Chemical durability of bituminous geomembranes (BGMs) in heap leach pad applications

Abstract

The degradation behaviour of a 4.8 mm thick elastomeric bituminous geomembrane (BGM) immersed in pH 0.5, 9.5, and 11.5 synthetic mining solutions is examined over 26 months at 22, 40, 55 and 70°C. The low pH solution simulates the leach solutions found in copper, nickel, and uranium heap leach pads while the two high pH solutions simulate the chemistry and pH found in gold and silver heap leaching facilities. The mechanical, rheological, and chemical properties are examined at different incubation times to assess the degradation in the BGM at different temperatures. It is shown that the degradation rates of all properties are faster in pH 11.5 and 9.5 than in pH 0.5. Additionally, the BGM started to exhibit degradation in its mechanical properties even with a slightly degraded bitumen coat in all the mining solutions at elevated temperatures. The time to nominal failure of the BGM is predicted at different field temperatures using Arrhenius modelling. Due to the relatively fast degradation in the mechanical properties of the BGM, especially at temperatures above 50°C, the tensile strains in the BGM in the field should be limited so it can meet the required liner design life of heap leaching applications.