Technogenic Formations Research Articles

Manganese Biomining from Manganese-Bearing Industrial Wastes of Georgia

In Georgia, the amount of manganese-bearing industrial wastes is estimated at 15 million tons, of which over 10 million tons are mine wastes of Chiatura deposit. The resource potential of these technogenic formations makes 1.5 million tons of pure manganese. Every year the volume of these wastes increases by one mln t on average. An economic loss from non-utilization of this valuable manganese stock is great. Also great is an environmental damage. Analysis of a possibility of recycling manganese-bearing waste indicates the prospects of using environmentally safe and profitable biotechnological processes of utilizing this technogenic raw material. For intensifying the known methods of manganese biomining, the authors have developed a new technological leaching scheme, which, at the first stage, for processing the stock provides for its desilicalization by silicate bacteria B.mucilaginosus. The result of this stage is an increase in the content of manganese in the raw material by 25–30%, with an increase in the cumulative response surface for applying bacteria A.ferrooxidans at the next stage. One of the main distinctive features of the proposed scheme is also integration of the manganese leaching process with the copper and zinc recovery process. The advantage of this combined process consists in the application of the afterproduct of leaching of these nonferrous metals—a ferrous (II) sulfate compound for speeding up the manganese extraction, and, vice versa, in the application of ferric (III) sulfate produced upon manganese leaching to activate copper and zinc extraction. The advantage of the use of the bicultural solution A.ferrooxidans-R.phaseoli in manganese leaching instead of the monoculture one (A.ferrooxidans) is also substantiated. As a result of practical realization of the proposed technical novelties, the manganese extracting degree can be increased to 98–99%, while the length of leaching can be reduced to 14–21 days. The commercial exploitation of the proposed combined technological scheme of manganese biomining will increase the resource base of Georgian manganese, for it will create a new possibility for recycling environmentally harmful wastes and cut-off grade ores of Chiatura deposit.

Comparative analysis of methods for air pollution assessing in the Arctic mining area

We analysed the chemical compositions of snow, soil, and bioindicators (pine bark Pinus sylvestris, Sphagnum fallax moss bags) to assess atmospheric pollution in the vicinity of the Severonickel copper-nickel industrial complex in the Kola Peninsula. We conducted a comparative analysis of mineralogical, geochemical, and physicochemical parameters as well as the metal contents (Ca, Fe, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Sc, V, Co, and Ba) of environmental components across a 32-km pollution gradient. The mineralogical and chemical composition of soil, snow aerosols, and Sphagnum fallax moss bags all corresponded to the metallogeny of the research area and the ore specialisation of the enterprise (Ni, Cu, Co, and V). Solid aerosols consisted of rock-forming and accessory minerals as well as technogenic formations (slag particles and aggregates composed of Ni–Fe–Co ± Cu). The concentration of metals in soils, aerosols, snow water, and pine bark significantly exceeded their background values. The reconstruction of new technologies in the Severonickel smelter and recent reduction in emissions did not significantly improve the state of the different landscape components. The calculation of dust, metal, and ionic loads from snow surveys and moss bags showed comparable results. Technogenic emissions were higher in summer due to the increase in atmospheric dust. The low pH of soils and snow water reflected the geochemical conditions of the landscape and increased metal mobility in the environment. The high total content of Ni, Cu, and Co and their mobile forms in soils contributed to the high accumulation of metals in pine bark; this method can therefore be used as an accurate indicator of environmental degradation.

