A Review on Sustainable Utilisation of Zinc Mine Tailing in Concrete Production

Abstract

India is among the largest mineral and metal producers globally, including coal, iron ore, bauxite, and zinc. These resources are extracted and processed to create tonnes of mine tailings which are usually disposed into waste or tailings dams. It is estimated that around 80 million tons of mine tailings every year in the country. Zinc tailing is a byproduct from zinc extraction during production that contains several hazardous components like iron, silica, zinc, lead, aluminium oxides cadmium amongst others. These impurities often have adverse effects on people’s health as well as the environment surrounding dumping sites. Nonetheless, in recent years, the utilisation of waste materials in concrete production has become popular due to its ability to enhance the sustainability of the construction industry. The purpose of this review paper is to look into the possibility of replacing some of the fine aggregates and cement in concrete and mortar with zinc tailings. The use of zinc tailing as a substitute for cement in concrete could be an effective way to reuse industrial waste and decrease the environmental impacts associated with cement production. Zinc tailings have diverse physical and chemical properties making them suitable for various construction purposes. The studies have shown that, ideally, the zinc tailing should be 5-20% of the weight of cementitious ingredients. It has been proven that this helps to enhance workability, compressive strength and durability in concretes. Thorough investigations need to be carried out to establish the long term durability and environmental sustainability of these materials although they have been found to reduce pollution and promote sustainable development.