Preparation and mechanical properties of tungsten tailings-based artificial stone

This experimental study targets at the preparation of artificial stones from tungsten tailings to develop alternative resource utilization methods for tungsten tailings as a solution to land occupation and ecological risks caused by their accumulation, thus promoting the harmless disposal and high-value synergistic utilization of industrial solid waste. We first selected quartz as the base material, and tungsten tailings from Chenzhou, Hunan Province, as the admixture due to the compositional similarities between tungsten tailings and raw materials of artificial stones. We then investigated how tailings mass fraction and the dosages of resin, coupling agent and curing agent affect the mechanical properties of the artificial stone through vacuum vibration compaction molding. The physicochemical properties of the specimens were then measured and analyzed through multiple single-factor experiments. Results show that the compressive strength of the artificial stones exhibited initial increase and subsequent decrease with increasing mass fraction of tungsten tailings, reaching 117.4 MPa at a tailings mass fraction of 50%. After optimization, the resin mass fraction was 12% of the total raw materials, and the dosages of the coupling agent and curing agent were 1.2% and 1.0% of the resin mass fraction, respectively. Under this formulation, the specimen exhibited a dense structure, with compressive strength of 157.9 MPa, density of 2.611 g/cm³, and water absorption of 0.064%, satisfying relevant requirements. This study provides theoretical and practical references for the comprehensive utilization of tungsten tailings.