Million tonnes of tailings are formed in the world each year due to increasing mining activities ... more Million tonnes of tailings are formed in the world each year due to increasing mining activities along with the increase in need for raw materials. The tailings may cause important environmental problems. Therefore, tailings management is very important issue in mining operations. In recent years, with the developing technology, the new tailing disposal technologies such as paste and using geotextile materials have increased considerably. These methods have many advantages in terms of both environmental and cost reducing. Another important issue in terms of mining is the accidents and occupational health problems in underground coal mines. The problems can be described as spontaneous combustion, roof collapse, gases extraction from coal bed, and etc. These accidents have been significantly reduced with use of mining chemicals in underground mines. In this study, tailing management and mining chemicals which are very important in terms of mining applications are examined.
The human requirements have increased rapidly depending on population density and urbanization th... more The human requirements have increased rapidly depending on population density and urbanization thus industrialization has grown steadily. As a result of this increase of the greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, the global warming has increased slowly. Therefore, the effects of greenhouse gases in all areas of production must be controlled. The study presents the methods of determination of CO 2 emissions (CO 2-e) and energy consumption in aggregate production. The aggregate constitute approximately 70% by volume of concrete that has widespread use as construction material in the world. One of the most important elements in today's terms is sustainable use of resources and minimum CO 2 emissions (CO 2 + CO + NOx + CH4…) at every stage of production of aggregate. Therefore, these elements must be taken into consideration in the aggregate production standards. The choice of production method of aggregate is very important for optimum use of energy and effects of greenhouse gas emissions. So the properties of the aggregate material must be known well to obtain the target. Within the scope of this study, the unit value of CO 2-e that release when the production of aggregate in different formations is determined for our country. Thus, the effects of green house gas emission can be evaluated according to the characteristics of material in aggregate production planning.In this study, energies consumed during the production of aggregates at a quarry in Istanbul Cendere region were investigated by taking the different formations encountered at the quarry into consideration. The unit CO 2 emission values per ton of produced aggregates were calculated as a result of this investigation. Besides, energy consumption values of previous months at this quarry were taken and the unit CO 2 emission values were also calculated.
Mine tailings may cause important environmental problems. There are some tailing disposal methods... more Mine tailings may cause important environmental problems. There are some tailing disposal methods which have been applied in the mining industry for a long time. Tailing dams that are generally used in the disposal of mine tailing also bring about many problems in terms of cost, environment and human health. In this study, a risk analysis of a tailing dam was carried out based on soil stability using the finite element method for a Pb-Zn tailing mine. Firstly, considering the topographic features of the tailing dam site, the geographical area of the dam was determined. Secondly, physical and geomechanical characteristics of tailing such as grain size distribution were determined in the laboratory by taking representative samples at various depths from different regions such as tailing and grounds of tailing dam. Lastly, by using this data, tailing area was modelled by finite element method and the distribution of stresses and displacements occurring in the tailing stream were shown. Risk zones of barriers have been identified in terms of stability. In addition, due to its location in the earthquake zone, the behaviour of dam against the earthquake loads was investigated and damages of dam were determined in a possible earthquake. Accordingly, the measurements carried out showed that maximum displacement and stresses in the dam spread from the tailing to the shed, when the duration of the earthquake is 3 s and 30° slope angle, the maximum displacement value for upstream design is calculated as 0.01 m and for downstream design as 0.05 m. For 35° slope angle, maximum displacement values have significantly increased by increasing the duration of the earthquake. This increase has been more limited for designs of 25° and 30°. Accordingly, it can be said that the border slope angle value is 30° in terms of seismic loads.
Son yıllarda hızla gelişmekte olan madencilik sektörü, aynı zamanda yanında çevresel sorunları da... more Son yıllarda hızla gelişmekte olan madencilik sektörü, aynı zamanda yanında çevresel sorunları da birlikte getirmektedir. Bu sorunların başında her yıl madenlerden yüksek miktarlarda üretilen maden proses atıkları gelmektedir. Özellikle metal madenciliğinde konsantre üretimi sonucu arta kalan ekonomik yönden değersiz ve sülfür içeren atıklar, su ve oksijen varlığında asitli sızıntı suyu üretimine neden olarak çevreye önemli derecelerde kalıcı zararlar verebilmektedirler. Bu atıkların yerüstünde geleneksel yöntemler (atık barajı vs.) kullanılarak bertarafı sırasında sebep olduğu çevresel zararların yeni teknolojiler ve yöntemlerle beraber önemli ölçüde azaltılabileceği çeşitli araştırmalarda ortaya konmuştur. Bu yöntemlerden biriside, atıkların çevresel açıdan güvenilir olarak bertarafına imkân veren macun teknolojisi yöntemidir. Atıkların bir kısmı macun dolgu şeklinde yeraltına dolgu amaçlı olarak kullanılırken diğer bir kısmı da yerüstünde macun depolama şeklinde değerlendirilmektedir. Bu kapsamda, ülkemizde macun teknolojinin geleneksel yerüstü bertaraf yöntemlerine alternatif bir yöntem olarak incelenmesi önem arz etmektedir.
The negative effects of CO 2-e, which are apparent on a global scale, should be monitored and con... more The negative effects of CO 2-e, which are apparent on a global scale, should be monitored and controlled by responsible governmental authorities. This responsibility should be assumed because CO 2 emissions (CO 2-e) result from human activities, particularly the usage of fossil fuels which contribute to the phenomenon of global warming. This study will analyse the methods employed for CO 2-e and energy calculation in the affected location of a quarry. One of the ways to optimise energy usage and minimise the effects of CO 2-e is to ascertain the most detailed and comprehensive degree of planning and design for the mine location to be studied. In order to achieve this, essential, aggregate material properties should be defined then analysed by a related authority. Within the scope of this study, CO 2-e unit value released during aggregate production in distinct formations was defined. The distribution of CO 2-e values which are dependent on the energy consumption which occurs during aggregate production was also examined. In conclusion, it was found that the diesel fuel consumption had been the most significant CO 2-e factor by a rate of 88%.
International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment, Feb 6, 2017
Surface paste disposal (SPD) technology has been investigated recently to solve the geotechnical ... more Surface paste disposal (SPD) technology has been investigated recently to solve the geotechnical (tailings dam failure) and geochemical (acid mine drainage formation) problems relating to tailings disposal. The tailings dam accidents occurred in the last few years have expedited the researches to search for safer tailings disposal methods in mining industry. The aim of this study is to investigate which parameters affect the geotechnical and geochemical stability of sulphidic paste tailings as SPD. The pH, EC and crack intensity of paste tailings placed in layers were measured to observe how the parameters affect their stability. In this study, it can be seen that solid concentration of the paste material increases above ~80 wt.%, and its shear strength is above 20 kPa. In addition, the pH values reduced from 7.4 to 6.6 and the EC values increased from 2.9 to 3.3 mS/cm in seepage water of the paste layers. According to these values, it can be said that there is a very low environmental risk using the SPD. Results showed the applicability of the SPD method by obtaining geochemical and geotechnical stability.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Aug 17, 2020
There are only a few pilot schemes, especially among scientific studies carried out to solve nume... more There are only a few pilot schemes, especially among scientific studies carried out to solve numerous environmental and ecological problems created by water during tailing storage on the surface. It is extremely important to establish precautions that can be taken, especially in the tailing storage process by examining the physical, chemical, mineralogical, and geotechnical changes that develop due to the effect of moisture in the tailing and surface water. In this study, 2 different pilot-scale designs of storage with no additions (reference) and with binder additions (cement and fly ash) to some layers were observed in field conditions for about 1 year to determine the effects of seasonal changes on paste material. The results of the measurements revealed that the water content of the reference design was ~ 10% higher than that of the design with cement addition at the substrates that provide stability and sudden temperature changes at the top layer of the reference design was found to be ~ 35 °C. Maximum sudden temperature changes in layers with cement addition and layers with cement and fly ash addition were observed to be ~ 15 °C. As a result, the use of cement has made the material more resistant to external factors. However, the study also revealed that fly ash could be used instead of cement with a substitute rate of 50% to reduce the cost for long-term storage in terms of industrial applications.
