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By Paul Soros

The Conneaut, Ohio, terminal of the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad was the first rail-to-ground-to-water coal terminal on the Great Lakes. Compared to the traditional method of holding coal in railroad cars at the ports for dumping their contents into vessels, it provided for: a. Immediate train turn-around independently of vessel arrivals. b. Winter storage of coal at the port, permitting year round shipment by the mines and year round operation of the railroad.

Jan 1, 1969

By Rodney R. Krause

In attempting to tell the general public about the coal industry's land reclamation efforts, we have often said, "We're not doing things by the book, because we're still writing it." Like any good catchphrase, the statement is not only striking but true. It is particularly true in the mountains of Appalachia, where the problems of mining; and of reclamation are made more intense by the nature of the terrain. Mining and reclaiming the land "by the book' --which is to say by the methods of contour mining traditionally used in hill country--hasn't worked too well. So a lot of conscientious coal operators and associations are trying new methods--new ways of mining, new machines for seeding and planting, and new species to seed. Not all their experience can be transplanted to other areas, and of course I don't believe that Appalachia is the only place where new methods are being developed. Nevertheless, there's enough action in Appalachia to make a detailed examination rewarding, so let's focus on the hills to see what's new.

Jan 1, 1970

By Joseph W. Mullan

The today status of air pollution control legislation and regulations can best be described as an exaggerated state of environmental limbo. The '70's began but one and one-half months ago yet it already has been very appropriately named "the decade of the environment." This certainly will be the decade for new legislation - new regulations and hopefully "Clean Air." Already Washington is faced with legislators playing "pollution politics" to the crowds. Students have redirected their efforts from Vietnam to the cleansing of the environment and everyone including the man on the street has become an environ¬mental expert. This is the decade we all face, but where are we today? Pollution is not a new problem. It has been with us for centuries and while much is left to be done, much has already been accomplished. I will try to make some comparisons of what I believe to be the good and bad points in the national air pollution control picture and hopefully will generate within each of you sufficient concern as to which comparisons are sound.

Jan 1, 1970

By M. Boucraut

After stating the advantages of the magnetic roasting technique as applied to iron ores, the authors report on technological research by I R S I D * in the field of magnetic roasting in fluid-bed furnaces This investigation was conducted first on an experimental two stage fluid-bed furnace which processed permanently 100-200 kg/h of ore, then on a three stage fluid-bed furnace with 1-2 t/h working capacity and at last on a 250 t/day pilot furnace The specific features of the IRSID process comprise - on the one hand, using special burners in the roasting reactor thereby ensuring a high production rate of the furnace - on the other hand, using a heat-exchanger where the preheating and cooling stages of fluidized ore are associated, so as to allow an efficient and simple cooling of both roasted ore and waste gases flowing out of the roasting reactor, thereby supplying heat to the crude ore and combustion air for the reactor burners Starting in 1965 the operation of the 250 t/day pilot plant at the Bazailles mine gave IRSID the opportunity of improving the conveying appliances and adapting them to the process, while perfectly confirming the metallurgical results obtained under ideal laboratory conditions

Jan 1, 1968

By Donald R. Simon

Money... not many subjects are as personal or as emotional. Hessiod said it well in 700 B.C. "Money is life to us wretched mortals". Are you getting paid enough? Does your company reward its top people? Does coal or copper pay more? Production or engineering? How is the synfuels industry going to influence mining salaries? Do high salaries attract and retain the best people? Do modern compensation systems ensure fairness or destroy entrepreneurial spirit? With our tax system and high standard of living why are we so salary conscious? Salary is not only important for what it can purchase but it is also a yardstick, measuring how well we are doing. We all need money to pay the bills and maintain our standard-of-living, but once we reach a certain point the psychological ramifications become more important than the purely practical side. Even necessary payments like the mortgage and the car are a function of our egos. Are our choices of cars and homes based on simple transportation and shelter?

