An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation

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dc.contributor.advisorHarrison, STLen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorOpitz, Alexander Karl Benjaminen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-15T10:20:54Z
dc.date.available2015-09-15T10:20:54Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstractWorld-wide, acid rock drainage (ARD) is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing environments with current or previously active mining activities. Formed from the exposure of sulphide mineral to both water and air, and catalyzed by naturally occurring iron- and sulphur-oxidizing micro-organisms, ARD pollution is predominantly associated with the mining of sulphidic ores and coal. Of particular concern are the large volumes of mining wastes from which the generation of ARD and the associated pollution effects often persist over tens to hundreds of years after mining operations have ceased. Current ARD management strategies focus on the prevention of ARD through mineral waste deposition or remediation options once ARD has formed. These strategies, however, do not remove the risk of ARD generation in the future. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of the potential for ARD generation from a low-grade copper waste rock through the accelerated removal of the sulphur components via reaction. The three waste rock samples used in this investigation had total sulphur grades of between 2.20 and 3.20 % with the majority of the sulphide present as pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena. Significant quantities of non-sulphide associated iron minerals, predominantly magnetite, were also present in the three samples. The waste rock samples were sourced from mining operations in Chile and South Africa and had a D80 of approximately 0.8 cm. All three waste rock samples were potentially ARD generating.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationOpitz, A. K. B. (2013). <i>An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13959en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationOpitz, Alexander Karl Benjamin. <i>"An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13959en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationOpitz, A. 2013. An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.risTY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Opitz, Alexander Karl Benjamin AB - World-wide, acid rock drainage (ARD) is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing environments with current or previously active mining activities. Formed from the exposure of sulphide mineral to both water and air, and catalyzed by naturally occurring iron- and sulphur-oxidizing micro-organisms, ARD pollution is predominantly associated with the mining of sulphidic ores and coal. Of particular concern are the large volumes of mining wastes from which the generation of ARD and the associated pollution effects often persist over tens to hundreds of years after mining operations have ceased. Current ARD management strategies focus on the prevention of ARD through mineral waste deposition or remediation options once ARD has formed. These strategies, however, do not remove the risk of ARD generation in the future. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of the potential for ARD generation from a low-grade copper waste rock through the accelerated removal of the sulphur components via reaction. The three waste rock samples used in this investigation had total sulphur grades of between 2.20 and 3.20 % with the majority of the sulphide present as pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena. Significant quantities of non-sulphide associated iron minerals, predominantly magnetite, were also present in the three samples. The waste rock samples were sourced from mining operations in Chile and South Africa and had a D80 of approximately 0.8 cm. All three waste rock samples were potentially ARD generating. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation TI - An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13959 ER -en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13959
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationOpitz AKB. An investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigation. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13959en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Bioprocess Engineering Researchen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBioprocess Engineeringen_ZA
dc.titleAn investigation into accelerated leaching for the purpose of ARD mitigationen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSc (Eng)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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