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By C. E. Semler

A 5 year test program, involving on-line, in-vessel exposures at Barrick Goldstrike Mines. Inc. has provided valuable information and experience about the materials and designs for brickwork linings in pressure oxidation autoclaves. A variety of brick and mortar products have been evaluated. Properties before and after exposure are used to document the performance. Benefits have included the development of a new silicate mortar improved understanding of brick requirements and increased autoclave operating time between maintenance shut-downs. More improvements are expected in the future based on further information from the test program.

Jan 1, 1997

"SART technology is a useful tool for improving the economics of gold recovery from certain types of complex gold ores. SART liberates cyanide consumed by base metals such as copper, zinc and nickel, and enables the newly freed cyanide to be recycled to precious metals leaching while producing high-grade base metal sulphide concentrates for sale. The benefits of SART include the reduction in cyanide consumption, avoidance of cyanide destruction costs, minimization of risks of environmental non-compliance due to residues of cyanide destruction reporting to mine effluents, and generation of extra revenue from the sale of base metal concentrates. Concerns with SART typically include uncertainties around capital and operating costs and proper integration of SART into the overall metallurgical flowsheet. This paper presents two case studies addressing these concerns. The first involves actual costs of the full scale SART integrated into a gold heap leach operation and treating up to 500 m3/hr of leach solution at a mine in Mexico. The second involves field pilot testing and a preliminary cost estimate for integrating SART into a silver mine in Peru using Merrill Crowe.INTRODUCTION One of the current trends in the gold industry globally is the increasing importance of complex polymetallic gold deposits as discoveries of large Carlin type gold deposits become increasingly rare (Sceresini, 2005). The presence of cyanide soluble copper and zinc in complex gold deposits necessitates changes in traditional gold extraction metallurgical flowsheets. One of the tools available to the industry to help deal with interferences of cyanide-soluble base metals in gold extraction is the SART (sulphidization-acidification-recycling-thickening) process. SART breaks the weak acid dissociable (WAD) base metal-cyanide complexes, precipitates the metals as high-grade sulphide concentrates and makes the freed cyanide available for recycle. Although SART is a commercially available technology, it is still relatively new to the industry. Fewer than ten (10) full scale plants have been constructed in the past couple of decades. Some of these SART plants are small, most are located at remote sites, and the majority have not operated on a continuous basis. This has resulted in a general lack of information in the industry about the true costs, operability and metallurgical performance of SART. BQE Water has been involved in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of large scale SART plants in Mexico, Turkey and Chile and has conducted field testing programs as part of the technical assessment of SART integration into various metallurgical circuits. Having built and operated numerous plants utilizing selective sulphide precipitation of heavy metals, BQE Water has gained unique insight into the design and control of the sulphidization stage of SART to minimize costs and ensure high efficiency in cyanide recovery."

Jan 1, 2017

By William A. Beck

Bauxite was discovered in the Springvale district in 1916. About 16, 000 tons was mined in the period 1916 to 1922, but no bauxite mining has been done since that time. The Bureau of Mines explored for bauxite in the district from September 5 to November 18, 1943. During the life of the project, the Bureau of Mines obtained mineral exploration agreements covering a total of 11,330 acres from 50 property owners. A total of 388 holes were drilled on five of these properties and 164 samples were taken and analyzed. The Springvale bauxite district includes an area of about 30 square miles in the northwestern part of Randolph County, Ga. The village of Springvale is in the west central part of the district, and Cuthbert is 8 miles southeast of it (fig. 1).

