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Title: Site-specific study on stabilization of acid-generating mine tailings using coal fly ash

Abstract

A site-specific study on stabilizing acid-generating mine tailings from Sudbury Mine using a coal fly ash from Nanticoke Generating Station is presented in this paper. The objective of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of codisposal of the fly ash and mine tailings to reduce environmental impacts of Sudbury tailings disposal sites. The study includes three phases, i.e., characterization of the mine tailings, and coal fly ash, oxidation tests on the mine tailings and kinetic column permeation tests. The results of the experiments indicate that when permeated with acid mine drainage, the hydraulic conductivity of Nanticoke coal fly ash decreased more than three orders of magnitude (from 1 x 10{sup -6} to 1 x 10{sup -9} cm/s), mainly due to chemical reactions between the ash solids and acid mine drainage. Furthermore, the hydraulic gradient required for acid mine drainage to break through the coal fly ash is increased up to ten times (from 17 to 150) as compared with that for water. The results also show that the leachate from coal fly ash neutralizes the acidic pore fluid of mine tailings. The concentrations of trace elements in effluents from all kinetic column permeation tests indicated that coplacement of coalmore » fly ash with mine tailings has the benefit of immobilizing trace elements, especially heavy metals. All regulated element concentrations from effluent during testing are well below the leachate quality criteria set by the local regulatory authority.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. University of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada). Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20741141
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0899-1561
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; TAILINGS; NICKEL ORES; MINING; FLY ASH; COAL; WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION; PH VALUE; DRAINAGE; OXIDATION; ACID MINE DRAINAGE; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; TRACE AMOUNTS; ELEMENTS; LEACHATES

Citation Formats

Shang, J Q, Wang, H L, Kovac, V, and Fyfe, J. Site-specific study on stabilization of acid-generating mine tailings using coal fly ash. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2006)18:2(140).
Shang, J Q, Wang, H L, Kovac, V, & Fyfe, J. Site-specific study on stabilization of acid-generating mine tailings using coal fly ash. United States. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2006)18:2(140)
Shang, J Q, Wang, H L, Kovac, V, and Fyfe, J. 2006. "Site-specific study on stabilization of acid-generating mine tailings using coal fly ash". United States. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2006)18:2(140).
@article{osti_20741141,
title = {Site-specific study on stabilization of acid-generating mine tailings using coal fly ash},
author = {Shang, J Q and Wang, H L and Kovac, V and Fyfe, J},
abstractNote = {A site-specific study on stabilizing acid-generating mine tailings from Sudbury Mine using a coal fly ash from Nanticoke Generating Station is presented in this paper. The objective of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of codisposal of the fly ash and mine tailings to reduce environmental impacts of Sudbury tailings disposal sites. The study includes three phases, i.e., characterization of the mine tailings, and coal fly ash, oxidation tests on the mine tailings and kinetic column permeation tests. The results of the experiments indicate that when permeated with acid mine drainage, the hydraulic conductivity of Nanticoke coal fly ash decreased more than three orders of magnitude (from 1 x 10{sup -6} to 1 x 10{sup -9} cm/s), mainly due to chemical reactions between the ash solids and acid mine drainage. Furthermore, the hydraulic gradient required for acid mine drainage to break through the coal fly ash is increased up to ten times (from 17 to 150) as compared with that for water. The results also show that the leachate from coal fly ash neutralizes the acidic pore fluid of mine tailings. The concentrations of trace elements in effluents from all kinetic column permeation tests indicated that coplacement of coal fly ash with mine tailings has the benefit of immobilizing trace elements, especially heavy metals. All regulated element concentrations from effluent during testing are well below the leachate quality criteria set by the local regulatory authority.},
doi = {10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2006)18:2(140)},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20741141}, journal = {Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering},
issn = {0899-1561},
number = 2,
volume = 18,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 15 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Wed Mar 15 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}