Laboratory study of the clogging process and factors affecting clogging in a tailings dam

Laboratory simulation of clogging in the Lixi tailings dam (Shaanxi Province, China) is urgently required because clogging is an important factor affecting the dam stability. This work firstly presents the results of ferrous iron oxidation experiments using buffer solution. The results indicate that the ferrous iron oxidation follows first order kinetics, and the oxidation process is strongly dependent on pH, a higher pH resulting in a higher oxidation rate. Furthermore, when the pH exceeds 7.0, the oxidation rate constant increases significantly. Secondly, a column experiment was carried out under the conditions of the pH ranging from 6.8 to 7.5 and the natural oxygen supply. Ferrous iron oxidation and precipitation were found to reach equilibrium under these conditions. After 23 days, the column experiment was stopped when the clogging materials blocked the column outlet. The clogging materials were found to be a mixture of ferric hydroxide and its converted products, and these existed in amorphous form with a loose cluster microstructure according to the results of XRD and SEM.     

Iron in a post-glacial lake sediment core; a Mössbauer effect study

The distribution of iron in a 6-m core of post-glacial sediment from an oligotrophic lake (Connistonwater, England) was determined, principally by Mossbauer spectroscopy on dried samples. The immediate post-glacial deposits contain 4.8 wt. % of iron, with a Fe²⁺; Fe³⁺ ratio ～- 4. The iron there is predominantly in the form of chlorite, but there are small amounts in hematite and illite. The distribution of iron is different, and very variable in the recent sediments (~ < 13,000 BP), which contain 25–35 per cent organic matter and 5.2 wt. % of iron relative to the inorganic fraction. Typically half the iron is present there as chlorite, and the rest is ferric, mostly in the form of an amorphous gel which is also present in undried samples. To explain the observed ferrous:ferric profile, it is proposed that the latter includes iron which was once mobile, having been leached from the Fe²⁺-bearing clays under reducing conditions in the soils of the drainage basin, or in the sediment itself. It was subsequently precipitated as ferric hydroxide on contact with the oxic lake water. In contrast, the ferrous iron in the sediments is immobile iron, which remained locked in the chlorite phase of the clay particles as they were carried from soil to sediment intact.All the sediments are rather inhomogeneous. Chlorite, and especially hematite, are mechanically concentrated in pink varves in the immediate post-glacial deposits. In the partly inorganic sediments, the concentration of ferrous iron (chlorite) is approximately uniform, but the ferric content may differ by a factor of five between regions only a few millimeters apart.     

Mn2+和Fe3+的致色作用:来自意大利白垩纪远洋红色灰岩的启示

本文首先详细研究了含Mn2 和Fe3 的致色矿物菱锰矿、鲕状赤铁矿、云母赤铁矿和镜铁矿的可见光吸收光谱及其一阶导数谱,鲕状赤铁矿、云母赤铁矿和镜铁矿的可见光吸收一阶导数谱的红光区的吸收谷的位置的变化表明随赤铁矿结晶度的降低,吸收谷由586.4nm移至577.4nm,而菱锰矿展示出了Mn2 的因电子跃迁产生的四个典型吸收及其一阶导数谱上577nm的吸收谷的强度比赤铁矿相应谷的强度低一个数量级,表明其电子跃迁的致色机理与赤铁矿的染色机理完全不同。依据赤铁矿的结晶度和鲕状赤铁矿与大洋红层中赤铁矿的沉积成因相似的原则遴选出鲕状赤铁矿为含Fe3 致色矿物,依据菱锰矿是和方解石具有相似结构且为红色的原则选取菱锰矿为含锰致色矿物,并佐以化学纯氧化镁为基体配制了一系列的含菱锰矿、鲕状赤铁矿和菱锰矿及鲕状赤铁矿的两相或三相混合物。详细研究了三类混合物的可见光吸收光谱的一阶导数谱,发现含菱锰矿和含鲕状赤铁矿在573nm附近均存在一吸收谷,鲕状赤铁矿的重量分数低至0.05%时仍可见一明显吸收谷且该吸收谷移至565nm附近,菱锰矿在低至0.50%时也可见这一吸收且在低至0.11%时仍可显示出菱锰矿的信息,其575nm的吸收峰未见偏移;混合物可见光一阶导数吸收谱上鲕状赤铁矿的575nm附近的吸收谷的强度随鲕状赤铁矿的重量分数的升高而增强,而所有的配制混合物中该吸收谷的位置低于577.4nm的事实也表明为使致色矿物和氧化镁混合均匀的研磨降低了赤铁矿的结晶度。本研究表明Mn2 的电子跃迁激发和细小、结晶差的赤铁矿的染色共同造就了意大利白垩纪远洋红色灰岩的红色。     