Jan 1, 1949

By Bonifacio Degay, Mike Lovitt

PT Freeport Indonesia is a block cave mine that now utilizes an advanced undercut method to set up the min in the Deep Ore Zone (DOZ). In this method a slice of rock (undercut) is broken such that it sits on top of the drawbell level. The drawbells are developed to channel the broken ore into the extraction level and to enable the caving orebody to be drawn out in an even and controlled manner. These drawbells are difficult to form due to the small amount of void that can be developed in the low strength rock before firing. Starting with two rises of 2m square, the void ratio for the entire drawbell around 6%, which would normally result in a frozen and unproductive blast. Orica -Mining Services have worked with PT Freeport in a collaborative effort to find a solution to the mining problem. With excellent control of timing of the blasting it is possible to get fluid flow of blasted rock out of the draw points such that more void can be made available for blasting the remaining parts of the drawbell. The i-konTM electronic blasting system gives the exacting control of timing within the blast to achieve this Dynamic Void Generation (DVG). The solution stops the need to charge close to brows in the drawbells and reduces the cost and time related to developing initial blast voidage. This paper identifies the results of the trials including design, photographic evidence and vibration analysis. The flexibility and accurate timing of this electronic blasting system has enabled single hole initiation rather than 4 or more holes being initiated together, thereby reducing the damaging vibrations to the extraction level.

Jan 1, 2004

By E. B. Nelson, B. W. Gandrud, B. M. Bird

"The Lewisburg No. 2 mine of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Company is located in Jefferson County, Alabama, about 7 miles due north of Birmingham. At this point the coal from the Mary Lee seam when coked in by-product ovens yields an excellent quality of metallurgical coke suitable for use in the iron blast furnace; it is also an excellent steam coal. In mining, all three benches are worked. Coarse impurities are largely gobbed by the miners underground.In addition to giving the data obtained from screen-sizing and float-and-sink tests of a representative sample of the raw coal, this report presents the results of slotted-screen tests to show the proportions of flaky particles in selected sizes, and the results of tests to show how much coal is liberated from impurities by crushing the coarsest sizes. These data have been obtained in connection with an extensive study of coal-washing now being conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the University of Alabama, with U. cooperation of the different operators of Alabama. As the work progresses other reports will follow containing furtner data on the washability both of the Mary Lee seam and of other seams in Alabama and giving the results obtained in preparing these coals by various methods.Although a great amount of investigative work on the preparation of the Mary Lee scam was previously carried on by the various coal companies of the district, comparatively little of this information has been published. In governmental publications three references have been found. Forbes5 gives a number of sections with proximate and ultimate analyses of face samples taken in the mines. Gandrud and Britton'' show sections of this seam at Flat Creek and New Castle; they also give the specific gravity and ash contents of the partings of coal and impurities. In their paper Yancey and Fraser7 include washability studies and washing data from the Sayreton mine of the Republic Iron & Steel Co."

Jun 1, 1930

By J. R. Dyni

The lacustrine Green River Formation of Eocene age in the Green River Basin, southwest Wyoming, contains the world's large resource of natural sodium carbonate in bedded trona (Na2CO3? NaHCO3? 2H2O). In this study, 126 billion tons are estimated to be present in 22 beds, ranging from 4 to 36 feet in thickness. These 22 beds underlie areas of about 50 to more than 775 square miles at depths ranging from about 650 to more than 3,000 feet below the surface. The total resource of trona ore in the basin for which drilling information is available is estimated to be about 149 billion short tons. The undeveloped deeper trona beds in the southern part of the basin may be exploitable by solution mining. Additional unevaluated sodium carbonate resources are present in disseminated shortite in strata interbedded with the trona and in shallow sodium carbonate brines in the northeast part of the basin.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. E. McElroy

Ventilation-pressure surveys are required to determine the rates of pressure losses in various parts of mine-airway systems. These may be determined directly by differential pressure measurements or deduced from absolute pressure measurements, Despite the confusion caused by its inverted nonlinear scale, the altimeter has special application to pressure surveys in mines in which only small differences in elevation are involved, as is true for most of our large bituminous-coal mines in these, the judicious use of information obtained by pressure surveying can result in greatly improved working conditions as regards health and safety and, in many instances, can yield large financial returns. The main purposes of this report are to discuss methods of using altimeters for pressure surveys and to present the particular methods of making surveys and calculating the results of surveys used by the Mine Ventilation Section of the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1957

