Search Documents

By J. Geyer, B. T. Burton, H. W. Newcomen

For open pits developed in tropical climates the upper portions of the pit walls are often located in residual soils and weathered rock. Due to the presence of relict structures, and the relatively low strength of the residual soils and weathered rock, design slope angles in these materials have to be developed by blending the results of kinematic assessments of geologic structures with rock mass stability analyses and traditional soil mechanics. Background information on the engineering considerations of residual soils are discussed, and the results of geotechnical assessments for proposed pit design of the Brisas del Cuyuni Project, located in southeastern Venezuela, are presented.

Jan 1, 2000

By R. R. Hornor, Geo. M. Hunt

The purpose of this paper is to point out some of the benefits and economies to be derived by the better selection , preparation, storage , preservation and utilization of mine timber , and to give some specific information on certain wood preservatives and processes suitable for mine timber preservation . The paper is based largely upon data obtained by actual experimentation and service tests conducted by the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory , Madison, Wisconsin, on wood preservation , covering a period of many years , and upon a field survey during the past summer by one of the mining engineers of the U. S. Bureau of Mines of some of the principal mining districts of Michigan , South Dakota , Montana , and Idaho , in which he made a general ' study of mine timber in metal mines , particular attention "being given to timber decay ; the conditions under which it takes place most actively ; the measures , if any , that are being used to combat it; and, finally, the advantages that might be anticipated in the use of chemically treated timber to prevent decay and thus prolong its life .

Feb 1, 1922

By A. J. Goodman

Introduction The position of Turner Valley in the foothills of Alberta, some thirty-five miles southwest of Calgary, is too well known to need further description. This attempt to interpret in detail the nature of the structure, and its relationship to neighbouring structures, together with general observations on the foothills belt, is based on work carried out in the office of the Supervisory Mining Engineer, at Calgary. The object in view was the correlation of the mass of evidence which had accumulated from the detailed examination of drill cuttings, and to discover, if possible, its structural significance. Unfortunately it is not possible to publish most of this detail owing to its confidential nature, and in consequence the reader is asked to accept certain statements, which under other circumstances would not be made without supporting evidence. The main argument for the general structural interpretation rests on evidence which has already been made public, and it is possible to proceed to logical conclusions on the main points. The evolution of ideas concerning the structure of Turner Valley is somewhat difficult to follow, as, compared with all that has been said on the subject, there is not a great deal on record.

Jan 1, 1930

By Richard Weinstein, Richard Snoby

There are many advantages to upgrading coal with dry jigging technology. The most obvious is the lack of process water, which eliminates the need for fines dewatering and slurry confinement. Dry jigging eliminates the clean coal moisture penalty associated with wet processing. Particulate emissions are virtually nonexistent due to inclusions of fabric dust collectors on all modern dry jig plants. Because of the environmentally friendly nature of dry jig plants, installation permits are often measured in days, not months. There has also been a fundamental advance in dry jigging efficiency. All of these advantages have renewed the coal industry’s interest in dry jigging. But air jigging is not right for every application. There are limitations due to particle size, particle shape, moisture and near gravity content. This article explores the evolution of dry jigging. It reviews parameters important for determining the suitability of dry jigging. It also compares historical performance data as measured by imperfection, against results from modern dry jigging technology. The article also presents data from modern dry jig installations.

