The mining industry is more and more popular in recent years, heap leach mining projects or bitumen mining have become the preferred method of recovering minerals, like Copper, gold, silver, and other metals are most common. The metal is dissolved by chemicals applied to the top of the heap, which eventually leach to the bottom of the pile. Here a mining geomembranes liner captures the solution preventing it from migrating into the ground, before directing the solution by gravity to a collection system. The solution is sent to a refinery where the metal can be precipitated out and the solution sent back to the heap to be used again to dissolve more metal.
On average, The mining geomembranes or bituminous geomembranes experience 4 holes per hectare after they are installed. Estimated leakage through these holes ranges from 340 to 3,400 liters per hectare per day. That is a big cost for mining. A reliable long-time mining operation depends on the products of meeting on-site demands and lower cost.
What is a geomembrane? what is heap leaching? In a word, Our HDPE mining geomembranes are installed in many mining projects, all the projects are very successful, and the mining geomembranes are proven to be a durable, dependable, and cost-effective containment solution in mining projects.
With 20years of geosynthetic industry experience, we are glad to help to choose the right mining geomembranes for customers, this article will help you to choose the right mining geomembranes.
HDPE mining geomembranes liners are the preferred product for mining projects
There are many materials for mining geomembranes, for example, HDPE mining geomembranes, LLDPE mining geomembranes, PVC mining geomembranes, RPE mining geomembranes, XR mining geomembranes, EPDM mining geomembranes, and so on.
HDPE mining geomembranes liners are the preferred product for mining projects. HDPE mining liners are resistant to many different chemicals and are the most widely used geomembrane lining in the world. The HDPE mining geomembranes is less flexible than the LLDPE geomembrane, it provides higher mechanical strength and can bear higher temperatures. Its excellent chemical and ultraviolet resistance properties make it an extremely cost-effective product.
LLDPE mining geomembranes are manufactured from virgin polyethylene resins too, offering high flexibility and good resistance to low temperature and ultraviolet exposure. High-quality and economical, it is intended for long life and exhibits a high degree of strength and durability.
PVC mining geomembranes is a highly flexible thermoplastic waterproofing geomembrane manufactured from a mixture of vinyl compounds, plasticizers, and stabilizers. PVC mining geomembranes offer excellent puncture, abrasion, and tear resistance and work to prevent contaminants from entering the groundwater to preserve potable water sources. Its wide range of chemical compatibility also makes it the best choice for buried geomembrane lining applications.
RPE mining geomembranes are a reinforced polyethylene fabric with an HDPE or LDPE coating, RPE mining geomembranes liners are extremely durable if you are making a temporary retaining pond. If to build a soil remediation pond, RPE mining geomembranes makes for an excellent remediation solution. UV, chemical, and even oil-resistant, RPE remains flexible in extremely low temperatures.
EPDM mining geomembranes liner is an unreinforced, highly flexible material that is also durable. It feels like rubber, this UV-stable product has excellent tensile strength, is highly resistant to punctures, and weathering. EPDM mining geomembranes liners are an excellent choice for exposed applications or as water barriers within earthed dams. Its easy installation also makes it a favorite for backyard landscapers.
XR reinforced mining geomembranes liners are high-performance geomembranes. XR reinforced mining geomembranes are specifically engineered to perform in a wide range of climates and resist broad chemical classes, including acids, oils, and methane.
The mining geomembranes is one kind of geosynthetic product, also named HDPE geomembrane liner, it is waterproof impermeable, and chemical resistant, puncture resistant barrier, it can stop the mining leachate from leaking into the soil and underground water. The mining geomembranes can help the mining project to be containment, the mining geomembranes are the barrier of the leak.
The mining geomembranes are made of 100% virgin high-quality raw material, the raw material is high-density polyethylene material with carbon black material. The high-density polyethylene has high tensile strength, and elongation can bear the chemical waste.
Earth Shield mining geomembranes are made of resin at the special formula, the property can meet the ASTM GRI GM13 standard, our mining geomembranes passes the third party lab test too.
We have some water treatment, landfill, mining projects in the geosynthetic industry. Please contact our guy to get the photos and videos.
2. mining geomembranes thickness selection
For the mining projects, the project is very big and very deep. Considering the weight of the mining material and the high pressure of the gas, the mining geomembranes property should be high enough. For example, tensile strength and elongation, and puncture-resistant, tear resistance.
According to most customers in the mining projects, the 2mm thickness HDPE mining geomembranes is highly suggested, ASTM GM13 standard property, 80mils thickness, and can be more than 2mm thickness if possible.
Considering the budget and project design, the 1.5mm thickness is also workable for the mining projects, and the property meets the ASTM GM13 standard too.
All the mining geomembranes should use 100% virgin resin, and the thickness no minus tolerance to ensure the impermeable geomembrane lining data.
Besides the mining geomembranes thickness, the surface is also important for mining projects. The double sides smooth surface impermeable geomembrane lining is widely used, and there is also special surface, like one side smooth one side textured, double sides textured. The textured surface can have friction, to keep the mining geomembranes stable and the project safe.
3. Mining Geomembranes Material Selection
HDPE mining geomembranes liners are the preferred product for mining projects. HDPE mining geomembranes is less flexible than LLDPE geomembrane lining, but it provides higher technical strength and can bear higher temperatures. Its excellent chemical and ultraviolet resistance properties make it an extremely cost-effective product.
The mining geomembranes use high-density polyethylene material and carbon black material, the HDPE material percentage is 97.5%, and carbon black 2.5%.
