Substitution of Aggregates in Concrete and Mortar with Coltan Mining Waste: Mechanical, Environmental, and Economic Impact Case Study

The mining process involves drilling and excavation, resulting in the production of waste rock and tailings. The waste materials are then removed and stored in designated areas. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical strength and the environmental and economic impact of using Coltan Mining Waste (CMW) as a substitute for aggregates in concrete and mortar production. To achieve this, the CMW needs to be characterised. The Dreux Gorisse method was primarily used to produce concrete with a strength of 20 MPa at 28 days. The mortars, on the other hand, were formulated according to the NF P 18-452 standard. The environmental impact of using CMW as substitutes for natural aggregates in the production of concrete and mortar was analysed using SimaPro software. The results showed that mortars and concrete made with CMW have comparable compressive strengths to the reference mortar and concrete;reduce the negative impact on ecosystem quality, human health, resources, and climate change. It has also been shown that the substitution of aggregates by CMW reduces the cost of concrete and mortar as a function of the distance from the aggregate footprint.

Dissolution kinetics of aluminum and iron from coal mining waste by hydrochloric acid

The extrartion of aluminum from coal mining waste(CMW) is an important industrial process.The two major problems in applications are low aluminum dissolution efficiency and high iron content in the raw material,which affect the quantity and quality of products.To improve the aluminum recovery process,the leaching kinetics of CMW with hydrochloric acid was studied.A shrinking core model was used to investigate aluminum and iron dissolution kinetics.Based on the kinetic characteristics,a process for recovering aluminum was proposed and tested experimentally.It is found that the aluminum leaching reaction is controlled by surface reaction at low temperatures(40-80℃) and by diffusion process at higher temperatures(90-106℃).The iron dissolution process is dominated by surface reaction at 40-100℃.The results show that iron could be dissolved or separated by concentrated hydrochloric acid.Fine grinding will improve aluminum dissolution significantly.

Valorization of mining waste and tailings through paste backfilling solution, Imiter operation, Morocco

Mine waste and process tailings storage is one of important challenge for which mining operations are increasingly confronted. Treatment discharges of plants and main part of waste rock development are generally stored on surface areas. The volume and chemical characteristics of these materials generate serious problem for required storage spaces and mainly environmental degradation. Paste backfill(PBF) is one of ingenious solutions to minimize the quantity of tailings to store. PBF is basically defined as a combination of mine processing tailings, binder, and water mixing. The purpose of this paper is to present backfilling components characterization and formula verification for a waste valorization solution through paste backfilling technology in Imiter operation. Obtained results and realized analysis demonstrate PBF conformity and adequacy with assigned underground functions. However the studied recipe can be more ameliorated to obtain an optimal mixture ensuring the required mechanical strength.

Study of trace elements in coal and mining wastes and its significance in China

In the world energy about 26% of all was derived from coal combustion. Nearly 80% of the electricity produced in China is generated from coal. Coal will play the most important role in the coming 50 years as the past century in China. However one consequentially of the mining and combustion of coal is the mobilization of trace elements, especially trace metals, which have environmental and human health significance. Information on concentrations and distributions of potentially toxic elements in coal, and information on the modes of occurrence of these elements and the relations of the minerals in coal can help to predict the behavior of the potentially toxic trace metals during cleaning, combustion, weathering, and leaching.

Recovery of Mining Wastes in Building Materials: A Review

The use of materials from waste in buildings compensates for the lack of natural resources, solves the problem of waste management and provides an alternative technique for protection of the environment. There are a large number of industrial wastes that are used for full or partial replacement of raw materials in some construction materials. This review assesses mining waste in concrete as a substitute for aggregates and cement;in fired bricks as a substitute for soil;and in road backfill as a substitute for soil. This paper reviews some mining tailings, mine waste rocks and some slags obtained in the exploitation and/or processing of some ores including iron, gold, lead, phosphate, copper, coal, etc. Different physical properties, mechanical properties, chemical properties, heavy metal content, mineralogic composition, geotechnical properties and environmental properties (leaching test) of the mine wastes were examined. The physical, mechanical and environmental properties of the materials obtained by substitution of raw materials by mine waste were examined and compared to reference materials. Mining waste in cementitious materials offers good compressive strengths, while the porosity of the concrete and/or mortar is a factor influencing its toxicity. As for the waste in fired bricks, fired at a temperature of 900°C or more, it offers convincing compressive and flexural strengths. The few research studies obtained on the use of mining waste in road embankments have shown that mining waste can be used as a sub-base layer and backfill as long as it is not toxic. In addition, several other mining wastes require special attention as substitutes for raw materials in construction materials, such as coltan, cobalt.

