Preliminary Study on the Use of Reverse Osmosis Brine and Mine Tailings as Cement Paste Mixtures for Mine Backfilling Application
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Date
2022-11-24
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Publisher
Springer Nature
Abstract
The processing of low-grade gold ores
generates a significant volume of tailings and wastewater
that impacts the environment. The treatment
of wastewater using reverse osmosis (RO) produces
brine as a by-product with high salinity levels.
Improper disposal of mine wastes can significantly
pollute water bodies and soils. A novel and sustainable
method for managing, disposing, and handling
these wastes is vital. The use of RO brine and mine
tailings to produce cement paste mixtures for backfilling
applications has been investigated. Sulfide
gold mine tailings and RO brine were characterized,
and cement paste backfill (CPB) mixtures were prepared
by mixing varying proportions of cement and
RO brine. The CPB cubes were cured for a specified
number of days, and their physical and mechanical
properties were determined. The results indicate a
decrease in slump value with increasing cement content,
whilst the slump increased with RO brine content.
The compressive strength at 28 days increased
with binder content reaching a maximum of 1.83 MPa using 50% RO brine. The CPB cubes produced with
50% RO brine and 12 wt.% cement possessed the
required combination of fluidity and strength for mine
backfilling applications.