Slump Test:Laboratory and Numerical Simulation-Based Approach for Consistency of Mill Tailings Paste

Abstract

Solid-to-water proportion decides the effectiveness of paste backfill in terms of transportation characteristics during mine backfilling. This article highlights various laboratory tests conducted to determine the optimum solid-to-water ratio. Also, numerical simulation was carried out using computational fluid dynamics technique (ANSYS FLUENT) to understand the slump lifting process and variation in volume of the paste with time. The optimum slump and spread for lead-zinc mill tailings paste were in the range 190-200 mm and 330-340 mm respectively. The optimum water content in the paste fill for this study was found to be 23 wt%. Results show that the solid percentage is inversely related with slump and spread. Also, an optimum slump lifting speed needs to be maintained for accurate values of slump and spread.