Cross-Layer Leaching of Coal Fly Ash and Mine Tailings to Control Acid Generation from Mine Wastes

Autor: Willis Gwenzi, Allan A. Mungazi
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: Mine Water and the Environment. 38:602-616
ISSN: 1616-1068
1025-9112
DOI: 10.1007/s10230-019-00618-0
Popis: Coal fly ash can be used in in various configurations (e.g. as cap, bottom liner, or blending) at a mine site, but comparative studies investigating their capacity to control acid mine drainage are limited. Batch and column leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of fly ash-mine tailings mix ratios and system configurations on leachate chemistry. Acidic mine tailings (pH 2.72) were obtained from waste piles at a former gold and pyrite mine. Mixing the fly ash with the tailings in a 1:1 (w/w) ratio decreased Zn, Ni, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Cu leaching by 90 ± 6%, increased the pH from extremely acidic (2.9) to alkaline (8.0), and decreased electrical conductivity from 4 to 2.5 mS cm−1 due to solute precipitation. Using the fly ash as a ‘chemical liner’ beneath the tailings, applying the fly ash as both a cap and bottom liner, or blending the fly ash with tailings produced significantly less acidity, salinity, and metal leaching than using the fly ash as a cap. The capacity of fly ash to control acid generation is attributed to its acid neutralizing capacity and high pH (11.1).
Databáze: OpenAIRE