6
CONCLUSION
The proportions of SiO2/Al2O3 and SiO2/NaOH are a
key factor for the proper formulation of geopolymerized
samples. Results indicate that it is possible to use geo-
polymerized tailings as raw material for making bricks.
Geomechanical tests indicate that it is possible to manufac-
ture type I and type II bricks since the compressive strength
results ranged between 2 MPa and 8 MPa. The electrical
conductivity values (13.91–16.11 mS/cm2) of the leachates
from the leaching tests of the geopolymerized samples show
a slight leaching of the material. Leaching tests show that
bricks do not generate acidic solutions (pH ≥ 10.5). The
concentrations of the leached elements (Cu, Cd, Zn, Fe, Cr
and Pb) of the geopolymerized samples are below the maxi-
mum permissible limits despite the fact that the highest
leaching percentages are of cadmium (69%) and chromium
(93%). These results show that geopolymeric cement made
from tailings can be used as a good material for infrastruc-
ture with many advantages over conventional cement, such
as mechanical resistance, low levels of leached heavy metals,
low concentration levels of natural radioactivity with a low
degree of radiation contamination.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the Mining Engineering
Section and funded by the Pontifical Catholic University
of Peru (Grant: E-0015/PI 00752). The authors acknowl-
edge the Center of Materials Analysis of the PUCP (CAM-
PUCP) for the facilities to carry out the ICP-MS analyses.
Competing interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in
the publication.
REFERENCES
[1] Carmo, F.F., Lanchotti, A.O., Kamino, L. H.Y. (2020)
“Mining Waste Challenges: Environmental Risks of
Gigatons of Mud, Dust and Sediment in Megadiverse
Regions in Brazil,” Sustainability, pp. 1–13.
[2] Nikvar-Hassani, A., Vashaghian, H., Hodges, R.,
Zhang, L. (2022) “Production of green bricks from low-
reactive copper mine tailings: Chemical and mechan-
ical aspects,” Construction and Building Materials,
DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126695
[3] Das, M.R., Satapathy, S., Pothal, L.K. (2023)
“A study on waste management in iron mining,”
Materialstoday Proceedings, pp. doi.org/10.1016
/j.matpr.2023.06.368
[4] Kalisz, S., Kibort, K., Mioduska, J., Lieder, M.,
Malachowska, A. (2022) “Waste management in the
mining industry of metals ores, coal, oil and natural
gas -A review,” Journal of Environmental Management,
pp.
[5] Rafaldi, M. J., Seymour, J. B., Richardson, J.,
Zahl, E., Board, M. (2019) “Cemented Paste
Backfll Geomechanics at a NarrowVein Underhand
CutandFill Mine,” Rock Mechanics and Rock
Engineering, pp. 4925–4940.
[6] Hefni, M., Hassani, F. (2020) “Experimental
Development of a Novel Mine Backfill Material:
Foam Mine Fill,” Minerals, pp. 1–16.
[7] Adiguzel, D., Tuylu, S., Eker, H. (2022) “Utilization of
tailings in concrete products: A review,” Construction
and Building Materials, pp. 1–10.
[8] Driussi, C., Jansz, J. (2006) “Technological options
for waste minimisation in the mining industry,”
Journal of Cleaner Production, pp. 682–688.
[9] Rajdeep, D., Ipseet, C. (2013) “Waste management in
mining industry,” Indian Journal of Scientific Research,
pp. 139–142.
[10] Nunar, N., Gautam, A. K. (2019) “Brick Making
From Over Burden Dump, a Mine Waste,”
International Journal of Scientific Development and
Research, pp. 269–277.
[11] Tejaswini, M.S.S.R., Pathak, P., Gupta, D.K. (2022)
“Sustainable approach for valorization of solid wastes
as a secondary resource through urban mining,”
Journal of Environmental Management, pp. doi.org
/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115727
[12] Lam, E. J., Zetola, V., Ramírez, Y., Montofré,
I. L., Pereira, F. (2020) “Making Paving Stones
from Copper Mine Tailings as Aggregates,” Int. J.
Environ. Res. Public Health, 17, 2448. doi:10.3390/
ijerph17072448
[13] Wang, W., Gan, Y., Kang, X. (2021) “Synthesis and
characterization of sustainable eco-friendly unburned
bricks from slate tailings,” Journal of Materials
Research and Technology, pp. 1697–1708.
[14] Méndez, D., Guzmán-Martínez, F., Acosta, M.,
Collahuazo, L., Ibarra, D. Lalangui, L., Jiménez-
Oyola, S. (2022) “Use of Tailings as a Substitute for
Sand in Concrete Blocks Production: Gravimetric
Mining Wastes as a Case Study,” Sustainability, 14,
16285. doi.org/10.3390/su142316285
[15] Thejas, H.K. Hossiney, N. (2022) “A short review
on environmental impacts and application of iron ore
tailings in development of sustainable eco-friendly
bricks,” Materialstoday Proceedings, pp. 327–331.
