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Tailings

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Mine Wastes

Abstract

At nearly every metal mine site, some form of mineral processing occurs, and tailings are being produced. In metal mining, the extracted ore mineral s represent only a small fraction of the whole ore mass; the vast majority of the mined material ends up as tailings. More than 99% of the original material mined may finally become tailings when low-grade metal ores are utilized. Tailings represent, therefore, the most voluminous waste at metal mine sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia

    Prof. Bernd G. Lottermoser PhD

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  1. Prof. Bernd G. Lottermoser PhD
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Correspondence to Bernd G. Lottermoser PhD .

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Lottermoser, B.G. (2010). Tailings. In: Mine Wastes. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12419-8_4

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