Physical and chemical durability of bituminous geomembranes sheets and welds in heap leach pads

采矿业具有重要的战略意义，因为加拿大是世界上最大的矿业国家之一，生产60多种矿物/金属，直接雇用超过373,000名工人，2015年为加拿大的GDP贡献了560亿美元。土工膜通常是薄塑料片，在矿物开采设施中用作衬里，以防止经济损失（矿物损失）并保护周围环境免受污染物的迁移。采矿应用在很大程度上涉及施加在衬套上的高垂直应力，这可能导致刺穿薄塑料衬套，从而造成污染周围地表水和地下水的风险。虽然沥青土工膜（BGM，由防水沥青粘合剂和土工布层组合而成的多组分产品）已经存在了20-30年，但从历史上看，它们的使用仅限于运河、饮用水水库和其他低环境风险的应用。bgm通常被认为有利于这种高覆盖层压力采矿应用，因为它们声称具有高抗穿刺性，尽管缺乏对其行为的了解，但目前仍在使用。该项目旨在了解bgm如何与采矿应用中塑料土工膜被击穿和降解的恶劣现场条件相互作用。建议的工作旨在通过适当选择土工膜产品，以及确定可能需要与土工膜一起使用土工合成防护的情况，减少土工膜衬垫在安装期间或安装后被刺破和老化的风险。女王大学拥有在实验室中模拟野外暴露条件所需的独特专业知识和设备。与领先的土工合成材料安装商合作，将确保实验条件反映常见的现场条件，并将研究成果应用于当前行业面临的现实挑战。该研究将包括对四名HQP的培训。

The mining sector is of strategic importance since Canada is one of the largest mining nations in the world, producing more than 60 minerals/metals that directly employs more than 373,000 workers and contributed $56B to Canada's GDP in 2015. Geomembranes, typically thin plastic sheets, are used as the liners in mineral extraction facilities to prevent economic loss (lost minerals) and protect the surrounding environment from the migration of the contaminants. Mining applications considerably involve high vertical stresses imposed on the liner that can result in puncturing the thin plastic liner and hence poses risks of contaminating the surrounding surface and ground waters. Although bituminous geomembranes (BGM; multicomponent products comprised of a combination of a waterproof bituminous binder with a geotextile layer) have been around for 20-30 years, historically their use has been limited to use in canals, potable water reservoirs, and other low environmental risk applications. BGMs are often considered to be favourable for such high overburden pressure mining applications due to their claimed high puncture resistance and currently used despite a lack of knowledge of their behaviour. This project seeks to understand how BGMs will interact with aggressive field conditions found in mining application in scenarios in which plastic geomembranes puncture and degrade. The proposed work aims to reduce the risks associated with puncturing and ageing of the geomembrane liners during or after installation by the proper selection of the BGM product and the identification of the cases where geosynthetic protection may be required to be used in conjunction with the BGMs. Queen's University has the unique expertise and equipment necessary for simulating the field exposure conditions in the laboratory. Collaboration with a leading geosynthetic installer will ensure experimental conditions reflect common field conditions and that the research findings are applied to real life challenges that are currently facing the industry. The research will involve training of four HQP.