Abstract
Mine backfilling, such as cemented rockfill (CRF), is a critical step of the underground mining cycle, which enables increased resource recovery and a resilient tailings storage solution. The use of chemical binders is critical to achieve the desired strength and stability of CRF mix designs; however, traditional cement binders can be responsible for approximately 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the entire mine backfill process. Most large mining corporations have made commitments to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the next twenty years, so the development of low carbon alterative binders for mine backfill is a necessary step to achieve this goal. This paper shows results obtained through the development of a versatile engineered lime-based binder for mine backfill systems that can replace up to 50% of cement, with no compromise in long-term performance, while reducing the greenhouse gas footprint by up to 75% in comparison to traditional cement. The performance of the newly developed binder showed its adaptability as it was successfully reformulated to be used with a non-standard cement formulation used by mining operator’s cemented rockfill operations.