Comparative data on the volatile component composition of magma

Ferrihydrite (2.5 Fe₂O₂-4.5 H₂O) is an unstable colloidal mineral. It dissolves in highly alkaline solutions and is precipitated from them in the form of goethite. Jarosite is stable at very low pH but is decomposed at higher values of pH with separation of iron oxides. Experiments show that in rapid decomposition of jarosite a protohematite substance, ferrihydrite, is formed. This transformation occurs at moderate pH values when solutions percolate through the aggregates of jarosite. Ferrihydrite, an unstable colloidal hydrated oxide of ferric iron, changes spontaneously to stable hematite with time. Very slow decomposition of jarosite results in its replacement by iron hydroxide, goethite. Under laboratory conditions in alkaline solutions lepidocrocite may be obtained from jarosite. The synthesis of this iron hydroxide passes through a stage of intermediate products: ferrihydrite and hydrated ferric oxide - ferriprotolepidocrocite, formed by solution of ferrihydrite in strongly alkaline solutions. The transformation of ferriprotolepidocrocite into lepidocrocite may be regarded as a topotactic reaction. —Authors.     

Geochemical interactions between acidic tailings fluid and bedrock: use of the computer model MINTEQ

Contamination of ground water in domestic water wells has been documented in the vicinity of a uranium mill near Canon City, south-central Colorado, U.S.A. Acidic tailings fluid (raffinate) was passed through a core collected from the subjacent calcite-bearing sandstone to evaluate the effect of interactions between the raffinate and bedrock on the fluid pH, and on the mobility of Al, Ca, Cl, Fe, Mn, SO₄, and Zn.In the experiment, the pH initially increased from 2.3 to 8.0 as calcite in the core dissolved and neutralized the raffinate. Concurrently, amorphous ferric hydroxide precipitated in the micro-environment surrounding the reacting carbonate grains. This led to a gradual decrease in pH to 3.4 due to the armoring of the remnant calcite cement by amorphous ferric hydroxide.The results were modeled using the mass transfer computer program, MINTEQ. The pH was modeled by simulating the dissolution of calcite in the raffinate, while the Eh was set at the values measured in the experiment. The behavior of Mn was described by the dissolution of manganocalcite, but an adequate model for dissolved Ca required both calcite dissolution and ion exchange of Ca for Na. Aluminum behavior was simulated by assuming a hydroxide solubility constraint above pH 5.7 and by AlOHSO₄ in more acidic regimes. Iron was modeled by the precipitation of an amorphous ferric hydroxide. From chemical analyses, measurements of Eh and pH, and MINTEQ calculations, the log K_sp of the amorphous ferric hydroxide in the experiment was determined to be from −33.5 to −37.6. Zinc was modeled by means of the triple-layer sorption algorithm in MINTEQ, assuming the amorphous ferric hydroxide phase to be the sorbent.Comparison between the experimental effluent and ground-water metal concentrations downgradient from the site are in general agreement. Specifically, SO₄ appears to be the best indicator of the encroaching front of acidic contaminants in the subsurface.The general concurrence between the observed experimental results, the computed model predictions, and the downgradient ground-water metal concentrations indicate that mass transfer models such as MINTEQ are useful in predicting the interaction between bedrock and acidic tailings fluid.     

