Mugla Journal of Science and Technology 16 SUSTAINABILITY AND TAILINGS MANAGEMENT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY: PASTE TECHNOLOGY *Erol YILMAZ Department of Applied Sciences, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Canada, erol.yilmaz@uqat.ca https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8332-8471 Elif YILMAZ Department of Mining Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, elifkoc@ktu.edu.tr https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8789-0007 Received: 24.01.2018, Accepted: 16.05.2018 *Corresponding author Research Article DOI:10.22531/muglajsci.383095 Abstract In this study, the basic principles of paste technology which has been implemented successfully in the mining industry for both waste volume reduction and environmental impact reduction were investigated. In the past two decades, paste technology has progressed from a research-based mine backfill idea to a widely accepted and cost-effective fill system with the potential to totally change the approach tailings are disposed on the surface. Application of paste tailings for modern mines was shown experimentally by laboratory and field testing, focusing on intrinsic (e.g., tailings, cement and mix water properties) and extrinsic (e.g., in situ mixing, placement and curing conditions) parameters. Results indicate that use of paste tailings as backfilling and disposal in the mining industry as an innovative and environmentally sound system can guarantee operational continuity by reducing environmental (e.g., tailings dam failure, acidic water formation) and financial concerns over the mine’s life. Finally, paste technology enables mining operators to better manage their problematic tailings produced in the mineral processing plants. Keywords: Tailings, Sustainability, Paste technology, Mining industry, Environmental impact MADENCİLİK ENDÜSTRİSİNDE SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK VE ATIK YÖNETİMİ: MACUN TEKNOLOJİSİ Öz Bu çalışmada, hem atık hacim azaltma hem de çevresel etki azaltma için madencilik endüstrisinde başarılı bir şekilde uygulanmakta olan macun teknolojisinin temel prensipleri incelenmiştir. Geçmiş yirmi yılda, macun teknolojisi araştırmaya dayalı maden dolgu fikrinden atıkların yerüstünde depolanması yaklaşımını tümüyle değiştirme potansiyelli yaygın olarak kabul görmüş, etkin maliyetli bir dolgu sistemine ilerlemiştir. Modern madenler için macun atık uygulaması içsel (örneğin atık, çimento ve karışım suyu özellikleri) ve dışsal (örneğin yerinde karıştırma, yerleştirme ve kür koşulları ) parametrelere odaklanarak laboratuvar ve arazi testleriyle deneysel olarak gösterilmiştir. Sonuçlar göstermektedir ki yenilikçi ve çevreye uyumlu bir sistem olarak macun atıklarının madencilik endüstrisinde dolgu ve depolama olarak kullanılması maden ömrü boyunca çevresel (örneğin atık baraj yıkılması, asidik su oluşumu) ve finansal kaygıları azaltarak operasyonel sürekliliği garanti edebilir. Son olarak, macun teknolojisi cevher hazırlama ve zenginleştirme tesislerinde üretilen problematik atıklarını daha iyi yönetmek için maden operatörlerine izin verme ktedir Anahtar Kelimeler: Atıklar, Sürdürülebilirlik, Macun teknolojisi, Madencilik endüstrisi, Çevresel etki Cite Yılmaz, E., Yılmaz, E., (2018). “Sustainability and tailings management in the mining industry: Paste technology”, Mugla Journal of Science and Technology, 4(1), 16-26. 1. Introduction The mining industry has a big potential to affect industrialized and developing economies by providing employment, income, and opportunities for economic growth and diversification. But, it certainly creates the huge volumes of environmentally harmful tailings that need to be managed properly to diminish or remove the environmental impact. Sulfidic tailings contain pyrite and iron minerals which can react with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron [1, 2]. Waste rocks are basically defined as a coarse-sized material resulting from the decomposition of unwanted mine rocks by weathering during mining without being processed while tailings are defined as the fine-sized material left over after the process of removing the valuable constituents from the uneconomic fraction of the run-of-the mine ore [3]. The tailings management poses many challenges on the mining and mineral industries, frequently concerning the negative impact on environment. To stop the environmental pollution and reach sustainable operations for most modern mines around the world, there are a variety of different tailings management ways [4, 5, 6]. One practical solution is to use the tailings as paste backfill for underground mines and as paste disposal for surface facilities.