Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of recycled fly ash on desiccation cracking of mine tailings with high water content

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Increasing the desiccation of slurry naturally through evaporation and inhibiting of cracking with a high water content tailings slurry deposited in a large open area reduce the impacts and risks of tailings consolidation and heavy metal pollution to the environment and engineering structures. In order to investigate the influences of fly ash which is a waste byproduct on the water evaporation and cracking of tailings slurry, different amounts of fly ash (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% by weight) are mixed with the tailings slurry to produce the samples, which are then tested in the field. The cracking properties are subsequently examined based on variations in water loss. The development of cracks is quantitatively analyzed by using a digital image processing technique, which shows that the optimum amount of fly ash would accelerate evaporation and inhibit the development of desiccation cracks. The results are then plotted, and it can be observed that the samples with no fly ash and 10% fly ash have the longest crack development time. The test results indicate that the crack initiation of samples with different amounts of fly ash is in the following order: 0 > 20% > 10% > 30% > 40% > 50%. When the water content of the samples with no fly ash and 10% fly ash becomes constant, the fractal dimensions of the cracks are 1.587 and 1.577, respectively. The fractal dimensions of the samples with 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% fly ash are 1.494, 1.456, 1.545, and 1.566, respectively. The optimum amount of fly ash is therefore 10% by weight in this study, which may effectively accelerate the natural desiccation and evaporation of tailings slurry with a high water content, and inhibit cracking. The optimum fly ash percentage thus provides a balance between improving the engineering properties of the tailings and cost.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angle C, Gharib S (2017) Effects of sand and flocculation on dewaterability of kaolin slurries aimed at treating mature oil sands tailings. Chem Eng Res Des 125:306–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badiozamani M, Askari-Nasab H (2014) Integration of reclamation and tailings management in oil sands surface mine planning. Environ Model Softw 51:45–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boonserm K, Sata V, Pimraksa K, Chindaprasirt P (2012) Improved geopolymerization of bottom ash by incorporating fly ash and using waste gypsum as additive. Cem Concr Compos 34:819–824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coudert E, Paris M, Deneele D, Russo G, Tarantino A (2019) Use of alkali activated high-calcium fly ash binder for kaolin clay soil stabilisation: Physicochemical evolution. Constr Build Mater 201:539–552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz E, Allouche E, Eklund S (2010) Factors affecting the suitability of fly ash as source material for geopolymers. Fuel 89(5):992–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • East D, Fernandez R (2021) Managing water to minimize risk in tailings storage facility design, construction, and operation. Mine Water Environ 40(1):36–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahey M, Fujiyasu Y (1994) The influence of evaporation on the consolidation behaviour of gold tailings. Proc. 1st Int. Cong. Environ. Geotech. Bitech Publishers, Edmonton, Canada, pp. 481–486

  • Froehlich D (2008) Embankment dam breach parameters and their uncertainties. J Hydraul Eng 134(12):1708–1721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiyasu Y, Fahey M, Newson TA (2000) Field investigation of evaporation from freshwater tailings. J Geotech Geoenviron 126(6):556–567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofmann T, Schuwirth N (2008) Zn and Pb release of sphalerite (ZnS)-bearing mine waste tailings. J Soil Sediment 8:433–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jahanshahi R, Zare M, Schneider M (2014) A metal sorption/desorption study to assess the potential efficiency of a tailings dam at the Golgohar Iron Ore Mine. Iran Mine Water Environ 33(3):228–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kheirkhah Gildeh H, Halliday A, Arenas A, Zhang H (2020) Tailings dam breach analysis: a review of methods, practices, and uncertainties. Mine Water Environ 40(1):128–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnunen P, Yliniemi J, Talling B, Illikainen M (2017) Rockwool waste in fly ash geopolymer composites. J Mater Cycles Waste 19:1220–1227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kossoff D, Dubbin W, Alfredsson M, Edwards S, Macklin M, Hudson-Edwards K (2014) Mine tailings dams: characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation. Appl Geochem 51:229–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar D, Singh B (2003) The use of coal fly ash in sodic soil reclamation. Land Degrad Dev 14(3):285–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Mucsi G, Kristály F, Pekker P (2017) Mechanical activation of fly ash and its influence on micro and nano-structural behaviour of resulting geopolymers. Adv Powder Technol 28(3):805–813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lalonde R, Pinno B, Mackenzie M, Utting N (2020) Capping dewatered oil sands fluid fine tailings with salvaged reclamation soils at varying depths to grow woody plants. Can J Soil Sci 100(4):546–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu M, Tan H, He X (2019) Effects of nano-SiO2 on early strength and microstructure of steam-cured high volume fly ash cement system. Constr Build Mater 194:350–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Wu Y, Ma S, Zheng S, Zhang Y, Chu PK (2021) Utilization of coal fly ash in China: A mini-review on challenges and future direction. Environ Sci Pollut R 28(15):18727–18740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald T, Langridge-Monopolis J (1984) Breaching characteristics of dam failures. J Hydraul Eng 110(5):567–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahedi M, Cetin B (2019) Leaching of elements from cement activated fly ash and slag amended soils. Chemosphere 235:565–574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mastbergen D, Van Den Berg J (2003) Breaching in fine sands and the generation of sustained turbidity currents in submarine canyons. Sedimentology 50(4):625–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikuni A, Komatsu R, Ikeda K (2007) Dissolution properties of some fly ash fillers applying to geopolymeric materials in alkali solution. J Mater Sci 42:2953–2957