The quality of concrete is extremely important for the construction and mining sectors. One of th... more The quality of concrete is extremely important for the construction and mining sectors. One of the most important factors determining the quality of concrete depends on aggregates, which are not always homogeneous. On the other hand, there is an obligation to use aggregates obtained from different quarries. In such cases, the aggregates having different properties must be blended in order to maintain the desired concrete quality. In this study, optimization was performed using a linear programming in order to blend the aggregates at different qualities. Meanwhile, the objective function was determined to minimize the cost of aggregate production on the model. The limit values in the literature and national standards for the usability of aggregates in concrete were defined as constraints in the linear optimization and evaluated with the objective functions. Therefore, the most suitable aggregate blends were composed in order to obtain the requested concrete quality. As a conclusion, the most appropriate product blends were obtained in the research fields, and the usability of this model for those quarries was evaluated to provide the sustainability of product quality.
Journal of geological resource and engineering, Feb 28, 2016
Tailings are formed as a result of mine processing. When these tailings are left in an environmen... more Tailings are formed as a result of mine processing. When these tailings are left in an environment in an inappropriate manner, they create a danger against the environment and human health. Therefore, the safe disposal of mine tailings above the ground is environmentally quite important. Today, tailing dams are generally used in the disposal of these mine tailings. However, this method has many environmental disadvantages such as AMD (acid mine drainage), heavy metal mobilization etc. For this reason, the use of alternative methods such as surface paste tailing disposal or geotextile methods are gradually increasing in the world. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of the surface paste tailing disposal method and tailing disposal method using geotextile material compared to the traditional tailing dam method were evaluated in detail, and, the costs of these three methods for a typical Pb-Zn mine establishment were compared. The analysis indicated that the unit costs of the tailing dam, the surface disposal method, and the geotextile method were calculated as 2.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Jul 10, 2017
Surface paste disposal method can be used to minimize environmental risks during storage of mine ... more Surface paste disposal method can be used to minimize environmental risks during storage of mine process tailings. There are some researches and industrial applications which prove success of the method. The surface paste disposal of mineral process tailings obtained from a Pb–Zn underground mine was simulated considering mine site conditions at laboratory scale in the study. The paste material was stored in the cabin/container layer by layer, and then, the cracks occurred after the paste formation of each layer were analyzed by image process. Meanwhile, leachate water collected from the bottom of the cabin was subjected to electrical conductivity (EC) analysis. Furthermore, the wetting–drying process was conducted to simulate the climatic conditions of the region. Additionally, some physical and geochemical parameters such as matric suction, volumetric water content, and oxygen consumption of the paste material were obtained using sensors displaced into different layers. The results of the crack analysis for each layer showed that the cracks intensity increased at lower layers. Moreover, the crack intensity and EC values of each layer showed a similar trend, and the crack intensity increased almost five times during the wetting–drying tests. The measured values of the parameters obtained from the tests indicated that the deposited paste material can be stabile during the deposition over the years under the climatic conditions of the region.
Environmental impacts resulting from conventional tailings disposal such as tailings dam accident... more Environmental impacts resulting from conventional tailings disposal such as tailings dam accidents are a common problem for base metal mines around the world. In this context, laboratory-scale studies have been carried out on the Surface Paste Disposal (SPD) method, which is one of the alternative surface storage methods. In this study, three different SPD designs were tested; and volumetric water content, oxygen consumption, and matric suction sensors in first, fifth and 10th paste layers plus pH-electric conductivity (EC) values were all measured. Specifically, it was determined that the amount of oxygen in the environment required for the oxidation of sulfur minerals is reduced in the cemented layers in Design 3. In addition, the cement additive keeps the pH values of the seepage in an alkaline environment (over 7) so that it minimizes the risks of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and heavy metals mobilization at low pH values. Also, the EC values started a downward trend and ion dissolution decreased in designs with cemented layers. As a result, it was understood from the sensor measurements that the cemented layers act like a barrier.
