Review on the Influence and Control of Sulfur-Containing Tailings on the Strength of Cemented Backfill in Metal Mines

With the vigorous development of the world’s mineral resources, the global ecological environment has been severely damaged. The tailings cemented filling technology is an important way to realize the green and low-carbon development of the mining industry. However, sulfur-containing tailings from metal mines can destroy the stability and strength of cemented tailings backfill. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the harm of the sulfur-containing tailings to the strength of cemented tailings backfill. Firstly, based on the research results of sulfur-containing tailings cemented backfill in recent years, this paper reviews the influence of sulfur-containing tailings on the strength of cemented backfill. Accordingly, the mechanism of strength failure of cemented backfill caused by sulfur-containing tailings is further studied, and the erosion failure of sulfide and sulfate is deeply discussed and analyzed. In addition, three control measures are proposed, including adjusting the combination of filling materials and optimizing the filling ratio, controlling the oxidation conditions in the filling process, and adding ad-mixtures as a supplement. Finally, the main conclusions and outlooks of this review are summarized. The purpose of this review is to provide guidance to improve the strength and durability of the cemented sulfur tailings backfill, effectively treating metal tailings, and to propose some ideas for the further improvement and development of the tailings cemented filling technology.