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A study of natural minerals, ore tailings and their products as materials for artificial geochemical barriers is presented. In particular, it focuses on interaction between calcite and dolomite and sulfate solutions containing nickel, copper and iron under static conditions. Calcite of −0.1 mm fraction has been shown to perform well as a barrier when added to water phases of tailing dumps and natural reservoirs. Experiments under dynamic conditions have revealed a high potential of thermally activated copper-nickel tailings as barriers. After a 500-day precipitating period on a geochemical barrier, the contents of nickel and copper in ore dressing tailings were found to increase 12- and 28-fold, respectively. An effective sorbent of copper, iron and nickel ions is a brucite-based product of hydrochloric acid treatment of vermiculite ore tailings. Its sorption capacity can be essentially increased through thermal activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmental monitoring of ore composition in complex deposits of Kazakhstan (the Zhezkazgan, Kusmuryn, Artemjevsk, Kounrad, Taskura and Zhaman-Aibat deposits) is carried out using EDXRF spectrometers RPP-12, RLP-21 and RLP-21T. The monitoring of ore concentrates in Satpaev, Balkhashsk and Zhezkazgan processing plants and in Zhezkazgan copper smelter continues at present time. The monitoring suggests data on new promising elements and environmental pollutants in ores and new trends in distribution of bound elements in ores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory tests and physical-chemical modeling have determined that mixtures of activated silica and carbonatite, serpophite and carbonatite show considerable promise for developing artificial geochemical barriers. The obtained average contents of nickel and copper deposited on geochemical barriers in the formed mining induced ores are acceptable for their subsequent cost efficient processing using either pyro- or hydrometallurgy methods. Some tests of geochemical barriers have been carried out, involving the use of polluted water in the impact zone of the “Kol'skaya GMK” JSC. A possibility of water purification from heavy metals down to the MAC level for fishery water bodies has been displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]