Coarse tailings are the relatively large-particle-size fraction of waste material remaining after the extraction of valuable minerals from ore during processing operations at bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond mines. Following comminution and beneficiation processes, the non-valuable material is separated from the product concentrate and discharged as tailings. The coarse fraction of this tailings stream — typically comprising particles larger than 75 to 150 microns, depending on the operation — is referred to as coarse tailings. These materials have distinct geotechnical and hydraulic properties compared to fine tailings, including higher permeability, lower compressibility, and greater structural stability. In modern tailings management practice, coarse tailings are frequently used as construction material for tailings storage facility (TSF) embankments through a process called cycloning, where a hydrocyclone separates the coarse sand fraction (used for embankment construction) from the fine slimes fraction. Coarse tailings may also be utilised as backfill material in underground mining voids or incorporated into paste fill systems to improve the structural integrity of underground stopes.
