Determination of the available acid-generating potential of waste rock, part II: Waste management involvement

Elghali, Abdellatif; Benzaazoua, Mostafa; Bussière, Bruno; Bouzahzah, Hassan

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2018.12.010

Cited by 47 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Furthermore, sulfides within Joutel tailings are not completely liberated ( Figure 6). The sulfide and carbonate associations with non-sulfide gangue minerals reduce their reactive amount [34,35]. An average of 11% and 16% of Ca-Mg carbonates and pyrite are less than 50% liberated, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The measurement resolution varied from 2.5 µm to 6 µm depending on the particle size. A species identification protocol (SIP) specifically designed for the mineralogy was used for data processing [34,35]. The data enabled quantification of the mineralogical composition and mineral liberation of carbonates and sulfides.…”

Section: Geochemical and Mineralogical Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mineral liberation is a textural parameter, recognized as a key factor that influences the reactivity of mine waste [34,35,53]. Figure 6 presents results of the pyrite, pyrrhotite, calcite-dolomite, and ankerite-siderite liberation degree.…”

Section: Mineral Liberationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This could possibly be attributed to the tailings' degree of saturation, which is affected by the irregular topography of the TSF, as well as the heterogeneous particle size distributions of tailings across the site (Figure 7). It is recognized that the particle size influences the reactivity of mine wastes [34,35,59].…”

Section: S-sulfide C-carbonates Nnp and Nprmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Mapping of Acidity and Geochemical Properties of Oxidized Tailings within the Former Eagle/Telbel Mine Site

et al. 2019

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At some orphaned and abandoned mine sites, acid mine drainage can represent a complex challenge due to the advanced tailings' oxidation state as well as the combination of other factors. At the field scale, several parameters control sulfides' oxidation rates and, therefore, the acidity generation. The objective of this paper is to map the acidity and geochemical properties of oxidized tailings within a closed tailings storage facility. Based on systematic sampling, various geochemical parameters were measured within the oxidized Joutel tailings, including the: Neutralization potential, acid-generating potential, net neutralization potential, neutralization potential ratio, paste pH, thickness of oxidized, hardpan, and transition zones. The different parameters were integrated in geographical information system (GISs) databases to quantify the spatial variability of the acidity and geochemical properties of oxidized tailings. The oxidized tailings were characterized by low sulfide (mainly as pyrite) and carbonate (mainly as siderite/ankerite) contents compared to unweathered tailings. Acidic zones, identified based on paste pH, were located in the eastern portion of the southern zone and at the northern tip of the northern zone.Minerals 2019, 9, 180 2 of 23 released [9][10][11]. This phenomenon is known as acid mine drainage (AMD) or acid rock drainage (ARD). In some cases, drainage waters can be near-neutral in pH and still contain concentrations of elements that surpass environmental standards and regulations. This phenomenon is known as contaminated neutral drainage (CND) [12] or metal leaching (ML). The cost of mine site reclamation is influenced by the type and quality of drainages produced in TSFs [13].The process of sulfide oxidation can result in the generation of protons. This increases the acidity of pore waters and leads to the dissolution of carbonates, which buffer the acid. Depending on the geochemical conditions in the pore water, various reactions may occur, such as: Hydrolysis, precipitation,. During these reactions, the tailings' mineralogical composition can change significantly depending on the dissolution rates of sulfides, carbonates, and, to a lesser extent, silicates. As a result of oxidation, neutralization, and hydrolysis reactions, novel phases may precipitate. The most common secondary phases are ferric oxyhydroxides (e.g., goethite, ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite), gypsum, and iron sulfates. These secondary phases affect the geochemical behavior of tailings considerably [10].Ferric oxyhydroxides are known for their high affinity to limiting contaminant mobility through mechanisms, including co-precipitation, adsorption, and substitution. Under some specific conditions, the occurrence of secondary phases may also affect the hydrogeochemical behavior in TSFs by modifying the tailings' hydrogeological properties, such as porosity. For example, the formation of hardpan within TSFs affects the water balance and flow paths [18,19]. Hardpan formation is more likely to occur at orphaned or aban...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geochemical and Mineralogical Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mineral Liberationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: S-sulfide C-carbonates Nnp and Nprmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Mapping of Acidity and Geochemical Properties of Oxidized Tailings within the Former Eagle/Telbel Mine Site

et al. 2019

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“…Based on the NP/AP ratio [50], the ST and NT are acid-generating, while the CT is non-acid generating. Importantly, this acid-generating potential does not take into account the possible existence of Fe and sulfate secondary minerals that could contribute to the materials' acidities [54,55].…”

Section: Static Test Predictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desulfurization of the Old Tailings at the Au-Ag-Cu Tiouit Mine (Anti-Atlas Morocco)

et al. 2019

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Tailings from the abandoned Tiouit mine site in Morocco are mainly composed of sulfides, hematite, and quartz. They contain 0.06–1.50 wt % sulfur, mostly in the form of pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. The tailings also contain gold (3.36–5.00 ppm), silver (24–37 ppm), and copper (0.06–0.08 wt %). Flotation tests were conducted to reprocess the tailings for Au, Ag, and Cu recovery, and at the same time to prevent acid mine drainage (AMD) generation through the oxidation of sulfide minerals, including pyrite, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, galena. The flotation results confirmed that environmental desulfurization is effective at reducing the overall sulfide content in the tailings. The recovery of sulfides was between 69% and 75%, while Au recovery weight-yield was between 2.8% and 4.7%. The test that showed the best sulfur recovery rate and weight-yield was carried out with 100 g/t CuSO4 (sulfide activator) and 50 g/t of amyl xanthate (collector). The goal of this study was also to assess the remaining acid-generating potential (AP) and acid-neutralizing potential (NP) of the desulfurized tailing. The geochemical behavior of the initial tailings sample was compared to that of the desulfurized tailings using kinetic weathering cell tests. The leachates from the desulfurized tailings showed higher pH values than those from the initial tailings, which were clearly acid-generating. The residual acidity produced by the desulfurized tailings was most likely caused by the hydrolysis of Fe-oxyhydroxides.

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The Effect of Particle Size on Mine Waste Sulfide Oxidation Rates and Conceptual Treatment Costs

Dettrick

Bourgeot²,

Costelloe

et al. 2019

Mine Water Environ

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Determination of the available acid-generating potential of waste rock, part II: Waste management involvement

Cited by 47 publications

References 22 publications

Spatial Mapping of Acidity and Geochemical Properties of Oxidized Tailings within the Former Eagle/Telbel Mine Site

Spatial Mapping of Acidity and Geochemical Properties of Oxidized Tailings within the Former Eagle/Telbel Mine Site

Desulfurization of the Old Tailings at the Au-Ag-Cu Tiouit Mine (Anti-Atlas Morocco)

The Effect of Particle Size on Mine Waste Sulfide Oxidation Rates and Conceptual Treatment Costs

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