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Minerals
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Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management
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Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 June 2021) | Viewed by 17829

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Anita Parbhakar-Fox

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
W.H.Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, 40 Isles Road, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, QLD 4068, Australia
Interests: geometallurgical and geoenvironmental characterisation; tailings characterisation and reprocessing; acid mine drainage; mine waste characterisation and repurposing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Whilst the existence (and threat) of global climate change continues to be debated by political leaders, many industries are already transitioning to a low-carbon economy to minimise their environmental footprints (Nyambuu and Semmler, 2020). To support this, there has been an increased demand for “new economy metals” (e.g., cobalt, indium, tungsten, tellurium, vanadium, rare earth elements), leading to new opportunities for the mining industry to develop projects targeting a broader range of commodities.

Exploring in mine waste presents one opportunity to conscientiously supplement the demand with the advantage of these materials, in the case of mine tailings, having undergone some degree of comminution theoretically reducing overall operational mineral processing plant costs and, in the case of sulphidic tailings, minimising long-term acid and metalliferous drainage risks. In order to assess such mine waste repositories, a geometallurgical characterisation approach can be adopted, as this enables the tenor and deportment of the potential commodities of interest to be determined and, based on this, a suitable mineral processing technology to be selected to maximise recovery.

This Special Issue invites papers that: i) introduce effective techniques for metal exploration (with a focus on new economy metals) in a range of mine waste materials (e.g., tailings, slag, waste rock, spent heap leach); ii) present case studies where potential secondary resources have been identified; and iii) describe new mineral processing technologies developed to unlock this new generation of ore bodies.

Dr. Anita Parbhakar-Fox
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • reprocessing of mine waste
  • reutilisation of mine waste
  • value recovery
  • desulphurization
  • environmental characterisation
  • geometallurgy
  • acid and metalliferous drainage
  • battery metals
  • circular economy
  • secondary prospectivity

