The Composition and Properties of the Tailings of Quartzite Enrichment of “Gora Karaul’naya” Deposit

Abstract

The JSC “DINUR” use enriched quartzite from the “Gora Karaul’naya” deposit in the production of dinas refractories. The tailings of quartzite enrichment are stored in the dump, not used, and thereby pollute the environment. Chemical, mineral and grain composition, physical, mechanical and technological properties of samples of quartzite tailings of the current output and selected from the dump are determined in this study. The tailings of current output contain less oxides of aluminum, iron and calcium and alkalis compared to the dump tailings. Their mineral composition is mainly represented by quartz as well as impurities of muscovite, hematite, magnetite, chlorite, shungite, zircon, rutile, pyrite with a total content of up to 3 %. The dump quartzite tailings contain particles less than 5 mm in size with a predominance of dust–like fractions (less than 0.16 mm). As to the grain composition, content of dust and clay particles, clay lumps and impurities tailings of the current output meets the requirements of Russian Standard no. 31424 (for the sand from sifting of crushing solid stone), belong to the class II, group of large sands; dump tailings belong to class I and the group of medium sands. Up to 30 % of the particles are plate– and needle–shaped. The features of changes in chemical composition, bulk density, content of dust–like, clay and organic impurities depending on the size of tailings fractions are considered. The possibility of using of tailings of quartzite enrichment as sand for construction works and fine fractions of tailings as molding material in foundry and granular loading in pressure and non−pressure filters for water purification is shown.