Author(s)

D. Kambhampati, P. Mallapragada, K. G. Ragunathan R. K. Bhada & D. A. Rockstraw

Abstract

A small copper concentrator produced approximately 100,000 cubic yards of tailings. A nearby residential area expressed serious reservations about these tailings and as a result, the mining company plans to move the tailings using a slurry approach to a place where a copper smelter is located. These copper tailings have trace concentrations of Fe, As, Mn, Hg, Zn, Se, and Cd The iron oxides and sulfides cause acid generation and contaminate the surface and ground water. The objective of this study is to design and demonstrate the recovery and transport of mine tailings in a slurry; recover as much of the valuable metals as feasible; treat the tailings to a pH of 7.0 or higher; and design a system to recove

Keywords