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newson T, Fahey M (2003) Measurement of evaporation from saline tailings storages. Eng Geol 70(3–4):217–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin Y, He H, Ou X, Bao T (2019) Experimental study on darkening water-rich mud tailings for accelerating desiccation. J Clean Prod 240:118235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rico M, Benito G, Díez-Herrero A (2008) Floods from tailings dam failures. J Hazard Mater 154(1):79–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rico M, Benito G, Salgueiro A, Diez-herrero A, Pereira H (2007) Reported tailings dam failures: a review of the European incidents in the worldwide context. J Hazard Mater 152:846–852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riehl A, Elsass F, Duplay J, Huber F, Trautmann M (2010) Changes in soil properties in a fluvisol (calcaric) amended with coal fly ash. Geoderma 155(1–2):67–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmocker L (2009) The failure of embankment dams due to overtopping. J Hydraul Res 47(2):288–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shehata N, Sayed E, Abdelkareem M (2021) Recent progress in environmentally friendly geopolymers: A review. Sci Total Environ 762:143166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simms P, Grabinsky M, Zhan G (2007) Modelling evaporation of paste tailings from the Bulyanhulu mine. Can Geotech J 44(12):1417–1432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simms P, Soleimani S, Mizani S, Daliri F, Dunmola A, Rozina E, Innocent-Bernard T (2019) Cracking, salinity and evaporation in mesoscale experiments on three types of tailings. Environ Geotech 6(1):3–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutcu M, Erdogmus E, Gencel O, Gholampour A, Atan E, Ozbakkaloglu T (2019) Recycling of bottom ash and fly ash wastes in eco-friendly clay brick production. J Clean Prod 233:753–764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waugh W, Smith G, Bergman-Tabbert D, Metzler D (2001) Evolution of cover systems for the uranium mill tailings remedial action project, USA. Mine Water Environ 20(4):190–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, Li D, Yuan S, Jin L (2021) Role of biochar from corn straw in influencing crack propagation and evaporation in sodic soils. Catena 204:105457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, Liu J, Zhao X, Zheng S (2021b) Evaporation and cracked soda soil improved by fly ash from recycled materials. Land Degrad Dev 32(9):2823–2832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, Xu K, Zhang Z (2020) Mitigating evaporation and desiccation cracks in soil with the sustainable material biochar. Soil Sci Soc Am J 84(2):461–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, Yuan J (2019) Influence of soda content on desiccation cracks in clayey soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 83(4):1054–1061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, Yuan S, Liang Y, Liu J (2021c) Investigation of overburden failure characteristics due to combined mining: case study, Henan Province. China Environ Earth Sci 80:143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao C, Wu L, Yang J, Xiao L, Liu X, Jiang Q, Zhou C (2020) Influences of tailings particle size on overtopping tailings dam failures. Mine Water Environ 40(1):174–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan B, Li Z, Chen Y, Ni H, Zhao Z, Chen W, Zhao J (2021) Mechanical and microstructural properties of recycling granite residual soil reinforced with glass fiber and liquid-modified polyvinyl alcohol polymer. Chemosphere 268:131652

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan B, Li Z, Su Z, Luo Q, Chen M, Zhao Z (2021b) Sensitivity of multistage fill slope based on finite element model. Adv Civ Eng 2021:6622936

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan B, Li Z, Zhao Z, Ni H, Su Z, Li Z (2021c) Experimental study of displacement field of layered soils surrounding laterally loaded pile based on Transparent Soil. J Soil Sediment 21(9):3072–3083

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan S, Yang B, Liu J, Cao B (2021d) Influence of fibers on desiccation cracks in sodic soil. B Eng Geol Environ 80(4):3207–3216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang D, Thundat T, Narain R (2017) Flocculation and dewatering of mature fines tailings using temperature responsive cationic polymers. Langmuir 33:5900–5909

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would also like acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments and suggestions that led to significant improvements in the paper.

Funding

The authors received financial support from the Education Department Henan Province: Key Scientific Research Project of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province (CN) under grant no. 21A410003.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Geosciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, China

    Shichong Yuan

  2. North China Engineering Investigation Institute Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, China

    Weiqiang Duan

  3. Technological Innovation Center for Mine Groundwater Safety of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, China

    Weiqiang Duan

  4. Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, Henan, China

    Yuhui Liu

Authors
  1. Shichong Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Weiqiang Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuhui Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shichong Yuan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yuan, S., Duan, W. & Liu, Y. Effects of recycled fly ash on desiccation cracking of mine tailings with high water content. Arab J Geosci 14, 2828 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-09225-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-09225-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation