Recycling lead–zinc tailings for cemented paste backfill and stabilisation of excessive metal

Abstract

This study demonstrates the feasibility of recycling lead–zinc tailing (LZT) as a cemented paste backfill (CPB) by considering the mechanical properties and environmental effects, thus providing an approach for safe and environmentally friendly treatment of LZT. First, the mechanical properties of CPB samples were tested. When the cement/tailing ratio was 1:6 and the slurry concentration was 70%, the maximum unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the CPB cured for 28 days reaching 2.05 MPa, which could ensure safe mining. Then, the metals with pollution potential in the backfill slurry were investigated through static leaching. Finally, after adding immobilisation materials to stabilise excessive metals, the environmental stability of the CPB was demonstrated through dynamic leaching and a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. The results show that the lead leached from the backfill slurry still exceeds the Chinese standard for groundwater quality (GB/T14848-2017 Class III). The addition of 2 mg/L polyaluminium sulfate (PAS) can further improve the strength of the CPB and maintain the environmental friendliness of the CPB. Therefore, the technology of recovering LZT as a CPB proposed in this study is an effective alternative to deal with LZT, which can help lead–zinc mines meet the requirements of cleaner production.