Jan 1, 2007

By Stefan Mutz

In Germany the automobile recycling is regulated by law. Current legislation requires that by the year 2015, eighty five w.-t. % of the components from used cars ill be materially recycled. Whilst for 10 w.-t. % of the materials a thermal utilization is certified, there are still some concrete questions that remain unanswered regarding the usability of single fractions. The recent innovative approaches to the concepts of used cars dismantling do not alter the fact that the majority of the materials of used cars still have to pass over the shredder and the connected processing aggregates. The status of the so called SLF (Shredder light fraction) which is about 25 w.-t. % w.-t. in used cars, has not been satisfactorily clarified. Furthermore questions still remain regarding the separation of the NMSF (nonmagnetic metal shredder fraction) which has to be separated in the single metallic fractions like stainless tell, copper, brass, zinc, etc. Attempts of optimization can be found. This paper analyses some of the difficulties being encountered by the automobile recycling industry in Germany, before reviewing some of the innovative approaches that the industry has introduced. Finally the paper goes on to describe the potential of automatic picking. Examples of a series of tests, utilizing this technology, in which a variety of products from a range of shredders were isolated are described in detail. This new technology provides a range of applications to the automobile recycling industry.

Jan 1, 2002

By J. M. Somers

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and the principal component of natural gas. Coal seams often contain significant quantities of methane, and underground coal mines must ensure that methane released into the mine during coal extraction does not build to dangerous levels. This is accomplished in part through the use of large-volume ventilation systems that remove methane from the mine and release it to the atmosphere. Although the methane concentration exhausted is quite low (typically <1 percent), the volume of air that ventilation systems move is so great that they actually constitute the largest source of methane emissions from underground coal mines. Each year underground coal mines throughout the world emit more than 500 billion cubic feet of methane from their ventilation systems. An air pollution control technology, thermal oxidation using a flow-reversal reactor (TFRR), has emerged as a potential solution to ventilation air methane (VAM) emission mitigation. One manufacturer of TFRRs has demonstrated its oxidizer design (the VOCSIDIZER?) at coal mines in the United Kingdom and Australia. These demonstrations tested the technology?s effectiveness at oxidizing low-concentration methane, as well as its ability to tap the excess heat to produce steam for electric power generation. In early 2007, the first U.S. demonstration of this technology began operation at an abandoned mine in West Virginia. The project is designed to prove the technology?s operational robustness, its ability to reliably oxidize methane at concentrations typical of mine exhausts, and its safety. If the technology is employed at active underground coal mines, it offers the potential to mitigate substantial quantities of global methane emissions. This paper discusses global VAM emissions, options for the recovery and utilization of VAM, and existing projects such as WestVAMP in Australia and the ongoing U.S. VAM demonstration project.

Jan 1, 2009

By Fernando Vital Silva

O processo de lingotamento contínuo consiste de uma série de etapas que promoverão a extração de calor de maneira controlada do aço líquido, com o objetivo de promover sua solidificação. Uma vez que a solidificação é considerada uma transformação de fase, regida essencialmente pela troca térmica, o enfoque do processo de lingotamento contínuo se encontra direcionado para o perfil térmico de resfriamento do aço desenvolvido ao longo dos veios da máquina. É extremamente importante para a qualidade final do tarugo que este processo de extração de calor ocorra a taxas controladas, de maneira contínua e uniforme em todas suas faces. Segregação, trincas e romboidade são alguns dos problemas de qualidade que podem ser originados devido a um controle não assertivo ou deficiência do sistema de refrigeração. Os tarugos lingotados do aço 1545-D, produzidos na máquina de lingotamento contínuo da Votorantim Siderurgia Barra Mansa, apresentavam com frequência trincas sub-superficiais nas quatro direções de resfriamento e a uma distância constante da superfície do tarugo. Através de equações de solidificação foi constatado que a profundidade em que as trincas se encontravam nos tarugos correspondia a um trecho da máquina no qual existia gap de refrigeração, provocando reaquecimento do material e o surgimento de trincas devido ao regime de contração/dilatação ao qual o mesmo estava submetido. Tais conclusões permitiram comprovar falha no projeto de refrigeração secundária da máquina.

Jul 30, 2018

By Justin Jensen, Luis Moya, Jose Carlos Durazo, William Szolga, Tyler McCallum, Tim Doubleday

Sulfuric acid mist is an undesired by-product of the copper electrowinning process, caused by oxygen evolution at the anode which entrains droplets of the acidic copper electrolyte solution. As the oxygen moves to the surface of the cell, these droplets become aerosolized resulting in acid mist. The addition of chemical anti-misting agents to the copper electrolyte is a common mitigation technique. This paper details Syensqo’s laboratory development of a new environmentally friendly acid mist suppressant, ACORGA® EW98. The product exhibits excellent acid mist suppression and it is fully compatible with the adjacent solvent extraction process. Lab and pilot test results are reviewed ahead of future planned industrial trial testing.

Feb 1, 2025

By Moylan T, Stewart D

A case study examining the procedures and financial benefits of introducing dump leaching to augment the Mt Gibson Gold Project CIP operations is discussed. Metallurgical testwork, followed by pilot dump leach operations, confirmed that gold recoveries of greater than 60 per cent could be achieved by dump leaching Mt Gibson laterite ore. Capital and operating costs were determined. Pit optimisation using the Whittle FOUR-D optimisation program calculated an optimum cutover grade between CIP and dump leaching for one orebody. The resultant recalculation of reserves based on CIP and dump leach operating costs showed that reserves for that orebody could be increased from 329 000 tonnes at 1.9 g/t An, to 1 488 000 tonnes at 1.2 gh An. NPV for the CIP only option of $1.4 m, was increased to $4.0 m for the combined CIP/dump leach option. This technique can be applied to existing gold projects and to new Developments.

Jan 1, 1992

By Pedro Hugo Tumialán

El método de los isovalores metálicos para estudiar el zoneamiento de las vetas ha sido utilizado desde 1967 en el Perú. Sin embargo, dicho método no permite precisar la posición relativa de un elemento métalico respecto al otro, cuyos cocientes metálicos se han estudiado. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala el método del logaritmo de dichos cocientes metálicos, el cual se puede aplicar cuando se dispone de análisis por tres o más elementos, graficando la posición de logaritmo de cocientes metálicos de las leyes de los bloques de cubicación en un sistema de coordenadas en el que cada eje corresponde al logaritmo de un cociente métalico dado. Una vez conocido los zoneamientos relativos se podrá graficar las curvas de los isovalores de los cocientes metálicos de la estructura mineralizada a través del proceso matemático.

Sep 1, 1983

By L. Eros, R. H. King

The US Bureau of Mines has funded several research and development projects in computerized mine monitoring and control. Hardware and software components have been sufficiently developed so that mine operators have been provided with an efficient means to comply with federal regulations and increase mine safety. Several cost benefits have been realized as well, particularly with increased conveyor belt haulage availability. Western Fuels-Utah Inc. approached the Bureau to assist in planning, installing, and evaluating a computerized mine monitoring and control system because of the agency&apos;s research experience in this area. The installation was planned for Western Fuel&apos;s Deserado mine, located in Rangely, CO. Since a large, complex, underground mine producing about 2.4 Mt/a (2.7 million stpy) of coal was projected, the company anticipated significant benefits in safety and efficiency through a computerized monitoring and control system. A major part of the cooperative program was to document and evaluate the system design, installation, and operation. This will assist others to adequately design, specify, install, and operate future systems. Mine description The Deserado mine plan and layout have important impacts on the monitoring system requirements. Long range plans are to produce 2.4 Mt (2.7 million st) of clean coal annually from two longwall sections and four continuous sections. Presently, two continuous miner sections operate under 213 m (700 ft) of overburden in the 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.5 to 8.5 ft) thick D seam to develop main, submain, and panel entries have developed for a longwall. These began operation in December 1986. Belt conveyors haul the coal from the mining sections to a 1.4-m (54-in.) belt located in the upper compartment of the slope. The lower compartment contains a hoist for men and material transport. From the slope, the coal moves to two 9 kt (10,000 st) raw coal storage silos, then to a 680-t/h (750-stph) preparation plant. After cleaning, a 5.5-km (3.5-mile) overland conveyor carries the coal to a clean coal slot storage and rail load-out facility. An electric locomotive then transports the coal to the Bonanza Power Plant in Utah. Allen-Bradley monitoring and control hardware and software controls the preparation plant, with two PLC-3 programmable controllers and a Process Control Industries D-1200 color graphics interface. The system operator uses three "smart" color video display units and an alarm printer for hard copy records. Originally, it also monitored and controlled the conveyors from the bottom of the slope to the top of the raw coal silos, the preparation plant, the overland conveyors, the main mine ventilation fan, and the hoist. Some of these features, though, were later transferred to the mine system.

