Experimental investigation on biopolymer strengthening of mine tailings

The dry surface strength of mine tailings (MT), or mill tailings, is closely related to their dust resistance. To explore biopolymer stabilization of MT to increase their dust resistance, uniaxial and triaxial compression tests are carried out on dry MT specimens treated with biopolymer solutions of different concentrations. The experimental results show that the elastic modulus, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), cohesion, and friction angle of MT all increase after biopolymer treatment, with higher biopolymer concentration leading to a greater increase. This is primarily because biopolymer treatment leads to aggregation of MT particles, creates bonding between biopolymer and MT particles, and forms a cross-linking network binding the detached particles and filling the voids between them, leading to a denser structure. As expected, the elastic modulus also increases with higher confining pressure.