Geopolymerization of Mine Tailings for Sustainable Development

这项研究工作的主要目标是通过地质聚合研究尾矿的稳定性，以便它们可以大规模地以具有成本效益的方式用作建筑材料。该研究将采用创新的多尺度和多学科方法，包括（a）地质聚合后尾矿机械和环境特性的宏观研究;（B）地质聚合后尾矿微/纳米尺度结构和相互作用的调查;（c）离散元方法模拟，以调查微/纳米尺度特征如何影响宏观尺度行为。这一项目将有助于促进利用尾矿作为建筑材料，减少尾矿的处置，节省处置蓄水池所需的土地和相关的高额资金、环境和生态成本，减少对需要采石的原始材料的需求，减少能源密集型普通波特兰水泥的使用。因此，它将有助于可持续发展，并具有重大的经济，环境和社会影响。通过将研究成果整合到研究生，本科和在线课程中，该项目将扩大土木工程专业学生对可持续发展的认识和知识，这是土木工程专业越来越强调的一个主题。将研究与校园暑期工程学院和K-12辅导计划相结合，将向来自不同背景的K-12学生介绍可持续发展领域。这项研究还将通过从代表性不足的群体中招募和指导研究生和本科生助理，以显著的方式扩大代表性不足的群体的参与。

The major objective of this research effort is to study the stabilization of mine tailings through geopolymerization so that they can be used as construction material in large scale and in a cost-effective way. The research will use an innovative multi-scale and multi-disciplinary approach and consist of (a) macro-scale study of the mechanical and environmental properties of mine tailings after geopolymerization; (b) investigation of the micro/nano-scale structures and interactions of mine tailings after geopolymerization; and (c) discrete element method simulations to investigate how the micro/nano-scale characteristics affect the macro-scale behavior. This project will help promote the utilization of mine tailings as construction material and reduce the disposal of mine tailings, saving the land required for the disposal impoundments and the related high monetary, environmental and ecological costs, reducing the demand for virgin materials that would need quarrying, and decreasing the use of energy-intensive ordinary Portland cement. So it will contribute to sustainable development and have major economical, environmental and societal impacts. By integrating the research results into graduate, undergraduate, and online courses, this project will broaden awareness and knowledge of civil engineering students on sustainable development, a topic increasingly emphasized in Civil Engineering. Combining the research with the on campus Summer Engineering Academy and K-12 mentoring programs will introduce K-12 students from diverse backgrounds to the field of sustainable development. This research will also broaden participation of underrepresented groups in a significant way, by recruiting and mentoring graduate and undergraduate assistants from underrepresented groups.