Search Documents

By David A. Heitman

The Buick Concentrator is a highly automated operation which utilizes a process control system for continuous monitoring and control. The process control system development, installation, and application to the concentrator grinding and flotation circuits are presented in this paper. The design and implementation of analog field sensing instrumentation, a continuous on-stream X-ray analyzer, grinding and classfication circuit controls, and a recent digital process control system utilizing a centralized computer are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the project planning and installation of the digital control system including a presentation of future plans for continuing application of computer control.

Jan 1, 1982

By L. Yan, N. Damiano, J. Bickson, E. Bauer, D. Yantek, B. Whisner, M. Reyes, J. Srednicki

Built-in-place (BIP) refuge alternatives (RAs) are designed to provide a secure space for miners who cannot escape during a mine emergency. Heat and humidity buildup within RAs may expose miners to physiological hazards such as heat stress. To minimize the risk of heat stress, Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), or 30 CFR, mandates a maximum allowable apparent temperature (AT) for an occupied RA of 35°C (95°F) [1]. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted extensive research on the thermal environment of occupied RAs intended for use in underground coal mines. NIOSH research has demonstrated that a fully occupied BIP RA can exceed the AT limit by >5.6°C (10°F) in mines with elevated mine strata and air temperatures. In this circumstance, an RA cooling system could provide a solution. This paper provides an overview of test methodology and findings as well as guidance on improving the performance of a cryogenic air system prototype by optimizing the flow rate, increasing the tank storage capacity, and improving the efficiency of the heat exchanger of the cryogenic system. This may enable BIP RAs to meet the 35°C (95°F) AT limit in mines with elevated temperatures. The information in this paper is useful for RA manufacturers and mines that may choose to implement a cryogenic air system as a heat mitigation strategy. INTRODUCTION The apparent temperature inside an occupied RA could be significantly affected by the surrounding environment’s thermal conditions, such as mine air temperature and mine strata temperature. Apparent temperature (AT) is a temperature-humidity metric for the perceived temperature caused by the combined effects of air temperature, relative humidity (RH), and air velocity. It is used to assess the perception of indoor temperatures. Depending on factors such as geographic location and season, mine air temperature, relative humidity, and mine strata, temperatures can vary significantly [2]. RAs located in cold mines may pass the 96-hour 35°C (95°F) AT limit test that poses a challenge for RAs located in hot mines. One solution in these cases is that the occupancy of the RA could be derated (i.e., the RA occupancy could be reduced) to ensure the AT limit is not reached. However, this would require mines to purchase additional RAs to accommodate all personnel in the mine. For mines with high temperatures (above 26.7°C or 80°F), the occupancy might have to be reduced so much that the necessary number of additional RAs would be impractical. In these cases, RA cooling systems could provide a solution.

Jan 1, 2019

By David R. Maneval

The mining of coal in Alaska receives special treatment in the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1977 (PL95-87). Section 708 of the Act required that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) perform a study of "Surface Coal Mining Conditions in the State of Alaska, In Order to Determine Which, If Any, of the Provisions of the Act Should be Modified with respect to Surface Coal Mining Operations in Alaska'. The special committee on Alaskan Coal Mining and Reclamation of NAS completed their study in 1980 and prepared their report (NAS, 1980). At this time, the Secretary of the Interior and the Congress have taken no special action with regard to either special regulations geared specifically to Alaska or to submitting special draft legislation to the Congress requesting amendment of PL95-87. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has drafted legislation which was submitted to and passed by the 1982 session of the State Legislature. The State regulatory agency has also drafted the requisite regulations necessitated by the amendments to the State's Basic Coal Mining Act. It is expected that by mid 1983 DNR will have applied for "primacy" to the office of Surface Mining, U.S. Department of the Interior (OSM). They will be submitting the amended State Law, the revised State Regulations and an operational plan as called for by OSM regulations. The presumption is that primacy will be granted to the State of Alaska under PL95-87. The Usibelli Coal Mine continues to be the only operational commercial mine for coal in the State of Alaska. It produced 7.26 x 10 kg (8 x 10 " T) of coal during 1981. The current mine was started in 1920 by Captain Lathrop, an early developer and pioneer in Alaska. It was continued by Emil Usibelli and was taken over after the death of E. Usibelli (in the 1964 earthquake) by his son Joseph Usibelli who is the current President of, the firm3 Their latest improvement is a 27.5 m (36 yd. )Bucyrus-Erie Dragline which handles most of the overburden removal. The coal is removed by a loader-truck combination. They are currently starting up the use of a unit train loading facility which handles forty cars every two hours. This loading system was a development necessitated by the Sun Eel Export contract. The Alaskan Railroad was a major cooperator in the development of the first unit train loading facility in Alaska.

