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Application Case of Cast Stone Composite Pipes for Tailing Transport at the Julong Copper Mine in Tibet
The Phase I tailings‑storage facility at the Xizang Julong Copper Mine extensively employs cast‑stone composite pipes to construct its main conveyance pipeline, with a total length of 6,000 meters. Officially commissioned in October 2021, the project serves the transport of tailings from this large‑scale copper mine, processing up to 160,000 tonnes of raw ore per day. To date, it has operated continuously and stably without any incidents, making it a benchmark project for ultra‑long‑distance tailings transportation at high altitude in China. The project adopts a single‑stage high‑pressure pumping scheme, with an overall conveying distance of 9.6 km; under complex high‑altitude conditions and with extremely heavy transport loads, it places stringent demands on the comprehensive performance of the pipeline materials.
The project transports porphyry‑type primary copper‑molybdenum sulfide tailings, with a d₅₀ of 0.041 mm, 65% passing 200 mesh, a true density of 2.78 t/m³, and a total sulfur content of approximately 3.4%. The thickened slurry has a solids concentration of 49%, a slurry specific gravity of 1.54, and a pH of about 5.5. The tailings are dominated by flaky feldspar minerals; the slurry exhibits high yield stress and severe erosive wear, making pipeline abrasion failure highly likely during long‑term transport. Cast stone composite pipes offer excellent resistance to erosion and fatigue, making them ideally suited for high‑altitude, long‑distance, high‑stress slurry‑transport applications.
Under the demanding operating conditions of prolonged high‑load and severe erosion, cast‑stone composite pipes exhibit structural stability, zero‑failure operation, and maintenance‑free performance, making them ideally suited to the unique conveying environments of high‑altitude plateaus. Backed by a proven track record of reliable service, these pipes demonstrate exceptional practicality and broad compatibility with diverse operating conditions, providing a high‑quality, mature application benchmark for ultra‑long‑distance tailings transport in large, high‑altitude mines across China.
Penglai Hua'an Cast Stone Pipe Fittings Co., Ltd.
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