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Use of geopolymers for mine tailings management
Clements, Cara L.
Clements, Cara L.
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2023-04
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Abstract
As the extent of mining activities increases, more and more waste is produce which has to be managed and stored for many years. Traditional storage of waste in tailings ponds takes up large areas of arable land, allows toxins to leach into the surrounding environment, and the tailings dams can often fail, endangering human lives. In light of these issues, reuse and reclamation of mine tailings is a more attractive solution that can not only stabilize the waste to reduce its toxicity, but also produce a beneficial product such as construction materials. One method for reuse of mining waste is geopolymerization, where the mine tailings are used as an aluminosilicate source material and activated by a strongly alkaline solution (such as sodium hydroxide). Although mine tailings based geopolymers show promising mechanical and chemical properties, the tailings themselves generally have low reactivity, which requires a very strong alkali activator. These concentrated solutions are user-hazardous, expensive, and difficult to store on an industrial scale. An alternative process, called one-part geopolymerization, shows promise in reducing these problems. In a one-part geopolymer, the alkali activator is added to the tailings in solid form to create a ready-to-use mixture. The user must add only water to this mixture, removing the hazards associated with storage and handling of a strongly alkaline solution. One-part geopolymerization is a promising strategy for mine tailings management that immobilizes toxins, produces beneficial material, and is feasible on an industrial scale.
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