The use of geomembrane liners in various mining operations is increasing rapidly. While they have not been accepted as readily as in the waste (landfill) industry, growth in the mining industry is occurring as operators begin to understand the advantages associated with the use of these materials. However, it is not a simple matter of transferring the technology from the tried and tested applications common to landfills, to the mining industry. This is primarily due to the extreme ranges in leachate properties generated from the various ore extraction processes, the harsh environment to which these materials are exposed and the extremely large normal loads they are subjected to. The paper gives a examples of lined facilities in Asia and discusses the performance of geomembranes in mining environments
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