Development of a Laboratory Methodology to Manufacture Tailings
Author:
Olivia Janas ’28Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Alomir Favero, Civil EngineeringFunding Source:
Kalman Fund for Undergraduate Research in the SciencesAbstract
Recent failures of tailings storage facilities have demanded a greater understanding of the behavior of tailings. However, characterization of tailings properties can be challenging due to limited access to representative samples. Hence, this study aimed to develop a methodology to recreate tailings in the laboratory that reproduce field characteristics. To accomplish this goal, we performed self-learning on the topic, laboratory investigation, and analysis of the samples created. Various geotechnical and mechanical properties of soils were studied to gain an understanding of the properties that would be tested and examined. Material characterization, sample preparation, and sample testing standards were reviewed and then applied to Ottawa sand and bentonite clay. These standard materials are accessible and readily available for laboratory use, which would allow for easy replication of the methodology created. Additionally, these materials have characteristics, for example, plasticity and shear strength, that, when mixed, would resemble field tailings. As a result of the work, a preliminary observation is that Ottawa sand has a large grain size and may not be the appropriate material for the final tailings sample, as tailings usually have a very fine grain size. Further research showed that it is possible to obtain silt-sized soils by crushing Ottawa sand, which would allow us to make a sample that is similar to field tailings and still maintains other tailings properties. Future research includes investigation of the silt-sized soil and bentonite clay mixtures to find the proper ratio of these materials to recreate tailings and then their strength properties.