Thermal Conductivity in Mortar Samples with Copper Mine Tailings

The increasing generation of mine tailings poses significant environmental challenges, but their reuse in construction materials offers a sustainable solution by reducing the demand for natural aggregates. To advance the use of tailings in construction, the thermal conductivity of mortar samples incorporating copper mine tailings as partial replacements (10% to 50%) for coarse aggregates was investigated. The thermal conductivity was measured using the transient line source method, revealing a progressive increase from 0.32 W/m·K (control sample) to 0.52 W/m·K (50% replacement sample). The statistical analysis (ANOVA) confirmed significant differences among the sample groups, with the tailings content being a key factor. The higher thermal conductivity is attributed to the quartz-rich composition of the tailings, which enhances the heat transfer compared to conventional aggregates. The findings of this study contribute to demonstrating the feasibility of using mortar with copper tailings to modify the thermal conductivity of mortar.