Jan 1, 1980

By M. Deniz Turan, HASAN NIZAMOGLU, MÜCEVHER TURAN, RAMAZAN ORHAN

Tailings, or flotation waste, formed during copper production may be considered in the class of valuable wastes because of the amount of copper they contain. With the decreasing grade values of copper ores, the utilization of wastes like tailings that carry certain amounts of copper as secondary sources has become a necessity in both the economic and environmental senses. This study was carried out with the aim of using ammonium derivatives for the recovery of copper from tailings waste produced during copper production and utilizing their complex formation characteristics. In the conditions of six hours of leaching at 30 °C in the presence of 22.5 percent ammonium hydroxide and 100 g/L ammonium persulfate, 91.47 percent of the copper was transferred into the solution, while iron was not transferred, indicating that copper can be selectively recovered from tailings.

By Philani Larrance Ngwenyama, Ronald CW Webber-Youngman

The survival chances of trapped miners in underground mines depend on how quickly they can be located and rescued post-accident. During entrapments, emergency rescue is highly desired but can be hindered by the lack of positioning information when a fit-for-purpose missing-person locator system is not available. Various types of missing-person locator systems are available to aid search-and-rescue operations. From the wide range of the available systems, selecting the most suitable one becomes the next challenge. The available systems have not been measured if they are fit-for-purpose or not, and to what situation. This study proposes user requirements that can be used as a guideline to facilitate the system selection process. These user requirements provide a framework for the design and development of a fit-for-purpose missing-person locator system. The user requirements can also be used for evaluating the performances of a particular system, predict its success, and also drive future research toward developing new technology to enhance the capabilities of the current systems.

Apr 1, 2024

By H. Y. Sohn

The paper discusses two processes, flash ironmaking technology (FIT) and moving-bed ironmaking technology (MBIT), which aim to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the ironmaking industry by using concentrate directly without pelletizing and without using coke.

Aug 1, 2023

By Carl Hansen

Sonora Mining Corporation (SMC) operates the 6,000 tonne per day Jamestown open pit gold mine in the Mother Lode district of California. The mine has been in operation since January, 1987, and has produced approximately 7,800 kilograms of gold since start-up. The property consists of five ore bodies lying along a five kilometer stretch of the famous Mother Lode vein system. At present, only the Harvard ore body is being mined. The Harvard pit is centered around a historic underground mine of the same name that was operated from 1896 to 1916. The present ore body averages 2.5 grams gold per tonne as free milling gold and auriferous pyrite. The project consists of the open pit mine and concentrator complex in Tuolumne County, California, and a carbon-in-pulp leach plant located near Yerington, Nevada.

Jan 1, 1990

By D. Bleazard

Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Inc. is actively involved in improving the reliability of mining and processing equipment through the use of failure analysis and condition monitoring activities. Program results include an increase in equipment capacity and an overall reduction in operating costs. The identification of equipment failure modes and the development of associated capital asset management practices can minimize failure consequences. Successful programs have included; alterations to management practices, equipment modifications, and/or the implementation of condition monitoring programs. By controlling or minimizing the effects of incipient equipment failures, corrective actions can be taken earlier in the failure cycle, resulting in an associated reduction to repair costs and equipment down time.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. S. Moats, A. Luyima, W. Cui

