Ukrainian Research and Design Insitute for Industrial Technology (Zheltye Vody, Ukraine):

Lyashenko V. I., Head of Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Senior Researcher, vilyashenko2017@gmail.com

North Caucasian Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University) (Vladikavkaz, Russia):

Golik V. I., Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor, v.i.golik@mail.ru

Institute of Entrepreneurship «Strategiya» (Zheltye Vody, Ukraine):

Dyatchin V. Z., Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, dsveta49@mail.ru

This paper covers the results of studies on improving the efficiency of storage of tailings in underground mined-out spaces and tailings facilities in the form of a hardened mass in order to ensure their environmental safety. The experience of using hardening mixes and the methodology for studying the hardening of tailings of hydrometallurgical plants and for the assessment of their strength are presented. The action mechanism for migrating dust and water flows from the tailings storage facilities and metallurgical sections is established for metal-containing ores. It is shown that dust migration ceases when compression strength of the fixed mass reaches (1.0–1.5)·10⁵ MPa with the air flow velocity of 15 m/s. The possibility of using hardening mixes and binders represented by related production waste was established; the best composition per 1 m³ of the mix was proposed, consisting of hydrometallurgical plant tailings of 1350–1500 kg, a binder (cement) of 50–70 kg, and mixing water of 350 l. A new technology for the preparation of hardening mixes for the immobilization of tailings when filling mined-out spaces and surface tailings facilities was recommended and used in the feasibility study for the construction of a mine at an ore deposit (SE VostGOK, Ukraine). With the production capacity of 1,500 ktpa, 50–55 % of the tailings are used for filling mined-out spaces (830 ktpa) and the remaining material is mixed with a binder and stored at a tailings facility in the form of a hardened mass (670 ktpa). This arrangement allows filling the entire tailings facility surface to the height of 10 m with bound tailings and extend its life by 50 years.

1. Yildirim I. Z., Prezzi M. Chemical, mineralogical, and morphological properties of steel slag. Advances in Civil Engineering. 2011. Vol. 2011. Article ID 463638. 13 p.
2. Lottermoser B. Mine wastes: characterization, treatment and environmental impacts. New York: Springer, 2012.
400 p.
3. Maanju S. K., Saha K. Impact of mining industry on environmental fabric — A case study of Rajasthan State in India. Journal of Environmental Science. Toxicology and Food Technology. 2013. Vol. 6, Iss. 2. pp. 8–13.
4. Chowdhury S. R., Yanful E. K., Pratt A. R. Recycling of nickel smelter slag for arsenic remediation — an experimental study. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2014. Vol. 21. pp. 10096–10107.
5. Modaihsh A. S., Mahjoub M. O., Nadeem M. E. A., Ghoneim A. M., Al-Barakah F. N. The air quality, characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, organic carbon, and diurnal variation of particulate matter over Riyadh City. Journal of Environmental Protection. 2016. No. 7. pp. 1198–1209.
6. Vrancken C., Longhurst P. J., Wagland S. T. Critical review of real-time methods for solid waste characterisation: Informing material recovery and fuel production. Waste Management. 2017. Vol. 61. pp. 40–57.
7. Cheng Y., Jiang H., Zhang X., Cui J., Song C., Li X. Effects of coal rank on physicochemical properties of coal and on methane adsorption. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology. 2017. Vol. 4, Iss. 2. pp. 129–146. DOI: 10.1007/s40789-017-0161-6.
8. Paul A., Murthy V. M. S. R., Prakash A. K. Estimation of rock load in development workings of underground coal mines. A modified RMR approach. Current Science. 2018. Vol. 114, Iss. 10. pp. 2167–2174.
9. Golik V., Komashchenko V., Morkun V. Feasibility of using the mill tailings for preparation of self-hardening mixtures. Metallurgical and Mining Industry. 2015. No. 3. pp. 38–41.
10. Lomonosov G. G., Polonik P. I., Abdalakh Kh. Improving the technology of cleaning operations based on the use of pasty filling materials. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2000. No. 2. pp. 21–23.
11. Mining and processing of uranium ores in Ukraine. Ed. А. P. Chernov. Kiev: Adef-Ukraina, 2001. 238 p.
12. Kvitka V. V., Sergeev V. Е., Trotter К., Treznyuk А. P. Hardening filling mixtures of increased density. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2001. No. 5. pp. 33–35.
13. Nemirovskiy А. V. Development of a method for forming an alluvial tailings reservoir resistant to wind flows: Dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Engineering Sciences. Мoscow: NITU MISIS, 2016. 131 p.
14. Soroka М. N., Savelyev Yu. Ya. Prospects for utilization of tailings of hydrometallurgical processing and crushed rocks in the developed space of uranium mining mines in Ukraine. Metallurgicheskaya i Gornorudnaya Promyshlennost’. 2004. No. 5. pp. 91–94.
15. Gusev Yu. P., Berezikov Е. P., Krupnik L. А., Shaposhnik Yu. N., Shaposhnik S. N. Resource-saving technologies for ore mining at the Malevsky mine of Zyryanovsky GOK. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2008. No. 11. pp. 20–22.
16. Kutepov Yu. I., Kutepovа N. А., Zharikov V. P. Engineering-geological and environmental justification of reclamation of Kuzbass hydraulic dumps. Gorny Informatsionno-analiticheskiy Bulleten. 2011. No. 2. pp. 34–42.
17. Trubetskoy K. N., Kaplunov D. R., Ryl’nikova M. V. Problems and prospects of development of resource-saving and resource-reproducing geotechnologies for integrated development of the Earth’s subsoil. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie Problemy Razrabotki Poleznykh Iskopaemykh. 2012. No. 4. pp. 116–124.
18. Averyanov К. А., Angelov V. А., Akhmedyanov I. Kh., Rylnikova М. V. Development of classification of technogenic raw materials of mining enterprises and justification of technologies for their active utilization. Gorny Informatsionnoanaliticheskiy Bulleten. 2012. No. 5. pp. 208–213.
19. Lyashenko V. I. New technologies for utilization of hydrometallurgical tailings in developed spaces and tailings dumps. Izvestiya Vuzov. Tsvetnaya Metallurgiya. 2014. No. 2. pp. 52–58.
20. Lyashenko V. I., Dyatchin V. Z., Lisovoy I. А. Improving the environmental safety of mining operations based on the use of waste of ore raw materials mining and processing. Ekologiya i Promyshlennost’ Rossii. 2018. Vol. 22, No. 4. pp. 4–10.