Abstract
Unrehabilitated abandoned mining sites pose significant risks to the surrounding ecosystems through toxic releases. This study aims to assess the feasibility of converting mine tailings from the processing of lead ore from the abandoned Zeïda mine (Upper Moulouya, Morocco) as an alternative raw material for the production of ceramic tiles by dry pressing. The raw materials were characterized by assessing the chemical composition (lead mine processing tailings, clays, and industrial sodium feldspar), as well as the mineralogical properties and particle size distribution of the lead mine processing tailings. Various formulations were developed by incorporating proportions of mine tailings ranging from 0 to 50%, combined with clays and sodium feldspar. Dry-pressed ceramic materials were characterized for their mechanical properties (modulus of rupture), physical properties (water absorption, density, shrinkage, weight loss on ignition and Surface Morphology). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify relationships among the variables related to the properties of the fired manufactured materials. The main properties were evaluated against the industrial standards (ISO 10545 and ISO 13006). The fired products formulated with 10– 20% lead mine processing tailings achieved compliance with group BIIa of ISO 13006, demonstrating a modulus of rupture of 22–25 N/mm² and water absorption of 3–4%, along with favourable other physical properties. This study confirms the feasibility of reusing Zeïda lead mine processing tailings for ceramic tile production, thereby providing a sustainable solution that offers both environmental remediation and economic advantages.
Keywords: Abandoned Mines, Ceramic Tiles, Mine Tailings, Mine Waste Management, Zeïda Mine.