Current state of fine mineral tailings treatment: A critical review on theory and practice

The mining industry produces fluid fine mineral tailings on the order of millions of tonnes each year, with billions of tonnes already stored globally. This trend is expected to escalate as demand for mineral products continues to grow with increasingly lower grade ores being more commonly exploited by hydrometallurgy. Ubiquitous presence and enrichment of fine solids such as silt and clays in fluid fine mineral tailings prevent efficient solid–liquid separation and timely re-use of valuable process water. Long-term storage of such fluid waste materials not only incurs a huge operating cost, but also creates substantial environmental liabilities of tailings ponds for mining operators. This review broadly examines current theoretical understandings and prevalent industrial practices on treating fine mineral tailings for greater water recovery and reduced environmental footprint of mining operations.