Development of approaches to placer mine waste management in Russia’s Far East

The article presents the review of the nature and types of waste accumulated during mining and processing of ore reserves from placers and primary deposits in the Far East of Russia. Such waste is both a manmade polluter and a source of minerals suitable for the further integrated extraction. The data on the content of valuable components in some waste objects are appraised. Manmade placer waste features sometimes the standard gold content and sometimes even higher content of gold than in natural placers. Furthermore, some waste objects, including tailings ponds, contain tin, copper, zinc, lead, tungsten, bismuth and silver. Specific difficulties are presented by waste with the content of valuable components below standard, but with higher content of clay and silt, and mostly fine and very fine particles of gold, silver and other metals. It is extremely difficult to process such waste, considering ecological aspects therewith. It is suggested to apply novel and nonconventional technologies which ensure major disintegration of high-clayey waste with deficient content of fine and very fine valuable components. It is proposed to apply hydrodynamic cavitation generators of two types, including fluid oscillators. It is emphasized that the manmade waste placer treatment using the technologies of cavitation and hydrodynamic effect on multicomponent slurries can provide the wanted reduction in the loss of noble metals and other valuables, can ensure high performance and improved ecological efficiency of production operations, and can eliminate the need to use chemicals.

Кhrunina N. P., Lipina L. N. Development of approaches to placer mine waste management in Russia’s Far East. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(4):134-142. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_4_0_134.

N.P. Кhrunina, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Leading Researcher, e-mail: npetx@mail.ru, Mining Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 680000, Khabarovsk, Russia,
L.N. Lipina, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: geo-lipina@rambler.ru, Pacific National University, 680035, Khabarovsk, Russia.

N.P. Кhrunina, e-mail: npetx@mail.ru.

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