A significant amount of tailings with a high content of cyanide or sulphur arises from the benefi... more A significant amount of tailings with a high content of cyanide or sulphur arises from the beneficiation process of metallic mines such as gold, silver, copper, and lead. The influence of these hazardous tailings on the environment may have multiple aspects. The control and configuration of this kind of environmentally dangerous tailings in terms of isolation at disposal site, construction of impermeable layers, transportation from plant, stabilization, safety, their effects on water, and soil quality are the main parameters that could be considered carefully. In this context, tailings management are very important to selection of the optimum disposal method. Also, the some parameters such as physical and chemical characterization of tailings, properties of newly formed material (e.g. acid potential, stabilization, cost and applicability of the paste tailings etc.) should be evaluated. Safely disposal of mine tailings under surface conditions is of great importance in the aspect of environment.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Sep 20, 2021
Cemented paste backfill system used for the storage of tailings underground also serves as suppor... more Cemented paste backfill system used for the storage of tailings underground also serves as support against subsidence due to roof loads. Therefore, paste backfill materials should be optimized according to strength, environment, and cost requirements. The main purpose of this study is to determine the ratio and optimal particle size distribution of zeolite which is one of the natural pozzolanic materials and can substitute cement in paste backfill. As a result of the experiments without zeolite, it was determined that paste backfill materials with the cement ratio of 9% and 11% can be used for ground support instead of the cemented paste backfill reference samples with 80% solid content. Then, zeolite-substituted samples were prepared in 2 different particle sizes of − 90 μm and − 180 μm at cement ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Then, the effects of the paste backfill materials on the strength of curing periods of 28, 56, and 90 days were examined. As a result, it was found that 9% cemented paste backfills with 15% zeolite substitutes (− 90 μm) and 11% cemented paste backfills with 10% zeolite substitutes (− 180 μm) could be used in paste backfill. Also, 11% cemented paste backfills with 10% zeolite substitutes (− 180 μm) provide better strength depending on the curing times.
Million tonnes of tailings are formed in the world each year due to increasing mining activities ... more Million tonnes of tailings are formed in the world each year due to increasing mining activities along with the increase in need for raw materials. The tailings may cause important environmental problems. Therefore, tailings management is very important issue in mining operations. In recent years, with the developing technology, the new tailing disposal technologies such as paste and using geotextile materials have increased considerably. These methods have many advantages in terms of both environmental and cost reducing. Another important issue in terms of mining is the accidents and occupational health problems in underground coal mines. The problems can be described as spontaneous combustion, roof collapse, gases extraction from coal bed, and etc. These accidents have been significantly reduced with use of mining chemicals in underground mines. In this study, tailing management and mining chemicals which are very important in terms of mining applications are examined.
The human requirements have increased rapidly depending on population density and urbanization th... more The human requirements have increased rapidly depending on population density and urbanization thus industrialization has grown steadily. As a result of this increase of the greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, the global warming has increased slowly. Therefore, the effects of greenhouse gases in all areas of production must be controlled. The study presents the methods of determination of CO 2 emissions (CO 2-e) and energy consumption in aggregate production. The aggregate constitute approximately 70% by volume of concrete that has widespread use as construction material in the world. One of the most important elements in today's terms is sustainable use of resources and minimum CO 2 emissions (CO 2 + CO + NOx + CH4…) at every stage of production of aggregate. Therefore, these elements must be taken into consideration in the aggregate production standards. The choice of production method of aggregate is very important for optimum use of energy and effects of greenhouse gas emissions. So the properties of the aggregate material must be known well to obtain the target. Within the scope of this study, the unit value of CO 2-e that release when the production of aggregate in different formations is determined for our country. Thus, the effects of green house gas emission can be evaluated according to the characteristics of material in aggregate production planning.In this study, energies consumed during the production of aggregates at a quarry in Istanbul Cendere region were investigated by taking the different formations encountered at the quarry into consideration. The unit CO 2 emission values per ton of produced aggregates were calculated as a result of this investigation. Besides, energy consumption values of previous months at this quarry were taken and the unit CO 2 emission values were also calculated.
