Tailings Management

Tailings Management

Tailings from mining operations are usually stored in large tailings dams as a slurry that contains the waste materials from the beneficiation process.

This slurry includes mineral material, metals and any reagents used in the beneficiation process.

Acid generation and metal mobilization increase within the tailings dams as a result of the exposure of the tailings to air and water. This can lead to run off or seepage which causes a phenomenon known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) or Acid Rock Drainage (ARD).

This is one of the main areas of concern for the mining industry at present and as such mine operators are increasingly adopting alternative means of tailings disposal to minimize the impact of the mining operation on the external environment and comply with increasing regulation and legislation in this area.

We offer a range of equipment for the classification and thickening of your tailings in the first instance.

Following this additional filtration processes can be employed to maximize the removal of water from your tailings.

This will include the introduction of our filter press or decanter centrifuge systems. Your customized tailings management system will include a variety of processing phases and these will include:

1. Fines Management – recover material for further use and minimize waste volumes
2. Primary Water Treatment – recover 90% of your process water for recirculation to your ore processing plant
3. Final Tailings Dewatering – the only waste product is now a filter cake with dry solids content of 80%, effectively eliminating the requirement for tailings dams
4. Dewatering Concentrate - The filter press can also be applied in the processing of a variety of ores for the dewatering of the concentrate in preparation for further processing – some examples are gold, copper, zinc, lead, and silver.