Eleonore Paste Backfill Composition

摘要

Paste backfill and uncemented rockfill are used at the Eleonore gold mine to allow pillarless recovery of the narrow gold veins. A major constraint of the Eleonore operation is to store the sulphide tailings underground. Maximizing uncemented rockfill underground is an important economic factor. A good balance of paste backfill and uncemented rockfill is critical to allow the mill to discharge the sulphide material without compromising paste quality and the continuous mill operation. This study is part of an ongoing internal research program that aims to find an economical mix design with desired fresh and hardened properties at high sulphide content. The effects of the different mix parameters were evaluated independently using the compressive strength at different curing times. All of the mixes were batched at the same consistency. This paper covers the mix design philosophies and challenges encountered during full-scale implementation tests along with innovative techniques used at the Eleonore paste backfill plant.