| Title |
Concrete Plant for the Repurposing of Copper Mining Tailings |
| ID_Doc |
15141 |
| Authors |
Ellis, D; Ciha, T; Martin, A; Bonelli, X; Innes, S |
| Title |
Concrete Plant for the Repurposing of Copper Mining Tailings |
| Year |
2021 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1109/WERC52047.2021.9477530 |
| Abstract |
Mining tailings are an environmentally harmful byproduct of mining operations, producing particulate matter and having the potential of leaching toxic material to groundwater. Because one mining site alone can produce over 100,000 tons of tailings per day, an efficient management strategy is needed. This design project seeks to safely repurpose 1000 tons (907 tonnes) of tailings per day for the production of concrete, converting the hazardous waste to a value-add product beneficial to society. Through an analytical process comparing various alternatives based on cost, environmental impact, safety, lifespan, and ease of operation, a dry-batch concrete plant was selected as the optimal design. The produced concrete will substitute tailings for 60% of the fine aggregate and 15% of the cement for an M15 ratio of 4:2:1 coarse aggregate to fine aggregate to cement. The proposed concrete plant in Pima County, Arizona dries raw tailings with a conveyor dryer and mixes it with crushed rock, river sand, and Portland cement to produce 98.4 tons of M15 concrete per hour. This dry-mix concrete will then be sold to buyers for various construction projects. The entire process utilizes about 18,600 kW of energy, with 97.4% of the energy being used mostly for drying the wet tailings. Particulate matter emissions and potential heavy metal leachate from the concrete will be held well below federal limits. The total capital cost of process equipment is estimated to be $164,000, and $102.60 will be spent on raw materials per cubic meter of dry-mix concrete produced. Per year, about $50,200,000 is expected to be spent on the total cost of manufacturing (COMd). The project is estimated to have a value of $60 million at the end of its 20-year lifespan. The Design Team's, 19-ASU-4D, goal for the project is to contribute to closing the loop on the circular economy, promoting a more sustainable mining industry, and cleaning the environment. |
| Author Keywords |
Mining Tailings; Concrete; Environmental Design |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (CPCI-S) |
| EID |
WOS:000812130200004 |
| WoS Category |
Education, Scientific Disciplines; Environmental Sciences; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health |
| Research Area |
Education & Educational Research; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health |
| PDF |
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