Mining geomembranes demands the most durable containment lining systems. Mining geomembranes are exposed to the elements and must be able to both protect the environment and protect against solution loss, so your precious metals, and profits, don’t get washed away.
Earth Shield is the impermeable geomembrane supplier in China, providing the best mechanical and enhanced endurance properties of any HDPE geomembrane liner available on the market, even in the harshest conditions.
Earth Shield mining geomembranes help to contain the brine within the evaporation ponds, improve salt harvesting and reduce precipitation. Our mining geomembranes liners provide high chemical resistance to high concentrations of salts for extended periods, provide very low permeability, and offer a high UV resistance.
4. Mining Geomembranes Color Selection
The mining geomembrane sheet color is black normally because the black mining geomembranes are UV resistant. The mining geomembranes have carbon black material, which adds the UV resistant property, can have a longer service life under sunshine conditions.
And some projects have a special design, like white color, or one side black one side white, all the color can be done by our company.
The white color can reflect the sunshine to the surface, to lower the surface temperature, so it is used in some special sites.
Besides this, the green-gray colors are both available, if the projects have special designs, the production can meet.
5. Mining Geomembranes Safety
The mining geomembranes can be used for 60years even 100years under the ground, without the sunshine, the mining geomembranes can have a longer time to keep the mining project safe and stable.
The mining geomembranes quality is also affected by the installation, which is very very important. the mining geomembrane lining quality is excellent, if the installation teams are not professional, there would be holes and leaks, which make the total project a failure.
To ensure mining geomembranes safety, professional construction teams are necessary.
Engineers use safety factors to reduce risk when doing heap leach pad mining or other mining constructs, and safety factors create a margin between rated limits and failure points. For example, most mines rely on slopes to help improve mining efficiency by enabling taller builds or introducing gravity to create flow into trenches or holding ponds. By using a liner or slope-stabilization fabric with improved shear performance, installers can incorporate improved factors of slope stability to reduce the risk of failure.
These liners function by adding a textured surface that increases the interface friction strengths between the membrane and the subgrade and other liner material. The texture digs into the geotextile/slope stabilization fabric, soil, or geocomposite to prevent sliding and other movements. Geosynthetic products, like geogrids, can also help reinforce other soil structures like berms, embankments, and crusher walls.
Mining operations use acids and other toxic chemicals in various processes. Installers can use low-permeability products such as geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) or impermeable geomembranes to avoid environmental contamination. These liners can help create safer pregnant solution trenches and other on-site containment spaces. A mine’s service life is often dynamic, but one constant is the eventual need for closure. Engineers can minimize the environmental impact of post-mining operations by isolating mining zones with a capping system. For example, tailings or heap leaching mining closures can reduce acid rock drainage from entering the groundwater. Most closure solutions typically incorporate multiple products for padding, protection, low permeability, drainage, and stability.
6. Mining Geomembranes Price
Considering the project site, technical data, and size requirements, The mining geomembranes price is different, the 2mm thickness HDPE mining geomembranes price is $3/sqm – $5/sqm.
Another item is the raw material price trend and exchange rate, these will affect the mining geomembranes price.
| Thickness | Property | SIZE | Quantity |
| The thicker thickness, the higher price | The higher property, the higher price | Special size, the higher price | The more quantity, The cheaper price |
The mining geomembranes price is also decided by the installation, now the labor cost becomes higher and higher, if a professional team, the installation cost can be lower.
7. Mining Geomembranes Factory/Supplier
Earth Shield is a manufacturer and supplier of mining geomembranes liners. With 20years of geosynthetic liners experience and an ISO quality control system, our mining geomembranes liner property meet the ASTM TRI GM13 standard and have many third-party lab test report.
Earth Shield is a geosynthetic manufacturer and solution provider in the seepage control industry. Insist on To be the last defense of the environment, no leak, and no contamination!
The main products are geomembrane, geotextile, other GCL Geonet products can be provided.
Our projects include aquaculture(fish/shrimp ponds), environment(landfill, liquid treatment, power plant), mine(gold, tailing, leach mining), agriculture(water reservoir, irrigation, artificial lake), oil&gas(freshwater, pit pond) and so on.
Earth Shield has 3 production lines of mining geomembranes liners, can deliver a 1*40Feet container geomembrane sheet every two days.
Under the ISO9001 quality system, our QAQC check the quality every time, to test the thickness, tensile strength, elongation, tear resistance, and puncture resistance. If there is a failure, the production will stop until the production process is updated to success.
The mining geomembranes samples can be sent in advance to check the quality and do the lab test in third-party labs.
FAQ:
(1) . Which type of geomembrane sheet is the most chemically resistant of all geomembranes?
Considering the chemical resistance of one item, there are HDPE、LLDPE、PVC、PP、XR、CSPE. The HDPE is the most chemical resistant. For example, kerosene, diesel fuel, acids, naphtha, jet fuels, saltwater, crude oil, and gasoline.
Considering the price and production, we suggest HDPE mining projects.
(2) . What is the minimum thickness mM of geomembrane sheet that has to be used in Mining?
For mining projects, the minimum thickness of the geomembrane is 1.5mm thickness, which should be protected by the geotextile.
The 1.5mm HDPE geomembrane liner should meet the ASTM GM13 standard, use 100% virgin raw material.
To choose the right mining geomembranes, Earth Shield can help you with the mining geomembranes, We have 20years of industry experience, and many projects experience, we can supply the products and help with the construction to save your cost and time.
To choose the right mining geomembranes, you should take care of the material, thickness, property, and size, and also the installation team, these items are important for the success of the mining projects.
