A Holistic Approach in Re-mining Old Tailings Deposits for the Supply of Critical-Metals: A Portuguese Case Study

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2019

Autores

Janine Figueiredo (Autor) Outra; Maria Cristina Vila (Autor) FEUP; António Fiúza (Autor) FEUP; Joaquim Góis (Autor) FEUP; Aurora Futuro Silva (Autor) FEUP; Maria de Lurdes Dinis (Autor) FEUP; Diogo Martins (Autor) FEUP

Revista

Título: Minerals

Vol. 9 Nº 10

Páginas: 1-14

Editora: MDPI

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citações

Scopus - 2 Citações

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-00R-848

DOI: 10.3390/min9100638

Abstract (EN): Demand growth for metallic minerals has been faced with the need for new techniques and improving technologies for all mining life-cycle operations. Nowadays, the exploitation of old tailings and mine-waste facilities could be a solution to this demand, with economic and environmental advantages. The Panasqueira Mine has been operating for more than a century, extracting tungsten and tin ore. Its first processing plant, "Rio", was located near the Zerere river, where mineral-processing residues were deposited on the top hillside on the margin of this river in the Cabeco do PiAo tailings dam. The lack of maintenance and monitoring of this enormous structure in the last twenty years represents a high risk to the environment and the population of the surrounding region. A field-sample campaign allowed the collection of data, and resulted from laboratory tests to use regression optimization. Re-mining the tailings by hydrometallurgical methods was considered to satisfy the two conditions of metal demand and environmental risk. The metal content in Cabeco do PiAo was shown be enough for environmental restoration. The re-mining solution was studied, taking into account the technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 14