Physical and chemical bases, structural and technological models of constructional thermal insulating lightweight concrete creating

Research object is constructional and thermal-insulating lightweight concrete (STILC) with a modified matrix in the direction improving of thermotechnical quality and durability indicators of such concrete, produced with use of porous aggregates of various petrogenesis. Motivation: the development relevance of STILC new modifications with high performance of thermotechnical quality and durability is determined by the fact that the STILC usage in the enclosing structures of buildings will significantly improve their thermal insulation function, operational reliability. Research method: the developed physical and chemical bases, structural and technological models of the modified matrix of STILC are used in researches. Research results: physical and chemical bases, structural and technological models for creating of STILC with high indicators of thermotechnical quality and weather resistance; technologies for manufacturing STILC with rational usage of technogenic formations recycling products; results of determination of thermophysical characteristics, indicators of weather resistance and other indicators of STILC operational quality. Conclusion: fundamentally new modifications of STILC with high indicators of thermal quality and weather resistance, and the main provisions of their manufacturing technology also have been developed. Based on the results of STILC samples testing, the thermophysical and mechanical properties, as well as weather resistance indicators, were determined for use in the calculations and design of enclosing structures with high thermal protection function and reliability in operation.

Revaluation of alluvial deposits residual reserves of boulder chrome ores of the Saranovsky ore field

Relevance of the work. After the collapse of the USSR, local ferroalloy industry experienced a deficit in certain types of mineral raw materials, in particular in chromium ores. In Perm Krai, in the vicinity of the village Sarany, medium and small-scale deposits of primary magmatic and fragmental slop wash ore of high iron content and alumina are known, previously used only as refractory raw materials. In the 1990–2000s, technologies for producing commercial and conversion ferrochrome with low chromium content (“charge-chromium”) using chromium ores of the Ural region, including ores from deposits of the Saranovsky group, were developed and introduced on an industrial scale. All this entailed the need for geological and economic revaluation of the reserves of known deposits, including placers of wash ores partially affected by mining operations of previous years. The revaluation included not only the residual natural reserves of deposits, but the technogenic formations in their areas containing underextracted ore round stones as well. Currently, the project for the development of boulder placers is being successfully implemented. The experience gained may be of interest in reassessing the residual reserves of objects of scarce types of mineral raw materials characterized by a complex "natural-technogenic" structure. Purpose of the work: to summarize the experience of joint revaluation of residual natural reserves and technogenic formations on the areas of placer deposits of boulder chrome ores aimed at ensuring the maximum completeness of excavation of scarce raw materials. Method and methodology of the work carried out. The main idea of the work is to jointly reassess the industrial importance of the residual reserves of boulder chrome ores contained in natural and man-made formations in placer areas. Given the relatively simple mining and geological conditions and small volumes of annual production, the criterion of “minimum industrial output of ore boulders”, which achieves equality of the recoverable value of mineral raw materials to the operating costs of obtaining marketable products, is proposed to be applied to the residual reserves of the placer, and not to individual geological blocks. This approach obliges the subsoil user to conduct continuous mining of the remaining reserves, to involve in the industrial development reserves of low-productive geological blocks, including those represented by technogenic formations, the average yield of ore boulders from which, as a rule, is lower than the estimated industrial minimum. The rational choice of placers that are simultaneously mined is justified by economic indicators used in the evaluation of mining projects (net present value, profitability index, budget efficiency, etc.), taking into account the “individual” characteristics of individual deposits. The proposed approach to involving in the development of reserves of low-productive areas (including technogenic formations) can be implemented not only at the level of individual deposits, but at the level of a group of “converging” differently productive placers as well, when both highly productive and “poor” placers are being developed, the reserves of which in the traditional assessment are classified only as off-balance sheet (potentially economic). Results of the works. The description is given of methodological approaches to the revaluation and rational use of residual reserves of boulder chrome ores disrupted by mining operations of previous years. The experience gained can be used to evaluate other mining facilities that contain natural and technogenic formations of different productivity on their area.

Features of Zinc Extraction from Sulfide Forms

Zinc can be found in oxide and sulfide forms in technogenic formations. Zinc oxide extraction from technogenic formations is widely used in industry. Removing zinc sulfide from technogenic formations is difficult and is currently almost never used. In the present work, the physicochemical features of zinc extraction from sulfide are considered. Process thermodynamic features and possible ways to extract zinc sulfide are shown. Also, ways of valuable commercial products, obtaining from the roasting products, are considered.

