Assessment of Mineralogical, Textural, and Water Chemistry Changes During Long-Distance Tailings-Slurry Transport

Alcalde J.; Edraki M.; Jerez O.; Kelm U.; Rubinos D.A.

Abstract

An exploratory study demonstrated that subtle changes in solids and process water were caused by long-distance turbulent transport of tailings from the concentrator to the impoundment of a Cu (Mo) porphyry copper deposit. Slurry water chemical analysis was complemented by modelling potential phase precipitation or dissolution and speciation of dissolved metals. It was found that transport did not affect major insoluble mineral phases. However, the degrees of liberation of several phyllosilicates, as determined by automated mineralogy, were reduced close to the impoundment, which points to separation of clay particles from tectosilicate surfaces by the turbulence; this also was observed by SEM examination of micro-aggregate specimens. Reduction of maximum particle sizes, increased N-2 monolayer adsorption, and resultant specific surface areas indicate that transport modified the micro-aggregates. Major element water chemistry is controlled by the presence of soluble mineral phases, such as gypsum, and reagents, such as lime, in the flotation process. Changes in the dissolved concentrations of some elements could potentially affect tailings deportment in the impoundment. Increased concentrations of Al may affect the clay settling behaviour, while Mo and As levels will require treatment prior to the discharge of water from the tailings impoundment. This study demonstrated that systematic scrutiny of tailings slurries leaving the concentrator and before entering the impoundment can be potentially useful, though care will have to be exercised to replicate sample handling and analytical conditions, during any long-term monitoring.

Más información

Título según WOS: Assessment of Mineralogical, Textural, and Water Chemistry Changes During Long-Distance Tailings-Slurry Transport
Título según SCOPUS: Assessment of Mineralogical, Textural, and Water Chemistry Changes During Long-Distance Tailings-Slurry Transport [??????????????????????] [Untersuchung der Veränderung von Mineralogie, Struktur and Wasserchemie während des langen Transportweges von Tailingsschlamm] [Evaluación de los cambios mineralógicos, de textura y de química del agua durante el transporte de lodos y relaves a larga distancia]
Título de la Revista: MINE WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Volumen: 39
Número: 1
Editorial: Springer
Fecha de publicación: 2020
Página de inicio: 135
Página final: 149
Idioma: English
DOI:

10.1007/s10230-020-00658-x

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS