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By B. R. Addison

In the Spring of 1991, Georgia Marble Company of Arizona (GMCOA), acquired the Andrada Marble Company located near Vail, Arizona, approximately 32 km southeast of Tucson. The Georgia Marble Company operation consists of an open pit quarry and a recently constructed, state of the art calcium carbonate milling and processing facility. The open pit quarry exposes white, crystalline, CaCO3, Escabrosa limestone that meets our customer criteria for Consumer and Industrial Filler applications. The Georgia Marble Company Arizona Division facility is designed and engineered to produce a wide range of milled calcium carbonate that includes finely ground and coarse screened products.

Jan 1, 1994

By C. J. Im

As market conditions become more competitive, U.S. coal producers are faced with the increasing need to find methods of lowering production costs in their operations. One area worthy of investigation is the additional recovery of fine coal that is normally discarded in the preparation plant waste stream. United Coal Company is currently assessing the capability of the Deister Flotaire, a new application of a column flotation cell, to recover additional, saleable coal from preparation plant waste. This paper presents the technical data obtained to date. Work with a 0.76 m (30 inch) diameter cell installed in a plant shows considerable coal recovery is possible from a nominal 0.595 run (28 mesh) X 0 refuse stream.

Jan 1, 1986

By J. L. Mehaffey

A variety of chemicals offered by Armak were evaluated as dewatering aids for aqueous slurries of silica sand, sparsand and feldspar; an established commercial dewatering aid was used as a control. A number of Armak's potential dewatering aids yielded lower moisture retention values than did the commercial product on all of the mineral samples. In addition to the chemical dewatering evaluations, some of the mechanisms involved in the removal of water from these mineral samples were examined.

Jan 1, 1983

The recent mine disasters in Australian coal mines have initiated an introduction of Self-Contained Self-Rescuer (SCSR) as component in the development of new escape strategies for miners. These self-contained self-rescuers are closed circuit, demand sensitive breathing apparatus that make oxygen available to the wearer for a nominal period of time. Their operation is completely independent of the surrounding atmosphere. Once properly donned, the SCSR can assist a miner to escape from an area containing smoke, toxic gases or an oxygen deficient atmosphere. The duration of a typical SCSR is usually taken at the point of complete collapse of the breathing bag which is accompanied by an increase in breathing resistance and inhaled levels of carbon dioxide. Because the oxygen consumption (V02) and the heart rate are correlated, a prediction of V02 and consequently the duration of an SCSR can be made by monitoring the heart rate. Thirty-seven volunteers participated in field simulated escape trials at four underground coal mines. The results from the field trials suggested that oxygen consumption depends on the heart rate, the body weight and exercise rating of the miner. All the volunteers were asked to fill out the questionnaires to evaluate the performance of the units. The miners indicated that they could tolerate the inhaled temperature without any difficulty to breathing resistance. A complete statistical analysis of the field results is also presented.

Jan 1, 1997

By B. M. McKay

The Walnut Creek Mine was developed in 1989 to supply lignite to the Texas-New Mexico Power TNP-ONE power plant. Being new, we had the opportunity to start from scratch and rethink many of the traditional methods of managing a mine operation. We had the opportunity to create a team environment, encouraging people to get involved and make decisions. The founding philosophy of the mine, "A Quality Product by Quality People", acknowledged that the key to a productive, quality operation was the people. This paper will explore methods employed by Walnut Creek in selection of team members, building the team and the relative success of these methods.

Jan 1, 1993

By S. Chander

The results of an investigation to characterize the chalcopyrite/solution interface are presented. Several techniques including galvanostatic and steady state polarization, cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy were used. The results show that the dissolution of chalcopyrite is incongruent. Initially, at low potentials(<O.34V), iron species are released which give rise to the growth of an iron-deficient sulfide (IDS) layer. The dissolved iron might reprecipitate as a hydroxide layer depending on solution composition. Continued oxidation involves diffusion of species through the product layer. At higher potentials (>O.48V) further oxidation leads to dissolution of copper and sulfur species with a resultant breakdown of the IDS layer. The changes in properties of surface coatings resulting from various electrochemical treatments are discussed.

