“Belgorkhimprom” Institute (Minsk, Republic of Belarus):

Shemet S. F., Chief Executive Officer, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
Stromskiy A. S., Head of Department
Shemyakina M. G., Divisional Manager, e-mail: gran10@tut.by

The article gives an analysis of the carried out scientific research of using the clay-salt slimes of sylvinite processing plants. On the basis of the research results of chemistry and physical and mechanical properties of slimes, there were determined the possible ways of slimes` application in various industries as raw materials and in natural form.
The most prospective consumers of slimes are the following spheres: the agricultural industry (cross linking and fertilizing additive on low-yield soils); geological survey (salt-resistant drilling fluids); building materials industry (aggloporites, silicate products, plasticizers of building fluids, etc.); construction of solid domestic garbage dumps and radioactive waste disposals (sorbents, protecting screens); construction of dams of slimes depository in the potassium industry.
There were performed several tests in the spheres mentioned above. The tests in the first two spheres were suspended at the stage of industrial introduction (in 1985) due to the following reasons: absence of actual effective demand on the manufactured products; high power consumption of the production technologies; problems of setting prices on waste products.
Usage of slimes in other spheres were analyzed in laboratory environment using the pilot facilities. Some more tests are being performed.

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