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Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa
The large volumes of waste generated during gold beneficiation are a major pollution concern in South Africa. To remove these potential pollution risks in perpetuity, non-conventional approaches to mine waste management are required which avoid land disposal of “unwanted” material. This dissertation...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Chemical Engineering
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613287958446080 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe |
| author2 | Broadhurst, Jennifer |
| author_browse | Broadhurst, Jennifer Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe |
| author_facet | Broadhurst, Jennifer Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe |
| author_sort | Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The large volumes of waste generated during gold beneficiation are a major pollution concern in South Africa. To remove these potential pollution risks in perpetuity, non-conventional approaches to mine waste management are required which avoid land disposal of “unwanted” material. This dissertation explores the opportunities, drivers and barriers for the re-purposing of gold tailings in South Africa. The thesis draws on a comprehensive literature review, analysis of information and data in the public domain, and semi-structured interviews with relevant experts. The research findings identified numerous potential uses for gold tailings including reusing gold mine tailings in making bricks, ceramics, cement additives, backfill, stone paper and aggregate material for construction. The derelict tailing dumps can also be used for recreation purposes, tourism and many other land use applications. The study showed that despite existing opportunities, the application of mine waste as feedstock for other purposes in South Africa is currently constrained. According to the findings, this can be credited to numerous inter-related factors, such as inadequate technology development, lack of an enabling legislative framework, high short-term costs, and potential environmental risks associated with hazardous components in the waste. Overcoming these barriers will require innovative, transdisciplinary approaches, and effective partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including academia, private business entities (waste users) and regulatory bodies (government). |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30858 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:45.686Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30858 Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe Broadhurst, Jennifer Chemical Engineering The large volumes of waste generated during gold beneficiation are a major pollution concern in South Africa. To remove these potential pollution risks in perpetuity, non-conventional approaches to mine waste management are required which avoid land disposal of “unwanted” material. This dissertation explores the opportunities, drivers and barriers for the re-purposing of gold tailings in South Africa. The thesis draws on a comprehensive literature review, analysis of information and data in the public domain, and semi-structured interviews with relevant experts. The research findings identified numerous potential uses for gold tailings including reusing gold mine tailings in making bricks, ceramics, cement additives, backfill, stone paper and aggregate material for construction. The derelict tailing dumps can also be used for recreation purposes, tourism and many other land use applications. The study showed that despite existing opportunities, the application of mine waste as feedstock for other purposes in South Africa is currently constrained. According to the findings, this can be credited to numerous inter-related factors, such as inadequate technology development, lack of an enabling legislative framework, high short-term costs, and potential environmental risks associated with hazardous components in the waste. Overcoming these barriers will require innovative, transdisciplinary approaches, and effective partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including academia, private business entities (waste users) and regulatory bodies (government). 2020-02-05T06:25:06Z 2020-02-05T06:25:06Z 2019 2020-01-24T09:18:26Z Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30858 eng application/pdf Department of Chemical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment |
| spellingShingle | Chemical Engineering Sibanda, Lesley Kudakwashe Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| title_full | Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| title_short | Repurposing of mine waste: an alternative management approach to gold tailings in South Africa |
| title_sort | repurposing of mine waste an alternative management approach to gold tailings in south africa |
| topic | Chemical Engineering |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30858 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sibandalesleykudakwashe repurposingofminewasteanalternativemanagementapproachtogoldtailingsinsouthafrica |