Ultrafine Clay Research Articles

Mining / milling processes and tailings generation

Economic abstraction of valuable minerals from a mineral deposit generally requires physical or mixed physical and chemical processing of the mined ore to produce a mineral concentrate. Such concentrates then become feedstock for pyro‐ or hydro‐metallurgical plants to produce finished metal or mineral products to market throughout the world. These mineral processes abo produce tailings, or waste materials, which can consist of solids, ranging in particle size from cobbles to ultrafine clay of only 1–2 μ in diameter, plus usually an aqueous phase. The latter phase derives from the fact that most processes are conducted in water. The tailings solid can vary from being essentially inert to chemically unstable and subject to dissolution or weathering followed by dissolution. The aqueous phase can in turn be uncontaminated or contain enough dissolved metals or residual milling chemicals to make the tailings potentially toxic. Detailed knowledge of the mineralogy of an ore and the physical and chemical actions ...