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Tailings Management and Properties
Research Guide
What is Tailings Management and Properties?
Tailings management and properties refers to the engineering practices for handling, storing, and remediating mine tailings, including their physical, chemical, and rheological characteristics, with a focus on dam stability, environmental impacts, and sustainable disposal methods.
This field encompasses 20,174 papers on mine tailings dams, covering their characteristics, failure modes, and remediation strategies. Key areas include cemented paste backfill design and the effects of environmental factors on tailings properties. Research emphasizes sustainable management to mitigate ecological and socio-economic risks from dam breaches.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Cemented Paste Backfill Mechanics
This sub-topic studies rheological behavior, hydration kinetics, and uniaxial compressive strength development in CPB for underground stope filling. Researchers model binder optimization and curing effects on mechanical performance.
Tailings Dam Failure Analysis
Research analyzes geotechnical causes, breach dynamics, and forensic investigations of historic dam failures like Brumadinho. It develops probabilistic risk assessment models incorporating liquefaction and seepage.
Acid Mine Drainage Prevention
Studies evaluate geochemical barriers, cover systems, and water treatment using limestone or organic substrates for AMD mitigation. Long-term field trials assess sulfate reduction and metal attenuation.
Tailings Hydraulic and Rheological Properties
This area characterizes permeability, consolidation, and yield stress evolution in thickened tailings under varying density and chemistry. Empirical and CFD models predict deposition and desaturation behavior.
Mine Tailings Environmental Remediation
Research develops phytoremediation, encapsulation, and reprocessing techniques to immobilize heavy metals and neutralize acidity. Pilot studies quantify leachate reduction and ecological recovery metrics.
Why It Matters
Tailings management addresses critical risks from dam failures, which have caused over 200 reported incidents worldwide, leading to heavy metal contamination and ecosystem damage, as documented in "Reported tailings dam failures" (2007). Effective strategies like cemented paste backfill reduce surface disposal needs and improve underground stability, supporting sustainable mining operations, per "Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Review and future perspectives" by Qi and Fourie (2019). Alternative tailings designs enhance environmental outcomes by minimizing water usage and land disturbance, as reviewed in "Designing mine tailings for better environmental, social and economic outcomes: a review of alternative approaches" by Edraki et al. (2014), with applications in reducing acid mine drainage through recycling techniques outlined in "A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage prevention and mine tailings recycling" by Park et al. (2018).
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation" by Kossoff et al. (2014), as it provides a foundational overview of tailings properties, failure mechanisms, and remediation accessible to newcomers.
Key Papers Explained
"Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies" by Akçıl and Koldas (2005) establishes AMD causes from tailings, which Kossoff et al. (2014) in "Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation" expands to dam-wide impacts and remediation. Edraki et al. (2014) in "Designing mine tailings for better environmental, social and economic outcomes: a review of alternative approaches" builds on this by proposing design alternatives, while Qi and Fourie (2019) in "Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Review and future perspectives" details a key implementation method. Park et al. (2018) in "A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage prevention and mine tailings recycling" connects recycling to prior AMD and design work.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Recent emphasis remains on refining cemented paste backfill rheology and acid mine drainage prevention, as no new preprints are available; frontiers include integrating microbial influences from "The Structure of Ferrihydrite, a Nanocrystalline Material" by Michel et al. (2007) with risk disclosure strategies.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies | 2005 | Journal of Cleaner Pro... | 1.6K | ✕ |
| 2 | The Structure of Ferrihydrite, a Nanocrystalline Material | 2007 | Science | 879 | ✕ |
| 3 | Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental im... | 2014 | Applied Geochemistry | 833 | ✓ |
| 4 | Modern nutrition in health and disease | 1995 | Patient Education and ... | 795 | ✕ |
| 5 | A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage preventio... | 2018 | Chemosphere | 669 | ✕ |
| 6 | Designing mine tailings for better environmental, social and e... | 2014 | Journal of Cleaner Pro... | 606 | ✕ |
| 7 | Mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad and the ugly | 1997 | Environmental Geology | 554 | ✕ |
| 8 | Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Revie... | 2019 | Minerals Engineering | 545 | ✕ |
| 9 | Reported tailings dam failures | 2007 | Journal of Hazardous M... | 544 | ✕ |
| 10 | Hydrogeochemistry and microbiology of mine drainage: An update | 2015 | Applied Geochemistry | 498 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main causes and environmental impacts of tailings dam failures?
Tailings dam failures result from structural instability, overtopping, and seismic events, leading to widespread heavy metal contamination and habitat destruction. "Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation" by Kossoff et al. (2014) details how these failures release toxic slurries into rivers and soils. Remediation involves containment barriers and neutralization treatments to restore affected areas.
How does cemented paste backfill contribute to tailings management?
Cemented paste backfill uses tailings mixed with cement to fill underground voids, reducing surface storage risks and enhancing mine stability. "Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Review and future perspectives" by Qi and Fourie (2019) reviews its mechanical properties and application methods. This approach minimizes environmental exposure compared to conventional dams.
What strategies prevent acid mine drainage from tailings?
Prevention includes tailings recycling and covering to limit oxygen and water contact, alongside treatment via neutralization and adsorption. "A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage prevention and mine tailings recycling" by Park et al. (2018) outlines methods like sulfide stabilization. "Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies" by Akçıl and Koldas (2005) provides case studies on passive and active treatments.
What are the physical properties of mine tailings relevant to dam design?
Tailings exhibit variable hydraulic conductivity, shear strength, and rheological behavior influenced by particle size and moisture content. "Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation" by Kossoff et al. (2014) describes these properties critical for stability analysis. Ferrihydrite structures in tailings affect sorption capacity, as in "The Structure of Ferrihydrite, a Nanocrystalline Material" by Michel et al. (2007).
How many tailings dam failures have been reported historically?
At least 200 tailings dam failures were reported up to 2007, with many causing fatalities and environmental disasters. "Reported tailings dam failures" by Rico et al. (2007) catalogs these events and their consequences. Data highlights the need for improved risk assessment in mining.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can real-time monitoring predict tailings dam failures under varying seismic and hydrological loads?
- ? What optimal binder compositions maximize the long-term strength of cemented paste backfill in diverse tailings chemistries?
- ? Which geochemical models best forecast heavy metal leaching from tailings under climate change scenarios?
- ? How do microbial processes influence the evolution of ferrihydrite structures and contaminant mobility in tailings deposits?
- ? What integrated socio-economic frameworks effectively disclose disaster risks from tailings management to stakeholders?
Recent Trends
The field maintains steady focus with 20,174 works, building on high-citation reviews like "Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Review and future perspectives" by Qi and Fourie and AMD recycling by Park et al. (2018); no growth rate, preprints, or news in the last 12 months indicates consolidation of established strategies amid ongoing dam safety concerns.
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