Mine tailings may cause important environmental problems. There are some tailing disposal methods... more Mine tailings may cause important environmental problems. There are some tailing disposal methods which have been applied in the mining industry for a long time. Tailing dams that are generally used in the disposal of mine tailing also bring about many problems in terms of cost, environment and human health. In this study, a risk analysis of a tailing dam was carried out based on soil stability using the finite element method for a Pb-Zn tailing mine. Firstly, considering the topographic features of the tailing dam site, the geographical area of the dam was determined. Secondly, physical and geomechanical characteristics of tailing such as grain size distribution were determined in the laboratory by taking representative samples at various depths from different regions such as tailing and grounds of tailing dam. Lastly, by using this data, tailing area was modelled by finite element method and the distribution of stresses and displacements occurring in the tailing stream were shown. Risk zones of barriers have been identified in terms of stability. In addition, due to its location in the earthquake zone, the behaviour of dam against the earthquake loads was investigated and damages of dam were determined in a possible earthquake. Accordingly, the measurements carried out showed that maximum displacement and stresses in the dam spread from the tailing to the shed, when the duration of the earthquake is 3 s and 30° slope angle, the maximum displacement value for upstream design is calculated as 0.01 m and for downstream design as 0.05 m. For 35° slope angle, maximum displacement values have significantly increased by increasing the duration of the earthquake. This increase has been more limited for designs of 25° and 30°. Accordingly, it can be said that the border slope angle value is 30° in terms of seismic loads.
Son yıllarda hızla gelişmekte olan madencilik sektörü, aynı zamanda yanında çevresel sorunları da... more Son yıllarda hızla gelişmekte olan madencilik sektörü, aynı zamanda yanında çevresel sorunları da birlikte getirmektedir. Bu sorunların başında her yıl madenlerden yüksek miktarlarda üretilen maden proses atıkları gelmektedir. Özellikle metal madenciliğinde konsantre üretimi sonucu arta kalan ekonomik yönden değersiz ve sülfür içeren atıklar, su ve oksijen varlığında asitli sızıntı suyu üretimine neden olarak çevreye önemli derecelerde kalıcı zararlar verebilmektedirler. Bu atıkların yerüstünde geleneksel yöntemler (atık barajı vs.) kullanılarak bertarafı sırasında sebep olduğu çevresel zararların yeni teknolojiler ve yöntemlerle beraber önemli ölçüde azaltılabileceği çeşitli araştırmalarda ortaya konmuştur. Bu yöntemlerden biriside, atıkların çevresel açıdan güvenilir olarak bertarafına imkân veren macun teknolojisi yöntemidir. Atıkların bir kısmı macun dolgu şeklinde yeraltına dolgu amaçlı olarak kullanılırken diğer bir kısmı da yerüstünde macun depolama şeklinde değerlendirilmektedir. Bu kapsamda, ülkemizde macun teknolojinin geleneksel yerüstü bertaraf yöntemlerine alternatif bir yöntem olarak incelenmesi önem arz etmektedir.
The negative effects of CO 2-e, which are apparent on a global scale, should be monitored and con... more The negative effects of CO 2-e, which are apparent on a global scale, should be monitored and controlled by responsible governmental authorities. This responsibility should be assumed because CO 2 emissions (CO 2-e) result from human activities, particularly the usage of fossil fuels which contribute to the phenomenon of global warming. This study will analyse the methods employed for CO 2-e and energy calculation in the affected location of a quarry. One of the ways to optimise energy usage and minimise the effects of CO 2-e is to ascertain the most detailed and comprehensive degree of planning and design for the mine location to be studied. In order to achieve this, essential, aggregate material properties should be defined then analysed by a related authority. Within the scope of this study, CO 2-e unit value released during aggregate production in distinct formations was defined. The distribution of CO 2-e values which are dependent on the energy consumption which occurs during aggregate production was also examined. In conclusion, it was found that the diesel fuel consumption had been the most significant CO 2-e factor by a rate of 88%.