主要铁氧化物催化H2O2 氧化地下水中硝基苯实验

实验研究了含水层介质中主要铁氧化物催化H2O2 氧化地下水中硝基苯的机理和主要影响因素,为硝基苯污染地下水的原位化学修复技术提供了一定的理论依据。实验模拟在地下环境温度8 ℃ ～ 10 ℃条件下,利用动力学方程对硝基苯的衰减进行拟合,结果表明,其衰减系数K = 0. 044 3 min － 1 ; 硝基苯与H2O2 的最佳摩尔比为1∶200; 主要铁氧化物催化H2O2 氧化硝基苯能力依次为: 磁铁矿＞ 针铁矿＞ 氢氧化铁＞ 赤铁矿。     

水库渗漏水中氢氧化铁的矿化特征

对富水水库大坝渗漏水和析出物进行了分析和研究。析出物的主要成分为Fe2O3，并含少量Al2O3和SiO2，铁质析出物的XRD、IR、SEM和TEM分析表明，氢氧化铁的结晶程度较低，主要结晶相为针铁矿，其次为少量伊利石、蒙脱石和石英。电子显微分析观察到在非晶质氢氧化铁凝胶团和亚微米级微粒聚集体中存在特殊的显微管状和螺旋状针铁矿，显示出明显的生物矿化特征。     

The mineralogy of arsenic in uranium mine tailings at the Rabbit Lake In-pit Facility, northern Saskatchewan, Canada

 A detailed investigation of the mineralogy of As in the tailings of the Rabbit Lake uranium ore processing facility was conducted. The milling/ore extraction process was sampled at three different locations to obtain information about when, where and under what condition secondary As phases form. These samples were compared with four samples of varying As content from the Rabbit Lake in-pit tailings management facility (TMF). Up to 20% As in the tailings are present in primary minerals that reach the tailings directly because they are not dissolved during the uranium extraction. The remaining 80% constitute As that was dissolved during ore extraction and then re-precipitated before being discharged into the tailings pond. It was not possible to conclusively identify any individual re-precipitated (secondary) As minerals in the Rabbit Lake TMF. Indirect evidence from sequential extraction analyses suggests the presence of an amorphous Ca-As phase and a possible, but unlikely, minor amount of an amorphous Fe-As phase. However, the close association between hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) and As could be clearly demonstrated. HFO was identified to be 2-line ferrihydrite and its XRD pattern geometry indicates a substantial amount of adsorbed As. This is in good agreement with SEM, TEM and sequential extraction analyses that all showed the close association of HFO and As. Received: 14 February 2000 · Accepted: 9 May 2000     

Adsorption of molybdate by synthetic hematite under alkaline conditions: Effects of aging

Hematite is a common primary/secondary mineral in mine drainage and mine waste settings that can adsorb dissolved metals and metalloids. This study explored the ability of synthetic hematite to retain one such contaminant, molybdate, on its surfaces under highly alkaline (pH = ∼10) conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and specific surface area (BET) analyses show that synthetic hematite particles are stable and able to adsorb molybdate. Raman spectra show that the hematite efficiently adsorbs molybdate and retains it on its surfaces via strong inner-sphere surface complexation. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) data indicate that hematite aged (7 and 9 days) at high and room temperatures (75 and 25 °C) retains adsorbed molybdate and that molybdate sorption increases with aging. SEM images show that aged hematite particles with adsorbed molybdate are similar in size and shape to pure hematite and exhibit no significant reduction in surface area. These findings are valuable for understanding the fate of Mo in mine wastes and mill tailings environments where the 2-line ferrihydrite to which it is adsorbed can transform to hematite.     

Origin of red beds in the Ringerike Group (Silurian) of Norway

The Ringerike Group is a meandering fluviatile succession which is about 60% red. Most of the red zones are formed of mudrocks and siltstones and correspond to the fine members of fining-upwards cyclothems. The majority of coarse members are drab coloured.Textural studies of thin and polished sections show that the red colour is caused by finely crystalline hematite as matrix and grain-coatings. This hematite apparently crystallized post-depositionally. Hematite also occurs in other textural sites: within altered phyllosilicates, as detrital grains and as totally pseudomorphed phyllosilicates. This, and the lack of consistency between colour and clay mineralogy, suggests that the red beds have had a long and complex diagenetic history.Iron analyses indicate that the red beds are enriched in Fe³⁺ and total iron (FeO) by about 1%. This is thought to have been derived from the pre-depositional weathering of iron minerals and introduced into the sediments as amorphous iron hydroxide or iron-bearing clays. Crystallization of iron hydroxide under oxidizing conditions and the post-depositional alteration of iron-silicates and oxides is thought to be responsible for the formation of the red beds.     

