Long-term performance of bituminous geomembranes for waste containment and mining applications

用于废物遏制和采矿应用的沥青土工膜的长期性能

• 批准号: 571820-2021
• 负责人: Abdelaal, FadyBadranFB
• 金额: $ 2.19万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749164
• 关键词: Long; term; performance; bituminous; geomembranes

Geomembranes (thin sheets that can be either polymeric or bituminous), are used as the liners in waste containment and mineral extraction facilities to protect the surrounding environment from the migration of the contaminants. Environmental awareness and high demand for mineral resources increased the demand for geomembranes and have created economic opportunities for Canadian companies with an estimated revenue of the geomembrane market reaching $417 million in 2022. Additionally, 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 377,000 workers and contributed $70B to Canada's GDP in 2020. Although bituminous geomembranes (BGM; multicomponent products comprised of a combination of a waterproof bituminous binder with a geotextile layer) have been used for 20-30 years, historically their use has been largely limited to use in canals, potable water reservoirs, and other low environmental risk applications. Recently, BGMs are considered as a strong candidate for the liner materials in waste containment and mining applications due to their claimed high puncture resistance and durability despite a lack of knowledge of their behaviour. This project seeks to understand how BGMs will interact with aggressive field conditions found in geoenvironmental application by examining their durability, contaminant diffusion, and interface shear resistance. The proposed work aims to reduce the risks associated with the current uncertainty regarding BGMs' long-term performance to provide more effective and reliable groundwater and surface water protection. 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 three HQP.

土工膜（可以是聚合物或沥青的薄板）被用作废物密封和矿物提取设施的衬里，以保护周围环境免受污染物的迁移。环境意识和对矿产资源的高需求增加了对土工膜的需求，并为加拿大公司创造了经济机会，预计2022年土工膜市场收入将达到4.17亿美元。此外，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37.7万名工人，并在2020年为加拿大的GDP贡献了700亿美元。虽然沥青土工膜（BGM；由防水沥青粘合剂和土工织物层组合而成的多组分产品）已经使用了20-30年，但从历史上看，它们的使用主要局限于运河、饮用水水库和其他低环境风险的应用。最近，尽管缺乏对其行为的了解，但由于其声称的高抗穿刺性和耐久性，bgm被认为是废物遏制和采矿应用中衬垫材料的强有力候选者。该项目旨在通过测试bgm的耐久性、污染物扩散和界面抗剪切能力，了解bgm在地质环境应用中如何与恶劣的现场条件相互作用。拟议的工作旨在减少与目前bgm长期性能的不确定性相关的风险，以提供更有效和可靠的地下水和地表水保护。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。该研究将包括培训三名HQP。