Galurgiya Research and Development Institute, Perm, Russia

B. A. Borzakovskiy, Counselor to Chief Executive Officer, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
M. I. Rusakov, Head of Laboratory, Rusakov.Mihail@gallurgy.ru

Tula State University, Tula, Russia:

N. M. Kachurin, Head of a Chair, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

Waste after potash processing at mines of the Upper Kama Potash and Magneisum Salt Deposit is represented by salt rejects and clay-and-salt slime slurries. Slime slurries are placed in slime slurry storages on the ground surface and in large area rooms in underground mines, or can be admixed in a small amount to a hydraulic filling material. Based on the review of the current technologies of slime slurry disposal in underground mines, in the form in hydraulic filling added with salt rejects, and on the ground of detected shortcomings, the authors propose slime slurry utilization in the mix with calcium chloride and identify advantages of this approach and its prospects. In terms of a mine, test backfilling was performed in two rooms with a mix of salt rejects, clay–salt slime, calcium chloride and brine. Estimation of number of solid particles in slime slurry per 1 m3 of the mixture shows the highest number of solid particles per unit of backfilled voids when slime slurry is used together with calcium chloride than in the technology of placement of slime slurry and salt rejects in alternating layers. Using the technology of slime slurry inclusion in backfill mixture together with calcium chloride solves the problem of utilization of sulfate fertilizer production waste, reduces volumes of slime slurries to be placed in storages on the ground surface, enhances safety of hydraulic stowing due to the absence of personnel in the filled rooms, avoids sealing of each room to retain backfill mix in it and eliminates pumping-out of brines as brine contained in slime slurry enters into chemical reaction with calcium chloride, which ends with generation of a solid—calcium chloride crystallohydrate. With the proposed technology of slime slurry utilization, underground rooms are nearly completely filled with the backfill material, which creates favorable conditions for deformation of impermeable layer and reduces the ground surface subsidence.

1. Knyazev V. V., Komarov Yu. A. Method of sludge storage placement on the territory of the future halite waste pile. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2015. No. 5. pp. 394–397.
2. Knyazev V. V., Komarov Yu. A. Environmental aspects of the combined storage of halite wastes and clay-salt slimes. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2016. No. 4. pp. 97–101.
3. Shemet S.F., Stromskiy A.S., Shemyakina M.G. The basic directions of slime wastes utilization of Belarus potassium production. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2012. No. 8. pp. 72–76.
4. Smychnik A. D., Shemet S. F. Nature protection technologies of storage and utilization of wastes at the JSC “Belaruskali”. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2005. No. 1. pp. 88–90.
5. Glückauf Sondershausen Entwicklungs — und Sicherungs-gesellschaft mbH. Kali und Steinsalz. 2012. Heft 1. ss. 24–32.
6. Plans for updating of potash operations in Spain. Fertilizer Focus. May/June, 2011. pp. 22–23.
7. Lipnitskiy V. K., Trofimov V. I., Morozov V. P. Underground dumping of excessive brines at potassium enterprises. Ugrent issues of extraction and processing of natural salts : collection of scientific proceedings. Saint Petersburg : LIK, 2001. Vol. 1. pp. 202–207.
8. Borzakovskiy B. A., Rusakov M. I., Shilov A. V. Experience of placing of clay-salt sludges on potash mines of Verkhnekamsky deposit. Izvestiya vuzov. Gornyy zhurnal. 2009. No. 6. pp. 7–12.
9. Borzakovskiy B. A., Genkin M. V., Rusakov M. I. Method of slime laying. Patent RF, No. 2459086, IPC E21F15/00. Applied: 21.03.2011. Published: 20.08.2012. Bulletin No. 23.
10. Borzakovskiy B. A., Rusakov M. I., Genkin M. V. New stowage material from potassium fertilizer production wastes. JSC “Galurgiya” — 40 years of the way: issues, solutions, achievements : collection of scientific proceedings. Novosibirsk : Nauka, 2012. pp. 169–173.
11. Borzakovskiy B. A., Rusakov M. I., Genkin M. V. Ore mining with backfill with calcium chloride binder. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2014. No. 4. pp. 284–292.
12. Rusakov M. I. Method of placing of potassium production concentration wastes. Patent RF, No. 2522120, МIPC E21F15/08. Applied: 12.03.2013. Published: 10.07.2014. Bulletin No. 19.
13. Borzakovskiy B. A., Papulov L. M. Stowing operations on Verkhnekama potassium mines : reference book. Moscow : Nedra, 1994. 234 p.
14. Minkley W., Mühlbauer J., Lüdeling C. Dimensioning Principles in Potash and Salt Mining to Achieve Stability and Integrity. 49th US Rock Mechanics : Geomechanics Symposium, 28 June-1 July. San Francisco : American Rock Mechanics Association, 2015. pp. 24–42.
15. Garrett D. E. Potash: Deposits, Processing, Properties and Uses. Hamburg : Springer Science, 2012. 734 p.