安徽巢湖凤凰山石炭系黄龙组红色灰岩矿物地球化学特征

安徽巢湖凤凰山晚石炭世黄龙组的地层主体为肉红色生物屑微晶灰岩,顶部为夹灰岩条带的泥岩。矿物学分析显 示,肉红色生物屑微晶灰岩的矿物主要为方解石,含少量针铁矿和赤铁矿。漫反射光谱分析表明,常用的古气候指标“红 度”与灰岩中铁氧化物、氢氧化物的光谱强度具显著的正相关性,而与岩石的全铁含量相关性较低,据此推测铁的氧化物 和氢氧化物是灰岩呈肉红色的重要原因。元素地球化学分析结果显示,黄龙组灰岩相对富Fe,Mn,而贫Co,Ni,在 Al-Fe-Mn,Fe-Mn-(Cu+Co+Ni)以及Cu-Pb-Zn三角判别图上,均靠近或落入热液成因区。综合地球化学特征与前人研究成 果,该文认为巢湖凤凰山黄龙组肉红色灰岩的形成很可能受到海底热液活动的影响。     

Distribution and Influence of Iron Phases on the Physico—Chemical Properties of Phyllosilicates

Clay minerals from different Cretaceous stratigraphic successions of Egypt were investigated using XRD,DTA,dissolution analysis(DCB),IR,Moessbauer and X-band Electron Spin Resonance(ESR) spectroscopies.The purity of the samples and the degree of structural order were determined by XRD.The location of Fe in the octahedral sheet is characterized by absorption bands at-875cm^-1 assigned as Al-OH-Fe which is present after chemical dissolution of free iron.The Moessbauer spectra of these clays sow two doublets with isomer shift and quadrupole splitting typical of octahedral coordinated Fe^3 ,in addition to third doubler with hyperfine parameter typical of Fe^2 in the spectra of Abu-Had kaolinite (H)sample.6-lines magnetic hyperfine components which are consistent with those of hematite are confirmed in the spectra of both Isel and Rish kaolinite samples.Goethite was confirmed by both IR and DTA.Multiple nature of ESR of these clays suggested structural Fe in distorted octaedral symmetry and as non-structural Fe.Little dispersion and low swelling indices as well as incomplete activaiton of investigated montmorillonite samples by NaCO3 appear to be due to incomplete disaggregation of montmorillonite particles.This can be explained by the ability of Fe-gel to aggregate the montmorillonite into pseudo-particles and retard the rigid-gel structure.However,extraction of this ferric amorphous compound by dithonite treatment recovers the surface properties of the montmorillonite samples.On the other hand,amounts and site occupation of Fe associated with kaolinite samples show a negative correlation with the parameters used to describe the degree of crystalline perfection,color,brightness and vitrification range of these kaolinite samples.     

石膏尾矿墙体材料的研究

通过实验确定了生产石膏尾矿墙体材料的配合比及CaO、复合外加剂的最佳掺量，利用X射线衍射仪和扫描电子显微镜以水化产物的种类及结构形态进行了分析研究，并对其物理力学性能做了测试与分析。     

铁矿尾矿料力学特性及坝体变形稳定性研究

尾矿料矿物成分复杂,物理力学特性区域差异性大。本文以西南地区某铁矿拟建尾矿库为研究对象,对粗、细两种尾矿料进行了系统的物理力学特性试验,获得了粗细尾矿料物理力学指标并应用到尾矿库坝数值分析,分析了该尾矿库坝的应力变形特性,对不同堆积高程、不同工况下尾矿库坝的安全稳定性进行计算分析。此外采用拟静力法对地震荷载作用下尾矿坝的稳定性进行分析。结果表明,粗尾矿料会呈现出剪胀和软化力学特性,而细尾矿料则无明显剪胀;尾矿坝坝体内以压应力为主,坝体表面出现小范围拉应力区;高堆积高程,坝体倾向于发生深层滑动,坝体最小安全稳定性系数较大;干滩长度增大明显提高坝体稳定性;最后对该尾矿库的安全运行提出了一些针对性措施及建议。     

Distribution and Influence of Iron Phases the Physico—Chemical Properties of Phyllosilicates