Jan 1, 1982

By Manuel Gomez

This report presents prediction equations for eleven factors indicative of metallurgical coal quality which have been developed from data obtainable during exploration. Five coke strength parameters and six carbonization product yields have been predicted for coking coals having volatile matter contents in the range 16.3 to 42.1 percent, dry basis. The prediction models developed contain information from the proximate and ultimate analyses, the size consist, and the petrographic composition of coking coals carbonized in BM-AGA retorts at 800°, 900°, and 1,000°C. The equations reported have been evaluated with independent data derived from the 900°C carbonization of 33 binary blends. Present results show that metallurgical coal quality can be predicted ahead of mining. Capability to forecast coal quality is useful in mine planning and should provide basic information for optimization of blending and crushing techniques, leading to the production of uniform coke.

Jan 1, 1968

By I. S. Parrish

As noted by McKinstry (1948), "How to deal with erratic high samples is one of the knottiest problems in ore estimation." He described a variety of approaches and methods to alleviate the problem through the averaging and weighing of assay data and by "cutting" or "clipping" of the erratic assays. Bird (1991) elaborated on ways of dealing with the nugget effect (erratics). He listed several procedures for cutting. Bird's list has been reproduced and/or added to by several authors including Vallee (1992) and Stone and Dunn (1993). Missing from each of these otherwise excellent reviews is a definition, description or guideline to recognition of an "erratic," or just where or when cutting is warranted or justified.

Jan 1, 1997

By F. Dakubo

"Solvent extraction of copper pregnant solution (PLS) obtained from ammonium peroxodisulfate assisted leach was modeled using response surface methodology. Mixing speed, pH, reagent concentration and organic to aqueous (O/A) ratio were selected for testing. A pitched blade mixer was used in the experiment. Mixer speed contributed significantly to copper extraction significant, while pH had minimal effect on copper extraction. The response model developed has an R2 = 0.97 and Adeq precision of 28.3. A parallel kinetic comparing study using a straight blade Rushton turbine in a turbulent regime of mixing showed no difference (p-value =0.308) between peroxodisulfate assisted leach PLS and conventional ferric/sulfuric acid leach PLS- the power draw data support this conclusion. INTRODUCTION High arsenic chalcopyrite concentrates are a problem to the smelters all over the world due to high arsenic gas emissions during smelting. Therefore leaching is often the alternative for extracting the copper in these concentrates if dilution with low arsenic concentrate is not possible. High-pressure autoclave leaching is used. Alternatively, the use of stronger oxidants such as peroxodisulfate has been proposed [16, 18]. There is a concern brought up by the hydrometallurgy community about the faith of the organic extracting reagent coming into contact with stronger oxidant residue in the pregnant leach solution (PLS) and hence the efficiency of such extraction process. This work, therefore, looks to answer such concerns. PLS generated from leaching of chalcopyrite concentrate with the peroxodisulfate ion was used in this solvent extraction experiment. As a liquid-liquid extraction, solvent extraction involves contacting the aqueous PLS with organic extractant via mixing. Mixing is known to increase the interfacial area for mass transfer by decreasing the diffusion path length (Jussi et al.1997). EXPERIMENT Instruments and Reagents Reagent grade Acorga 5910 reagent was used in the experiment was supplied by Cytec (Current name Solvay), Ammonium peroxodisulfate and sulfuric acid were reagent grade obtained from Amazon. Apparatus The solvent extraction tests were carried in a 2000 ml plastic cylindrical reactor equipped with four 0.5” baffles. In the hypothesis test, the reactor was a 4000 ml cylindrical reactor with four 1” thick baffles arranged evening in the reactor. Comparison between peroxodisulfate and ferric leach PLS via hypothesis test"

