Industrial graphene oxide-fly ash hybrid for high-performance cemented waste rock backfill

Cemented waste rock backfills (CWRB) play an essential role in mining safety engineering, waste reduction and harm resource recycling. However, the mechanical and permeability-related properties of the CWRB are limited by cement consumption and cost. This study adopted the industrial graphene oxide-fly ash (IGO-FA) hybrid to produce high-performance, cost-saving, and environment-friendly mine backfill materials. The IGO-FA hybrid exhibited the optimal reinforcing efficiency under a 0.5 water-to-cement ratio, where the CWRBs' mechanical properties and impermeability were enhanced by 5.1%-16.9% and 32.7%-38.9%, respectively, with only 0.007 wt% IGO dosage. Compared with the traditional backfill materials, cement consumption can be reduced by up to 20 wt%. This work not only enhanced the understanding of GO in reinforcing cementitious composites but could also provide an affordable alternative to GO-related composites.

Automated summary

The study used an industrial graphene oxide-fly ash hybrid as mine backfill material to enhance the mechanical and impermeability properties of the waste rock backfills. Only a small amount of graphene oxide is needed to reduce cement consumption by up to 20%.