Features of Tri-Calcium Silicate Formation Suppression by Sulphur and Possible Ways of its Preventing

Synthesis of the portland cement clinker in the presence of a significant amount of SO3 is difficult, due to the tri-calcium silicate formation suppression. Since some technogenic formations contain a significant amount of SO3, it is hard to obtain the portland cement clinker from it. The analysis of the SO3 influence on the clinker-formation thermodynamic process allowed to reveal a number of regularities of their occurrence and to propose a method for the raw mix composition calculating and its preparation, to ensure a stable portland cement clinker synthesis.

TECHNOLOGY FOR THE COMPLEX RECYCLING SLAGS OF COPPER PRODUCTION

The article considers the inevitability of copper losses with slag and the possibility of reducing them by various methods and using local secondary technogenic formations. It has been established that the developed and widely used in industry technologies for decopperizing of slag only partially solve the problem and lead to significant irretrievable losses of metal with dump slag. The main factors affecting the magnitude of the casualties are established, and suggestions for reducing their negative impact are recommended. The use of perfect mixing devices is recommended, as in this case, it is possible to achieve a maximum reduction in the residual concentration of copper in the waste slag. Together, it is possible to make an increase in the complexity of the use of raw materials with the organization and implementation of low-waste technology.

Zinc Techno-Genic Formations: Physico-Chemical Features of its Extraction

In technogenic formations, zinc is found in oxide and sulphide forms. Extraction of zinc oxide from technogenic formations is widely used in industry. Removing zinc sulfide from technogenic formations is difficult and is currently almost never used. In the present work, the physicochemical features of zinc extraction from technogenic formations, in which zinc is presented in oxide and sulphide forms, are considered. Thermodynamic features of the processes and possible ways to extract zinc sulphide are shown. This work also considers the ways of valuable commercial products obtaining from the roasting products.

From placer deposits to technogenic mineral formations: resource and historical perspective (a study of Amur region)

Attention to mined gold placers as sources of mineral reserve base replenishment is constantly increasing. We conducted an analysis of the field mining ratio regarding the 170-year period of gold mining history in the region, which is roughly divided into four stages, using the example of gold placer clusters in the Amur region. Each stage has its own peculiarities that determine the nature and methods of alluvial deposits development and the amount of raw material losses. It’s shown that previously mined placers within the studied area are being developed continuously. The technogenic complex gets involved into operation almost immediately after mining the undeveloped placer. The obtained results confirm the fact that the indicator of demand for technogenic objects continuously increases with the upward trend from 64% during the first stage to 80% at present.

Особенности восстановления оксидного железа техногенного происхождения

The overview of existing models for iron oxides reducing and an analysis of their applicability to technogenic formations is presented. The thermodynamic analysis data of iron oxides reducing reactions through solid and gas phases and experiment results presenting features of technogenic iron oxide reducing under conditions of solid-phase diffusion (limited diffusion) and partially liquid-phase diffusion (easier diffusion) of iron oxide ions. It is shown that under conditions of iron oxide ions solid-phase diffusion the reduction processes rate is significantly affected by the briquettingpressure, which increases the contact area of reacting substances. The briquetting pressure does not affect the reduction processesrate under conditions of partially liquid-phase diffusionof iron oxide ions. An ion-diffusion catalytic mechanism is proposed to describe the observed effects of technogenic iron oxide reducing

ОЦЕНКА ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЯ ТЕХНОГЕННЫХ ОБРАЗОВАНИЙ ИЗ ОТХОДОВ ПЕРЕРАБОТКИ МНОГОКОМПОНЕНТНЫХ РУД НА ЭКОСИСТЕМЫ ГОРНОПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ РЕГИОНОВ

The problem of developing gold deposits in the southern Urals from the point of view of assessing the environmental impact on the vegetation cover and living organisms of mountain territories is considered. The analysis of scientific papers devoted to such topics in the world is carried out. It is confirmed that long-term storage and storage of mining waste in existing and decommissioned storage facilities, represented by waste from ore processing, causes serious environmental damage to the environment in the areas of their location and adjacent territories. This is evidenced by high concentrations of toxic chemical elements in technogenic mineral raw materials, soil layer, vegetation cover and organs of living organisms, which is due to the removal of heavy metals from a large area of technogenic formations, along with dust and drainage drains. It is proved that these factors must be taken into account when assessing the level of environmental impact of gold-containing ore processing waste on the environment.

