Treatment of tailings streams

1. A process for treating a tailings stream, comprising (a) contacting a silicate source and an activator with said tailings stream, (b) entrapping fine clay and sand within a silica gel, wherein said silica gel is formed from said silicate source and said activator, (c) spreading the silica gel over a surface, and (d) allowing the silica gel to dry to produce a trafficable surface, wherein the silicate source is an alkali metal silicate, polysilicate microgel, or combinations thereof, wherein the tailings stream comprises water, fine clays and sands, wherein 20% by volume to about 100% by volume of the fine clays and sand have a particle size less than 0.05 mm, and wherein the activator is carbon dioxide.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the tailings stream is from a tailings pond.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the silicate source, the carbon dioxide, and the tailings stream are centrifuged between step (a) and step (b).

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the surface is sloped.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the silicate source, the carbon dioxide, and the tailings stream are combined in a transfer line prior to being spread on the surface.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the tailings stream is from a bitumen recovery process.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the tailings stream is chemically thickened tailings.

8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the tailings stream are fresh tailings.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the tailings stream are thickened with polyacrylamides.

10. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the fresh tailings further comprise at least one of polysilicate microgels, polyacrylamides, and combinations thereof.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the tailings stream is treated with a dewatering technique before step (c).

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the dewatering technique comprises the use of a thickener.