"Organic smoothing additives are used to produce dense, thick, high-quality cathodes in copper electrowinning. Glue had been used traditionally and is still used in operations that do not employ solvent extraction to produce the electrowinning electrolyte. With the advent of solvent extraction–electrowinning, guar started to be used and remained in use for many years as it does not affect the phase disengagement in solvent extraction. Recently, however, guar has been replaced by less-expensive saccharide- and polyacrylamide-based additives. This paper is the first of a series of four papers that examine saccharides and polyacrylamides as new additives for copper electrowinning. A review of previous research related to copper electrowinning additives is presented here, along with a selected review of additives in other copper electrodeposition systems.IntroductionThe recovery of copper from solution by electrowinning was first practiced in the early 1900s, but it was the combination of solvent extraction with electrowinning (SX-EW) in March 1968 at the Ranchers Bluebird Mine (Kordosky, 1992) that changed the landscape for the electrowinning process. Most copper electrowinning capacity is now associated with solvent extraction, though some copper is still won directly from leach solutions (Robinson et al., 2013). The ability to produce high-purity copper cathodes from SX-EW has taken the continued improvement of SX-EW technology over the past more than 40 years.One of the technologies that has seen improvement is that of the organic smoothing agents used during the electrodeposition of copper in the tankhouse. These organic additives are added to the acidic copper sulfate electrolyte during electrowinning to improve the smoothness, brightness and density of the copper cathodes. The organic additives that are presently in use are different from those used in 1999 (Jenkins et al., 1999). Over the past decade, many tankhouses have replaced the use of guar-based organic additives with those derived from other saccharides. Until now, there has been no comprehensive publication in the open literature on the behavior of these additives during copper electrowinning."

Jan 1, 2016

By Ning Wang, Tengfei Guo, Wanyan Li, Hanjie Wen, Hannian Gu, Zehai Li

Red mud has been reported as a potential resource for lithium. To investigate the leaching behavior of lithium, a lithium-rich red mud was neutralized with hydrochloric or oxalic acid and then leached with acetic acid. When red mud was neutralized using dilute hydrochloric acid, about 58 to 60 percent of lithium was leached with 25 percent acetic acid at 95 °C for 60 min, while more than 95 percent of sodium and 85 percent of calcium were dissolved in the leachate solution. When oxalic acid was used to neutralize red mud prior to acetic acid leaching, lower lithium leaching efficiencies of about 42 to 47 percent were observed. Nevertheless, these leaching efficiencies of lithium were close to that of calcium and much higher than those of sodium under the same conditions. In this study, 25 percent (v/v) of acetic acid at 85 °C for 60 min was demonstrated to be the optimum conditions for lithium extraction from oxalic acid-neutralized red mud using acetic acid. The results are useful and of interest for lithium recovery and purification from red mud.

By Ignazio Carbone

"During the design of a typical modern subway, engineering aspects prevail since underground structures remain hidden to most humans. Aligning the advanced architectural concepts with the engineering requirements of the Naples Metro Line 1 (Italy) called for a thorough rethinking of the design process so that the engineering could be kept aligned with the architecture, integrating seamlessly the two with the construction methods, standards and technology.The preliminary design process consisted of three major phases: •,geotechnical and geological issues, preselection of construction methods; •,functional scenario based on engineering and construction requirements; •,review and merging of the architectural concept with the functional and engineering aspects. The last phase proved the most demanding one, matching the first outline sketches with the applicable construction methods. This required continuous alignment of approaches, eventually leading to the design consistent with the original architectural vision, yet fully compliant with the engineering and construction framework. At the beginning general information on Line 1 will be provided, followed by some main features of the construction work along the Dante – Garibaldi section both for the tunnel and the stations. At the end, the selected methodology and the related consequences on the functional, technical and architectural design will be outlined.City of Naples current municipal transportation plan envisages a circle ring line for the metro line M1. Actually it’s open to public the segment Piscinola – Dante – Garibaldi run by AMM, municipal company. This ring segment has been built by Metropolitana di Napoli, while Napoli Metro Engineering (company belonging to MMspa Group) is in charge for the planning of entire system and construction management. Line 1 connects Piscinola-Secondigliano northern periphery to Vomero shopping neighborhood, downtown and Central Railway Station."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. C. Williams

