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By Maurice Deul

Limestone can be used effectively in treating acid mine water. Aside from a lower cost than for other treatment agents, limestone has the advantages of easy storage and effectiveness even when impure and in slack sizes. Limestone incorporated into waste piles in layers or as riprap can inhibit acid formation; limestone rubble packed in a mine entry offers promise in formation of a low-cost autogenous resilient seal.

Jan 1, 1974

By A. Iordanidis

Fly ash samples were collected from two large lignite-fired power plants of Ptolemais region, northern Greece. Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) was applied for the characterisation of the samples. ESEM coupled with Energy Dispersive System (EDS) provided fast and accurate results on the morphology, mineralogy and chemical composition of the fly ash particles. Fly ash consists mainly of aluminosilicate glass, silicates, oxides-hydroxides, sulphates, carbonates and char. Various types of chars, spheres (e.g. ferrospheres, cenosphers, plerospheres etc.), spheroids, agglomerates and mineral crystalls were observed. The size distribution of the fly ash particles was correlated with their mineralogical and chemical composition. Possible environmental impacts and potential utilization is also discussed in this study.

Jan 1, 2005

By Christopher J. Bise

During the past two decades, the emphasis on technological advances in US underground coal mining has focused on longwall mining. But there also has been a steady, although less spectacular, advance in the state-of-the-art in room-and-pillar mining. This has been stimulated by the successes of longwall mining in mine cost reduction, increased availability and improvements in haulage infrastructure, such as conveyor belt haulage. In addition, changes in management practices, such as nine- or 10-hour shifts, and marketing pressures have resulted in changes in the use of equipment. The net result of these changes has been the creation of modern room-and-pillar operations where average production levels currently exceed those considered very good 20 years ago. In fact, current production levels considered outstanding were considered unattainable two decades ago.

Jan 1, 1995

By Michael G. Nelson

In 1992, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund the reclamation of an abandoned placer mine. The project also included the development of a water-quality and hydrologic-monitoring program. The grant was provided under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and is administered through EPA's Region X Water Division. For the past 100 years, Alaska's interior has been the site of extensive placer-mining operations. Early surface and underground operations left small tailings piles, some of which are still visible. Dredging left larger tailings piles, similar to those in California and elsewhere. The only reclamation of these tailings involved use as road base and fill and other civil applications. Most active mines in Alaska are on state and federal lands. The standards of reclamation for mines on federal lands are established under US Mining Laws, 43 CFR 3809. They address only mines operated since 1981. Under a state statute passed in 1990, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water and Mining, has issued reclamation regulations. These regulations apply to sites on state, federal and private lands, but only those mined since Oct. 15, 1991.

Jan 1, 1995

By Larry Lynott

This paper summarizes the benefits ofusing an in-situ analyzer in a sampling and valuation program. The tests and studies cited quantify the problems associated with current conventional sampling techniques and contrast conventionally-obtained results with those obtained through in-situ analysis. Data are presented to show the improved precision in valuation resulting from the in-situ method. Greater precision in estimating the mineral content of unmined ground becomes increasingly important as mines strive for optimum exploitation of their deposits. As the following analysis shows, the variable distribution of minerals within a deposit, along with the difficulty and the cost of high density sampling limits the precision which is currently possible in practice. An inherent problem exists in the conventional method of sampling. The erratic values of ore grade necessitate the collection oflarge numbers of samples for statistically accurate valuation and ore reserve estimation. Owing to the cost of manpower, current sampling techniques do not allow for the collection of sufficiently large numbers of samples. The most common method of sampFng in current practice is chip sampling, although bulk sampling is sometimes used. The intent of sampling is to obtain an estimate of the value of blocks of ground prior to mining. This information is used to plan the rate and sequence of mining, yet the sampling intervals which are possible in practice cause these block estimations to be ubject to considerable uncertainty. This inevitably leads to mcorrect mining decisions which may be vy costly.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. C. Freas

Imported products and materials have been in the news over the last several years in a wide variety of industries. Certainly the mining and industrial minerals industry has not been exempt from this. Cement imports have received considerable attention in the press and a number of written articles. We are also seeing imported aggregates particularly along the gulf coast and east coast of the United states. We are now hearing increasing talk of bringing high brightness calcium carbonate from offshore sources into the U.s. domestic markets. This paper takes a look at the location of these sources, factors affecting their acceptance by U.S. industry and presents a general cost comparison of offshore and domestic calcium carbonate. In addition, the market response of U.S. suppliers and the impact of imports is also discussed.

Jan 1, 1989

By Duk-Won Park

Since geologic anomalies are one of the governing factors of instability of underground openings, it is extremely important to know in advance the locations and extent of these anomalies such as faults and weak zones. At an underground coal mine in the Black Warrior Basin, core drilling was conducted to find a fault in an area where they were planning to locate longwall panels and possibly a shaft. Core logging did not provide sufficient information to delineate the exact location, strike, and dip of the fault. However, a high resolution reflection seismic study successfully solved this problem. This experience proved the seismic exploration technique could be used for premining coal exploration by reducing drilling costs and providing more accurate and detailed information about geologic anomalies.

Jan 1, 1988

By SME SME

List of Conference Committee

Jun 23, 2024

By K. Valta

This paper presents an approach for developing a Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) framework tailored to the Greek Industrial Minerals sector, due to its importance for the national economy. To achieve this goal, an overview of the Greek mining and minerals, and especially the Industrial Minerals sector, from a technological and a financial perspective, is presented. In addition, a brief description of the global initiatives to this direction is given. The proposed indicators are based on those presented in 2006 by the Greek Mining Enterprises Association (GMEA) adjusted for the sector of industrial minerals by taking into account economic, environmental and social issues, known as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach.