Jan 1, 2018

By K. L. Boyd

"Can the ever-increasing tonnages of ore and waste being mined today be accommodated simply by using bigger and better crushers? This paper reviews the latest primary crushing and large cone crusher designs. It highlights how—in addition to using the larger crushers now available—maximizing the utilization percentages in each of the four stages of the rock size reduction circuit will assist in meeting the larger production requirements of existing and new mining operations. Its goal is to help consultants and operators select the optimal equipment and custom-designed items in the material handling flowsheet from the mine to the mill, maximizing operating hours per year. INTRODUCTION Are larger crushers the answer to meeting the demands of existing or new mining projects for increased tonnage? Boyd (2002) predicted that larger crushers for primary and fine crushing would be beneficial and contribute to the further development of mineral processing. Larger crushers for primary and fine crushing applications are now available. The rock size reduction process from the mine to the selected milling process facility has not changed since man first broke a rock to get at the interesting mineralization within. The rock size reduction process circuit from the mine to the mill can be summarized in four stages: • Stage 1: Mining (rock breakage and fragmentation) • Stage 2: Pre-screening (scalping) • Stage 3: Primary crushing • Stage 4: Fine crushing (secondary, tertiary and quaternary) Plant throughput and ore delivery schedule will form the basis for flowsheet design and equipment selection. Once the project design criteria and the mine plan have been established, the circuit’s utilization percentage (percentage of hours when the circuit is being utilized) can be optimized for each of the four stages. The mining and process departments are the key stakeholders in the selection of the final comminution circuit, and both departments should be familiar with and contribute to the design of the circuit. This paper focuses on the four stages of a rock size reduction circuit from the mine to the mill, equipment selection, various ore and waste handling flowsheets, and improvements in crusher station design, all with the purpose of maximizing availability and plant utilization percentages. What is a large tonnage? From 1907 to 1914, the American Panama Canal excavated 300 million tonnes of material in 7 years (History of the Panama Canal, Wikipedia). Today’s large mining operations can move the same material in 10 months, using large crushers or multiple crushers for ore processing and large crushers and a mixture of truck haulage and conveyors for handling the large waste tonnages. Some examples include:"

Jan 1, 2017

By Kenneth J. Miller

A novel two-stage froth flotation process to remove pyritic sulfur from fine- size coal is described. The process consists of a first-stage, standard coal flotation step in which high-ash refuse and some of the pyrite are removed as tailings. The first-stage clean coal froth concentrate is then repulped in fresh water, and a coal depressant, a pyrite collector, and a frother are added to float the remaining pyritic material. Laboratory and pilot plant flotation results with coals from the Lower Freeport and Pittsburgh beds are given. The pilot plant test results show that up to 80 percent pyritic sulfur reduction was achieved with the Lower Freeport bed coal and up to 50 percent with the Pittsburgh bed coal. Laboratory and pilot plant results were in excellent agreement, indicating that the process is a viable means of removing much of the sulfur from some coals.

Jan 1, 1974

By AKIHIRO YOSHIMURA, HIDEKAZU KATO, KOTA TAKATORI, YASUNARI MATSUNO

Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is the most refractory copper mineral when treated in conventional sulfate media leaching systems. This study is the first to examine the use of a dimethyl sulfoxide (CH3SOCH3), or DMSO, solution containing copper chloride (CuCl2) in the leaching of chalcopyrite. The DMSO solution containing CuCl2 could selectively dissolve the valuable metals of copper (Cu) and gold (Au) from chalcopyrite while leaving minerals with little economic value, such as pyrite (FeS2), and the penalty element arsenic (As) in the residues. Leaching chalcopyrite using a DMSO solution that contains CuCl2 offers a number of advantages, including eco-friendliness and easy operation.

By Horst H. Gielen

Bong Mining Company/Liberia provides the rare opportunity to compare two generations of grate kiln pelletizing plants operating on the same magnetite/hematite ore basis. In this paper advantages and drawbacks are compared: mechanical aspects, energy-savings, pellet quality. Plant I with up- and down-draft drying gas flow. Plant II runs only on down draft drying and incorporates a heat-recoup system. Ferteco Mineracao/Brazil operates a Lurgi straight grate plant since 1977 on hematitic pelletfeed. Energy-political situation and char- coal as energy source in Brazil are reflected also in the search for alternative fuels for pelletizing. First measures and results are reported as well as intended further steps towards a 100 % oil replacement.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. Tanaji

