Sustainable stabilization/solidification of mine wastes

Mine wastes generated during mining and mineral processing, including waste rocks and tailings, are the largest volume of solid wastes disposed of in the world. The two main environmental impacts of most mine wastes are the generation of acid mine/rock drainage (AMD/ARD) and the consequent release of hazardous and toxic elements (e.g., As, Se, Sb, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn), which are induced by the oxidative weathering of sulfidic mine wastes. The proper disposal of mine wastes is of great significance to local environments. In order to mitigate the environmental risks of mine wastes, a variety of approaches are proposed to control the weathering of mine wastes, especially to inhibit sulfide oxidation, thus preventing the generation of AMD, among which stabilization/solidification (S/S) is the best demonstrated available technology. This chapter reviews various types of S/S techniques for mine wastes using alkaline materials, metal oxyhydroxides, phosphates, silica, organic materials, and cement, focusing on mechanisms, effectiveness, influencing factors, and associated challenges.