Mine waste utilization / Утилизация шахтных отходов

Mining operations can generate enormous amounts of waste (i.e. waste rock and tailings) that must be managed and handled in an appropriate way to avoid any possible negative environmental impact, such as air, soil and water pollution. A lot of revenue is spent on waste rock excavation to mine ore or coal reserves. Waste occurs at several stages of the mining process in the life cycle of the mine, from exploratory drilling to mine closure. Thus, mining industry remains on top of the waste producers. However, not all waste generated from various mining activities are harmful to the environment.
The nature and character of mine waste depends on the type of the mineral extracted and the mining process. Typically, coal mines produce a lot of overburden waste rock whereas the metalliferous mining project generates a lot of mill tailings, the gangue material after the separation of useful ore concentrate. Of the several types of waste generated from these mines, waste rock and mill tailings stand out with the largest scope for reengineering to recycle.
It has become imperative to manage the mine-generated waste properly. In this context, a book on ‘Mine Waste Utilization’ by Dr. Ram Chandar Karra with Dr. Gayana and Dr. Shubhananda Rao helps to understand the type of waste a mine produces and to plan the utilization of the waste; further, it serves as good reference book for both the industry personnel as well as those associated with the small-scale industries or factories in reusing mine waste. The book is also equally useful for PG and PhD scholars, as extensive literature is included and detailed experimental procedures are given to carry out various laboratory experiments to assess the suitability of mine waste for different purposes like bricks manufacturing, concrete pavements, vegetation, etc. <...>