Jan 2, 1988

By D. Brosnahan, J. Gathje

Newmont Metallurgical Services (NMS) recently acquired a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with a JKMRC/FEI Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA). With the MLA software package, raw particle image and X-ray data can be converted into particle mineral maps and bulk and liberation data can then be calculated for minerals of interest. This type of quantitative mineralogical data can then be used for a wide variety of applications. Ore characterization with MLA can be carried out for existing or processing plants in development. MLA characterization of laboratory test products provides valuable liberation information that assists the research metallurgist in better planning and developing process treatment options for various ore types. This paper describes the use of MLA characterization in a copper flotation test program where the use of various testing options for arsenic depression was being evaluated.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. R. B. Cooke, J. Bruce Clemmer, F. P. Diener

"The limestone deposit utilized by one of the plants of the Universal Atlas Cement Co. is covered in part by a stratum of cherty limestone. If this overlying deposit could be utilized by removing the excess of chert economically, quarry costs could be reduced and the amount of rock economically available would be increased greatly. On account of the distribution of flint and limestone, a product fairly free of flint can be obtained until the quarry face is about 50 or 55 feet high. As the face is worked farther back into the hill, the comparatively clean stone is overlain with a constantly increasing amount of high-flint limestone. If this flint remained with the limestone, there would be a prohititively high silica ratio in the finished cement; if the flinty layer were removed as overburden a very large tonnage would be handled and much good stone lost. Consequently it was felt that means should be devised for separating the flint from the limestone after it reaches the plant.The investigation was undertaken by the Mississippi Valley Experiment Station of the United States Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the Universal Atlas Cement Co. and the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo.CONSIDERATION OF PROCESSESMany schemes for the separation of Minerals are based on differences in the specific gravities of the minerals to be separated. In this case the flint has a specific gravity of approximately 2.62 while the limestone averages about 2.70. This differential is not large enough to permit separation by any method based on specific gravity. Furthermore, all the limestone particles in any given sample are not alike; usually about 10 percent of them have a specific gravity the same as, or lower than, the flint."

Mar 1, 1935

By K. Nielsen

The paper presents a brief overview of the mineral industry in Norway, followed by a description of the mineral policy and relevant legislation including the roles of the Norwegian Directorate of Mining and Geological Survey of Norway in this context. The discussion then proceeds to describe the land use planning framework on a national, regional and local level, the interaction between land use planning and the Directorate of Mining and the Geological Survey respectively, and how this impacts on the mineral industry and the exploitation of mineral resources. Some recent Norwegian examples of land use planning conflicts are also presented.

