Qiang Guo

In traditional gangue backfilling mining, the use of gangue as backfill material often leads to issues such as supply–demand imbalance, low crushing efficiency, and insufficient early strength. To address these challenges, a novel gangue-cemented high-porosity backfill material (GCBM) was developed, using coal gangue (CG, 15–20 mm) as aggregates bonded with an alkali-activated modified coal gangue powder and slag-based fast-setting cementitious material (FCM). The effects of alkali equivalent on the workability and mechanical properties of FCM were investigated to determine the optimal composition. The influence of FCM proportion on the porosity and strength of GCBM was analyzed, and a strength–porosity correlation model was established. The microstructure and bonding mechanism of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between FCM-CG aggregates were revealed through multiple microscopic techniques. Results indicate an optimal alkali equivalent of FCM is 6%. The FCM proportion is positively correlated with the compressive and flexural strengths of GCBM, with a critical proportion of 24% at which flexural strength increased by 172% compared with 22%, reflecting enhanced interfacial bonding. Microscopic observations further show that increasing the FCM proportion optimizes the ITZ structure and promotes secondary hydration products, thereby improving interfacial bonding density and the overall mechanical performance of the backfill material.

Coal-based solid wastes are used for carbon fixation, which can achieve the dual purpose of resource utilization of coal-based solid wastes and CO₂ storage, but carbon fixation has a negative impact on the rheological properties of filling slurry. This paper explores the effect of carbon fixation time on the carbon fixation performance and rheological properties of coal gangue (CG)–fly ash (FA) composite filling materials (CFS) through rheometer, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and other testing methods. The results show that, with an increase in the carbon fixation time, the carbon fixation amount of the CFS shows a trend of increasing first and then stabilizing. Considering the carbon fixation amount and rheological properties of the CFS together, the optimal carbon fixation time is 2 h. At this time, the carbon fixation amount of the CFS is 1.18%, and the yield stress and plastic viscosity are 155.93 Pa and 0.17 Pa·s, respectively. However, with a further increase in the carbon fixation time, the carbon fixation amount basically tends to be stable, mainly because the calcium ions in the CFS are gradually consumed by the reaction as the carbon fixation time increases. The research results are of great significance for improving the utilization of coal-based solid waste and CO₂ storage.

When coal gasification slag is used as a substitute for cement, the prepared cementitious materials may exhibit inadequate properties due to the slag’s limited hydration reactivity, which limits its effectiveness in applications of backfill materials. In this study, alkali activation was used to improve the hydration activity of coal gasification slag. The effect of alkali equivalent on the setting time, rheological properties, and uniaxial compressive strength of the alkali-activated coal gasification slag-based backfill material (ACBM) sample was systematically investigated, and the optimal alkali equivalent was identified. The mineral composition, pore structure, and micromorphology of ACBM samples were characterized using the X-ray diffractometer (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption analyzer (BET), and scanning electron microscope–energy dispersion spectrum (SEM-EDS). The results show that when the alkali equivalent is 4%, the comprehensive performance of ACBM samples is optimal. At this time, the initial setting time and final setting time of ACBM samples are 125 min and 172 min, and the rheological properties are in accordance with the Herschel–Bulkley model. The yield stress, plastic viscosity, and hysteresis loop area are 9.22 Pa, 0.74 Pa·s, and 1014 Pa/s, respectively, and the compressive strength of the ACBM sample at the curing age of 28 days is 2.18 MPa. When the alkali equivalent is further increased to 6%, the initial hydration reaction becomes more intense due to the excessive alkali level, leading to a rapid decline in flowability; the sample cracked at 28 days and its strength decreased considerably. This study provides theoretical guidance for the application of coal gasification slag in the field of backfill mining.

