Geotechnical and chemical characterization of field-applied fly ash as sealing material over mine tailings

摘要

The present study addresses the geotechnical and chemical properties of sealing materials using a paper mill by-product, fly ash, on top of sulfide-bearing mine waste tailings after 5years of field application. From a geotechnical perspective, the low in situ bulk density (1500kg/m(3)) ensured a high degree of water saturation (90.2%) for the field-applied ash. The chemical characteristics and behaviors of the fly ash samples reflected a high long-term leaching capacity (liquid-to-solid ratio of 10cm(3)/g) and high alkalinity (liquid-to-solid ratio of up to 500cm(3)/g). The laboratory leaching results suggested that none of the elements released from the field-applied ash exceeded the EU limits for inert materials, and the concentrations of elements were far below the limits for hazardous materials at landfill sites. Based on the in situ and laboratory characterizations of the field-applied ash, the fly ash sealing material was considered geotechnically stable. However, a number of geotechnical parameters could not be measured due to the cementation of the ash. Moreover, the chemical composition of the field-applied ash exhibited considerable variations when compared with that of the raw ash generated from the same paper mill. Overall, the field-applied ash displayed high alkalinity and effectively buffered the acid generated from sulfidic tailings for long-term sealing purposes.