International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment, Feb 6, 2017
Surface paste disposal (SPD) technology has been investigated recently to solve the geotechnical ... more Surface paste disposal (SPD) technology has been investigated recently to solve the geotechnical (tailings dam failure) and geochemical (acid mine drainage formation) problems relating to tailings disposal. The tailings dam accidents occurred in the last few years have expedited the researches to search for safer tailings disposal methods in mining industry. The aim of this study is to investigate which parameters affect the geotechnical and geochemical stability of sulphidic paste tailings as SPD. The pH, EC and crack intensity of paste tailings placed in layers were measured to observe how the parameters affect their stability. In this study, it can be seen that solid concentration of the paste material increases above ~80 wt.%, and its shear strength is above 20 kPa. In addition, the pH values reduced from 7.4 to 6.6 and the EC values increased from 2.9 to 3.3 mS/cm in seepage water of the paste layers. According to these values, it can be said that there is a very low environmental risk using the SPD. Results showed the applicability of the SPD method by obtaining geochemical and geotechnical stability.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Aug 17, 2020
There are only a few pilot schemes, especially among scientific studies carried out to solve nume... more There are only a few pilot schemes, especially among scientific studies carried out to solve numerous environmental and ecological problems created by water during tailing storage on the surface. It is extremely important to establish precautions that can be taken, especially in the tailing storage process by examining the physical, chemical, mineralogical, and geotechnical changes that develop due to the effect of moisture in the tailing and surface water. In this study, 2 different pilot-scale designs of storage with no additions (reference) and with binder additions (cement and fly ash) to some layers were observed in field conditions for about 1 year to determine the effects of seasonal changes on paste material. The results of the measurements revealed that the water content of the reference design was ~ 10% higher than that of the design with cement addition at the substrates that provide stability and sudden temperature changes at the top layer of the reference design was found to be ~ 35 °C. Maximum sudden temperature changes in layers with cement addition and layers with cement and fly ash addition were observed to be ~ 15 °C. As a result, the use of cement has made the material more resistant to external factors. However, the study also revealed that fly ash could be used instead of cement with a substitute rate of 50% to reduce the cost for long-term storage in terms of industrial applications.
The quality of concrete is extremely important for the construction and mining sectors. One of th... more The quality of concrete is extremely important for the construction and mining sectors. One of the most important factors determining the quality of concrete depends on aggregates, which are not always homogeneous. On the other hand, there is an obligation to use aggregates obtained from different quarries. In such cases, the aggregates having different properties must be blended in order to maintain the desired concrete quality. In this study, optimization was performed using a linear programming in order to blend the aggregates at different qualities. Meanwhile, the objective function was determined to minimize the cost of aggregate production on the model. The limit values in the literature and national standards for the usability of aggregates in concrete were defined as constraints in the linear optimization and evaluated with the objective functions. Therefore, the most suitable aggregate blends were composed in order to obtain the requested concrete quality. As a conclusion, the most appropriate product blends were obtained in the research fields, and the usability of this model for those quarries was evaluated to provide the sustainability of product quality.
