INTEGRATED ARSENIC REMOVAL AND STABILIZATION FROM MINING STREAMS: COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF PYROLYSIS AND PRECIPITATION APPROACHES USING THE GLASSLOCK PROCESS™ O. Sanfaçon1, B. Johnson1, J. Tardif1, J.P. Mai1, A. Drouin1, *A. Maltais1, A. Landry1 Dundee Sustainable Technologies Inc., Canada (*Presenting author: amaltais@dundeetechnologies.com) ABSTRACT Arsenic contamination in mining residues and process streams is a critical environmental and operational challenge for the copper and gold industries. This article presents a comparative study of two advanced arsenic removal and stabilization approaches—pyrolysis and precipitation—applied to solid concentrates and acidic process streams, respectively. Both methods utilize the GlassLock Process™ for permanent arsenic immobilization. Laboratory results, process flowsheets and engineering designs are presented, demonstrating the technical and economic viability of these solutions for sustainable mining. KEYWORDS GlassLock Process™, arsenic vitrification, arsenic removal, arsenic stabilization, copper concentrate, arsenic precipitation, enargite. 1. INTRODUCTION The presence of arsenic in copper and gold mining residues and process streams poses significant environmental risks and economic penalties. Traditional management strategies often fail to provide permanent stabilization, leading to long-term liabilities. This study compares two innovative arsenic management approaches—pyrolysis for solid concentrates and iron-based precipitation for acidic streams—each followed by vitrification using the GlassLock Process™. The work integrates laboratory data and process engineering from two major projects with mining partners, highlighting the capability of vitrification to stabilize arsenic from concentrates and process waste.
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