Characterizations and Potential Recovery Pathways of Phosphate Mines Waste Rocks

The Phosphate Ore Production is Steadily Increasing Due to its High Demand for Agriculture, Medicine, and Others. Ore Extraction Generates a Considerable Quantity of Waste Rocks that Are Generally Stocked in Piles. the Current Research Aims to Investigate the Characterization of Phosphate Mine Waste Rocks (PMWR) Generated in Benguerir, Morocco Mine Site. as a Part of a Wide Project Aiming to Recycle Those Stockpiles, Sensor-Based Ore Sorting Will Be Employed to Separate the Different Lithologies. as a Prior Investigation Before Implementing This Technology, Two Samples of 25 Tons from the Destoning and Screening PMWR Piles Were Sampled and Submitted to Manual Sorting. the Latter Operation Revealed the Presence of Different Lithologies Including Indured Phosphate, Different Types of Siliceous, Carbonate, Phosphorus, and Marly Rock Types. Those Waste Rocks Were Characterized Physically, Chemically, and Mineralogically. their Potential Uses for Recycling or Upcycling Was Investigated and Addressed. About 25% of Indured Phosphate Was Found, Which Can Be First Recovered by Ore Sorting. This Reserve of Residual Phosphate Could Be Recovered using Beneficiation Methods. the Flintstone, Phosphated Flintstone, and Dolomitic Limestone Exhibit Good Physical and Mechanical Properties that Meet the Requirements to Produce Concrete. the Silexite and Siliceous Marls Have a Low Density and Could Be Used as Lightweight Aggregate for Non-Structural Concrete Blocks Production. the Investigation on Tender Marls Corroborates the Literature and their Suitability as Alternative Binders or as Supplementary Cementitious Materials. Those Marls Could Be Used as Well as Lime Binder for Repairing Historical Buildings or as Hydraulic Lime Binder for Road Construction. PMWR Valorization as Road Construction Materials Was Already Proved. However, Studying This Remediation Pathway after the Recovery of Phosphate and Other Lithologies by Ore Sorting is Highly Recommended. the Recycling of Those By-Products Will Decrease the Natural Resources Consumption in the Civil Engineering Field Alongside with Resolving their Environmental Problems

Recycling of Mine Wastes in the Concrete Industry: A Review

The mining industry generates a substantial amount of waste materials, including tailings and waste rocks, which, if not managed correctly, pose threats to the environment and public health due to their long-term accumulation and disposal. Simultaneously, the construction sector consumes important amounts of natural resources like water and rocks. However, research shows that inert mining waste can serve as a substitute for conventional raw materials in construction, particularly in concrete. This review focuses on using mining waste as an alternative to concrete technology to promote cleaner practices in construction and circular economy in mining. Mining waste, with its physical characteristics and chemical composition, can function as diverse components in concrete, such as sand, aggregates, and binders. This article assesses these properties and explores their incorporation into concrete production, aiming to stimulate further research and development, foster environmentally responsible approaches, and underline the direct link to reaching SDGs to achieve sustainability in the construction industry