Caracterização tecnológica do rejeito de sheelita do município de Currais Novos/RN

Abstract

The present study aims to identify an alternative for the Scheelite tailings reuse from a mine located in Currais Novos / RN, as a way to minimize environmental impacts. At the height of Scheelita's exploration the concentrated material was superior to the tailings. By contrast, this picture has now reversed, making tailings piles a big problem. This waste has a large amount of Calcite, which makes it relevant because it is used in the cement, paper and related industries; All this material is wasted due to the lack of optimization and modernization of equipment used by mining companies in beneficiation. The acquired tailings sample was sieved and added to H2SO4 to undergo the leaching process, and then sent for analysis by EDX, which identifies which oxides are present. Chemical characterization reveals that the tailings have important oxides and can be used as aggregates in industry, contributing to sustainable development. As an example, we have the most abundant oxide in the test results, Calcium Oxide (CaO) that can be used in construction. Because the material is a tailings sample, WO3 was identified only after ninety-six hours of leaching with a low percentage. These results underscore the importance of analyzing mineral tailings to assist in the development of discussions and practices that encompass natural resources with sustainable practices avoiding waste.