The solution of the dynamic population balance model (PBM) of a closed grinding network consisting of a mill, sump, and cyclone is problematic. The fact that the dynamic PBM model equation solution to the Inverse Problem for grinding systems is degenerate or underspecified is demonstrated. Two numerical solution approaches to the Inverse Problem are used. These are: 1) providing additional constraints on breakage selection functions or 2) performing the Arbiter-Bhrany (or other) normalization of the selection functions. Actual experimental anthracite batch grinding data is used to demonstrate the non-unique functionality of the batch dynamic mill selection and breakage functions for a real physical system. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for systems of constrained non-linear equations is used to solve the batch dynamic PBM grinding equations to obtain the grinding selection and breakage rate functions. Different solutions to the same PBM transport equations are provided. The mill, sump and hydrocyclone were modeled as a CSTR operating at various retention times. Batch dynamic PBM data was used to provide the mill kinetic and breakage selection function data. Two different solutions were obtained depending on the numerical solution approach. The severity of the non-uniqueness problem for dynamic grinding is demonstrated. Each solution approach to a dynamic PBM with transport, while giving the same prediction for a single batch grinding time, gives different solutions or predictions for mill composition for other grinding times. This fact makes dynamic nodal analysis and control problematic. The fact that the constraint solution approach gives a solution may suggest that normalization for closed networks is not necessary. Differences in solutions to the PBM cannot be excused away by inaccuracies in the data used to model the grinding phenomenon.

Jan 1, 1995

By Stanley M. Moos

In reviewing available vacuum filtration equipment in this paper, several types of filters have been included which are probably not familiar to operators in the mining industry. However, it was felt that these units might be of interest in the event that an application should arise for the filtration of a product in the future that does not exist today. In addition, exposure of our industry to equipment used in other industries might have a tendency to be thought provoking and perhaps lead to the development of equipment and/or applications in our industry which do not necessarily exist at this time. Most innovations in filtration equipment have been confined to the improvement or design change of components and accessories, particularly reflecting the availability of materials of construction that have been developed. Recent developments in the application of horizontal belt filters have been innovative. The application of this unit as a substitute for or an adjunct to thickeners in a CO circuit can certainly be innovative and perhaps provide a basis for reduction in capital and operating costs in this area. For example, mill tails are generally pumped at the highest possible density that will adequately flow. Tailings ponds and dams with their attendant design requirements are based upon this estimated water volume. Availability of a much dryer, non-flowing filter cake opens up several new options for disposal. Considerable cost savings could result in the design and planning of disposal areas for containing dryer material. . No attempt has been made in this paper to provide a manual for the operation of all of the many types of equipment that are available. Rather, the paper tries to present an overview.

Jan 1, 1978

By Marek Wilczewski, Kristine Uhlman, Darrel Sipe

With the end of active copper mining in 1983, the extensive underground mine workings and the Berkeley Pit, one of the largest open-pit mines in the United States, began to flood. Daily in- flow to the pit is about five million gallons per day, with the water level rising at a rate of 30 feet per year. To support the remedial investigation and feasibility study, a six-layer, three-dimensional MODFLOW-based ground water flow model was constructed to simulate the 9,100-acre site. The vertical domain of the model extended over 1,060 feet of elevation difference and consisted of a finite difference grid of 89 rows by 54 columns. All work was PC- based. Model boundaries were assigned to correspond to natural hydrologic features such as geologic contacts, faults, and surface water features. The fully calibrated model was approved by the State of Montana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the site remediation. The computer model was used to determine ground water flow velocities and contaminant travel times within the alluvial sediments adjacent to the Berkeley Pit. The purpose of the model was to predict future alluvial ground water flow directions should acid- and heavy metal-laden flood waters filling the Berkeley Pit rise up and enter the Alluvial Aquifer.

