Chemical stabilization of metal hydroxide sludge

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major concern in the mining industry. Lime neutralization is a common practice used to treat acidic metal-bearing effluents. The study revealed that portland cement could be used as a binder to chemically and physically stabilize acid mine drainage sludge. For two different stabilized sludges, compressive strength values ranging typically between 0.3 MPa and 3.0 MPa were obtained using 5 to 20% of binder. Characterization of tested specimens using portland cement, compressive strength and TCLP results of stabilized specimens are presented and discussed.