Experimental Study on Early Strength and Hydration Heat of Spodumene Tailings Cemented Backfill Materials

Spodumene tailing is the associated solid waste of extracting lithium from spodumene. With the increase in the global demand for lithium resources, its emissions increase yearly, which will become a key factor restricting the economic development of the mining area. Mechanical and hydration reactions, as well as the microstructure of early CSTB, are studied under different tailings-cement ratios (TCR) and solid mass concentration (SC) conditions. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of early CSTB has a negative exponential correlation with the decrease in TCR and a positive correlation with the increase in SC: when the age of CSTB increases to 7 days, the strength increases with the rise in SC in an exponential function, and the sensitivity of strength to TCR is higher than that of SC. Compared to other tailings cemented backfill materials, the addition of spodumene tailings reduces the sulfate ion concentration and leads to a new exothermic peak (i.e., the third exothermic peak) for the hydration exotherm of CSTB. Additionally, with the increase in TCR or decrease in SC, the height of the third exothermic peak decreases and the occurrence time is advanced. At the same time, the duration of induction phase was prolonged, the period of acceleration phase was shortened, and the total amount of heat released was significantly increased. The decrease in TCR or the increase in SC led to the rise in the number of hydration products which can effectively fill the internal pores of CSTB, enhance its structural compactness, and increase its compressive strength. The above study reveals the influence of TCR and SC on the early strength, hydration characteristics, and microstructure of CSTB and provides an essential reference for the mix design of underground backfill spodumene tailings.

Automated summary

With the increase in global demand for lithium resources, the emissions of spodumene tailings, a waste product of extracting lithium from spodumene, are also increasing. This study investigates the influence of tailings-cement ratios (TCR) and solid mass concentration (SC) on the mechanical properties, hydration characteristics, and microstructure of early cemented tailings backfill (CSTB). The findings show that TCR and SC have significant effects on the compressive strength, hydration characteristics, and microstructure of CSTB. The addition of spodumene tailings reduces sulfate ion concentration and alters the hydration exotherm of CSTB. Increasing TCR or decreasing SC enhances the compactness and strength of CSTB. These results provide crucial insights for the mix design of underground backfill spodumene tailings.