Rapid industrialization and economic development have led to increased demand for minerals and metals, resulting in the generation of substantial quantities of mine tailings (MT). These mining wastes are commonly stored in tailings ponds (TP), with the embankments constructed from locally available soil or the stored MT. Most MT exhibit poor strength and durability properties, which have contributed to numerous TP failures worldwide. Consequently, stabilization of MT is imperative before their utilization in TP embankment construction. Although cement and lime stabilization have been adopted to address this issue, they are not environmentally sustainable solutions. Therefore, this study comprehensively investigates the potential of alkali activation to stabilize zinc tailings (ZT) for its use as construction material for TP embankments. A series of unconfined compressive strength tests (UCS) and direct shear tests are carried out to assess the strength characteristics of alkali-activated ZT. In doing so, the influence of curing period, curing conditions, and alkali activator concentration is studied. the efficacy of alkali activation is further improved by utilizing granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) as a precursor material, and the results obtained are compared with that of pozzolana portland cement (PPC) stabilized ZT. Furthermore, wetting-drying tests are conducted to evaluate the durability of stabilized ZT, whereas permeability tests are performed to assess the hydraulic performance of alkali-activated ZT. The experimental results demonstrate a significant improvement in both the strength and durability of untreated ZT following alkali activation. Furthermore, the addition of GBFS not only improves the strength and durability properties of alkali-activated ZT but also leads to a reduction in hydraulic conductivity by three orders of magnitude, from 1.2×10−7 to 7.8×10−10 m/s. Finally, the comparative sustainability assessment reveals that alkali-activated ZT consumes less energy and emits lower CO2 compared to PPC-stabilized ZT, underscoring its potential as a more environmentally sustainable solution. Overall, this study could serve as a benchmark for the utilization of alkali-activated ZT as a construction material for TP embankments, thereby reducing the dependence on natural soil resources and traditional cement binders.
Singh et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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