Over the last many decades, a significant amount of research has gone into the domain of slurry transport. However, design engineers still face many challenges with respect to prediction of pressure drop, critical velocity and other design parameters as a function of Solids % and Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The industry requirement is to transfer the slurry at the maximum concentration as possible (above 30% (volume %)) to make slurry transport more economically viable and to reduce water consumption. To facilitate the design and scale-up of slurry transport in pipelines and in process plants, there is a need for a correlation that can predict slurry pressure drops over a wide range of operating conditions and physical properties of different slurries. The objective of this study is to overcome the limited range of applicability and validity of existing correlations and to develop a generalized but more rigorous correlation applicable to a wider range of slurry sys-tems. The existing Wasp et al. (1977) method is based on multi-phase flow modeling approach. This study attempts to modify this approach by considering material-specific values of Durand?s equation co-efficient and by defining flow regimes based on particle Reynolds number. When compared with experimental data, the modified Wasp method proposed in this study predicts the pressure drop for slurry flows more accurately than other available correlations. Also, the pro-posed method requires minimal test/experimental data for a particular slurry system and can be extended over different input conditions. An iterative computer algorithm is developed to calculate the criti-cal settling velocity and pressure drop in a pipe as a function of Solids % and PSD. The solution method can easily be implemented in de-signing slurry pipes, design validation, and studying the different slurry transport scenarios. The modified method can also be extended to accurately predict pressure drops in dynamic pressure flow networks used in commercial process simulators.

Feb 23, 2014

By Y. J. Wang

The selection of a shaft size for ventilation purposes is a classic problem of concern to mining engineers. This presentation is concerned with the sizing of conventionally-sunk circular shafts with concrete or shotcrete linings. Costs of sinking shafts of three different depths (from 500 feet to 1000 feet) and six different diameters (from 14 feet to 24 feet) were obtained through questionnaires to shaft contractors. The primary objective of the economic model presented is the balancing of detailed annual capital and operating costs to achieve the minimum overall cost of the shaft installation over its life. The economic model is similar to previous analyses but treats several of the individual cost categories in an updated fashion. Included in the paper is a detailed analysis of the effects of varying power costs on optimal shaft size. Also included are a statistical analysis of current shaft costs and comments on the choice between shotcrete and concrete linings.

Jan 1, 1977

By J. W. Scott

The problems involved in installing, maintaining, and operating large vibrating screens have been summarized and discussed, based on a survey of current use of such screens in selected North American mineral processing applications. Practical, effective solutions for the more serious common problems are described, along with some recommendations on design practice for specifying, selecting, and installing large screens.

Jan 1, 1983

By Kadri Dagdelen, Steven Hoerger

For gold mines, orebody uncertainty is one of the leading causes of differences between planned and actual production. Geostatistical conditional simulations create multiple equally probable orebody block model realizations which are conditional to the current drilling information and demonstrate the sampled grade distributions and spatial statistics. These simulated block models are key inputs for a stochastic evaluation to show the likely range of grades and cash flows to be delivered by a mine plan. The stochastic evaluation outputs can be used to compare different mine plans in terms of expected values and risks to planned grades, production, costs, Net Present Value (NPV) and other plan metrics. For the McLaughlin gold mine, risk profiles are demonstrated to show how different mine, cut-off and stockpile strategies can reduce risk and improve expected value. The strategies considered were effective in improving expected NPV and reducing or eliminating tonnage uncertainty, but the strategies had little impact on reducing the uncertainty of NPV’s or mill grades. The stochastic evaluation process is also used to compare the risk impact of orebody uncertainty against the risk of not achieving planned mining tonnages or vertical advance rates. Risks for plans created with and without stochastic mine plan optimization are also compared.

Feb 1, 2025

By D. Puckett

The feasibility of maintaining equipment location, personnel location and vital statistics in surface and underground mining operations has increased with advances in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The paper addresses the use of this technology, relatively new in the mining industry, to track surface equipment in mine pits, loading points, and processing facilities. Specific applications are discussed including a simplified and a complex truck tracking system and an automatic pit ticket system. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future possibilities of RFID technology in mining, such as monitoring biofeedback of personnel (heart and respiration rate, body temperature, exertion level, etc.) repetitious movements to study work habits, and logging air quality via personnel sensors.

Jan 1, 1996

By L. Yuan, J. H. Rowland III

"In 1995 and 2003, the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) conducted surveys to determine the number of atmospheric monitoring systems (AMS) being used in underground coal mines in the United States. The survey reports showed data for the different AMS manufacturers, the different types of equipment monitored, and the different type of gas sensors and their locations. Since the last survey in 2003, MSHA has changed the regulation requirements for early fire detection along the belt haulage entries. As of December 31, 2009, point-type heat sensors were prohibited for use for an early fire detection system; instead carbon monoxide (CO) sensors are now required. This report will examine the number of AMS currently used in underground mines in the United States to see if there is a change in their use. The locations and parameters monitored by AMS are also discussed. INTRODUCTION The last survey conducted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) on atmospheric monitoring systems (AMS) used in underground coal mines in the United States (US) was in 2003 [1]. The survey report states that since 1995 there had been a steady increase in the use of AMS in underground coal mines as the technology of CO sensors was improved by manufacturers. AMS had become more reliable and some CO sensors could be purchased with the capability to discriminate between the CO produced from a fire versus CO produced from diesel equipment. This increase in reliability had reduced the number of false alarms and the response time. The faster response time to a developing fire allowed for the miners to take the necessary action to put out the fire or exit the mine. It should also be noted that at the time of last MSHA survey, some mines still used point-type heat sensors to detect the presence of a fire on conveyor belts. This detection method works by measuring the temperature of the air around the sensor. As a fire starts to develop, smoke and hot gases are produced from the combustion process, and the air is heated up. Once the air and gases reach a designated temperature detected by the point-type heat sensor, a fire alarm signal is generated. Studies have shown that the response times for detecting the presence of a fire using CO sensors are much shorter than using point-type heat sensors [2]. Finally, since the last MSHA survey, regulations have changed on the type of automatic fire detection systems permitted to be used in conveyor belt entries. As of December 31, 2009, point-type heat sensors are not permitted to be used for fire detection in underground coal mines in the US; instead CO sensors are required as a replacement (30 CFR 75.1103-4). This study will examine how the changing of the above regulations has impacted the use of CO sensors in underground coal mines in the US compared to their use based on the last MSHA survey. Importantly, in the previous MSHA survey, the data was recorded for producing and non-producing coal mines. In this study, only the data from the producing coal mines was recorded. Data was collected from a total of 235 coal mines for this study with the help of the MSHA district offices."

Jan 1, 2017

By John K. Liu

The trend to larger grinding mills, requiring total drive power in the range of 10,000 KW(13,400 HP) or so provides the incentive for developing new power transmitting techniques, since conventional girth gears are limited to about 3700 to 4500 KW per mesh (5000-6000 HP). For the immediate future, the synchronous motor, with its beneficial power factor, and the squirrel cage induction motor, with its high reliability record and low maintenance, still promise to be the best choice for prime mover(s). Due to the abovementioned single mesh power limitation of the gear train, however, two or more motors must be combined to attain the required drive power. This paper describes a scheme for coupling these motors to the mill using a straightforward, essentially mechanical means that is based on proven components and controls.

Jan 1, 1977

By P. J. Ryan

Phelps Dodge’s Candelaria copper-gold mine is located 20 km (12miles) south of Copiapó in northern Chile’s Atacama province (Region III) (Fig. 1). The Candelaria Mine is about 800 km (500miles) north of Santiago and 75 km (47 miles) east of the Pacific Ocean. Its elevation is 600 m (1,970 ft) above sea level. The Copiapó River Valley is 6 km (4 miles) northeast of the mine site. It is the only major source of water in this arid region. The average rainfall is 14mm/a (0.5 in./year). During 1995, the mine produced 521.4 kt (574,800 st) of copper concentrate containing 150 kt (165,000 st) of salable copper and 3 t (98,800 oz) of gold. The 1995 unit cash cost was less than 50 cents/lb of copper. This makes Candelaria one the world’s lowest cost copper producers.

Jan 1, 1996

By J. J. Gusek

Passive treatment of mine drainage using constructed wetlands has been employed on coal and metal mine sites since about 1985. The technology has advanced significantly since then; there are currently over 600 of these systems treating coal mine drainage in the Eastern U.S. at flow rates of hundreds of liters per minute. Passive treatment performance at three metal mines discussed in this paper has been positive for a wide variety of flows, water chemistry, and climates. The sites include a high-altitude underground copper mine, acidic seepage from a gold heap leach pad, and pumped effluent from an active underground lead mine in Missouri.

Jan 1, 2000

By G. Paul Anderson

Personnel at Utah Copper Division's Bingham Canyon Mine use current computing technology to compile pertinent production statistics and mining plans. Within hours after the day's work has been completed, concise reports summarizing the previous day's production statistics, actual production vs. budget statistics, the location of shovels relevant to the mining plan, the performance of equipment, equipment next scheduled for maintenance, etc. are available at the terminals located throughout the mine. Also, engineering personnel us e computerized systems, directly from their offices, to assist them in the timely development of mining plans. Timely and concise reporting and planning capabilities such as these assist mine personnel in their efforts to review mining progress and equipment performance, and as such they are in a better position to detect adverse trends early and to seek appropriate resources or make changes in plans or practices.

Jan 1, 1977