Alumna Betty Lin discusses the use of paste backfill with Mining Magazine
Photo: alumna Betty Lin (MSE 0T3, MASc 0T5)
February 29, 2012
U of T Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) alumna Betty Lin (MSE 0T3, MASc 0T5), a senior engineer and project manager at Hatch, was recently quoted in the January/February 2012 issue of Mining Magazine. The feature, titled “Paste Picks Up the Pace,” discusses the rising popularity of using paste backfill, one of several options used to sustainably treat a mine’s tailings (waste) in operations around the world.
In the article, Lin provides expert commentary on the advantages and disadvantages of using the paste backfill method, the parameters that are considered when determining if the mine’s waste can be disposed of as paste, and the importance of understanding the properties and characteristics of the materials in order to design a paste backfill plant.
“Poorly designed paste mixture can cause excess wear, and the breach of transport pipelines and boreholes,” quotes Lin. “Proper design, control, and operating procedures are all critical to the successful operation of a paste-fill system.”