Abstract

Currently the mining industry plays an important role in the generation of wealth of a country through the exploitation of natural resources of the earth, and in some cases, responsible for a significant fraction of the economic matrix. Like any other industrial activity, mining has a negative impact on the environment, which leads the industry to constantly face the challenge of achieving the sustainability of its activities. Considering the importance of environmental, water and supply issues in relation to the consumption of mineral resources, the present work aimed to characterize the iron ore reject seeking the feasibility of reprocessing and water recovery. The reject sample was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Dispersive Energy Spectrometer. Studies of the sedimentation kinetics of the tailings were carried out in order to implement techniques to recover the iron present in the tailings and recycle water in the mineral processing. In the sedimentation tests it was possible to recover approximately 50% of water without compromising the transport operations of the material. It can be concluded that the ore reject analyzed is composed mainly of Fe and Si respectively, showing that the reject has reprocessing potential, and recovery of water present in the clarified.

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