By R. Eggert

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductors has led to extensive interest and conjecture regarding their potential to change contemporary technology, discussions of the impact on the metallurgical and other industries have naturally arisen. In this paper we present data showing the possible impact of these developments on the materials related to the fabrication and proliferation of devices based on superconductor materials. We observe that the largest volume of effort with LTSC will be for the demonstration of high power devices while applied research relating to processing will remain the principal HTSC activity. We also note that in the next decade copper consumption in the US is expected to remain essentially at the current level while the need for Nb and Sn,; two major components of LTSC, will grow at a faster rate both in the US and the world. Although the use of superconductor-based magnetic separation is anticipated to increase, no major impact of these components on the metallurgical industries is expected.

Jan 1, 1990

By Y. Luo

Based on the concept of slope stability analysis, a formula for determining an important parameter required in the mathematical model for the prediction of mining subsidence in hilly terrain has been proposed. The slope geometry and soil physical and mechanical properties of the surface natural slope can all be considered in the formula. Incorporation of this new formula into an existing mathematical model provides an integrated approach in studying ground movement in hilly regions.

Jan 1, 1998

By M. Melashvili

"The SART Process was introduced to the gold mining industry in the late 1990s and several commercial plants were built over the following 10 to 15 years. Most of these plants have operated well and enjoyed plant performance in line with expectations based on the underlying chemistry of the process. However, two of the plants have consistently suffered from high reagent consumption and poor product quality, which has motivated a re-examination of the process fundamentals.The primary product in the SART Process is synthetic chalcocite, Cu2S, and the stoichiometric requirement for sulphide addition is therefore 0.5 moles per mole of copper in solution. It is shown here that when sulphide is added in excess of this amount (generally with the express purpose of lowering residual copper in solution) it not only fails in its intended purpose, but can have a negative impact on the settling and filtration characteristics of the copper sulphide product, as well as the final product quality. Moreover, these problems are exacerbated the higher the selected operating pH in the pH 3 to 5 range, and the longer the residence time of slurry in this pH range.Freshly precipitated copper sulphide compounds are known to be very fine and slimy, with poor settling and filtration characteristics. It is therefore important to engineer the SART Process in such a way as to encourage growth in the average particle size of the precipitate crystals. This was the rationale for recycling a portion of the thickener underflow to the primary reactor when the SART Process was developed. However, the theory of crystallization predicts that compounds of extremely low solubility, such as chalcocite (Cu2S: KSP = 10-48), are unlikely to experience growth in crystal particle size through heterogeneous nucleation and are more likely to grow through aggregation. On this basis, the SART practice of recycling a portion of thickener underflow to the primary reactor in the commercial plants is unlikely to lead to crystal growth via nucleation, and could in fact promote breakage of the aggregates that formed in the thickener. Recycling thickener underflow could therefore have the opposite of the desired outcome. The result of testwork that is reported here lends credence to this theory and questions the wisdom of recycling in the SART process."

Jan 1, 2016

By Thomas Trochalides

Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Brooklyn, NY is the largest of 14 Water Pollution Control Plants in New York City. It services over 1 million people with a current processing capacity of 310 million gallons daily. Upgrades to the plant have been underway since 1998. This paper details the foundation elements installed in three separate contracts during 2009: NC-41F, NC-36G, and NC-47G. The elements are Concrete-Filled Pipe Piles, H-Piles, Steel Sheet Piling, Secant Walls, Drilled Caissons, and High Capacity Micropiles. Soils on the site consist of fill over organic silty clay and silty sand. Beneath the organic layers lie lake sand and varved silt and clay, sitting atop glacial till and rock. Due to Federal Mandates, certain plant capacity and secondary treatment requirements had to be met by specific dates. Failure to meet the requirements would have an adverse affect on the NYC areas being serviced. Further complicating the project, the existing plant operations had to be maintained throughout the entire construction phase. To accommodate the constraints of the project, new specialty equipment and several key redesigns were used to maintain construction schedules

