Paste Technology  
   
Paste Technology or Paste & Thickened Tailings (P&TT) is the single most rapidly developing field within tailings management. TTD stands for Thickened Tailings Disposal.
By the process of thickening the tailings to a heavy slurry prior to disposal, it is possible to create a self-supporting deposit of tailings and to eliminate the typical superimposed settling pond. The reason why the failure of a conventional tailings disposal dam is so environmentally disastrous is not the dam itself, but the fact that the dam retains a mass of very loose unconsolidated tailings and a great deal of process water. If the dam fails, the contents liquefy completely as they flow through the breach.
   
The main advantages of P&TT are:
  • Reduced need for transport water
  • Stable material for disposal
  • Protection of soil and groundwater from infiltration
  • Minor tailings dams required only
  • Significant reduction in risk posed by the tailings facility
   
The main problems eliminated using TTD systems are (Robinsky, E.I. (1999): Tailings dam failures need not be disasters - The thickened tailings disposal (TTD) system. CIM Bulletin. Vol. 92, N° 1028. p. 140-142):
  • Danger of tailings dam failure caused by earth tremor, vibrations or movement of heavy equipment
  • Erosion and undermining of the dams by seepage from the raised slimes pond
  • Danger of collapse of buried decant pipes
  • Infiltration of undesirable tailings fluids into the soil and groundwater from the liquid pond
  • Commencement of reclamation only after mine closure.
   
A few useful links (courtesy Petra Schlager, Karlsruhe University):
   
http://www.min-eng.com/pdmiw03/index.html Processing & Disposal of Mineral Industry Wastes ´03 Conference, June 18 to 20, 2003, Falmouth, UK
Minerals Engineering International
http://www.thickenedtailings.com/ Dr. Eli I. Robinsky´s site
http://www.cemsa.org/cemsa2002/ 3. Conf. Env. Managmt in S. Africa 08/2002, (full papers\waste management)
http://e-mj.com/ar/mining_books_2/ Book review
http://www.iied.org/mmsd/mmsd_pdfs/draft
_paper_lvw.pdf
Chapter TT
http://www.gmiconference.com/resource.html Alternatives for tailings and accounting for sustainability

http://mine.queensu.ca/people/faculty/Archibald/
PeruEnvironment.pdf

Binder applications
http://www.acg.uwa.edu.au/pdf_files/Lord
_Canada.pdf
Fist thickened discharge
http://www.acg.uwa.edu.au/pdf_files/NL_18.pdf ACG newsletter
http://www.acg.uwa.edu.au/pdf_files/NL_17.pdf ACG newsletter
http://www.golder.com/archive/skelleftea2001
pastedisposal.pdf
Case study
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/
pdfs/ri9573.pdf
Report on TT transport
   
Mutiple-layer paste disposel (curtesy John Engels)
Mutiple-layer paste disposal (Newman, P., 2003, Paste the answer to dam problems, Materials World - Volume 11, Number 1. pp 24-26. Courtesy John Engels, University of Leeds)
   
 
New developments
5th Framework Programme Research Project
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