Comprehensive solutions for tailings management at the Usolsky potash plant
Authors:   St. Petersburg State Mining University, Avksentiev Sergey , Semenov Pavel ,   ProTech Engineering, Afanasyev Alexander ,   St. Petersburg State Mining University
Published: May 2024

Introduction. At enterprises engaged in the extraction and processing of mineral raw materials, the volume of production waste is usually much higher than the volume of a commercial product. At the same time, there is a tendency to decrease the metal content in ores while increasing the volume of waste rock extracted when accessing ores. According to various estimates, the annual volume of waste from mining enterprises is 7 billion tons per year. The proportion of waste (tailings) in some copper-containing ores can reach 98 % or higher. Gold mining enterprises process ores in which tailings amount to 99.9 % and which contain only a few grams of gold. This trend will continue, as the enterprises of the mineral processing industry have to increase the volume of processed products. Materials and methods. Tailings processing technology solutions include equipment and services that can be used in almost any tailings farm, while tailings thickening and paste thickening can be used. Just as in the case of surface tailings management solutions, the development of solutions for underground workings begins with consideration of the available storage space underground. Post and dry storage technologies combined with closed water circuits represent the best options available for saving water in processing plants. In traditional tailings systems, the source of process water is natural sources or groundwater from mine drainage. Results. The use of sludge dewatering technology has significant advantages in handling excess brines, because it allows you to separate the mother liquor, return it to the technology and thereby prevent discharge to the sludge storage. To enhance the effect of sludge dewatering, it is necessary to limit the supply of fresh water to the technological process beyond the level of irretrievable losses (for example, evaporation into the atmosphere) by using a mother liquor or recycled brine instead of water. Discussion. liquid phase entering the sludge storage, increase the efficiency of hydraulic transport, and increase the service life of tailings facilities. Scientific works confirm the possibility of using filtered sludge from potash factories as a meliorant for agriculture and restoration of forest soils after fires. When implementing integrated tailings management, it is necessary to take into account the existing conditions and limitations of the site, the requirements of the technological process of a particular enterprise. Conclusion. The article presents the results of research on the dehydration of sludge of potassium salts. It has been established that the sludge dewatering technology significantly reduces the volume of sludge entering the sludge storage, which will increase the efficiency of hydraulic transport, increase the service life of tailings facilities. Resume. The use of sludge dewatering technology can significantly improve the efficiency of the processing plant. The development of sludge dewatering technology will require a number of research projects on transportation, storage and logistics of meliorant.