saturated surface of tailings dam.

Modeling of Permeability Coefficient Calculations Based on the Mesostructure Parameters of Tailings.

The permeability coefficient of tailings in tailings ponds, which can affect the release and migration of heavy metals in tailings, also affects the stability of dams by affecting the variation of the height of the saturation line. In this paper, tailings at different levels in a tailings pond were taken as research objects to measure the particle size and permeability coefficient of the tailings. At the same time, CT scanning technology and three-dimensional reconstruction were used to establish the three-dimensional model of the tailings, and the permeability coefficient of the tailings was analyzed from a mesostructural point of view. The results show the following: (1) The particle size of the tailings in the tailings pond decreased rapidly with the increase of distance from the discharge port. When the distance exceeded 8 m, a sudden change occurred, and the decreasing trend obviously slowed down. The particle size of tailings decreased, the compactness increased, and the permeability coefficient decreased gradually. (2) Statistics and analysis of the mesostructure affecting the permeability coefficient of tailings: the error between the calculated value and the measured value of the particle size and porosity of the three-dimensional reconstruction model was small, which proved that the model had high reliability. The porosity, sphericity, and particle size of the tailings were consistent and decreased with the increase of distance from the discharge port. The number of pore branches and nodes of the tailings increased with the increase of the distance from the discharge port, while the average radius and length of the pores decreased. The fragmentation index can characterize the pore channel connectivity of the tailings, which has a high negative linear correlation with the number of pore branches and a positive quadratic curve correlation with the average branch length of the pores. (3) Based on the Kozeny–Carman equation and data regression analysis method and combined with the results of permeability coefficient measurements, the fragmentation index was introduced into the Kozeny–Carman equation. Also, a modified model for calculating the permeability coefficient of the tailings was established based on the mesostructure parameters. By comparing the measured values of the tailings’ permeability coefficient, the error range was 1.91–13.24%. The research results have important theoretical significance for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution and the stability of tailings ponds.

Mechanical activation of siliceous tailings and its application as cement admixtures

• Siliceous tailings were mechanically activated using high-energy grinding. • Activated tailings T3 showed a superior pozzolanic activity. • Cements produced using T3 can meet the requirement of P•O 52.5 Portland cement. • Bulk and green disposal of siliceous tailings can be available by using this method. • This method can bring great environmental and economic benefits. Mineral processing tailings have increased dramatically, owing to the growing demands for minerals and metals over the past decades. These tailings pose significant hazards to local environments and human health. In this paper, the mechanical activation method was applied for improving the pozzolanic activity of siliceous tailings, and the activated siliceous tailings were used as admixtures in cement production. The geometrical characteristics, surface morphology, crystal structure, and pozzolanic activity of activated siliceous tailings were investigated systematically. Mechanical activation can reduce the particle size of tailings and increase the BET specific surface area up to 11.67 m 2 /g. The pozzolanic activity of activated tailings was enhanced to 81.15%. It is demonstrated that calcium silicate hydrate gels, ettringite (AFt), and hydrotalcite were the main hydrated products of activated tailings. The activated tailings were mixed in proportion with P•O 52.5 Portland cement to produce new cement. The new cement produced using 8% activated tailings can meet the requirement of P•O 52.5 Portland cement, exhibiting superior profits. This is a green method for bulk handling siliceous tailings and substituting Ordinary Portland Cement.

Study on the Relation between Tailing Particle Size and Tailing Slurry Underflow Concentration

In order to study the effect of the physical properties of tailings on the concentration of tailing slurry underflow, the median particle size, control particle size, and density of the tailings of 9 typical mines were measured. Besides, static settlement test and dynamic thickening test of the tailing slurry of these 9 mines were separately conducted. The test results show that the underflow concentration of the tailing slurry is unrelated to the tailing density but is related to the tailing particle size. The finer the tailing particle size, the lower the underflow concentration. Through the nondimensional regression analysis, 3 relation equations were obtained: number 1 relation equation between the median particle size of tailings and the underflow concentration in the static settlement test, number 2 relation equation between the control particle size of tailings and the change in concentration in the static settlement test, number 3 relation equation between the underflow concentration in the static settlement test and the underflow concentration in the dynamic thickening test under different overflow water solid content conditions. Comparing the calculation results with the test results, it is found that the relative error between the predicted value and the test value does not exceed 6.1%, which has proved that the relation equations derived are convenient and feasible. The underflow concentration of the deep cone thickener can be predicted by merely measuring the particle size of the tailings, which means that the relation equations are highly recommended for wider use and application.

Quantifying particle size and size distribution of mine tailings through deep learning approach of autoencoders

A new tailings particle size and size distribution (PSD) quantifying method using Autoencoders is presented to transform multidimensional PSD information into a 1-dimensional code. Firstly, an auto-generation algorithm was designed to produce training data. Secondly, training sample diversity and distribution were analyzed and the PSD code characteristics and model performance were investigated. Finally, out-of-sample testing using 30 kinds of nature tailings and literature data was performed. Results show that the auto-generated samples have sufficient diversity. The model is more accurate and suitable for well-graded tailings, the most common type in engineering practice. The PSD codes for well-graded tailings fall into a narrow-centered range from 0.48 to 1.50. PSD code K-means clustering center for the conventional six tailings categories are 1.296, 1.205, 1.021, 0.712, 0.903, 1.123. The classification results are more specific and accurate. In out-of-sample testing of two applications, the Autoencoders model exhibits good generalization ability.