Journal of geological resource and engineering, Feb 28, 2016
Tailings are formed as a result of mine processing. When these tailings are left in an environmen... more Tailings are formed as a result of mine processing. When these tailings are left in an environment in an inappropriate manner, they create a danger against the environment and human health. Therefore, the safe disposal of mine tailings above the ground is environmentally quite important. Today, tailing dams are generally used in the disposal of these mine tailings. However, this method has many environmental disadvantages such as AMD (acid mine drainage), heavy metal mobilization etc. For this reason, the use of alternative methods such as surface paste tailing disposal or geotextile methods are gradually increasing in the world. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of the surface paste tailing disposal method and tailing disposal method using geotextile material compared to the traditional tailing dam method were evaluated in detail, and, the costs of these three methods for a typical Pb-Zn mine establishment were compared. The analysis indicated that the unit costs of the tailing dam, the surface disposal method, and the geotextile method were calculated as 2.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Jul 10, 2017
Surface paste disposal method can be used to minimize environmental risks during storage of mine ... more Surface paste disposal method can be used to minimize environmental risks during storage of mine process tailings. There are some researches and industrial applications which prove success of the method. The surface paste disposal of mineral process tailings obtained from a Pb–Zn underground mine was simulated considering mine site conditions at laboratory scale in the study. The paste material was stored in the cabin/container layer by layer, and then, the cracks occurred after the paste formation of each layer were analyzed by image process. Meanwhile, leachate water collected from the bottom of the cabin was subjected to electrical conductivity (EC) analysis. Furthermore, the wetting–drying process was conducted to simulate the climatic conditions of the region. Additionally, some physical and geochemical parameters such as matric suction, volumetric water content, and oxygen consumption of the paste material were obtained using sensors displaced into different layers. The results of the crack analysis for each layer showed that the cracks intensity increased at lower layers. Moreover, the crack intensity and EC values of each layer showed a similar trend, and the crack intensity increased almost five times during the wetting–drying tests. The measured values of the parameters obtained from the tests indicated that the deposited paste material can be stabile during the deposition over the years under the climatic conditions of the region.
Environmental impacts resulting from conventional tailings disposal such as tailings dam accident... more Environmental impacts resulting from conventional tailings disposal such as tailings dam accidents are a common problem for base metal mines around the world. In this context, laboratory-scale studies have been carried out on the Surface Paste Disposal (SPD) method, which is one of the alternative surface storage methods. In this study, three different SPD designs were tested; and volumetric water content, oxygen consumption, and matric suction sensors in first, fifth and 10th paste layers plus pH-electric conductivity (EC) values were all measured. Specifically, it was determined that the amount of oxygen in the environment required for the oxidation of sulfur minerals is reduced in the cemented layers in Design 3. In addition, the cement additive keeps the pH values of the seepage in an alkaline environment (over 7) so that it minimizes the risks of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and heavy metals mobilization at low pH values. Also, the EC values started a downward trend and ion dissolution decreased in designs with cemented layers. As a result, it was understood from the sensor measurements that the cemented layers act like a barrier.
A significant amount of tailings with a high content of cyanide or sulphur arises from the benefi... more A significant amount of tailings with a high content of cyanide or sulphur arises from the beneficiation process of metallic mines such as gold, silver, copper, and lead. The influence of these hazardous tailings on the environment may have multiple aspects. The control and configuration of this kind of environmentally dangerous tailings in terms of isolation at disposal site, construction of impermeable layers, transportation from plant, stabilization, safety, their effects on water, and soil quality are the main parameters that could be considered carefully. In this context, tailings management are very important to selection of the optimum disposal method. Also, the some parameters such as physical and chemical characterization of tailings, properties of newly formed material (e.g. acid potential, stabilization, cost and applicability of the paste tailings etc.) should be evaluated. Safely disposal of mine tailings under surface conditions is of great importance in the aspect of environment.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Sep 20, 2021
Cemented paste backfill system used for the storage of tailings underground also serves as suppor... more Cemented paste backfill system used for the storage of tailings underground also serves as support against subsidence due to roof loads. Therefore, paste backfill materials should be optimized according to strength, environment, and cost requirements. The main purpose of this study is to determine the ratio and optimal particle size distribution of zeolite which is one of the natural pozzolanic materials and can substitute cement in paste backfill. As a result of the experiments without zeolite, it was determined that paste backfill materials with the cement ratio of 9% and 11% can be used for ground support instead of the cemented paste backfill reference samples with 80% solid content. Then, zeolite-substituted samples were prepared in 2 different particle sizes of − 90 μm and − 180 μm at cement ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Then, the effects of the paste backfill materials on the strength of curing periods of 28, 56, and 90 days were examined. As a result, it was found that 9% cemented paste backfills with 15% zeolite substitutes (− 90 μm) and 11% cemented paste backfills with 10% zeolite substitutes (− 180 μm) could be used in paste backfill. Also, 11% cemented paste backfills with 10% zeolite substitutes (− 180 μm) provide better strength depending on the curing times.
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