Physico-chemical Characterisation of Flotation Iron Tailings for Potential Industrial Valorisation

Abstract

The mining company makes efforts to reduce the storage of huge amounts of waste, such as tailings, through reprocessing or using these unwanted materials as a marketable product. Nevertheless, the evaluation of these tailings is crucial for environmental sustainability and economic profit before their utilisation as raw material. The study aims to evaluate the physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of iron-copper tailing collected at a depth of 2 m from a mining site in Türkiye by performing particle size, mineralogical, and chemical analyses. Representative samples were prepared through drying, grinding, homogenisation, and sieving prior to analysis. Comprehensive characterisation was performed, including determination of moisture content, pH, particle size distribution, mineralogical composition, and chemical properties. Mineralogical analyses were conducted using microscopic examination and X-ray diffraction techniques. The mineralogical analysis of the iron-copper tailing sample shows the presence of bornite, chalcopyrite, magnetite as primary sulfide minerals, and secondary sulfides are chalcocite-covellite and digenite. The mineralogical and chemical content analyses demonstrate that magnetite is abundant in the iron tailing. For the chemical analyses, the results show that the iron tailing sample contains chemical oxides, and a significant amount of silica and iron was determined in the iron-copper tailing, demonstrating that it is possible to use this type of tailing as an additive in cement production.