Residue sampling and characterization
Adriana Guatame-Garcia (Queen’s University, TU Delft - Resource Engineering)
M. W.N. Buxton (TU Delft - Resource Engineering)
Francesco Tinti (University of Bologna)
Sara Kasmaeeyazdi (University of Bologna)
Francoise Bodenan (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières )
Joachim Schick (Orano Mining)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
This chapter provides a comprehensive review of techniques, instruments, and methods suitable for mine residue sampling and characterization, using the potential recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs) from bauxite residues as an example. The sampling methods address diverse strategies for assessing the suitability of CRMs recovery, including screening, detailed characterization, determination of acid rock drainage generation and wastewater, and the implementation of a geometallurgical approach. The methods for characterizing mine residues are a selection of geochemical, mineralogical, and other techniques that can be used either in field environments (e.g., portable X-ray fluorescence, infrared spectroscopy) or in the laboratory (e.g., inductively coupled plasma-based techniques, scanning electron microscopy) to study the main properties of the waste material. Other techniques used for the remote characterization, such as earth observation are also addressed. Approaches for data analytics and the impact of digitalization in the characterization of mine residues are briefly discussed. Overall, this chapter aims to help practitioners and researchers to implement better practices in the sampling and characterization for the revalorization of mine residues.