PREPARATION OF BLOCKS FROM TAILINGS

This work is related with the preparation of block from mining wastes (tailings), since in the mining district of Pachuca ? Real del Monte the presence of these residues is a factor considered of high pollution and this type of study allows mitigation of the problem and presents an economically feasible alternative for this purpose. The stabilization of tailings began with its sampling and its chemical composition determination, giving so the following contents; 70.43 % in wt. of SiO2; 7.032 % in wt. of Al2O3; 2.69 % in wt. of Fe; 0.46 % in wt. of Mn; 3.98 % in wt. of K2O; 3.34 % in wt. of CaO; 2.50 % in wt. of Na2O; 0.04 % in wt. of Zn; 0.026 % in wt. of Pb; 56 gram per ton of Ag and 0.6 grams per ton of Au. Among mineral phases existing in the material, as majority phase are the following; quartz, anorthoclase, orthoclase, albite and berlinite; as minority phases are the following; hydronium jarosite, natrojarosite, argentite, and gibbsite; and finally as trace phase are present the following; potassium jarosite, romboclase, anhydrite, tridimite, hematite, pyrite, cristobalite, wustite and magnetite. For granulometric characterization, it was found that the tailings have a particle size of 60 % minor to mesh 270 (53 m). The blocks produced using these tailings as fine aggregated were reinforced using expanded perlite and pumucite as coarse aggregates and as cementing agents. The blocks so produced, presented at the end of set compression strengths equal or greater tan 8 MPa, and an absorption rate between 35 and 19 %; with which this type of block may be used in internal or load walls, or perhaps as filler material.