Jan 1, 2005

By Andrea Gambi, Giancarlo Olivucci, Maurizio Lenzi

"In the paper a criterion for the evaluation of the sharing of the lateral loads in a piled foundation is presented. It relies on the the compatibility condition between the rotation of the rigid pile cap and the rotations of the pile heads, following in that the criterion suggested by the Eurocode 8 - Part 5. This assumption leads to an analytical solutions which allows to deal with the sharing of the lateral loads and moments by means of two main interaction parameters only. A sharing domain is also derived and it shows the role played by the eccentricity of the lateral load on the values of the axial forces and of the bending moments at the head of the piles.INTRODUCTIONIt is well known that the interaction among soil, piles and foundation is one of the most complex subject to deal with in Geotechnical Engineering. Its rigorous study needs to employ suitable finite element software nowadays available and able to take into account the non linear behavior of the soil as a continuum and the inelastic response of the structure. A deep insight to the topic of the sharing of the loads cannot obviously renounce to this approach.On the other hand it is a daily need of the designers to have at their disposal simple tools that allow to make preliminary evaluations of the basic equilibrium conditions. To this purpose many methods of analysis have been developed in the past to face the sharing of the loads in a simplified version. The present contribution follows this way trying however to introduce some improvements that leads to find a solution that satisfies both the equilibrium of the forces and the compatibility of the movements (Lenzi, Gambi, Olivucci, 2002). The proposed model allows to identify the basic parameters which govern the sharing of the lateral load and it allows to perform also parametric analysis and quick checks that may be useful in the design of the piles."

Jan 1, 2005

By R. B. Khumalo, M. S. Nyarela, R. C. Nemathithi

Palabora Mining Company is one of the largest low-grade copper mines globally. The mine uses block caving for the extraction of the orebody. This paper enumerates the drawpoint loading strategies for the overall head grade improvements, particularly for a block that is nearing depletion. A comprehensive literature review of various considerations relating to improving productivity in block caving is presented to contextualize the draw control in caving. From this study, an optimized draw control strategy is presented, which focuses on three parameters that include grade distribution, loading compliance, and tonnage splits per sector. An empirical method based on the relational study between various parameters is used to outline the key criteria to be used in the optimization of drawpoint loading in block caving.

Nov 30, 2022

By Nick Karlin

Dragados USA is constructing the LA Effluent Outfall Tunnel, a 7-mile, 18 ft internal diameter effluent discharge tunnel, utilizing a 21.6 ft (6.585 m) Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM. This paper highlights the means and methods used for TBM launch from a 55 ft diameter shaft excavated in wet with diaphragm wall support of excavation. This included SEM excavation of jet grout blocks for starter and tail tunnels, temporary concrete structures and steel installations, TBM sealing system, umbilical management for TBM hydraulic, electric and bentonite circuits as well as complex segment delivery logistics. The many launching challenges were overcome thanks to the innovative approaches from the project team.

Jun 13, 2023

By K. V. Raj, T. Bhowmick

"Control of fugitive dust in high latitude open-pit mines is challenging due to unique atmospheric phenomenon resulting in complicated flow regimes, and atmospheric inversion due to lack of adequate solar insolation during prolonged winter seasons. In this study, two idealized (One conical and one trapezoidal) three-dimensional open-pit mine geometries are simulated for differing seasonal conditions using the CRADLE-CFD package. The airflow is modeled using Standard Kappa-Epsilon Turbulence Model solved by RANS equations. The concept of particle tracking is used to predict the flow pattern of dust particles. For various climatic conditions, and two different pit geometries, fugitive dust particles varying in size (PM0.1 to PM10) and concentration are generated at various locations of a mine and dispersed by the airflow pattern inside the open-pit mine. The amount and location of dust particles inside the pit is reported at various time intervals. The development of atmospheric inversion during the winter season significantly affected the amount of dust retention inside the open-pit domain. While during the summer, airborne dust particles were transported outside the open-pit domain in a short time. INTRODUCTIONComputational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of open-pit mines is challenging. In a recent paper, Bhowmick et. al. [1] presented different constraints and challenges in developing a 3-Dimensional CFD model. In order to obtain realistic results from a simulation, however, appropriate values of various inputs are required. Simulation results of a 3D non-hydrostatic model by Shi et al. [2] showed that both the mechanical and thermal forcing are important mechanisms, controlling the development of the atmosphere inside an open-pit. Alvarez et al [3] used a CFD model for predicting dust dispersions in a medium sized limestone quarry, and presented several iso-surfaces of varying dust concentrations using ANSYS CFX. A similar study by Torno et al [4] introduced a more sophisticated parameterization of the dust sources. Flores et al. [5] used an OpenFOAM CFD simulation package to simulate and predict pollutant dispersion in an idealized and an actual open-pit mine in Chile with an intense insolation condition. The model was simulated for three different conditions: (i) air advection (10 m/s) driven mechanical turbulence; (ii) surface heat flux (240 W/m2) driven thermal buoyancy; and (iii) both air advection and surface heat flux driven conditions. The results of the simulations showed that the buoyant currents contribute to the removal of a large percentage of the dust particles. The buoyant currents modify the purely mechanical-turbulence induced flow pattern and reduce the particle residence time, commonly observed in a purely mechanical turbulent flow (non-buoyant case)"