Hydration kinetics of cement-calcined activated bauxite tailings composite binder

To explore the influence of bauxite tailings particle size and content on the hydration process of cement-tailings composite binder, the hydration kinetics of blended cement containing activated bauxite tailings was investigated. Hydration heat of cement-bauxite tailings composite binder was measured at 20 °C. The Krstulovic–Dabic kinetics model was used to explore the kinetics of blended cement containing bauxite tailings. The hydration process of blended cement was analyzed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results demonstrate that the induction period of the composite binder increased with increase in the bauxite tailings content. The hydration heat increased with increase in powder selection frequency of the tailings. The kinetics model could effectively simulate the hydration process of cement- bauxite tailings composite binder. With the increase of the tailings content, the value of α1 decreased and that of α2 increased. Calcined activated bauxite tailings could react with calcium hydroxide owing to the pozzolanic reaction. The calcium hydroxide content of the composite binder decreased compared with pure cement and decreased with increase in the bauxite tailings content, particularly for bauxite tailings incorporations exceeding 30%.

Experimental Study on Permeability Coefficient in Layered Fine Tailings under Seepage Condition

Nearly half of the tailings dams in China are in a state of high-security risks and overservice, and the safety of these tailings dams has always been a concern for relevant scholars. The seepage characteristics of tailings are one of the essential factors affecting the safety of tailings dam. Now, due to the improvement of mineral processing technology, there are many fine tailings dam; the study of the seepage characteristics of the tailings dam is no longer applicable. Fine-grained tailings form uneven deposition in these tailings dams, resulting in the permeability of tailings not conforming to the previous law. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the permeability of fine-grained tailings with uneven deposition. In this paper, the physical model of the simulated tailings dam is established to study the influence of the dry beach slope on the distribution and deposition law of fine tailings during discharge. The test results show that the average particle size of tailings decreases along the length of dry beach, showing the phenomenon of coarsening upstream and thinning downstream. Then, based on the data of fine tailings deposition, the variation characteristics of the permeability coefficient of layered tailings under stable and unstable seepage conditions are studied. The test results show that the variation process of tailings permeability coefficient can be divided into four stages: rapid compaction stage, slow compaction stage, failure stage, and stable stage. Under stable and unstable seepage conditions, the permeability coefficients of unstratified tailing sand are about 10% and 15% higher, respectively, than those in the initial state. The permeability coefficient of layered tailings formed by uneven settlement changes more obviously, which is about 12% and 20% higher than the initial state.

Estimation of arsenic leaching from Zn–Pb mine tailings under environmental conditions

This research aimed to study the leaching characteristics of arsenic from the Zn–Pb mine tailings under different conditions. The parameters and factors controlling the arsenic concentration of leachate were also determined. In order to estimate the concentrations of arsenic leached in different environmental conditions, four leaching protocols were used. These protocols included toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), field leach test (FLT) and leachate extraction procedure (LEP) which was performed on two samples (S1 and S2) of the Zn–Pb mine tailings from Zanjan province, Iran. Also, the effects of various factors such as the pH of leaching water, the contact time of tailings with water, liquid to solid ratio and the particle size of tailings on the concentration of arsenic released from the Zn–Pb mine tailings were assessed using batch leaching tests. The results showed that in both samples, the highest concentration of arsenic was in the residual fraction that was relatively stable under natural environmental situations. The highest arsenic concentration occurred in the LEP test performed on the S1 sample. According to the SPLP protocol, the Zn–Pb tailings had a high potential for contamination of surface and underground water. The mobility of arsenic in the tailings was entirely affected by the pH of leaching water, the contact time of the tailings with water, the particle size of the tailings and solid to liquid ratio. The leaching of arsenic enhanced in acidic and alkaline conditions and the concentrations of arsenic leached in acidic conditions were much higher than the concentrations of arsenic leached in alkaline conditions. The pH-dependent leaching behavior of arsenic from the Zn–Pb mine tailings was amphoteric. In both S1 and S2 samples, a larger fraction of arsenic released from the Zn–Pb mine tailings as the liquid to solid ratio and the contact time of the tailings with the water increased. In the S1 sample, the highest concentration of arsenic released was observed in particles with a size of 500–600 μm, while for the S2 sample, it was observed in particles with a size of 150–250 μm. According to the results of this experiment, important factors in preventing the release of arsenic from the Zn–Pb mine tailings into the environment are 1) controlling the pH of leaching water, 2) reducing the amount of pore water, and 3) reducing the contact time of the tailings with the water.