The deep mining of coal resources can lead to surface subsidence, thereby damaging the stability of buildings on the surface; however, this issue can be effectively mitigated through goaf backfilling with coal gangue and other solid wastes. In this study, the technical principles of goaf solid waste backfill mining are illustrated, and the surface movement and deformation patterns under different burial depths and compression rates are examined. Additionally, the monitoring and analysis of the roof subsidence and surface building conditions after goaf solid waste backfill mining are described. The results show that as the burial depth and compression rate increase, the maximum values of the surface subsidence and horizontal deformation gradually decrease. When the burial depth is between 800 and 1200 m, the design value of the compression rate for the goaf should be higher than 79%. The actual measurement results show that the maximum subsidence value of the roof after goaf backfilling is 635 mm, and the compression rate is about 80.8%, which is consistent with the theoretical design value. Hence, surface buildings are little affected by mining activities and are within the safe range for use.

The wet carbonation of coal gangue-based backfilling slurry (CGBS) is considered to be an effective method for the resource utilization of coal gangue solid waste and CO₂ sequestration, but CO₂ sequestration has a negative impact on the rheological properties of CGBS. This investigation explores the effect of carbonization pressure on the rheological properties and CO₂ sequestration properties of CGBS by using a carbonization reactor, a rheometer, X-ray diffraction, a nitrogen adsorption–desorption instrument, a scanning electron microscope and other testing methods. The results show that increasing the carbonization pressure can increase the CO₂ sequestration capacity of CGBS, and the carbonization products produced make the pores of CGBS smaller and the structure more compact; however, increasing the carbonization pressure will reduce the rheological properties of the slurry, and the optimal carbonization pressure is 0.7 MPa. At this time, the yield stress, plastic viscosity and hysteresis loop area of CGBS are 171.66 Pa, 0.0998 Pa·s and 1376 Pa/s, respectively. However, when the carbonization pressure is further increased, the CO₂ sequestration capacity tends to remain unchanged. This is mainly because the carbonization pressure causes the carbonization reaction to intensify, forming a calcified layer on the particle surface, which hinders the penetration of CO₂ into the particles. This study is of great significance for improving the utilization rate of gangue solid waste and CO₂ sequestration.

Waste rock backfilled into a goaf can function as the main load-bearing carrier to support the overlying strata, so the compressive behavior of backfill materials plays a critical role in the effectiveness of strata control. However, in the laboratory, the specimen size also significantly influences on the accurate prediction of compressive deformation in waste rock backfill materials. To assess the influence of the specimen size on compressive behavior in waste rock backfill materials, a WAW-1000D (Changchun Xinte Testing Machine Co., Ltd., Changchun, Jilin Province, China) electric servo-motor testing machine and self-made compressors of different sizes were used to characterize the compressive deformation of waste rock backfill materials with different specimen sizes. The stress–strain relationships and changes in the void ratio of specimens were analyzed, revealing the influence of the specimen size on the compressive behavior. The research found that when the ratio of the inner diameter of compressors to the maximum particle size of specimens is 15:1 and above, the inner diameter of compressors only has a slight influence. Taking a backfill panel in Xinjulong Coal Mine as the engineering context, waste rock with particle sizes in the range of 0~20 mm was backfilled. The measured roof subsidence was 568 mm, matching the measured experimental value. The results provide data to support roof subsidence predictions following waste rock backfill mining.

Gangue-based backfill cementitious materials (BCM) are widely applied due to their low CO₂ footprint, while the application is restricted by gangue’s low reactivity. In this study, dry chemical modification was developed to modify the gangue, and multiple characterized approaches were used to characterize the dissolution property, mineral composition, and particle size distribution of modified gangue (MCG), as well as the compressive strength and microstructure of BCM. The findings show that the residue weight of MCG stabilized at 2 wt.% of formic acid, and the modification reduces the kaolinite and calcite, resulting in smaller particles. Additionally, the three days compressive strength of the BCM made with MCG was improved from 0.3 MPa to 0.6 MPa. Attributed to the increased reactivity of MCG, it was found that the dissolution weight increased by 2.13%. This study offers a novel method for activating gangue and a new kind of MCG-prepared BCM, which makes a significant contribution towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.