CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Tailings are the main pollutants produced by mining industries. Isolation of these tailings

is done in what they called as tailings dam. The structure must be well established and planned

in order to guarantee safety and ultimate reclamation process (Kuchta, 1995). But this storage

and treatment of tailings is costly.

Increased disasters caused by mine tailings and other activities which causes environmental

destruction is being observed in the Philippines. Some of these disasters are floods and land

erosion caused by the destruction of tailings dams in some mining regions in the country. The

deciding factor for ensuring the quality and stability of tailings dams is cost. If the company

can provide a higher cost for the maintenance, operation, and management of their tailings

dam, the company would have a better quality dam.

In order to reduce the expensive costs for dam maintenance for mining industries, a

company that would be able to use the tailings as a raw material will be of great help. One of

the many ways is to make the mine tailings as an additive in the production of cement. The

possibility of using these mine tailings in cement production could reduce and solve the

problems of mining industries on tailings disposal, high cost of tailings dam for storage and

treatment, and higher production of cement resulting to higher employment status and profit

of a cement firm. The development of reutilization of mine tailings could help create

sustainable livelihoods and avoid major economic and social dislocations, and at the same time

reduce the environmental pollution caused by these tailings.

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 A certain study showed that, adding an average of 5% tailings gives the highest

compressive strength and as a result on the combined effects of mine tailings to cement on the

physical properties of cement is 11.25% addition of gold mine tailings, addition of an average

of 17.5% gives the least autoclave expansion, addition of an average of 12.5% will give the

greatest reduction of initial settling time, and addition of an average of 11.25% of mine tailings

to cement will give the greatest reduction of porosity (Kitma, 2003).

Therefore, basing on the above consequences, the study has been made to establish the

possible cement additive using the mine tailings.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the possibility of using tailings from Lepanto Mines as an additive in

the cement produced by Northern Cement Corporation. This study specifically aims to

determine the following:

1. How much tailings will be needed by the Northern Cement Corporation as an additive in

their cement in order to maintain the company’s market share, target market, and production?

2. Will the production of tailings of Lepanto Mines enough to provide for the needs of the

Northern Cement Corporation?

3. What are the processes involved before transportation of the mine tailings?

4. What is the most efficient and economical mode of transportation needed for the tailings to

be transported from the recovery plant to Northern Cement Corporation?

5. When will the payback period be?

6. What is the rate of return of the proposed company?

7. Is replacing the pozzolan as an additive in the Northern Cement Corporation practical

considering all costs incurred?

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1.3 Scope and Delimitation

The study is focused on the feasibility of utilizing Lepanto Mines’ tailings as cement

additive for Northern Cement Corporation in formulation of Portland Cement Type 1P only.

The study includes aspects such as marketing, management, technical, financial, and socio-

economic.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study can have great contributions to specific sectors.

The main problem of mining industries all over the world is the disposal of mine tailings.

Tailings are usually stored in dams indefinitely since there is no certain method to

decontaminate the tailings in order to be safe for exposure in the environment. These dams are

very huge and consume a lot of land area which can still be used for other economical purposes.

In this study this problem will be lessened because storage of the tailings will no longer be an

option for the mining companies because it will be used by the cement industries.

The mining communities will also benefit from the study since it will give a positive

response to the growing needs of environmental protection and waste disposal of mine tailings.

It will help in the cost reduction for the mining companies because the tailings will no longer

be stored but they will be used by cement companies. This would reduce maintenance and

operation costs for the tailings dams.

The development of a recovery facility for the tailings dams would also help create

sustainable livelihoods for the people near and around the area of operation, at the same time

reducing significantly reducing the environmental pollution. And also, the mine tailings still

contains valuable materials which can further be recovered and used in another important

product which will incur additional employment.

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 The study can also be used by any cement and mining industry in order to increase the

cement production of the cement industries at the same time lessen the costs for dam

maintenance in the mining industries. This would also entail an increase in the funds of the

mining industries, which can be used for other purposes such as rehabilitation and other

environmental friendly projects.

This study would also serve as a guide or new study for engineers in the fields of quality

control, management of solid waste, plant design, and most especially in the preservation and

protection of the environment.