Influences of Tailings Particle Size on Overtopping Tailings Dam Failures

A series of physical tests were carried out using three different particle sizes to investigate the influence of tailings size on the failure process of a tailings dam subjected to overtopping. In addition, the overtopping failure process was simulated with a computational fluid mechanics model. The tests results showed that with increased tailings size, the mode of failure gradually changed from undercut erosion to surface scouring, while the gully cut by the water had a greater width to depth ratio. In addition, the particle size also affected the characteristics of the discharge process and its duration. Numerical simulation results were basically consistent with the physical model results with respect to both discharge process and duration time. The comparison shows that the numerical method could possibly be useful for other studies on the overtopping failure of tailings dams.

Stainless steel tailings accelerated direct carbonation process at low pressure: Carbonation efficiency evaluation and chromium leaching inhibition correlation analysis

Chromium leaching from stainless steel tailings is an urgent problem risking of the environments, calcite integument of tailings by accelerated direct gas-solid carbonation process can be formed and the inhibition factor of carbonation degree on chromium leaching rate is discussed in detail. Stainless steel tailings accelerated direct gas-solid carbonation process is investigated at 300 °C–700 °C and 0.2–0.4 MPa, and the effect of temperature, reaction time, particle size and CO2 pressure on carbonation degree are analyzed by TGA-DSC, FTIR, SEM-EDS analysis. The results show that the maximum CO2 uptake obtained (8.2%), corresponding to 16% carbonation degree can be obtained when 48–75 μm stainless steel tailings are carbonated for 90 min at 300 °C and 0.4 MPa. Tailings particle size, carbonation time, and carbon dioxide pressure display a positive relationship with carbonation degree, but carbonation temperature has a negative relationship. 48–75 μm carbonated tailings with varied carbonation degree and original tailings are investigated for the inhibitory factor between carbonation degree and Cr leaching rate, when leaching process is at 60 °C for 90min on the condition that L/S ratio equals 20 ml/g. The results show the inhibitory factor is fitted by random function better, and the value decreases from 31.5% to 9.7%, when carbonation degree is from 2% to 8%, and then keeps stable, when carbonation degree is still increases from 8% to 14%, which illustrates that carbonation process as a better strategy of tailings innocuous treatment at high temperature is valid for restricting Cr leaching behavior.

Characterization and dewatering of flotation technological tailings

The treatment of flotation tailings is today a subject of interest in mineral processing because of the potential of wasted materials as an actual mineral resource and because of environmental reasons. Decantation ponds are found at almost every mine in the world. They are large earth fill dams containing the residue of the milling process to extract metals from mined ores. Traditional wet tailings disposal has been problematic due to the risk of ground water contamination and the difficulty in rehabilitating storage sites. Tailings dams are at risk of failure due to leakage, instability, liquefaction, and poor design. In the last few years the use of paste technology in the disposal of mine tailings is increasingly studied as an option to conventional tailings dams. The Lucky Invest Concentrator is located in the Eastern Rhodopes Mountain of Bulgaria. Since 1959 lead-zinc ores are dressed. Finally, during the flotation cycle lead and zinc concentrates are produced. The final technological processing waste precipitates in tailing pond. Research and development program has started to established opportunities to obtain dry deposit of the ore processing residue and analyses the feature of new tailing disposal method. The tailings particle size distributions and chemical compositions were determined. The data from laboratory and pilot scale tests clearly illustrate that there are the possibilities to obtaine lead-zinc dewatered tailings. The experimental results show that new cyclone modifications have a potential in dewatering technology of flotation tailings. It appears that dewatering cyclones can be an approach on new tailings pond elimination technology.

Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherms Study of Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Solution on Tailings of Steel Slag

This article explores the operating conditions of the removal of cadmium ions from wastewater by tailings of steel slag and investigates the effect of stirring rate, initial concentration of cadmium, particle size of tailings and pH value of aqueous on removal efficiency. The results show that: under proper conditions, the removal rate of cadmium ions from water on tailings of steel slag can be up to above 99.9%. The adsorption kinetics follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics equation and the adsorption isotherm conforms to the Langmuir model.

Interaction characteristics of geosynthetics with fine tailings in pullout test

New mining technologies not only exploit lower-grade ores but also produce a much higher volume of tailings as mining waste. The disposal of these tailings is a challenge for mine operators. A tailings dam is usually constructed to store these wastes safely. The dam continuously increases its height and changes geometry with the disposal of tailings, which is different from conventional dams. Therefore the stability of tailings dams is a challenge. Geosynthetics have been widely used as reinforcement in retaining walls and embankments, but their applicability to the construction of tailings dams has not previously been studied. Their applicability depends largely on the interaction between geosynthetics and fine tailings. In this paper, the interaction of geosynthetics (geobelt and geogrid) with fine copper ore tailings is studied through laboratory pullout tests. The test results reveal that the interaction characteristics are influenced by tailings particle size, density, moisture content, and vertical load. It is found that the maximum friction coefficient between geosynthetics and the fine tailings is less than 0.22, which is lower than the published data for natural soils.