1、Mine Tailings:Crisis,Response and Opportunities MIT Global Summit on Mine Tailings InnovationSeptember 19-20,2024Priscilla P.NelsonColorado School of Minespnelsonmines.eduOutline1.The Problem2.Tailings the Blood of Mining3.Circular Economy4.Minimize Volume5.Change the Flotation6.Co-Production and Re
2、mining7.New Materials from Tailings8.Environmental Management2Part 1:The problemThe problem is VOLUME The worldwide generation of wastes from metals mining is 100 billion tonnes each year.Volumes will increase in the future due to lower-grade ores and rising demand.The world has 30,000 existing acti
3、ve,inactive and legacy Tailings Storage Facilities(TSFs).Biggest contributors:copper and gold.3Tailings Dams are among the largest manmade structures on Earth!https:/ The problem is TSF SIZEThe problem is TSF FailuresDespite improvements in safe design for TSFs,majorfailures continue annually due to
4、 physical and chemical instabilities.CanadaBrazilPart 2:Tailings are the Blood of Mining(my hypothesis)6Blood is basic-the first thing a Doctor does when you visit is often to order blood tests.7Tailings are the Blood of the Mining Industryhttps:/spirit-pharmacy.co.uk/blood-glucose-your-questions-an
5、swered/8If we study our tailings,we will find many things we did not know about our mining and extractive processes.Characterizing our Tailings Blood is Mandatory for Zero WasteWe need real-time characterization of tailings to understand:Effectiveness of new methods of comminution and extraction.Rhe
6、ology of slurries for tailings transport,thickening and filtration.Opportunities for real-time waste stream segregation or partitioning.Occurrence,distribution,and sequestration of(critical)minerals/elements.9Part 3:The Circular EconomyThe industry focus cannot be just the mill but from mine to tail