FURI | Spring 2023

An Investigation on the Effect of Alkali Source on the Properties of Akali-Activated Mine Tailing Blends

The study aims to characterize alkali-activated mine tailing blend properties such as reactivity, flowability, and compressive strength for potential grout applications. The obtained mine-tailing waste is found to be rich in silicates, which can be stabilized using alkali-activation technology. The pool of samples utilizing sodium hydroxide solution and sodium silicate as additives was narrowed down to specific blends that produced positive results in terms of property testing. Powdered forms of these additives are now being evaluated to develop a ”just-add-water” product, allowing for ease of use. It is recommended that future work study the effects of other alkali-silicates and alkali-hydroxides.