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 11669 KiB  
Article
The Application of Thermal Decomposition for Determination of Carbonate Acid-Neutralising Capacity for Improved Acid Mine Drainage Prediction
by Andrea R. Gerson, Paul Weber, Roger St. C. Smart, George Levay, Mike Hutton-Ashkenny and Rosalind Green
Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111181 - 25 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2571
Abstract
This study developed an industry-applicable, thermal decomposition methodology for quantification of carbonate mineral acid neutralisation capacity (ANCtherm-carb) for waste rock, tailings, and other mined materials. Standard titration-based methods for ANC can be compromised due to contributions from silicate minerals, ion exchange, [...] Read more.
This study developed an industry-applicable, thermal decomposition methodology for quantification of carbonate mineral acid neutralisation capacity (ANCtherm-carb) for waste rock, tailings, and other mined materials. Standard titration-based methods for ANC can be compromised due to contributions from silicate minerals, ion exchange, Fe-rich carbonates, and other transition metal carbonates. C emission (CO2 and CO) was measured using IR in a N2 atmosphere. Cneut (wt%) was calculated using the C emission at 800 or 1000 °C minus the C emission at 400, 450 or 500 °C and the weight of sample prior to decomposition (Equation (2) of this manuscript). This value was then input into Equation (3) of this manuscript to calculate ANCtherm-carb. Good correlation of ANCtherm-carb for single-mineral carbonates with ANCcalc, calculated from bulk assay concentrations for Mg, K, Na, Ca, and Mn, was achieved. Thereafter, 18 waste rock samples were examined, resulting in the correlation of ANCtherm-carb versus non-standard ANCtitrate-carb (titration methodology adapted to focus on carbonate neutralisation only) with R2 = 0.96. This correlation is valid for samples containing both non-neutralising carbonates (siderite) and sources of neutralisation arising from non-carbonates (Mg-clay) within this waste rock system. Typically, mining operations use total C measurements for assessment of carbonate neutralisation potential in the block and mining model. This method provides an effective means to cheaply analyse for carbonate neutralisation potential with assignment of potentially acid-forming and non-acid-forming blocks to waste rock cells, etc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management)
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27 pages, 6561 KiB  
Article
Geometallurgy of Trace Elements in the Hrazdan Iron Deposit
by Rob Bowell, Christopher Brough, Andrew Barnes and Arman Vardanyan
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101085 - 2 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2643
Abstract
This study presents an evaluation of arsenic and other trace metals in the Hrazdan Iron-Ore project in Armenia using a methodology typically associated with Geometallurgical characterization. The principal host of the trace elements is pyrite and oxidized equivalents. Pyrite is a mineral of [...] Read more.
This study presents an evaluation of arsenic and other trace metals in the Hrazdan Iron-Ore project in Armenia using a methodology typically associated with Geometallurgical characterization. The principal host of the trace elements is pyrite and oxidized equivalents. Pyrite is a mineral of elemental concern as it has the potential to generate acidic pH in water that it contacts and thus mobilize metals of concern. In the Hrazdan deposit, there is a general excess of neutralizing carbonate minerals that result in adequate buffering of generated acid and limiting the mobility of metal cations in solution. However, metalloids that form oxyanions species such as those of arsenic or chromium tend to be more mobile in neutral to alkaline mine drainage. From the geometallurgical assessment of the mine waste, the results of the geochemical testwork can be explained and the information used to assess potential issues with mine waste storage, timing of metal release and provide a baseline for mitigation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management)
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20 pages, 2141 KiB  
Article
Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Microbiology of Cobalt in Mining-Affected Environments
by Gabriel Ziwa, Rich Crane and Karen A. Hudson-Edwards
Minerals 2021, 11(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010022 - 27 Dec 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 7623
Abstract
Cobalt is recognised by the European Commission as a “Critical Raw Material” due to its irreplaceable functionality in many types of modern technology, combined with its current high-risk status associated with its supply. Despite such importance, there remain major knowledge gaps with regard [...] Read more.
Cobalt is recognised by the European Commission as a “Critical Raw Material” due to its irreplaceable functionality in many types of modern technology, combined with its current high-risk status associated with its supply. Despite such importance, there remain major knowledge gaps with regard to the geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbiology of cobalt-bearing environments, particularly those associated with ore deposits and subsequent mining operations. In such environments, high concentrations of Co (up to 34,400 mg/L in mine water, 14,165 mg/kg in tailings, 21,134 mg/kg in soils, and 18,434 mg/kg in stream sediments) have been documented. Co is contained in ore and mine waste in a wide variety of primary (e.g., cobaltite, carrolite, and erythrite) and secondary (e.g., erythrite, heterogenite) minerals. When exposed to low pH conditions, a number of such minerals are known to undergo dissolution, typically forming Co2+(aq). At circumneutral pH, such aqueous Co can then become immobilised by co-precipitation and/or sorption onto Fe and Mn(oxyhydr)oxides. This paper brings together contemporary knowledge on such Co cycling across different mining environments. Further research is required to gain a truly robust understanding of the Co-system in mining-affected environments. Key knowledge gaps include the mechanics and kinetics of secondary Co-bearing mineral environmental transformation, the extent at which such environmental cycling is facilitated by microbial activity, the nature of Co speciation across different Eh-pH conditions, and the environmental and human toxicity of Co. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management)
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19 pages, 3289 KiB  
Article
Efficiency of Chemical and Biological Leaching of Copper Slag for the Recovery of Metals and Valorisation of the Leach Residue as Raw Material in Cement Production
by Päivi Kinnunen, Jarno Mäkinen, Marja Salo, Ratana Soth and Konstantinos Komnitsas
Minerals 2020, 10(8), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10080654 - 23 Jul 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3864
Abstract
Copper slags produced in vast quantities in smelting operations could be considered as secondary material sources instead of stockpiling them in landfills. This study investigates the recovery of valuable metals from copper slag and the valorisation of the leach residue as construction material [...] Read more.
Copper slags produced in vast quantities in smelting operations could be considered as secondary material sources instead of stockpiling them in landfills. This study investigates the recovery of valuable metals from copper slag and the valorisation of the leach residue as construction material in line with the principles of a circular economy. By taking into account that the environmental characterization of the as-received copper slag did not allow its disposal in landfills without prior treatment, chemical and biological leaching were tested for the recovery of metals. Pre-treatment with acids, namely HNO3 and H2SO4, resulted in the extraction of several target metals and the production of an almost inert waste. Despite the clearly better oxidative conditions prevailing in the bioleaching reactors, chemical leaching resulted in the higher dissolution of Cu (71% vs. 51%), Co (70% vs. 36%), and Zn (65% vs. 44%). The acid consumption was much lower during the bioleaching experiments compared to the chemical leaching. The bioleach residue was suitable for its use as supplementary cementitious material, showing a better performance than the reference sample without causing any detrimental effects to the calcium aluminate cement (CAC) quality. The complete valorisation of copper slags is expected to improve the economics of the process, by avoiding landfill costs and producing saleable products with high added value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geometallurgical Applications to Mine Waste Management)
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