Clay minerals from different Cretaceous stratigraphic successions of Egypt were investigated using XRD,DTA,dissolution analysis(DCB),IR,Moessbauer and X-ray Electron Spin Resonance(ESR) spectroscopes.The purity of the samples and the degree of their structural order were determined by XRD.The location of Fe in the octahedral sheet is characterized by absorption bands at-875cm^-1 assigned as Al-OH-Fe which persist after chemical dissolution of free iron.The Moessbauer spectra of these clays show two doublets with isomer shift and quadrupole splitting typical of octahedrally coordinated Fe^3 ,in addition to third doublet with hyperfine parameter typical of Fe^2 in the spectra of Abu-Had kaolinite (H) sample.Six-lines magnetic hyperfine components which are consistent with those of hematite are confirmed in the spectra of both Isel and Rish kaolinite samples.Goethite was confirmed by both IR and DTA.Multiple nature of ESR of these clays suggested structural Fe in distorted octahedral symmetry as well as non-structural Fe.Little dispersion and low swelling indices as well as incomplete activation of the investigated montmorillonite samplas by NaCO3 appear to be due to incomplete disaggregation of montmorillonite particles.This can be explained by the ability of Fe-gel to aggregate the montmorillonite into pseudo-particles and retard the rigid-gel structure.However,extraction of this ferric amorphous compound by dithonite treatment recovers the surface properties of the montmorillonite samples.On the other hand,the amount and site occupation of Fe associated with kaolinite samples show an inverse correlation with the parameters used to describe the degree of crystallinity perfection,color,brightness and vitrification range of these kaolinite samples.     

大型高尾矿坝灾变机制与防控方法

大型高尾矿库隐患治理是"十三五"期间遏制重特大事故的重要任务和重点工程之一。高应力下尾矿材料的细观结构和宏观力学特性演化、大型尾矿坝沉积规律及复杂条件下高尾矿坝的劣化理论是其中的关键问题。为揭示尾矿细观结构特性,对尾矿材料进行了光学显微镜观察、电镜扫描和CT扫描处理,建立了尾矿材料的三维重构模型;为揭示高压下尾矿材料的力学特性,对尾矿进行了高应力三轴试验、高应力渗透固结联合试验,研究了高应力下尾矿材料的强度、渗透和固结特性;为揭示尾矿的沉积特性,进行了尾矿材料的大型模型试验,得到了矿浆流动、淤积形态、尾矿料物理力学性质的空间分布以及夹层结构在空间内的分布规律;为揭示高尾矿坝的失稳机制,通过理论分析与数值模拟,对高压下尾矿的强度准则进行了讨论,高尾矿坝的稳定性分析建议使用强度折减法;为揭示尾矿的排渗设施淤堵机制与服役性能,进行了尾矿-土工布渗透试验以及微观观测,发现细粒尾矿更容易产生物理淤堵,且化学淤堵程度与溶液中离子的种类和浓度有关;为了推进尾矿坝风险管控技术,搭建了尾矿库重大风险评估监测系统平台,以便实现尾矿库基础数据的提取、实时风险预警等智能化功能。通过以上坝体劣化理论研究、溃坝灾害评估与预警,提升了我国大型高尾矿库筑坝与灾害防控水平。     

Arsenic Speciation in a Contaminated Gold Processing Tailings Dam

Gold recovery in ores containing arsenopyrite releases significant amounts of arsenic into the environment due to mineral processing and oxidation during storage. The extent of arsenic weathering in a tailings dam has been investigated. Speciation of As in surface and pore waters and pond sediments showed that for gold tailings in the dam, As enrichment took place in the pore water relative to the surface water. In pond sediments As was predominantly present as residual arsenopyrite and partly as a substance co-precipitated with iron hydroxide. The arsenic release from the sediment results from a reductive dissolution of the arsenopyrite and Fe oxides. In the surface water, arsenate and arsenite are the main arsenic species (arsenate is dominant), but in the pore waters methylation processes play a significant role. Arsenic transport is accompanied by the transformation of As into the less toxic compounds (methylated species) co-existing with the most toxic species (arsenite).     

