Systems, Compositions, and Methods For Dewatering Mine Tailings

摘要

Systems, compositions, and methods for dewatering and/or increasing a mechanical strength of mine tailings. These systems, compositions, and methods may include combining mine tailings with wicking fibers to form a composite mine tailings mixture. The wicking fibers may provide a conduit for the removal of fluid from the composite mine tailings mixture. The composite mine tailings mixture further may include a binder that may decrease repulsive forces among fine particles that comprise the mine tailings and/or increase attractive forces among the fine particles, leading to a separation of the fine particles from at least a portion of the fluid contained within the composite mine tailings mixture. The composite mine tailings mixture may be placed in a storage or dewatering area as a composite mine tailings mixture deposit, which may include internal structure, such as layers of the composite mine tailings mixture and/or long-range orientation of the wicking fibers contained therein.