A review on the reprocessing of sulfide tailings for resource recovery and AMD prevention using mineral processing methods
Hyunjin Na, Yuik Eom, Kyoungkeun Yoo, Richard Diaz Alorro
Abstract
• Tailings are considered secondary resources of valuable metals. • Reprocessing sulfide tailings can add value to these wastes and prevent the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD). • This review presented the various separation methods for recovering valuable metals from sulfide mineral tailings. • Various advanced separation techniques tailored to specific tailings characteristics have been applied for metals recovery. Reprocessing sulfide minerals in tailings is an attractive option for sustainable tailings management. It can reduce the environmental impact generated by acid mine drainage while recovering valuable metals from tailings. Conventional mineral processing techniques often face challenges when it comes to reprocessing mine tailings, primarily due to factors such as particle size and surface oxidation. By addressing these challenges with targeted strategies, it’s possible to improve recovery efficiencies and make the reprocessing of mine tailings more economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Various advanced techniques are able to target specific tailing properties and achieve high recovery efficiency. This review paper covers various conventional mineral processing methods and their technological advances for reprocessing tailings as follows: (1) flotation with novel machines and reagents, (2) advanced gravity separation, (3) centrifugal dense medium separation, and (4) high-gradient magnetic separation.