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Application Case of Cast Stone Composite Pipes for Tailing Transportation at the Oyu Tolgoi Copper-Molybdenum Mine in Mongolia
Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia’s largest copper mine, employs cast‑stone composite pipes to construct its main tailings‑transport pipeline, which spans 3,000 meters in total. The project was completed and commissioned in 2022, supporting the mine’s tailings‑transport operations with a daily throughput of up to 120,000 tonnes of raw ore. To date, the system has been operating continuously and reliably, maintaining excellent performance throughout without any malfunctions or anomalies, making it a benchmark case for long‑distance tailings transport at porphyry copper mines in Central Asia. With an overall conveying distance of 8.7 kilometers, the project is situated in a high‑altitude, frigid desert climate characterized by harsh environmental conditions, placing exceptionally stringent demands on the wear resistance, cold‑weather resilience, and operational stability of the pipeline.
The mine tailings are those from a large porphyry copper–molybdenum deposit, with a d₅₀ of 0.044 mm, 63% passing 200 mesh, a true density of 2.77 t/m³, and a total sulfur content of approximately 2.9%. The slurry is conveyed at a concentration of 48%, with a slurry specific gravity of 1.52 and a pH of about 5.5. The gangue minerals in the tailings are predominantly flaky feldspar, resulting in a relatively high yield stress for the slurry and severe erosive wear during transport, leading to extremely demanding operating conditions. Cast‑stone composite pipes exhibit excellent resistance to erosion and abrasion, effectively mitigating high‑frequency slurry‑induced wear and making them well suited to the complex tailings‑transport conditions encountered in mining operations.
Facing the dual challenges of extreme cold‑desert climates and highly abrasive mineral slurries, cast‑stone composite pipes consistently maintain structural stability and reliable operation, enduring long‑term heavy‑load service without wear or leakage. With their outstanding all‑round performance, these pipes demonstrate exceptional practicality and environmental adaptability, providing a mature and dependable solution for long‑distance tailings transport at large copper‑molybdenum mines in the high‑altitude, frigid regions of Central Asia.
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