Mineral Waste Utilization
Waste generation in Mines
Mine waste generation
has been going on all the time of the mining activities includes during the extraction,
beneficiation, and processing of minerals. Extraction is the first phase
of mining activity which consists of removal of overburden for ore in opencast
mines. It generates large volume of waste likes low grade ore, debris and other
materials. This overburden material dumped in piles within the mine lease area
or in else in the adjacent non mineralized zone. Beneficiation is the initial
attempt at liberating and concentrating the valuable mineral from the extracted
ore. These
operations include crushing, washing, gravity concentration, magnetic
separation, precipitation and leaching process. The extraction and
beneficiation of minerals generates large quantities of waste which has
different physical and chemical properties, which bring on various
potential environmental influences. So, proper utilization of this kind of
waste by making value added product have economic value.