Jan 1, 2010

By R. Bhaskar

The objective of the project was to optimize the ventilation parameters of a continuous miner underboom scrubber to further control. the amount of airborne dust discharged during mining, to further reduce the exposure of face personnel for an exhaust brattice ventilation system, and avoid recirculation of contaminants at the face. This research was performed in an underground coal mine in Utah. The tasks included preliminary face ventilation evaluation and optimization of the scrubber system to eliminate recirculation of the scrubber discharge air. Airflow tests were conducted on the currently used dust control system and the modified scrubber system. Tracer gas tests were performed to evaluate face ventilation effectiveness. Confirmatory tests of the scrubber system under actual operating conditions, modifications to the scrubber system, and a comparative evaluation of the scrubber system vs. the existing system were performed. This paper presents the results of the airflow pattern tests and the respirable dust levels in the modified scrubber system and the existing system. The optimized face ventilation parameters and the developed operating guidelines may provide the benefits of dust reduction, better face ventilation, and improved visibility.

Jan 1, 1994

By D. E. Healy

In 1989 an Autogenous Grinding Task Force was formed to study potential autogenous grinding circuits to replace the existing semi-autogenous grinding at the National Steel Pellet Plant located in Keewatin, Minnesota. Pilot plant test work performed by the Hanna Research Center (HRC) indicated that fully autogenous grinding with pebble extraction and crushing could feasibly be incorporated into the existing circuits. In 1990, one of the existing ten grinding mills was converted for an in-plant test incorporating pebble crushing. The full scale test work conducted in 1990 and 1991 verified the pilot plant projections with primary mill throughputs from the fully autogenous circuit utilizing pebble crushing being greater than throughput of the existing SAG mill circuits.

Jan 1, 1992

By Rob Herr, Irwan Halim, Heather Marsh

This project will expand sanitary sewer within the City of Columbus. It consists of 2.5 mile long, 72-inch finished diameter pipe grouted inside 10.8-foot diameter tunnel excavation in shale. This paper describes the multi-faceted geotechnical exploration to minimize the underground risks. The tunnel will cross below a buried valley with minimum cover of highly weathered rock. The risk mitigation to cross the valley includes contingencies and cost allowances. Provisions to prevent impact on adjacent groundwater resources will be described. Latest construction updates will be provided including contractor alternate shaft support and pre-excavation probing to mitigate tunneling risk below the valley.

Jun 23, 2024

By P Holt, M Allen

On the first of July, 2012, the Australian GovernmentÆs Clean Energy Act commenced. From this point, a price of $23/t of CO2-e will apply to facilities that trip the liability threshold. This first part of this paper concentrates on the mechanics of the Clean Energy Future legislation and how it will be applied to the mining and mineral processing industry.The second part of this paper contains analysis of the data presented for typical mine operations. Methodologies for constructing a carbon strategy are also presented. This will entail determining what the objectives of the carbon strategy are, and defining what the strategic priorities for a business should be. An action plan to address the risks identified from the Clean Energy Act is also developed as part of the strategy.Details such as the advantages and disadvantages of opting into the carbon price scheme for liquid fuels are shown. Other considerations such as the ability to acquire permits through the carbon farming initiative or through overseas clean development mechanism projects are explained.CITATION:Allen, M and Holt, P, 2012. Implications of the carbon price and developing a carbon strategy, in Proceedings International Mine Management 2012, pp 105-114 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 20, 2012

By TOMI GIORGIO DE, Ricardo Tichauer

Mineral exploration is a key factor for success in the mining industry. However, exploration best practices are often ignored in small-scale mining. This works presents the Tichauer-DeTomi Matrix, a methodology that measures the level of compliance of exploration programs in small-scale mining with the industry best practices. The matrix has been applied to three projects in Brazil: an artisanal gold mine in the state of Pará, a small-scale manganese project in the state of Bahia, and a small-scale manganese project in the state of São Paulo. The application of the matrix resulted in indexes that represent the level of maturity of the exploration program in each project and indicate priority actions for reduction of the geological uncertainty. Therefore, the Tichauer-DeTomi Matrix has shown potential to be a useful tool for assessment of geological uncertainty in small-scale mining. As a risk indicator, it may contribute to promoting investment in small-scale mining and development for communities that depend on this activity around the world.

