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Title

Mineralogical and geochemical changes of copper flotation tailings in relation to their original composition and climatic setting : implications for acid mine drainage and element mobility
Author
Dold, Bernhard Stefan
Directors
Fontboté, Lluis
Wildi, Walter
Defense Thèse de doctorat : Univ. Genève, 1999 - Sc. 3125 - 1999
Collection Terre et Environnement; 18
Abstract In the present work six flotation tailings impoundments at five flotation plants (Piuquenes, Cauquenes, El Salvador, Ojancos, P. Cerda) located in different climatic zones of Chile were selected to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical changes taking place in copper flotation tailings subsequent to sulfide oxidation, especially the formation of acid mine drainage and element mobility. Results show the importance of primary mineralogy (acid producing and acid neutralizing minerals) in controlling the mobility of the liberated elements due to pH control. Climatic conditions control the element mobilization directions (humid = downwards; arid = upwards) and so the geochemical conditions where these elements may precipitate as secondary minerals (humid = reducing conditions below the water table; arid = oxidizing conditions at the surface). The climate controls so the secondary mineralogy and thus the availability of hazardous heavy metals to the environment. Additionally the impoundment construction technique may influence the mobilization and enrichment processes.
Identifiers
Note Avec un résumé en français de 12 p.
Full text
Thesis (13.4 MB) - public document Free access
Structures
Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau
Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département des sciences de la Terre
Research group Mineral Resources and Geofluids
Citation
(ISO format) 		DOLD, Bernhard Stefan. Mineralogical and geochemical changes of copper flotation tailings in relation to their original composition and climatic setting : implications for acid mine drainage and element mobility. Université de Genève. Thèse, 1999. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:98275

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Deposited on : 2017-10-31

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