Evaluation Of Potential Amd Generation From A Deposit Of Copper Ore Using Static Tests

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem in mining activities. Prediction is the first step for evaluate the potential of acid generation and there are some possible methods to estimate it. They are described as static tests, which examine the balance between acid producing and acid consuming materials, and kinetic tests, which attempt to predict drainage quality overtime. Static methods are very simple and give a qualitative classification of the ores based on their potential to generate acid drainage. The characterization of ores to determine their acid producing potential is vital for the prevention of long term environmental liabilities. Laboratory tests were conducted under different methodologies to predict the acid producing potential of sulphide overburden, ore materials and tailings from a deposit of copper ore.