1. Publications of The Institute of Metals The following publications are available from The Institute of Metals, Sales and Marketing Dept, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SWIY 5DB, England. . Intermediate temperature embrittlement processes in duplex stainless steels. 1990. £15.00. This is a special issue of Materials Science and Technology containing the full proceedings of the international workshop held in Oxford in August 1989. . Worked examples in dislocations, by M.J. Whelan. 112 pp. £16.00. This is a concise introductory text that examines aspects of the theory of dislocations. . Introduction to creep mechanisms, by B. Wilshire. 1991. 112 pp. Well-supported by diagrams and illustrations, this concise introductory textbook allows students and engineers to increase their knowledge of modern theoretical and practical approaches to creep and creep fracture. . Powder metallurgy. A series of lectures. 1991. (Looseleaf binder). Originally published in 1986 by the Fachverband Pulvermetallurgie, this course book provides an introduction to PM technology. Divided into eight thematically distinct sections, it also contains numerous illustrations and tables, as well as 150 slides. The concluding section contains an extensive reference list to the literature for readers wishing to study topics in greater detail.

Jan 1, 1991

By P. G. Bennett

The Bureau of Mines developed a process using ion exchange to recover cobalt from spent copper leach solutions. A preliminary economic evaluation of the process indicated that about one-third of the capital cost was attributed to the total resin inventory, and one-third of the operating cost was required for reagents to remove iron from the ion-exchange eluates. An agitated Pachuca elution system was investigated in place of a fixed-bed elution system. The Pachuca system reduced the resin inventory by 27 pet when compared with the fixed-bed elution system. Processing fresh spent copper leach solution reduced the resin inventory by 20 pct and resin iron loading by 80 pct. Reagent requirements for removing iron from the eluates were decreased because less iron was extracted. The Pachuca system, along with processing fresh spent copper leach solution, reduced the total resin inventory by 47 pct. A revised cost evaluation of the cobalt recovery process was obtained to determine the effects of these process modifIcations. The estimated total capital cost for a plant processing 10,000 gpm of spent copper leach solution containing 26 ppm Co was $23.1 million. With credits for nickel, zinc, and copper byproducts, the estimated net operating cost was $5.10/lb of cobalt.

Jan 1, 1988

Access to the Rosebery Orebody, which dips into the western slopes of Mount Black at 45¦, has been achieved in sequence by the following means: - A series of adits down to 8 level - An inclined shaft (No. 1 Shaft) sunk internally from 8 level to 14 level - A vertical circular concrete lined shaft (No. 2 Shaft) sunk internally from 4 level to 19 level. Although the orebody has been fairly well defined to 19 level, deeper ore occurrences have been outlined by a series of drill holes decreasing in frequency with depth to 26 level. No. 2 Shaft (sink) was stopped some 10 m below 19 level in order to make an early start on doubled production at West Coast Mines, with the intention of subsequently extending the shaft or of driving a decline from the lowest operating horizon for deeper access. The decline approach was adopted some six years after production commenced from No. 2 Shaft. The reasons for that decision are outlined, together with an account of the constraints and design requirements imposed by commencing by a vertical shaft in the hanging wall of the orebody.

Jan 1, 1982

In its largest product launch in company history, Cummins Engines welcomed more than 200 customers, vendors and media to witness the unveiling of its new QSK95 engine at its Seymour Engine Plant in Seymour, IN on Nov. 1. It took the efforts of 150 engineers to design the QSK95 and more than $100 million in investments to establish a new production line and test facility at Cummins? Seymour Engine plant. The result of these efforts is a new platform of engines that Cummins says will provide as much as 2,983 kW (4,000 hp) and will be the most powerful, high-speed diesel engine ever built.

Jan 1, 2012