Wang, C, Harbottle, D, Liu, Q et al. (1 more author) (2014) Current state of fine mineral tailings treatment: A critical review on theory and practice. Minerals Engineering, 58. 113 - 131. ISSN 0892-6875
Abstract
The mining industry produces fluid fine mineral tailings on the order of millions of tonnes each year, with billions of tonnes already stored globally. This trend is expected to escalate as demand for mineral products continues to grow with increasingly lower grade ores being more commonly exploited by hydrometallurgy. Ubiquitous presence and enrichment of fine solids such as silt and clays in fluid fine mineral tailings prevent efficient solid-liquid separation and timely re-use of valuable process water. Long-term storage of such fluid waste materials not only incurs a huge operating cost, but also creates substantial environmental liabilities of tailings ponds for mining operators. This review broadly examines current theoretical understandings and prevalent industrial practices on treating fine mineral tailings for greater water recovery and reduced environmental footprint of mining operations.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2014, Elsevier. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Minerals Engineering. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Hydrometallurgy; Mineral tailings; Oil sands; Flocculation; Sedimentation; Dewatering |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) > Institute for Particle Science and Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2015 12:59 |
Last Modified: | 16 Jan 2018 03:17 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2014.01.018 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.mineng.2014.01.018 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:85196 |