Applications · Mining & Tailings Ponds
Hollow Plastic Ball Covers for Mining & Tailings Ponds
The challenge
- Evaporative loss of process water in arid mining regions
- Aggressive or low/high-pH process chemistry
- Irregular pond shapes that defeat fixed covers
- Dust and surface emissions
How Armor Ball® helps
Armor Ball® floats across process-water and tailings ponds of any shape, cutting evaporation in arid mining regions and limiting surface emissions. Because the balls simply float and self-arrange, the cover conforms to the irregular geometry that defeats fixed or panel covers.
The UV-stabilized HDPE is inert to most industrial liquids across pH 2–13 and holds up from −70°F to +160°F, and the poured-on layer self-adjusts as levels change — with no anchoring or liner penetration to engineer into the impoundment.
What to look for when covering a mining & tailings ponds surface
- Process chemistry: Mining chemistries vary widely; request material certs and an SDS to confirm compatibility across your pond's pH and temperature range.
- Irregular geometry: No fitting or fabrication is needed — the balls fill any outline and re-arrange as the impoundment changes shape or level.
- Site exposure: For high, sustained wind on open tailings areas, step up to Armor Ball® AQUA (75 MPH) or AWTT's higher-wind covers.
Outcomes
FAQ
Mining & Tailings Ponds — questions answered
Will the balls survive aggressive mining process chemistry?
Armor Ball® is molded from UV-stabilized HDPE that is inert to most industrial liquids across pH 2–13, making it suitable for many mining process-water and tailings applications. Request material certs and SDS to confirm compatibility with your specific chemistry.
Can a ball cover handle an irregularly shaped tailings pond?
Yes. Because the balls simply float and self-arrange, Armor Ball® conforms to any pond geometry and self-adjusts as the liquid level changes — no fitting or fabrication required.
How does a ball cover handle changing tailings levels?
The free-floating layer rises and falls with the liquid and re-arranges itself to maintain about 91% coverage, so it keeps working as the impoundment fills, draws down, or shifts — with no adjustment required.
Get a custom Armor Ball® quote
Tell us about your site — surface area, liquid, and goals — and we'll size a cover and respond within 24 hours.
Manufactured by AWTT · 700+ installations · 25 countries · 10-year warranty