Controlling Heavy Metal Release and pH from Tailing Dam

Using Permeable Steel-making Slag Cover System

2015. 04.
01

Seoul National University

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab.

Seoyeon Jeong

Contents
1. Introduction
2. Materials & Method
3. Result & Discussion
4. Summary & Plans

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

1. Current Status of Mines in South

Korea
(Unit: no.)

Category

General mine

Coal mine

Total

Metal

Nonmetal

Subtotal

Operating

56

531

587

593

Abandoned

2,110

2,198

2,299

394

4,803

Total

2,166

2,830

4,996

400

5,396

Ref. (09.10~10.8)

92% of
total

<Leaving waste rocks and

tailing outside without proper
treatment>
Ref. Second 5years program for prevention of mine damage(11, Ministry of Trade,
Industry and Energy)
<Mine water leakage>

<Scattering dust>

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

2. Problems of mines

What is Acid Mine Drainage ?

the outflow of acidic water from metal mines

or coal mines
FeS2 + 7/2O2 + H2O Fe2+ + 2SO42Sources of AMD: tailing piles and ponds,
+ 2H+
mine waste rock dumps
Low pH (3~5)
Fe2+ +1/4O2 + H+ Fe3+ + 1/2H2O
Contains various heavy metals
Generate reddish brown precipitate
Fe3+ + 3H2O Fe(OH)3 (S) + 3H+

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

2. Problems of mines

What is
Tailing ?

Mine dumps
The materials left over after the process
of separating the valuable fraction from
ore

<Tailing piles of Wolgye mine>

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

2. Problems of by-products disposal

Slag generation
amount(1,0000ton)

What is Steel-making Slag?

Steel making
slag

Furnace
slag

<Current status and prospect of slag generation

amount
in South Korea>

Slag generation amounts is increasing

annually

The costs of disposure is increasing

Unlike furnace slag, steel-making slag is

being recycled as a relatively low value
product

Decrease in new constructions of landfills

and roads
Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab.,
could lower
Seoul
theNational
recycling rate, and the
7
-

Introduction

3. Concept & Objectives

When it rains
Acid rain (pH around
5)

Tailing
dam

H+
H+
Me2+

H+

H+
Me2+

Me2+
H

H+

H+
Me2+

H+
H+

Me2+ and H+ Releasing

H+
Me2+

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

3. Concept & Objectives

When it rains
Acid rain (pH around
5)

Slag
Cover

OH-

OHOH

Free-CaO in Slag
F-CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2

OH-

OH-

OH-

Ca(OH)2 + a lot of H2O Ca2+ +

2OH-

OH-

Very high pH
effluent
(pH 10~11)
Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Introduction

3. Concept & Objectives

Without Slag Cover

Soil

With Slag Cover

Soil

Pore
water

(Acid)
Rain

(Acid)
Rain

Slag
H+
Me2+
H

Me2+and
H+
releasing

Solid

Tailing

Binder
OH-

Me2+
Solid
Me2+
Solid
H+

Me2+
H

H 2O

H 2O

H+

Pore
water

OH- and Binder

release

Me2+
release

H+ release

Chemical
Stabilizatio
n
2+/
(Me Binde
r)
Neutralizati
on

H++OH- H2O
H 2O

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

10

Introduction

3. Concept & Objectives

Without Slag Cover

With Slag Cover

In the long term.

My Objectives are
Slag
pH neutralization
Decreasing heavy metal release
(In the long term) Formation of hard pan(a layer of precipitate)
Tailing

pan
forms
at the Hard
tailing
dam
in

abandoned mines

= lowering K
value

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

11

Materials & Methods

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

12

Materials & Methods

1. Materials

<Chemical contents of steel-making slag>

Element

SiO2

Al2O3

TiO2

FeO3

MgO

CaO

14.23

5.23

0.62

35.67

2.95

65.01

s
Wt.(%)

Gwangyang steel
company
- #.
Na2O
K2O
MnO
P2O5
Total
20(0.85mm)~#.40(0.42
5mm)
-

Steel-making Slag

0.31

0.15

3.6

1.34

100

<Leaching test results of steel-making slag>

Component

Pb

Cu

As

Hg

Cd

Cr6+

CN

TCE

PCE

Regulation

1.5

0.005

0.3

1.5

0.1

0.3

ND

0.01

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Level (mg?
L)
Amount(mg/
L)

Tailing
-

Uljin metal mine

< #.40(0.425mm)

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

13

Materials & Methods

2. Methods
B. Column
Experiment

A. Batch Experiment
Slag or tailing

pH5 solution

Agitation
with rotary shaker

pH and Conc.
Solid-liquid ratio
Slag particle size
Shaking time
Simulate repeated
rainfall

pH and Conc.
Slag/ tailing
thickness ratio
Precipitate

pH and chemical
concentration
analysis

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

Rainfall
simulator

Slag only /
slag + other
materia

Tailing

Sampling
bottle

14

Materials & Methods

A. Batch Experiment

2. Methods

Expected Result
Metal
conc.

pH

Slag
Slag +
Tailing
Tailing

sla
g

12

pH neutralization

taili
ng

Time(hr
)

sla
g

12

taili
ng

Time(hr
)

Heavy metal release

reduction

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

15

Results & Discussion

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

16

Results & Discussion

A.
1. Batch
Batch Experiment
Experiment

Solid-liquid ratio
1:43
1g : 4mL
Initial pH 6.68

12

Slag

10

Slag + tailing

pH

Tailing

0
0

12

15

18

21

24

pH
neutralization

Time(hr)

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

17

Results & Discussion

2. Methods
Solid-liquid ratio 1:5
4g : 20mL
Initial pH 5

10
9
8

Slag

7
6
pH

Slag + tailing

5
4

Tailing

3
2
1
0
0

12
Time(hr)

15

18

21

24

Converged on
pH 4

This tailing cannot be controlled by steelmaking slag only

=> need to add other materials or
Geotechnical and
Geo-environmental
Eng. Lab., Seoul National
modify
slag

18

Summary & Plans

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

19

Summary & Further study

1. Summary

Summary
- Most of mines in South Korea are abandoned and not under proper
management so that they are creating a lot of environmental damage.
Especially, the contamination resulting from leakage (AMD) affect the local
environment and tailing dam is one of the sources of AMD.
- Steel-making slags is a by-product of steel-making process, and decrease in
new constructions could lower the recycling rate.

Recycling the slags as a tailing dam cover can be a solution.

- Slags cannot control AMD solely which means that it needs to be modified
or added other materials.

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

20

Summary & Further study

2. Further
study

Further study

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

21

Thank you!

Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Eng. Lab., Seoul National

22