Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Committee Chair
John Quaranta
Committee Member
Nathan DePriest
Committee Member
Iuri Lira Santos
Committee Member
Lian-Shin Lin
Abstract
Abstract
Geotextile Filtration and Dewatering Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage and Rare Earth Element Hydraulic Preconcentrate Precipitates
Zachary Houde
Conventional active Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment methods and manufacturing of Rare Earth Element (REE) Hydraulic Preconcentrate (HPC) precipitate were investigated to identify the particulate filtration and dewatering characteristics. Research was conducted on laboratory manufactured solid precipitate generated from the feedstock of an active AMD treatment plant to determine chemical and physical characteristics with respect to efficiently filter and dewater the materials using woven and non-woven geotextiles. The chemical composition of the raw AMD influent water was evaluated and shown to contain high concentrations of iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and aluminum of the total major metals (TMM). The most prevalent of the total rare earth elements (TREE) include yttrium, neodymium, and cerium. Three samples of raw AMD influent water yielded an average TREE concentration of 262.95 µg/L, indicating that this location is a candidate for REE feedstock. Various soil index properties were tested for classification of the AMD sludge and HPC precipitate following American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Results classified the AMD sludge and HPC to be silty sands (SM). Column Filtration Tests (CFTs) were performed on both materials using two different non-woven geotextiles (NW1 and NW2) and one woven geotextile (W1). For AMD sludge, NW2 had the highest average first-exposure filtration efficiency of 80.27% with an average hydraulic conductivity of 1.17x10-3 cm/s; the NW1 fabric showed a slightly lower first-exposure efficiency of 77.20% with an average hydraulic conductivity of 7.15x10-4 cm/s. For HPC, NW1 had the highest average first-exposure filtration efficiency of 79.17% with an average hydraulic conductivity of 1.01x10-4 cm/s; NW2 had an average first-exposure efficiency of 66.91% with an average hydraulic conductivity of 1.75x10-4 cm/s.Research findings led to the construction of a mobile dewatering cell using a repurposed trailer from the WVDEP as well as a composite liner comprised of the NW1 geotextile for filtration of the precipitate slurry and the W1 geotextile for tensile reinforcement of the liner. The dewatering cell is currently deployed on-site at the Richard Mine awaiting field testing, and its intended purpose is to provide a convenient and efficient alternative for dewatering and transporting materials from remote AMD treatment sites to refinement facilities.
Recommended Citation
Houde, Zachary Ryan, "Geotextile Filtration and Dewatering Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage and Rare Earth Element Hydraulic Preconcentrate Precipitates" (2024). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12711.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12711
Comments
Removed "Dr." before my committee members names per request.