Jan 1, 1991

By Yohan Cha, Eun-soo Hong, Gye-Chun Cho

"Rapid population growth and scarcity of space have led many developed cities to bury supply facilities. In line with this, utility tunnels have been employed in Korea since the 1970s. However, approximately 70% of structures were installed more than 20 years ago, in response to the issue of ageing, tunnel enlargement has been proposed. The aim of this study is to investigate geo-mechanical behavior due to tunnel enlargement. Tunnel enlargement methods have been researched to suggest a optimal method. A finite element analysis is conducted to evaluate ground behavior by the expansion of internal space. Vertical displacement and settlement trough width are investigated according to ground stiffness and different enlargement size. It was determined that displacement is affected by the enlargement size and ground stiffness. Based on the deformation results obtained from the numerical analysis, it is possible to predict ground behavior and stability upon tunnel enlargement. INTRODUCTION Various infrastructures such as electric lines, communication lines, gas pipes, and water pipes are jointly accommodated by utility tunnels. These utility tunnels improve the aesthetics of urban areas and help ensure stable supply. The first utility tunnel in Korea was adopted in 1978 and new tunnels are still being installed with the development of new suburb cities. Nevertheless, about 70% of the utility tunnels were installed over 20 years ago and they are still being used through ongoing repair. Moreover, 90% of utility tunnels were installed before 1995. With aging of the nation’s utility tunnels various problems such as concrete deterioration and scarcity of capacity have arisen. As solution, reconstruction has been considered. Reconstruction can enlarge space and improve the performance by replacing existing structures. For reconstruction, two routes have been proposed: underground excavation and cut and cover. In order to avoid traffic problems caused by road occupation and civil appeals during construction projects, underground excavation is the more attractive option. Tunnel enlargement methods have been classified (Seo et al., 2008; An et al 2013) and major considerations during tunnel enlargement have been outlined (Beak et al., 2007). Enlargement construction cases on road tunnels around the world were introduced (Kim et al., 2012) and the deformation curve during tunnel expansion was proposed to investigate the range of protection that should be offered (Kim et al., 2008; Beak et al., 2011). However, tunnel enlargement technology is limited to road tunnels and railway tunnels. Hence, a study on shallow box tunnel enlargement is required for practical application."

Jan 1, 2016

By Halter L. Gould

Since the turn of the century there has been a marked increase in population, industrial and economic growth, and in energy requirements in the United States. During this time our energy needs have been met largely by natural gas and petroleum, but as our reserves of these materials are depleted, we are going to depend more and more on our large reserves of coal. The mining of coal for electrical power production has increased at a rapid rate during the past decade. Over half the coal produced in the United States in 1971 came from mines utilizing surface mining operations (Paone, et al, 1974). Surface mining is expected to increase as the rising cost of oil places more demand on coal for energy. About 57 percent of the coal reserves in the United States lie in the area west of the 100th meridian. About one-quarter of this can be mined by current surface methods. This would involve the disturbance of approximately 1.5 million acres (600,000 hectares). By the year 2000, projections indicate disturbance of about 200,000 acres, or 300 square miles, in the West. Mined areas receiving more than 250 mm of annual precipitation can usually be revegetated without irrigation if the spoils are properly shaped, the surface layer consists of suitable plant growth media, and proven techniques in rehabilitating disturbed rangeland are applied. Areas receiving less than 250 mm of annual rainfall or with high evapotranspiration rates pose a more difficult problem. Revegetation of these areas can probably be accomplished only with major inputs of water and good management (National Academy of Science, 1974).

Jan 1, 1978

By S. Phillipson

The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Roof Control Division (RCD) evaluated the use of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data to identify fracture traces on Earth’s surface. Results were compared to the analysis method employed by RCD for 30 years, which relies on LANDSAT-TM Band 4. SRTM elevation models are expected to provide a direct representation of bedrock surface, while LANDSAT-TM Band 4 represents reflected near-infrared radiation as an indication of moisture content and is only a proxy for possible structures. Three areas in southwestern Pennsylvania were chosen for ground-truthing lineaments derived from both methods, following a series of desktop comparisons in six areas of the contiguous U.S. Field studies that identified numerous instances in which SRTM lineaments corresponded with joints at the projected location, and were oriented within 10° of joint strike, indicating that those SRTM lineaments represented the structural grain of the area. In some cases, lineaments were associated with individual joint zones. Photo-lineaments derived from the existing LANDSAT-TM methodology appear to offer a higher coincidence with expected trends of joints on a regional scale when performing the desktop comparisons, while field observations indicated that SRTM-derived lineaments had a higher association with individual geologic structures in the case study field area. It appears that both methods can identify the structural grain of an area, and that both tend to identify linear segments of valleys where erosion has preferentially occurred along joint zones or other structures.

Jul 1, 2023

By Haydn H. Murray

This paper presents the results of test work performed with a Pacific Electric Motors (PEM) high intensity magnetic separator (20 kilogauss) , a unit capable of separating weakly, as well as strongly, magnetic minerals in the particle size range of sands to clays. Tests were performed on some 40 industrial minerals. With some minerals excellent separations were attained and with others intermediate and poor separations were accomplished. This study is a preliminary survey and many of the intermediate and poor results can be improved as separation problems are worked out with additional test work. It is demonstrated that with a number of industrial minerals high intensity magnetic separation is a viable beneficiation technique that is economic ally feasible.

Jan 1, 1976

By A. A. Densmore

Telluric Current is that portion of the electric field observed at the surface of the earth which is of an alternating nature, and which is related to solar activity and events in the ionosphere. The primary electromotance which drives the telluric current is the result of the induction process associated with time variations in the earth&apos;s magnetic field. The relationship between the electric and magnetic components of this electromagnetic field depend upon the conductor. For our purposes, we are dealing with frequencies f in the range

Jan 1, 1972

By Jun Yuan

Kaolin clays from five different commercial deposits in Georgia were studied to understand the variations of zeta potential and related fundamental properties. The results suggest that higher negative zeta potential is related to exchangeable or soluble calcium ions in the clays.

Jan 1, 1997

By J. Kretschmann, O. Drusche, S. Krause

Mining companies are caught between the growing international relevance of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investments and the need to secure their “social license to operate” by considering the needs of their stakeholders. In the search for sustainable business models, the concept of the circular economy (CE) is gaining momentum among practitioners and scholars, as it enables the creation of shared value and thus strengthens the trust of investors and stakeholder relationships. However, there is a lack of a sectorspecific CE framework providing guidance to decision-makers in evaluating promising activities. A gap, which this contribution aims to address.

Mar 2, 2022

By S. K. Kawatra, J. A. Halt

"INTRODUCTION Iron ore beneficiation needs advances in areas such as process control, automation, burner and furnace designs, silica-free binders, and even alternative iron making routes. While some – like new binders – are only step-changes, all are tools that can help make the ironmaking industry more sustainable. This paper focuses on binders. Binders are added to iron ore fines before they are agglomerated. Binders are used to control the balling process and increase the mechanical quality (e.g. strength) of green-balls and pellets. Agglomeration usually follows thickening and filtration. Good-grade ores, which don't require upgrading, are wet ground to decrease particle size and increase specific surface area. Low-grade ores are often extensively upgraded through wet operations (flotation, dispersion and selective flocculation, magnetic separation, etc.). For both types of ores, thickening and filtration conclude the circuits so that moisture contents are lowered and the ores can be agglomerated. It's been known for a long time that thickening and filtration behaviors are influenced by zeta potential (Sandvik, 1979). Highly-negative zeta potential is good for dispersion while low zeta potential is good for filtration. So, the zeta potentials of iron ore particles are lowered with additions of acid or carbon dioxide, for example, to increase filtration rates and throughputs (Eisele et al., 2005). What happens to particles as their zeta potentials are lowered? Particles aggregate together, effectively forming larger particles. How stable then, are those aggregates during mixing and balling? Are they easily broken up during mixing (if mixers are even used)? Are they broken up during balling? Or, do the aggregates resist breakage so that the availability of ultra-fines, which are so beneficial for agglomeration (Stone, 1968), is decreased? For plants where high doses of bentonite are used as binder, the above questions may be of no concern. The bentonite adds the necessary amount of fines; however, even at those plants, the calcium and magnesium contents in the water affect bentonite's effectiveness (more magnesium and calcium means less effective bentonite). (Engesser, 2003) For plants where new silica-free organic binders are being developed and used, the above questions may need to be considered. The binder is only amongst the iron ore particles for a short period of time – until it burns away or thermally decomposes in the induration furnace – so the liberation, availability and distribution of fine particulates is very critical for the quality of balls and pellets. It was hypothesized that high zeta potential conditions would lead to good pellets, while low zeta potential conditions would lead to relatively bad pellets."

