Alkali-Activated Mine Tailings and Solid Wastes as Precursors for Geopolymers
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2024
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Former mining activities may pose a threat to the environment if not being handled correctly due to neglecting proper conservation methods at the time of mine closure. While dumping is the most common way of disposing of solid industrial waste such as tailings, fly and bottom ashes, slags etc., those materials are in fact a valuable source of secondary raw minerals. Thus, they could be recycled in a variety of products to turn the waste streams into value via the promising geopolymerisation technology. This article presents a study on the conversion of mine tailings and industrial by-products into geopolymers. Geopolymers based on alumino-silicate fines (steel-making slags and mine tailings) were synthesized using alkaline activation comprising sodium silicate. While the hardening of compositions occurs slowly at ambient temperature, elevated temperatures could change the leaching behaviour and decrease copper release from geopolymer matrix. Compressive strength of the proposed composition was 49±2 MPa after 90 days of curing. The results provide insights of possible reduction of the environmental footprints and potential economic benefits of mine tailings-based geopolymer composites for building applications utilizing mine tailings as suitable concrete material.