Metoda prerade tehnogene sirovine hroma

Taking into account the existing demand for chromium concentrates, the extraction of chromium from technogenic formations of sludge storages of the tailings of chromium ore beneficiation is an important practical task. The comprehensive utilization of beneficiation sludge will increase the profitability of production and solve the environmental problems of the region. The importance of solving the problem of involving in processing tailings is connected not only with the environment but also with the need to increase the production of chromium. Modern gravity enrichment technologies make it possible to efficiently produce chromium concentrates from large and medium fractions of chromite-containing ores, while finely divided sludge is practically not extracted due to the difficulty of separating complex minerals into concentrates and waste rock. This paper presents the results of studies on the gravity processing of tailings. The technology includes the enrichment of the fine fraction-0.2+0 mm of tailings of the dressing plant of chromite-containing ores by gravity methods using a KNELSON centrifugal separator. In technology, the efficiency of the operation of gravity enrichment is provided by the preliminary activation of the fine fraction in a solution of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). With gravitational enrichment, the total chromite concentrate was obtained containing 51.3% Cr2O3. The output of concentrate was 41.7%. The extraction of Cr2O3 in the concentrate was 68.1%.

Depletion of Slag from Almalyk Copper Plant with Aluminum Containing Waste

The article discusses the method of depletion of copper slag using local secondary technogenic formations. When performing this study, slag of secondary aluminum production was used as a reducing agent. It has been established that the developed and widely used in industry technologies for slag decontamination only partially solve the problem and lead to significant irretrievable losses of metal with dump slag. The main factors affecting the magnitude of the losses are established and suggestions for reducing their negative impact are recommended. The use of melting units in laboratory conditions is recommended, as in this case, it is possible to achieve a maximum reduction in the residual concentration of copper in the waste slag. Together, it is possible to achieve an increase in the complexity of the use of raw materials with the organization and implementation of low-waste technology.

Thermal insulation and acoustic building composite materials based on expanded obsidian

In modern conditions, one of the ways allowing the construction company to be competitive in the market is the use of modern high – quality and, at the same time, cheaper building materials. Many technogenic formations, in particular solid waste are valuable technological raw materials and can be involved in technological redistribution in order to obtain composite building materials. In the production of crushed stone, sands from lithoid pumice and perlite, it is advisable to produce separation and separate obsidian. In this case, the separated obsidian turns into production waste. The expantion of obsidian will allow to obtain a large porous ultralight material and thereby solve environmental issues – recycle production waste. On the base of expanded obsidian, it is possible to obtain new types of effective composite thermal insulation and acoustic materials (cellular concretes and acoustic plasters), which have high performance properties and expand the range of effective building composite materials.

Technology of Processing Slags of Copper Production using Local Secondary Technogenic Formations

The article considers the inevitability of copper losses with slag and the possibility of reducing them by various methods and using local secondary technogenic formations. It has been established that the developed and widely used in industry technologies for slag decontamination only partially solve the problem and lead to significant irretrievable losses of metal with dump slag. The main factors affecting the magnitude of the losses are established and suggestions for reducing their negative impact are recommended. The use of perfect mixing devices is recommended, as in this case, it is possible to achieve a maximum reduction in the residual concentration of copper in the waste slag. Together, it is possible to achieve an increase in the complexity of the use of raw materials with the organization and implementation of low-waste technology.

