Multifaceted Applications of Metal Tailings

1. Production of Cement and Eco-friendly Cementitious Materials

Utilizing metal tailings as an iron-supplementing or silicon-supplying material in cement production can effectively replace clay, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the cement manufacturing process. When the tailings content is limited to 10%, the impact on the cement's mineral phases remains minimal, while the resulting material demonstrates excellent compressive strength under high-temperature conditions.

2. Production of Cement-based Materials (e.g., Mortar and Concrete)

In high-performance concrete and mortar applications, fine-grained tailings play a pivotal role as both mineral admixtures and aggregates. The judicious incorporation of fine-grained tailings not only boosts the concrete's compressive strength but also contributes to an improved pore structure and enhanced durability.

3. Production of Composite Concrete Admixtures (in Combination with Slag Powder)

Given the scarcity of traditional admixture resources, the combined utilization of fine-grained metal tailings and slag powder holds significant environmental and economic value. Research indicates that such composite admixtures can substantially improve both the durability and mechanical properties of concrete.

4. Production of Concrete Admixtures via Activation

Although metal tailings typically exhibit low reactivity, chemical excitation or surface modification techniques can be employed to transform them into high-quality concrete admixtures. Thermal, mechanical, and chemical activation are common methods used to elevate the reactivity index of tailings, thereby enabling them to serve as a viable substitute for fly ash as a mineral admixture.

5. Production of Mine Backfill Materials

To facilitate the large-scale and eco-friendly utilization of metal tailings, a widely adopted strategy involves using them to produce backfill materials for the remediation of mined-out areas. Research in this field focuses primarily on increasing the underflow concentration of the tailings slurry and enhancing the workability and mechanical performance of the resulting backfill materials.