Tailings
Tailings
Tailings (/ˈteɪlɪŋz/), also known as mine dumps, culm dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore.
Etymology
The term "tailings" comes from the mining process itself. It refers to the 'tail' end or the final product of mining and extraction processes, which is usually a waste material.
Description
Tailings are distinct from overburden, which is the waste rock or other material that overlies an ore or mineral body and is displaced during mining without being processed. The extraction of minerals from ore can be done two ways: placer mining, which uses water and gravity to concentrate the valuable minerals, or hard rock mining, which pulverizes the rock containing the ore and then relies on chemical reactions to concentrate the sought-after material.
Environmental Considerations
In the latter, the extraction of the desired metals causes the chemical reaction by-product, which is often in a semi-liquid form, to be discarded as tailings. These tailings can often contain toxic substances and pose an environmental risk. Therefore, proper waste management and environmental remediation are crucial aspects of dealing with tailings.
Related Terms
- Overburden
- Placer mining
- Hard rock mining
- Chemical reaction
- Waste management
- Environmental remediation
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Tailings
- Wikipedia's article - Tailings
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