Tailings adaptation technology for use as a raw material in cement production
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17268/rev.cyt.2024.04.10Keywords:
Mining Tailings, Carbonate Flotation, Clinker, Cement, Circular EconomyAbstract
This study analyzes the technical feasibility of using mining tailings from Nexa Resources as raw material for cement production, promoting a circular economy approach. The methodology includes conditioning the tailings through flotation, thermal treatment for clinker production, and subsequent grinding. A flotation circuit was optimized by selecting specific reagents, such as carbonate collectors and silica depressants, which increased the carbonate content and reduced silica and pyrite levels. This ensured the appropriate proportions of Ca, Si, Al, and Fe required to maintain clinker quality. At a pilot scale, more than 5 tons of clinker were produced, resulting in cement that meets the standards of Portland cement. This cement was successfully tested in shotcrete and paste fill applications, meeting the requirements for compressive strength and energy absorption. The results confirm the technical feasibility of producing high-quality cement from mining tailings, representing a significant step toward sustainability in the mining industry by providing solutions for waste management and reducing the environmental footprint.
References
ASTM International. (2017). Standard specification for Portland cement (ASTM C-150). ASTM
International. Disponible en https://www.astm.org
Balykov, A. S., Nizina, T. A., Volodin, V., & Kyashkin, V. (2021). Effects of calcination temperature and
time on the physical-chemical efficiency of thermally activated clays in cement systems. Materials Science Forum, 1017, 61–70. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1017.61
Bhatty, J. I., Miller, F. M., & Kosmatka, S. H. (Eds.). (2004). Innovations in Portland Cement
Manufacturing. Portland Cement Association. ISBN: 978-0-89312-207-1.
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). (2022). La economía circular en la minería
peruana. Santiago: CEPAL. Disponible en https://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/47895
Deolalkar, S. P. (2016). Designing Green Cement Plants. ISBN: 978-0-12-802618-6.
Dhar, P., Thornhill, M., & Kota, H. R. (2020). An overview of calcite recovery by flotation. Materials
Circular Economy, 2(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-020-00006-y
Gou, M., Zhou, L., & Ying Then, N. W. (2019). Utilization of tailings in cement and concrete: A review.
Science and Engineering of Composite Materials, 26(4), 449–460. https://doi.org/10.1515/secm 2019-0029
He, Z. X., Xiao, Q. C., Zhou, X. Y., & Li, X. (2015). Solidification of heavy metal and production of cement
clinker by lead-zinc tailings. Journal of Central South University (Science and Technology), 46(10),
–3968. (In Chinese).
Huang, L., & Cheng, [Falta Inicial]. (2020). Effects of calcination conditions on the formation and hydration
performance of high-alite white Portland cement clinker. Materials, 13(3), 494. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13030494
INDECOPI. (2020). Norma Técnica Peruana NTP-334.009: Cementos Portland. Lima: Comisión de
Normalización y Fiscalización de Barreras Comerciales. Disponible en https://www.indecopi.gob.pe
Kretschmann, J., & Krause, F. (2023). Circular economy in mining tailings. Minerals and Sustainable
Practices, 569–578.
Liu, Y., & Liu, Q. (2004). Flotation separation of carbonate from sulfide minerals: I. Flotation of single
minerals and mineral mixtures. Minerals Engineering, 17(8–9), 855–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2004.03.006
Luo, L., Zhang, Y. M., Bao, S. X., & Chen, T. J. (2016). Utilization of iron ore tailings as raw material for
Portland cement clinker production. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2016, Article ID 4176256. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/4176256
Nastac, D. C., & Fechet, R. M. (2017). The influence of mine tailings and oily sludge on the Portland cement
clinker manufacture. Revista Romana de Materiale - Romanian Journal of Materials, 47(2), 176–182.
Wang, Y. X., Zhang, T. A., Zhang, Y. H., Lyu, G. Z., & Zhang, W. G. (2019). Mineral transformation in
treating low-grade bauxite using the calcification–carbonization process and preparing cement clinker with the obtained residue. Minerals Engineering, 138, 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2019.05.019
Zhang, J. J., Qi, Y. Y., & Wen, X. (2013). Influence of calcination temperature on formation of Portland
cement clinker minerals. Bulletin of the Chinese Ceramic Society, 32, 1756–1762.
Zhou, Z. L., Shi, Z. Z., Luo, Z. Y., Jiao, Y. Z., Lin, X. G., Cheng, L. M., Wang, S. R., & Yuan, X. Q. (2007). Experimental study on utilization of metallic tailings as clay for cement clinker calcinations. Journal of Zhejiang University (Engineering Science), 41(11), 1866–1869. (In Chinese).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Los autores/as que publiquen en esta revista aceptan las siguientes condiciones:
- Los autores/as conservan los derechos de autor y ceden a la revista el derecho de la primera publicación, con el trabajo registrado con la licencia de atribución de Creative Commons, que permite a terceros utilizar lo publicado siempre que mencionen la autoría del trabajo y a la primera publicación en esta revista.
- Los autores/as pueden realizar otros acuerdos contractuales independientes y adicionales para la distribución no exclusiva de la versión del artículo publicado en esta revista (p. ej., incluirlo en un repositorio institucional o publicarlo en un libro) siempre que indiquen claramente que el trabajo se publicó por primera vez en esta revista.
- Se permite y recomienda a los autores/as a publicar su trabajo en Internet (por ejemplo en páginas institucionales o personales) antes y durante el proceso de revisión y publicación, ya que puede conducir a intercambios productivos y a una mayor y más rápida difusión del trabajo publicado
