Storage Iron Slurry in Steel Plant – Odisha Case Study

Ocean Non Wovens supplied 10000 sq mtr of Ocean Geomembrane to a steel plant in Odisha for storing iron ore slurry. The HDPE geomembrane lines the slurry storage area so that slurry and its process water stay in the pond instead of seeping into the ground.

Product: Ocean Geomembrane

Quantity: 10000 sq mtr

Location: Odisha

Problem

Steel makers in Odisha are moving iron ore from mine heads to their plants as slurry through pipelines. Road and rail routes are congested, delivery costs keep rising, and fine ore concentrate is awkward to move by rail and truck. A slurry pipeline is usually cheaper to run once built, though it brings its own challenges, such as land acquisition and forest clearance along the route.

At the plant end, the slurry has to be received and held before it is dewatered and processed. That calls for storage ponds that do not leak: lost slurry is lost raw material, and the water carrying it can contaminate soil and groundwater around the plant.

Solution

An HDPE geomembrane lining the storage pond acts as a barrier that keeps the slurry in and separates the process water from the surrounding ground.

HDPE geomembrane is light for the area it covers, durable and flexible, which keeps transport and installation costs down compared with concrete. It has high tensile strength and resists the chemicals found in mineral processing water. Two optional features help on mining and process sites:

• A conductive layer co-extruded on one side allows spark testing of the entire liner surface after installation, so holes made during placement can be found and repaired.
• A white surface layer reflects sunlight, keeping the liner cooler. That reduces thermal expansion and wrinkling during installation and makes defects easier to see.

The same type of liner is the main barrier in heap leach pads at metal mines, where it has to withstand chemical attack, point loads from the heap above, and site-specific terrain, climate and construction conditions.

A nonwoven geotextile protection layer above the geomembrane spreads point loads from stones and equipment so they do not puncture the sheet. Where the geotextile also sits within a drainage layer, it acts as a filter, letting water through while stopping fine particles and gravel from washing against the liner.

For related mining work, see the Rayagada mining case study or browse all case studies.