[16] Veiga, F., Chambart, H., Vandemeulebroeke, L.,
Nielsen, P., Adrianto, L. R., Pfister, S., Cappuyns,
CONCLUSION
The proportions of SiO2/Al2O3 and SiO2/NaOH are a
key factor for the proper formulation of geopolymerized
samples. Results indicate that it is possible to use geo-
polymerized tailings as raw material for making bricks.
Geomechanical tests indicate that it is possible to manufac-
ture type I and type II bricks since the compressive strength
results ranged between 2 MPa and 8 MPa. The electrical
conductivity values (13.91–16.11 mS/cm2) of the leachates
from the leaching tests of the geopolymerized samples show
a slight leaching of the material. Leaching tests show that
bricks do not generate acidic solutions (pH ≥ 10.5). The
concentrations of the leached elements (Cu, Cd, Zn, Fe, Cr
and Pb) of the geopolymerized samples are below the maxi-
mum permissible limits despite the fact that the highest
leaching percentages are of cadmium (69%) and chromium
(93%). These results show that geopolymeric cement made
from tailings can be used as a good material for infrastruc-
ture with many advantages over conventional cement, such
as mechanical resistance, low levels of leached heavy metals,
low concentration levels of natural radioactivity with a low
degree of radiation contamination.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the Mining Engineering
Section and funded by the Pontifical Catholic University
of Peru (Grant: E-0015/PI 00752). The authors acknowl-
edge the Center of Materials Analysis of the PUCP (CAM-
PUCP) for the facilities to carry out the ICP-MS analyses.
Competing interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in
the publication.
REFERENCES
[1] Carmo, F.F., Lanchotti, A.O., Kamino, L. H.Y. (2020)
“Mining Waste Challenges: Environmental Risks of
Gigatons of Mud, Dust and Sediment in Megadiverse
Regions in Brazil,” Sustainability, pp. 1–13.
[2] Nikvar-Hassani, A., Vashaghian, H., Hodges, R.,
Zhang, L. (2022) “Production of green bricks from low-
reactive copper mine tailings: Chemical and mechan-
ical aspects,” Construction and Building Materials,
DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126695
[3] Das, M.R., Satapathy, S., Pothal, L.K. (2023)
“A study on waste management in iron mining,”
Materialstoday Proceedings, pp. doi.org/10.1016
/j.matpr.2023.06.368
[4] Kalisz, S., Kibort, K., Mioduska, J., Lieder, M.,
Malachowska, A. (2022) “Waste management in the
mining industry of metals ores, coal, oil and natural
gas -A review,” Journal of Environmental Management,
pp.
[5] Rafaldi, M. J., Seymour, J. B., Richardson, J.,
Zahl, E., Board, M. (2019) “Cemented Paste
Backfll Geomechanics at a NarrowVein Underhand
CutandFill Mine,” Rock Mechanics and Rock
Engineering, pp. 4925–4940.
[6] Hefni, M., Hassani, F. (2020) “Experimental
Development of a Novel Mine Backfill Material:
Foam Mine Fill,” Minerals, pp. 1–16.
[7] Adiguzel, D., Tuylu, S., Eker, H. (2022) “Utilization of
tailings in concrete products: A review,” Construction
and Building Materials, pp. 1–10.
[8] Driussi, C., Jansz, J. (2006) “Technological options
for waste minimisation in the mining industry,”
Journal of Cleaner Production, pp. 682–688.
[9] Rajdeep, D., Ipseet, C. (2013) “Waste management in
mining industry,” Indian Journal of Scientific Research,
pp. 139–142.
[10] Nunar, N., Gautam, A. K. (2019) “Brick Making
From Over Burden Dump, a Mine Waste,”
International Journal of Scientific Development and
Research, pp. 269–277.
[11] Tejaswini, M.S.S.R., Pathak, P., Gupta, D.K. (2022)
“Sustainable approach for valorization of solid wastes
as a secondary resource through urban mining,”
Journal of Environmental Management, pp. doi.org
/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115727
[12] Lam, E. J., Zetola, V., Ramírez, Y., Montofré,
I. L., Pereira, F. (2020) “Making Paving Stones
from Copper Mine Tailings as Aggregates,” Int. J.
Environ. Res. Public Health, 17, 2448. doi:10.3390/
ijerph17072448
[13] Wang, W., Gan, Y., Kang, X. (2021) “Synthesis and
characterization of sustainable eco-friendly unburned
bricks from slate tailings,” Journal of Materials
Research and Technology, pp. 1697–1708.
[14] Méndez, D., Guzmán-Martínez, F., Acosta, M.,
Collahuazo, L., Ibarra, D. Lalangui, L., Jiménez-
Oyola, S. (2022) “Use of Tailings as a Substitute for
Sand in Concrete Blocks Production: Gravimetric
Mining Wastes as a Case Study,” Sustainability, 14,
16285. doi.org/10.3390/su142316285
[15] Thejas, H.K. Hossiney, N. (2022) “A short review
on environmental impacts and application of iron ore
tailings in development of sustainable eco-friendly
bricks,” Materialstoday Proceedings, pp. 327–331.
[16] Veiga, F., Chambart, H., Vandemeulebroeke, L.,
Nielsen, P., Adrianto, L. R., Pfister, S., Cappuyns,