Characteristics and Possibilities of use of the Mining-Metallurgical Environmental Liabilities of the Refractory Chromite Mining in the Moa-Baracoa-Cuba Region

Abstract

The old refractory chromite mines in the Moa-Baracoa region abandoned a large amount of solid mining-metallurgical environmental liabilities (PAMMs) as a result of the productive operations developed for more than 60 years. In this sense, the management of environmental affectations constitutes one of the most used measures in recent years for the rehabilitation of spaces degraded by mining in this area of the country. However, there is insufficient knowledge of the physical-chemical, mineralogical, and thermal characteristics of these residues, generated by the chrome industry in Cuba, which limits their scientific basis and the decision-making on their possible industrial uses. As a result of the research developed with these materials over more than 20 years, their refractory properties have been proved, which demonstrates the possibilities of their industrial use in metallurgical processes, and even as construction materials, which are exposed in this study.