Jan 1, 2015

By B. M. Eiter, J. Hrica, D. R. Willmer

"Mineworkers are routinely tasked with making critically important decisions about whether or not a hazard presents an imminent danger. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collected formative data to investigate mine safety professional perspectives on workplace examinations, which revealed a potential gap in how mineworkers are assessing risk. During interviews, participants indicated having processes in place for what should be done once an imminent danger situation is identified. Critically, however, they report having no systematic methodology for mineworkers to use to determine if a hazard is considered imminent danger. While this is important for all imminent danger situations (e.g., failure to lockout/tagout), it is especially important for those situations that are not immediately recognizable as imminent danger. In this paper, we identify and describe, three distinct categories of imminent danger complexity and discuss potential steps that could lead to improved identification of imminent danger situations. Finally, we identify potential practices to incorporate into risk management efforts, including feedback, communication, and specialized training to increase awareness of imminent danger situations. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the metal and nonmetal (M/NM) mining sector, as categorized by MSHA, experienced an increase in the number of fatalities occurring at mine sites. From 2013 to 2015, 69 mineworkers were fatally injured; that is twice the number of fatalities that occurred in each of the previous two years (MSHA, 2015a). As a way to address this increase, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued a program policy letter (P15-IV-01) suggesting that “miners would benefit from rigorous workplace examinations conducted by experienced and trained examiners (MSHA 2015b).” The goal of workplace examinations is to find hazards in the field and mitigate them before they cause injury or death to mineworkers. While it is important to identify all hazards in the workplace, it is critically important to identify those hazards that are considered imminent danger because they require an immediate response to avoid a severe or even fatal injury."

Jan 1, 2018

By M Wortley, J Korteniemi, D La Rosa, L Rajavuori

Geometallurgical modelling of an orebody provides benefits to a mine by gaining a better understanding of the ore characteristics and how they affect the performance of the concentrator. With this knowledge, plant operating conditions can be adjusted to optimise throughput and recovery in advance of the arrival of particular ore types. Therefore, it is extremely important that the origin of the ore being processed is known as accurately as possible. Depending on the homogeneity of the ore characteristics, reliance on assumptions about stockpile residence times, scheduling and material handling can render the best geometallurgical models useless.The solution adopted at Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä mine was to utilise Metso SmartTags™ and in-house expertise to develop a system that continuously and accurately links geotechnical and lab data from the mine to the performance of the plant. This application presented several unique opportunities and challenges. For example, this was the first installation of a SmartTag™ system for geometallurgical modelling in an underground mine. Challenges included the fact that the system installation is routinely subjected to temperatures below -20°C.The system was installed and commissioned in early 2013 and has been operating continuously since. Kittilä has begun to see the benefits of the system, with an increased understanding of how different ores are processed in the concentrator. Other advantages include the ability to alert operators about the arrival of difficult ores and a better understanding of the ore handling systems.This paper describes the installation and use of the system at Kittilä and details some of the geometallurgical relationships that have been developed using the data collected so far.CITATION:La Rosa, D, Rajavuori, L, Korteniemi, J and Wortley, M, 2014. Geometallurgical modelling and ore tracking at Kittilä Mine, in Proceedings Orebody Modelling and Strategic Mine Planning Symposium 2014 , pp 291–298 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 24, 2014