Mine waste refers to unwanted, uneconomic, and often dangerous solid, liquid, or gaseous materials generated during the extraction and processing of minerals, ores, and other geological resources.
Mine waste can be classified as follows [1]:
Overburden: it includes the rock and soil particles removed while gaining access to the mineral deposit in surface mines. It will be deposited on the surface of mine itself, which occupies a large area.
Waste rock: materials that contain negligible amount of mineral concentration are termed as waste rock. It will not be economical to extract minerals from it based on the present technology. The waste rock is suitable for earthwork on site during mining operations and as aggregate for concrete works.
Tailings: tailings are mineral waste products and finely grounded particles generated during the processing of ore. It may also contain traces of pro cessing chemicals and are deposited in the tailing ponds in the form of water-based slurry. Due to its fine particle size, tailings can be used only in selective operations. Based on the type of tailing ponds, the water can be drained so that the remaining waste can be dried.
Reference
[1] K. Ram Chandar, B. C. Gayana, and P. Shubhananda Rao, “Mine Waste Utilization,” Boca Raton: CRC Press, May 2022. doi: 10.1201/9781003268499.