Solubility products of amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite (FeAsO4 · 2H2O) and their application to arsenic behavior in buried mine tailings

Published solubility data for amorphous ferric arsenate and scorodite have been reevaluated using the geochemical code PHREEQC with a modified thermodynamic database for the arsenic species. Solubility product calculations have emphasized measurements obtained under conditions of congruent dissolution of ferric arsenate (pH < 3), and have taken into account ion activity coefficients, and ferric hydroxide, ferric sulfate, and ferric arsenate complexes which have association constants of 10^4.04 (FeH₂AsO₄²⁺), 10^9.86 (FeHAsO₄⁺), and 10^18.9 (FeAsO₄). Derived solubility products of amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite (as log K_sp) are −23.0 ± 0.3 and −25.83 ± 0.07, respectively, at 25 °C and 1 bar pressure. In an application of the solubility results, acid raffinate solutions (molar Fe/As = 3.6) from the JEB uranium mill at McClean Lake in northern Saskatchewan were neutralized with lime to pH 2-8. Poorly crystalline scorodite precipitated below pH 3, removing perhaps 98% of the As(V) from solution, with ferric oxyhydroxide (FO) phases precipitated starting between pH 2 and 3. Between pH 2.18 and 7.37, the apparent log K_sp of ferric arsenate decreased from −22.80 to −24.67, while that of FO (as Fe(OH)₃) increased from −39.49 to −33.5. Adsorption of As(V) by FO can also explain the decrease in the small amounts of As(V)(aq) that remain in solution above pH 2-3. The same general As(V) behavior is observed in the pore waters of neutralized tailings buried for 5 yr at depths of up to 32 m in the JEB tailings management facility (TMF), where arsenic in the pore water decreases to 1-2 mg/L with increasing age and depth. In the TMF, average apparent log K_sp values for ferric arsenate and ferric hydroxide are −25.74 ± 0.88 and −37.03 ± 0.58, respectively. In the laboratory tests and in the TMF, the increasing crystallinity of scorodite and the amorphous character of the coexisting FO phase increases the stability field of scorodite relative to that of the FO to near-neutral pH values. The kinetic inability of amorphous FO to crystallize probably results from the presence of high concentrations of sulfate and arsenate.     

Characteristics and genesis of iron formation in the Changlongshan Formation of Qingbaikou System in the Ming Tombs area,Beijing

Iron formation is widely distributed through the entire Precambrian geological record,however,there is no report on the outcropped Precambrian iron formation in the Changlongshan Formation of the Qingbaikou System in North China. Based on field investigation,XRD,SEM,ICP-MS and other methods,the distribution and mineral composition of iron formation and the source of ore-forming materials outcropped in the Ming Tombs area were studied in this paper to investigate the genesis of iron formation. The study showed that the main component of iron formation was hematite,which was associated with quartz,glauconite and other minerals. The iron formation of the Changlongshan Formation was divided into two types. Type I is associated with glauconite with relatively smaller thickness,and it is characterized by bands of glauconite sandstone interbeded with iron sandstone and near-spherical hematite microscopically. Type II is not accompanied by glauconite with relatively larger thickness,and it is represented by black iron-rich layers intercalated with quartz lens and acicular or snowflake hematite under the microscope. Tectonic evolution and trace element analysis showed that the iron source was mainly derived from the irony weathering crust at the top of the Xiamaling Formation. The type I iron formation is a mixture of chemical colloid and glauconite weathering,and the type II iron formation is mainly formed by colloidal chemical deposition and could undergo mylonitization in the later stage. The research results provide a sedimentary geological basis for distribution and prospecting of the Precambrian iron formation in North China,and it is also of great significance for enriching the metallogenic mechanism of the iron formation and revealing the tectonic evolution of Proterozoic of North China.     

High-gradient magnetic separation: A search for a matrix material

The magnetic properties and abrasion resistance of selected low-carbon steels were investigated with respect to their suitability as induction matrix materials. Low-remanent ferromagnetic steels and a paramagnetic steel were used in magnetic separation tests with siderite and hematite ores. It was found that recovery and grade for all ferromagnetic materials were equivalent, while recovery for paramagnetic steel was lower, and increased with increasing magnetic induction. However, all investigated steels are less susceptible to hold highly coercive tramp iron which usually causes matrix clogging. Likewise, all selected stainless steels are more abrasion resistant than currently employed matrix materials.