Jan 1, 2007

By W. Kuckshinrichs

Metallic raw material flows are characterized by a complex global network of producers and consumers, as well as by a multitude of ecological, economic and social impacts across national boundaries and on different scales. This leads to the need to develop methodologies, which allow identifying obstacles that prevent metallic raw material flows to contribute to sustainable development. From a scientific point of view CRC 525 (Martens 2003) has developed an holistic indicator set consisting of approximately 80 different indicators. This set is taking into account the multi-dimensional character of sustainable development. Moreover the indicators reflect different system boundaries according to different actor levels and decision contexts. The full indicator set is important in scientific considerations and suitable for scientific awareness creation. However, to fulfil the function of a decision support approach for political and economic decision-makers some modifications are of central concern. At first a reduction of the full indicator set by selection of core indicators enables decision-makers to deal with complex issues of contrary economic and societal protection targets. Secondly, as thresholds of indicators justify societal call for action, they are discussed against its political or scientific origin. The proposed methodology is exemplified by indicator-based studies of the material flow of aluminium.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. A. Holley

Agitative agglomeration is a rapidly expanding field related to many chemical processes. This paper reviews many processes and the particular type of agitative agglomeration that is utilized with each. Many new innovations to produce granular products in place of powder are explored. The operation and theory of the many types of agitative agglomeration equipment is reviewed.

Jan 1, 1988

By R. Callaway

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (?CERCLA?), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 ("SARA?) establishes a comprehensive Federal regulatory program for addressing environmental and public health risks posed by releases of hazardous substances into the environment from a wide variety of industrial and other sources. The statute is primarily administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"). The applicability of CERCLA to the mining, milling, and smelting industries (hereinafter referred to as the ?mining industry?) has been upheld by the courts and recently affirmed by Congress. The purpose of this article is to briefly outline the scope of CERCLA as it applies to the mining industry, the scope of EPA's activities pertaining to the mining industry under CERCLA, the types of remedies which may be pursued by EPA, and the liability scheme of CERCLA as it applies to corporate entities, managers, and shareholders involved with the mining industry. Natural resource damage claims, State cooperative agreements, and other State-related issues will not be discussed.

Jan 1, 1988

By S. L. Patil, D. E. Walsh

A novel form of calibration of on-line analyzers was implemented. Rather than simple equations, a neural network was used to model the relationship between the scintillation counts (Am and Cs) of an analyzer, and the measured ash for improved on-line analysis of run-of-mine (r.o.m.) coal. Also, a new approach was followed to better evaluate neural network performance. Samples were first divided into various statistically different groups using a Kohonen network. Data was then selected for the training, calibration and prediction subsets, using criteria developed in this paper for sparse data, with representation from each group. A backpropagation based neural network architecture was used in conjunction with quick stop training. Due to noise in the data, the predictions were very good on average, but not individually.

Jan 1, 2003

By Dale R. Ralston, Roy E. Williams, Gerry V. Winter, George L. Bloomsburg

Jan 1, 1986

By S. Z. Galiyev

In this paper the basic approach to the present planning and quality management of open-pit ore streams is presented. This is accomplished within the framework of a unified system of information management for the administration of a geotechnological complex on open-pit development of mineral deposits.

Jan 1, 2003

By Lennart Mukka

This paper describes the experiences from construction of a new ventilation system in LKABs Kiruna Mine in Sweden as well as the choice of the method for air flow regulation with concern of life cycle cost and the description of the foundation design. The evaluation of the performance test will be presented.

Jan 1, 1997

By R. ?nupárek

The quantities/volumes of extracted coal, waste rock, mine water and methane during a 250 year period of coal mining in the Czech part of the Upper Silesian coal basin are presented. The paper deals also with the impacts of mining on surface including subsidence, methane escape, mining affected landscape and induced seismicity. Change of hydrogeological regime in relation to closing and flooding of mines are discussed. In the final part recommendations for utilisation of closed underground mines and pit heaps are proposed.

Jan 1, 2005

By I. P. Giannopoulou

Flotation tailings resulted from the mineral pro-cessing of mixed sulfides ores represent the main source of the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). These solid wastes remain un-utilized in the disposal areas (tailing dams), while for their stabilization and the immobilization of the contained heavy metals highly costly management techniques are required. In the present paper the geopolymerization of the flotation tailings resulted from copper sulfide ores dressing process is investigated, as an alternative method for their treatment aiming at immobilize the contained heavy metals and utilize the produced materials as raw materials in the construction materials industry.

Jan 1, 2006

By J. Owens

The methodology of quarrying changed significantly in the Indiana Limestone industry in the sixty years between September 11, 1941, the date of the Pentagon groundbreaking ceremony and September 11, 2001 when the building was damaged by American Airlines Flight 77. So too, though to a lesser degree, did the machinery and methods used to fabricate the stone. The rededication ceremony on September 11, 2002 marked the end of the Phoenix Project, as the rebuilding effort was named. The story of this remarkable project illustrates what the American construction (and Indiana Limestone) industry can accomplish when working toward a common goal.

Jan 1, 2004

By G. Petrakis

The selection of suitable species of plants for the rehabilitation of mining disturbed lands is one of the most crucial decisions to be made concerning the success of planting revegetation. Native plant species are best suited for use in the work of reintroducing vegetation in rehabilitated areas. By using such species an increase in the success rate of rehabilitation is attained not only as regards yield due to their better growth ability (they are adapted to local climatic conditions), but also because of a better adjustment to and better visual harmonization with the surrounding unspoiled areas.

Jan 1, 2002