| BauxsolT Technology to Treat Acid and Metals: Applications in the Coal Industry |
April 2004 |
| Author(s): Clark, M. & D. McConchie (Southern Cross Univ., NSW, Australia); J. Berry (Hunter Enviromining, Waitara, NSW, Australia); W. Caldicott (Virotec USA, Inc., Newton Highlands, MA); F. Davies-McConchie and J. Castro |
2004 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation and the 25th West Virginia Surface Mine Drainage Task Force, 18-24 April 2004. Abstracts. ASMR, Lexington, KY, 2004
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| Mine: Aberdare East colliery, Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia |
Waste Type: AMD |
Contaminant(s): metals |
Technology Type: BauxsolT |
| Keywords: prevention, coal, tailings, acid |
| Abstract: Virotec International has developed the BauxsolT technology for the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) and toxic metal contaminants in tailings. Neutra BT, Acid BT, Acid BExtraT, Alka BT, and Cya BT are reagents developed from BauxsolT technology for the treatment of large volumes of AMD. Once the contaminated water has been treated, it can be safely released into the environment. Virotec also has developed Terra BT to prevent the formation of AMD by stabilizing exposed waste rock, mining overburden, and tailings. Virotec markets its products for the mining industry under the name ViroMineT. The technology is being considered at the Aberdare East colliery, a former underground coal mine located in Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia. Coal washery tailings from the mine would be impounded in a series of overlapping stacked cells in a small catchment. As water flows through the tailings, salinity, metal content, redox potential, and temperature all increase, while solution pH decreases. The impoundment contains 109,445 cubic meters of water that could be treated with amendments of BauxsolT Acid B ExtraT C5T5 blend at 5.123 kg/m3 (561 tons). Generation of further acidity at the site could be prevented by the application of 24,000 tons of BauxsolT ViroMineT. The BauxsolT-based treatments lower sludge volumes during water treatment and increase chemical stability of the residues, which greatly reduces disposal costs and affects the soil/tailings profile such that the possibility of having to reapply after 5 or 10 years is greatly reduced. |
For more information online:
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Contact: Virotec International Ltd., Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Australia, +61 7 5530 8014, viromine@virotec.com, or Will Caldicott at Virotec USA, Newton Highlands, MA, 617-964-1773, wcaldicott@virotec.com |
