Geotechnical evaluation of uranium tailings for enhanced dewatering

加拿大的铀矿开采业在环境合规方面走在前列。尾矿（作为金属提取的副产品产生）传统上储存在大型密闭设施中，并进行了数十年的全面监测。为了减少空间需求和时间承诺，Cameco Inc.最近发起了一项开发工程尾矿流的倡议。这种新的尾矿类别将具有上级岩土性质（离析、沉积、固结和水力传导性），这也将有助于地球化学（扩散控制的运动）稳定性。作为Cameco Inc.的一部分该合作研究的主要目标是了解和改善下一代铀尾矿的脱水和分离行为。这是卡梅科公司第一次对铀尾矿流进行如此详细的地质技术评价。基于一个全面的研究计划，将开发一个创新的科学框架，结合固液界面复杂的物理化学相互作用来研究选定的浆料。这是传统岩土工程的范式转变，传统岩土工程通过将土壤视为化学惰性来处理土壤行为的物理理解。拟议的研究将是Cameco Inc.的一个重大发展。在未来的扩张计划中。由此产生的技术（物理化学模型，非分离尾矿，改进的脱水，和三元图）将是关键的尾矿设计在加拿大的各种采矿业务。针对具体材料的尾矿改良方法的预期经济效益可分类如下：（i）增加尾矿库的储存能力;（ii）由于金属流动性降低而降低环境责任;（iii）增加工艺用水和化学试剂的回收;以及（iv）改善矿石选矿过程中各个阶段的平衡水消耗。同样，基础设施能力发展，合格专业人员的招聘和跨学科扩展是里贾纳大学的重要优势。

The uranium mining industry in Canada is at the forefront of environmental compliance. The tailings (produced as a by-product of metal extraction) have been traditionally stored in large containment facilities and thoroughly monitored for several decades. To reduce both space requirements and time commitment, Cameco Inc. has recently launched an initiative to develop engineered tailings streams. This new category of tailings will have superior geotechnical properties (segregation, sedimentation, consolidation, and hydraulic conductivity) that will also contribute to geochemical (diffusion-controlled movement) stability. As part of Cameco Inc.'s engineered tailings initiative, the main objective of this collaborative research is to understand and improve the dewatering and segregation behavior of the next-generation uranium tailings. This is the first time that such a detailed geotechnical evaluation of the uranium tailings streams is undertaken at Cameco Inc. Based on a comprehensive research program, an innovative scientific framework will be developed to study the selected slurries in conjunction with complex physicochemical interactions at the solid-liquid interface. This is a paradigm shift from conventional geotechnical engineering that deals with the physical understanding of soil behavior by considering the soil as chemically inert. The proposed research will be a significant development for Cameco Inc. with respect to its future expansion plans. The resulting technology (physicochemical model, nonsegregating tailings, improved dewatering, and ternary diagram) will be pivotal for tailings design at various Canadian mining operations. The expected economic benefits of material-specific tailings amelioration methods can be classified as follows: (i) increased storage capacity of the tailings impoundments; (ii) lower environmental liabilities due to reduced metal mobility; (iii) increased reclamation of process water and chemical reagents; and (iv) improved balance water consumption at various stages in the ore beneficiation process. Likewise, the infrastructure capacity development, recruitment of qualified professionals, and cross-disciplinary extensions are important benefits for the University of Regina.