Environmental issues from coal mining and their solutions

The environmental challenges from coal mining include coal mine accidents,land subsidence,damage to the water environment,mining waste disposal and air pollution.These are either environmental pollution or landscape change.A conceptual framework for solving mine environmental issues is proposed.Clean processes,or remediation measures,are designed to address environmental pollution.Restoration measures are proposed to handle landscape change.The total methane drainage from 56 Chinese high methane concentration coal mines is about 101.94 million cubic meters.Of this methane,19.32 million,35.58 million and 6.97 million cubic meters are utilized for electricity generation,civil fuel supplies and other industrial purposes,respectively.About 39% of the methane is emitted into the atmosphere.The production of coal mining wastes can be decreased 10% by reuse of mining wastes as underground fills,or by using the waste as fuel for power plants or for raw material to make bricks or other infrastructure materials.The proper use of mined land must be decided in terms of local physical and socio-economical conditions.In European countries more than 50% of previously mined lands are reclaimed as forest or grass lands.However,in China more than 70% of the mined lands are reclaimed for agricultural purposes because the large population and a shortage of farmlands make this necessary.Reconstruction of rural communities or native residential improvement is one environmental problem arising from mining.We suggest two ways to reconstruct a farmer's house in China.

Comparative Study on the Treatment of Leachate from a Mine Waste Dump with Two Agricultural Biowastes

Mining waste dumps are present all over the world. One of the main problems of these solid deposits is the migration of heavy metals present in them due to the aqueous solutions flowing through them. The comparison of the removal of heavy metals from an aqueous solution of a real mining waste leachate under different conditions by two different agricultural wastes has been investigated. The effect of pH, contact time and dosage was studied using coffee grounds (CG) and walnut shells (WS), without pretreatment. The results obtained in the study showed the potential use of CG and WS for the removal of heavy metals, although the coffee grounds are the best adsorbents than the walnut shell.

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements Present in Mining Tails, by Leaching with Nitric and Hydrochloric Solutions

The rare earth elements (REE) include the group of 15 lanthanides, scandium and yttrium and have diverse applications in technological and nuclear areas. The existence of REE in massive solid mining wastes generated in leaching processes of copper minerals in the Atacama region of Chile generates the possibility of creating added value to the treatment of this type of waste and supporting the development of a circular economy, generating a useful by-product in different industries. In order to know the behavior of these elements present in the solid carrier waste, a leaching process was carried out by using two agents separately, corresponding to hydrochloric and nitric acid. The technical feasibility to recover REE from carrier tail was demonstrated, the best leaching agent for these elements being a hydrochloric solution, obtaining a maximum recovery efficiency of 64.5%, for an acid concentration: 3M, temperature: 40°C and (liquid/solid) ratio: 4. Lanthanum and cerium present the best individual recoveries compared to the other REE, with a maximum efficiency for a hydrochloric solution of 75.7% and 70.0%, respectively. The interaction of operational parameters that most influence the REE recovery corresponds to the temperature and the (liquid/solid) ratio. After 4 hours of leaching, REE recovery efficiencies remain practically constant. Acid consumptions correspond to 11 (kg HCl/ton mining tail) and 29 (kg HNO3/ton mining tail). The highest amount recovery ratios of these elements correspond to 0.355 and 0.224 (kg REE/ton mining tail), for hydrochloric and nitric solutions, respectively. These results influence the types of reagents and parameters to be studied in the following stages of the global process.

Biochar:An Emerging Panacea for Remediation of Soil Contaminants from Mining,Industry and Sewage Wastes

Mine tailings, waste rock piles, acid mine drainage, industrial wastewater, and sewage sludge have contaminated a vast area of cultivable and fallow lands, with a consequence of deterioration of soil and water quality and watercourses due to the erosion of contaminated soils for absence of vegetative cover. High concentrations of toxic elements, organic contaminants, acidic soils, and harsh climatic conditions have made it difficult to re-establish vegetation and produce crops there. Recently, a significant body of work has focussed on the suitability and potentiality of biochar as a soil remediation tool that increases seed emergence, soil and crop productivity, above ground biomass, and vegetation cover on mine tailings, waste rock piles, and industrial and sewage waste- contaminated soils by increasing soil nutrients and water-holding capacity, amelioration of soil acidity, and stimulation of microbial diversity and functions. This review addresses： i） the functional properties of biochar, and microbial cycling of nutrients in soil; ii） bioremediation, especially phytoremediation of mine railings, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and contaminated soil using biochar; iii） impact of biochar on reduction of acid production, acid mine drainage treatment, and geochemical dynamics in mine railings; and iv） treatment of metal and organic contaminants in soils using biochar, and restoration of degraded land.