Process-related aspects of gold recovery from the technogenic formations of the Trans-Baikal Territory

Process-related aspects of gold recovery from the technogenic formations of the Trans-Baikal Territory

A urbanização do oeste paulista e a formação de feições tecnogênicas

Os processos de uso e ocupação da terra que originam e transformam os meios urbanos e rurais, exercidos pelas sociedades ao longo do tempo, são responsáveis, também, pela formação de feições tecnogênicas. Nos processos de urbanização, verifica-se que as sociedades alteram as características do meio físico-biótico (rocha-relevo-solo-clima-vegetação-fauna) para o desenvolvimento de diversas atividades. Em contrapartida, as atividades realizadas pelas sociedades são influenciadas pelas possibilidades advindas dos aspectos do meio físico-biótico. Ao se destacar o relevo, é imprescindível mencionar que sua apropriação ocorre de forma desigual e combinada, pois a sociedade, constituída por agentes sociais diversos, ocupa o relevo de forma diferenciada, ao mesmo tempo que suas ações fazem parte de um processo mais amplo, portanto, combinado, relacionado à lógica capitalista de produção do espaço. O mesmo procede no meio rural em que, especialmente no Oeste Paulista, as modificações na cobertura vegetal e, em consequência, em outros fatores do meio físico-biótico, como solos e relevo, ocorreram em decorrência da expansão das lavouras de café, algodão e do desenvolvimento da pecuária. No presente artigo são elucidadas questões relativas aos processos de expansão agrícola e urbanização e suas relações com formações tecnogênicas no Oeste Paulista, cuja origem, nas fases iniciais dessa ocupação, credita-se às erosões intensificadas pela ação da sociedade e consequentes deposições de sedimentos em áreas de fundos de vale. Destaque é dado para um estudo na região leste da cidade de Presidente Prudente-SP, apresentando aspectos sobre a expansão urbana e descrevendo formações de feições tecnogênicas, bem como sua evolução. Por fim, reforça-se que para compreender as feições tecnogênicas há a necessidade de conhecimento ampliado acerca da relação sociedade-natureza a partir de procedimentos que incluem visualizações em campo, em fotografias aéreas de diferentes períodos e retrospectiva acerca dos processos de uso e ocupação da terra.

РАЗРАБОТКА СПОСОБА УТИЛИЗАЦИИ ОТХОДОВ ГОРНО-ОБОГАТИТЕЛЬНЫХ КОМБИНАТОВ СОЗДАНИЕМ АКТИВНЫХ ФИЛЬТРУЮЩИХ ОБЕЗЖЕЛЕЗИВАЮЩИХ МАТЕРИАЛОВ

Актуальность исследования обусловлена тем, что техногенные образования в виде отвалов горно-обогатительных комбинатов являются причиной безвозвратных потерь природных сырьевых ресурсов, отчуждения земель из сельскохозяйственного оборота и загрязнения огромных территорий. Утилизация отходов горно-обогатительных и горнодобывающих предприятий считается одной из труднорешаемых задач Уральских регионов. Вследствие этого на сегодняшний день возникла необходимость в разработке технологии, которая смогла бы обеспечить эффективную переработку отходов горно-обогатительных комбинатов и вовлечение ценных сырьевых компонентов, до этого не утилизировавшихся отходов обогащения в производственный цикл. Одним из перспективных направлений на сегодняшний день является возможность использования отходов предприятий с получением товарного продукта. Цель исследования: разработать способ утилизации отходов горно-обогатительных комбинатов, а именно осадков хвостохранилищ горно-обогатительных комбинатов, депонированием их в искусственные фильтрующие материалы в максимальном количестве. Объекты: химические и физико-механические характеристики разработанных материалов, качество сточной воды, зависимость качества очистки от состава искусственных фильтрующих материалов. Методы: анализ фильтрующих элементов на основе отходов горно-обогатительного комбината, на прочность и износоустойчивость методом истирания; исследование фильтрующей способности разработанного фильтрующего элемента, в состав которого в определенных соотношениях входят отходы горно-обогатительного производства, жидкое стекло и кремнефтористый натрий. Представлена таблица эффективности обезжелезивания сточной воды на данном материале и математические модели продолжительности процесса фильтрования и эффекта подщелачивания. Приведены методы удаления железа с помощью природных фильтрующих материалов и искусственных фильтрующих материалов, содержащих отходы хвостохранилищ и отвалов горно-обогатительных комбинатов. Результаты. Приведен способ утилизации осадков хвостохранилищ горно-обогатительных комбинатов, определены факторы, влияющие на эффективную утилизацию отходов горно-обогатительных предприятий в фильтрующие материалы, исследованы физико-химические и фильтрационные свойства полученных материалов, определен состав фильтрующего элемента с максимальным содержанием отхода.

Обоснование технологического решения по экологической реабилитации техногенных образований

В статье изложены результаты многолетних исследований по обоснованию технологических решений, направленных на реабилитацию техногенных образований, загрязненных соединениями тяжелых металлов и мышьяка, с использованием потенциала биологических систем. На основе разработанных биогенных принципов и воспроизводства продуктивности нарушенных горными работами земель предложено технологическое решение с использованием потенциала биологических систем (фототрофных бактерий) по снижению их негативного воздействия на экосферу для перевода после рекультивации в земли лесного фонда. Abstract. In the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) of Russia, as a result of the restructuring of the economy, many mining facilities in the past century were bankrupt. Large volumes of toxic waste were uncontrolled. Hydrotechnical services were eliminated and the tailings were drained. Their preservation and recultivation was not carried out. As a result, the plume of products from the dusting surface of drained tailings constantly covers landscapes and settlements, especially in the spring-summer-autumn season. A significant part of the territory of the mining enterprise has a crisis ecological situation, which has led to the emergence of environmentally-related diseases of the local population. The purpose of the research was to substantiate the technological solution for the rehabilitation of technogenic formations contaminated with heavy metal and arsenic compounds, using the potential of biological systems, to reduce their negative impact on the ecosphere. They are considered by us as environmental damage to the past economic activities of the mining enterprise. To assess the risk of waste impact on the ecosphere, the following methods and techniques are used: geobotanical, silvicultural, geomorphological, modern instrumental and traditional physicochemical, chemical methods and cartographic modeling, statistical data processing, as well as scientific forecasting and systematization. Expeditionary field studies within the boundaries of the influence of the mining enterprise, conducted during 2008-2017, were carried out according to a single methodology. The samples were prepared for the analysis in the same way and were analyzed at the Khabarovsk Innovation and Analytical Center ITIG FEB RAS on a modern ICP device. The processes of soil formation and natural overgrowing in technogenic landscapes by generally accepted methods have been studied. The chemical analysis was carried out according to the methods described in the «Guidelines for the Control of Atmospheric Pollution RD.52.04.286-89». On the basis of the conducted research, conclusions were drawn about the insufficient knowledge of the problem of recultivation of the surface of tailings within the influence of «Dalnegorsky GOK» containing toxic waste. The formulated bioengineering principles for creating a safe technology for the ecological rehabilitation of technogenic formations will significantly reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment to an acceptable level of inevitable impact generated by the fact of artificial withdrawal of part of the lithosphere for mining purposes. The efficiency of using phototrophic bacteria for solving the problem of eliminating accumulated environmental damage is shown. In the future, it is planned to continue research in this area for the transfer of land to the forest fund of the Dalnegorsk district forest area after reclamation work using the potential of biological systems.

Natural and Technogenic Mineral Formation in the Aquifer of the Amur-Tunguska Interfluves

Changes in mineralogical composition occurring in the course of preparation of drinking water in-situ are studied based on the data from the monitoring wells of the Tunguska groundwater intake. Intensive dissolution of feldspars, pyroxenes, siderite, and, to a lesser extent, quartz with the formation of secondary minerals (amorphous silica, clay minerals, and secondary siderite) occur in the aquifer of the Tunguska intake. In addition, solid products of the destruction are formed, including microfragments of minerals, which together with the primary clay, secondary minerals, and oxides and hydroxides of iron and manganese that originated in the process of intralayer oxidation of water, participate in the colmatation of cracks and the slit space of the well filters. Regeneration actions result only in a partial recovery of the specific flow rate of the wells, since the hydrochloric acid used in them leaches only the oxide–hydroxide part of the colmatant, leaving virtually unchanged its aluminosilicate component.