Filtering of iron ore tailings for its disposal in stockpiles

The traditional method for the disposal of slurry in tailing dams requires large areas, with large environmental impact and therefore makes it difficult to acquire new licenses. The proximity of urban areas, together with public pressure, has raised the need to seek alternatives for this methodology. A viable solution to this issue will contribute to the environmental licensing process for new projects, ensuring the survival of mining in the Iron Quadrangle. Laboratory-scale filtration tests were conducted with tailing's samples using the main filtering technologies: vacuum filtration, pressure, hyperbaric and capillary filters. The results showed that with the exception of the slimes, it is possible to filter the tailings from the processing plants with a good filtration rate and residual moisture suitable for stacking. The filtration of slimes under pressure resulted in low filtration rate and high residual cake moisture (around 20%). The resulting cake could be mixed with the coarse tailings and / or mine waste to facilitate its stacking, although it requires further geotechnical studies.