A lab study of mineral scale buildup on lined and traditional PE water pipes for acid mine drainage treatment applications

Plastic, especially polyethylene (PE), pipe material is increasingly used in mining applications due to its inert nature, flexibility, low density, and low cost. Though resistant to chemical corrosion, it is susceptible to abrasion. To combat this problem, an abrasion-resistant liner is in development. However, it is not yet known how the liner will perform with regards to other common problems that affect pipe systems, such as mineral scale buildup. In mining applications, scale buildup occurs due to the very high contents of suspended and dissolved solids in water or slurry. For example, in systems transporting raw or treated acid mine drainage (AMD), scale can form on pipe surfaces due to sedimentation or the diffusion of particles onto the surface, or precipitation of solids directly onto the surface. In this study, pipe-loop experiments were conducted in the laboratory under three idealized AMD treatment scenarios (i.e., untreated, passively treated and actively treated) to compare mineral scale buildup on traditional versus lined PE pipe materials