Aplicación de residuos de combustión del carbón para el autosellado de balsas mineras productoras de drenaje ácido de mina

Abstract

The main objective and contribution of the Doctoral Thesis is the search for a sustainable and attractive solution for the simultaneous treatment of fly ash from coal combustion and flotationtailings producing acid mine drainage in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. With this purpose,a previous characterization of the behaviour of both wastes under weathering conditions was carried out. Then, it was proposed a strategy for the treatment directly in the field based on the addition of an alkaline cover of fly ash on top ofthe flotation tailings in two pilot-scale experimental plots. The final result of the treatment system is the decrease of the oxidation rate of the sulphides contained in the mining tailings and the attenuation of the release of potentially pollutant elements to the environment.