Global mining pursues green and sustainable development. How to recover magnesium from magnesite tailings? The abundant magnesium resources in magnesite tailings, if effectively recovered, can not only alleviate environmental pressure but also bring economic benefits to enterprises. This article explores the technical approaches to strengthen the recovery of magnesite tailings and their positive impacts on the environment and economy.
The processing and utilization of magnesite tailings, as a direct byproduct of global magnesite mining, has always been an important challenge facing the mining industry. The high content of magnesium resources in these tailings provides the possibility for resource recovery. Strengthening the recovery of magnesium resources can not only effectively reduce the environmental risks caused by tailings accumulation, but also open up new sources of income for mining companies.
Strengthening the recovery of magnesium resources from magnesite tailings requires the comprehensive application of various technologies such as physical beneficiation, chemical leaching, bio metallurgy, and thermochemical treatment.
1. Physical beneficiation technology: using physical methods such as flotation and magnetic separation to increase the enrichment of MgO in magnesite tailings, providing high-grade raw materials for subsequent chemical treatment.
2. Chemical leaching technology: Chemical methods such as acid leaching and alkali leaching are used to convert MgO in magnesite tailings into soluble salts, which are then recovered through precipitation, crystallization, and other processes.
3. Biometallurgical technology: using organic acids and other substances generated during microbial metabolism to promote the dissolution and recovery of MgO in magnesite tailings.
4. Thermochemical treatment technology: By means of high-temperature calcination and other methods, MgO in magnesite tailings undergoes phase transition, facilitating subsequent physical or chemical separation.
To ensure effective recovery of magnesium resources, it is essential to devise sound strategies for graded utilization and apply differentiated recovery processes, tailored to the varying MgO contents in tailings. Additionally, technological innovation is pivotal for advancing magnesium resource recovery, necessitating ongoing research and development of new mineral processing and smelting technologies to enhance recovery rates and product purity. Policy support is vital, using measures like fiscal subsidies and tax incentives to motivate companies to engage in resource recovery efforts.
Intensifying the recovery of magnesium resources from magnesite tailings positively impacts both the economy and the environment. Economic benefits include reduced reliance on primary magnesium ore, lower mining costs, and increased market competitiveness for companies. Environmental benefits include less land occupation by tailings and resultant pollution, steering the mining sector towards greater sustainability and environmental friendliness. The recovery of magnesium resources from magnesite tailings is essential for the transformation and advancement of the mining industry.
As technology continues to evolve and policies improve.We can expect the recovery of magnesium resources from magnesite tailings to become more extensive and industrialized, significantly contributing to the growth of a global green mining sector. Mining companies, research institutions, and government agencies must collaborate to foster technological innovation and industrial advancement in this sector, aiming for a harmonious and mutually beneficial integration of environmental, economic, and social benefits.
