Optical sorting technology for waste management from the Boukhadra iron ore mine (NE Algeria)

Abstract

Mining processes in the iron ore mine of Boukhadra, Tebessa (NE Algeria) generated thousands of tons of mining wastes every year, which represents a real threat to the environment, leading to hazardous effects for the resident population of the region. The aim of this study is the selective sorting of the Boukhadra mining wastes for valorization. This will facilitate the recycling of the mineral substances (lime-stone, iron, marls) on the one hand and it makes it possible to minimize the volume of stocks and their environmental impacts on the other hand. To do this, and taking into account the chemical properties of wastes, we recommend an optical separation management using a color camera and a microprocessor linked to the ejection system (valve or pump), the color measurement tests performed on Boukhadra waste rocks samples using Matlab codes converted from Algorithms showed that each rock has a specific color (Red Green Blue value) or RGB. For this purpose, the use of three optical separators that sort according to algorithmic commands (RGB interval) will contribute to the separation of the Boukhadra mining wastes and consequently sim-plify their reuse.