Jan 1, 2018

By Ben W. Burdett

Since the late 19701s, the use of microcomputers in the minerals industry has grown to the point where today they can be found in virtually every plant within the industry. Their use in every aspect of instrumentation and control has increased the ease of operation and control of every phase of mineral processing. Their incorporation in sensors, transmitters, indicators, and controllers in addition to their use in distributed control and computer systems has provided operators with more timely accurate information than they have ever had before. This has led to an increase in the operator&apos;s effectiveness and an improvement in overall productivity. The ultimate aim of plant control is to maximize recovery in the mineral processing operation, and the microcomputer has spawned many tools that are now making this goal attainable. This paper discusses individual use of microcomputers in the areas previously mentioned as well as their collective use in overall control systems. The incorporation of local control systems in total plant control including the communication of information throughout all levels of plant management is also discussed. Finally the role the microcomputer is playing in today&apos;s plants is illustrated with numerous references to current examples.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. B. Manula

Languages such as SIMSCRIPT and GASP have reduced the programming skills required to build simulation models, but not to a level where these can be used by a busy engineer or manager unless he has extensive programming experience. In an attempt to make simulation a more readily available tool, Sanford (1969) structured a generalized materials handling model (UGMHS)* for underground coal mining. The majority of materials handling systems consist of a set of moves and a set of pieces of equipment required to execute the moves. UGMHS gives a technique for describing and classifying the elements in these sets and then a technique for simulating the interactions of these elements as the materials handling system operates. To apply the model, the user simply furnishes data parameters and a fixed set of orders to the computer for his own problem. This new philosophy of dynamic simulation as applied by UGMHS was demonstrated in the paper by Sanford and Manula (1973). A dynamic model of underground coal mining was presented for the purposes of systems design and selection of equipment for a completely new operation and the analysis of existing ones for possible alterations, additions, and general improvements. The main differences between this application and its predecessors is the ability to transport material from multiple mine faces to multiple mine destinations and the ready adaptability to a wide variety of mine layouts. The second difference that characterizes the model is the deterministic simulation of equipment moves according to their mechanical capabilities and the physical profile of the mining scheme. Here, the computer generates performance data in the absence of time studies to compare equipment rather than operator performance.

Jan 1, 1974

By K. Rajamani

The word adapt means "to change so that one&apos;s behavior will conform to new or changed circumstances." Applying this definition to process controllers suggests that an adaptive controller can change its behavior in response to changes in the dynamics and disturbances of the process. In the minerals industry there are many control cases where adaptive control will provide superior control as compared with more traditional PID (proportional, integral, derivative) control. A typical plant uses as many as 100 to 200 control loops for lprocess regulation. Therefore, the task of initially tuning and then periodically retuning these controllers is a formidable problem, During the time the controllers are "un-tuned", product quality may deteriorate and unstable operations may result. Adaptive controllers are capable of tuning themselves, thus avoiding this problem. The computers commonly used in distributed control systems are easily capable of implementing adaptive controllers. In addition to the possibility of using the control computer to implement adaptive controllers, many distributed control systems will offer adaptive control as a standard feature in the near future.

Jan 1, 1984

By Joseph M. Zigich

The Anaconda Minerals Company operates a molybdenite and copper producing mine and mill facility near Tonopah, Nevada. Included with the milling facility is a ferric chloride leach plant for removal of copper mineralization from the molybdenite concentrates. Discussed are the engineering and construction schedules associated with the leach plant. The chemistry associated with the process along with a description of the process flow, equipment, and operating parameters are contained in the paper.

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas A. Simpson

Hydrogeological techniques were used to solve problems of slope stability in open-pit mines of the Eufaula bauxite district, Alabama. Geologic and hydrologic data were evaluated and used to design a system of dewatering wells to enable the operators to mine bauxite more efficiently and economically. Walls of open-pit mines in the district were subsequently stabilized by the operation of the dewatering system. Three open-pit mines, each at varying stages of the mining process, of the A. P. Green Refractories Company, were used to develop a sequential series of guidelines that indicate how to effectively remove ground water from the formations surrounding the ore bodies in the district. The use of sound engineering principles in well design, in combination with the correct interpretation of the pit hydrology provided the basis for solutions of the slope- stabilization problem aided in the economical removal of bauxite from mines of the district.

Jan 1, 1975

By G. J. C. Young

The paper describes the replacement of a conventional filtration, clarification and zinc precipitation plant by a carbon in pulp (CIP) electrowinning plant, with the objective of improving the recovery of gold from cyanide leached, acid plant calcines. The discussion covers the early laboratory studies to the design and erection of the full scale plant. Particular emphasis is placed on the problems encountered with commissioning and the strategies which were employed to solve them.

Jan 1, 1982