Jan 1, 1996

By Michael G. Nelson, Amy Richins, Ashley Hodgson, W. Pratt Rogers

"Sociotechnical systems are everywhere in the modern industrial world. Sociotechnical systems describe how humans interact with technology throughout a variety of processes. These systems are prevalent in modern industrial settings, such as operating mines. Safety and health management systems (SHMSs) are complex sociotechnical structures designed with the aim of managing and reducing occupational risk. U.S. mining companies are voluntarily adopting SHMSs to supplement regulatory safety compliance efforts. Like all complex sociotechnical systems there are a wide variety of approaches and adoption philosophies around a SHMS. Many SHMSs suffer from high levels of redundancies, which manifest themselves in diverse ways: duplicate processes, forms, permits, and tracking mechanisms. These redundancies have severe impacts on the overall system and absorb critical culture and leadership “energy”. A recent study initiated by the University of Utah and sponsored by the Alpha Foundation is investigating the effectiveness of SHMSs across 15 different U.S. mining sites. A large amount of data has been captured to help characterize elements of SHMSs and correlate their impacts on safety outcomes. Many variables were assessed in the study. Those of importance to this paper are the variables describing the robustness of the sociotechnical aspects of the SHMS. Two such variables are the overall integration of the SHMS within the whole system and how data is managed. Data management in this context deals with the approach to capturing, analyzing, and acting on data within the system. As well, systems are integrated around controlled, data-sharing mechanisms. It has been found that wide variety of approaches has been taken to integrate the SHMS within the governing management philosophy at a given site. A series of case studies is presented that develop some specific best practices for proper data management and integration of SHMSs.Introduction and Project Background Managing occupational health and safety can be done in many different ways, and with many different approaches, but is often based on the host country’s regulatory and industrial culture. However, many companies have extended their effort beyond the regulatory requirements of their host nation and have implemented Safety and Health Management Systems. The goal of these efforts is to reduce and eliminate occupational risk. Many health and safety practitioners have a hard time justifying various elements of health and safety management. There is a lack of institutional knowledge that measures and assesses the effectiveness of these Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) elements. To better understand the effectiveness of SHMSs the Alpha Foundation has funded a research project with the University of Utah. The title of the project is “Characterization and Effectiveness of Safety and Health Management Systems in the U.S. Mining Industry.” The research team will assess the SHMSs of 15 United States mine sites. The outcome of the project will be a method to characterize the strength of the SHMS elements, assess a culture and leadership index, and finally establish correlations between elemental risk and safety outcomes. The study is currently in progress. However, many important outcomes have already been observed, particularly on the data management practices within an SHMS."

Jan 1, 2017

By Roland Heersink, Charles H. Wells

This paper discusses how a mill uses off-site data hosting approach to effectively utilize an entire suite of advanced applications to optimize daily operations, without incurring the overhead of on-site systems, staff and support. Details of the solution are provided, together with a live view of actual plant operations. Security and authentication mechanisms are also outlined so that users may gain an appreciation of the actual security of the remotely hosted data. A number of Web-hosted software applications provide direct connectivity to the database offering rapid and deterministic response times to clients. A 24x7 help-desk is available to authorized users from any Internet connected device. The paper shows how mill management advantageously use wireless PDA's to view what is going on at anytime and from anywhere. It concludes with a summary of how the approach is being used to speed decision-making and capture spot market opportunities.

Jan 1, 2002

By H. J. H. Pieterse

This paper highlights the mineralogy of the Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. area. The mine is located at the north end of the Tuscarora Spur and is part of the Bluestar/Goldstrike subdistrict of the Carlin Trend. The Betze, Post, and Meikle Mine are major deposits located in the area. The deportment of gold, its leachability, and various process options are also evaluated. Particular emphasis is given to the practical and economic considerations of ore control, and routing of ore to a process option.

Jan 1, 1993

By AJIT SWAIN, SUNATI MOHANTY

The abstract discusses the importance of predicting the dewatering performance of industrial hydrocyclones from laboratory models. It highlights the challenge of scaling up design and operating parameters for efficiency estimation. The paper describes experiments with a 2-inch and 4-inch hydrocyclone using silica sand. It details the development of a model using the Nageswararao hydrocyclone model and a simulator to estimate model parameters. The model is validated with experimental data, and a new model is developed using 4-inch hydrocyclone data. The technique is then extended to predict dimensions for a full-scale dewatering cyclone operating at higher throughput and solid concentration.

Mar 30, 2022