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By Tetsuji Hirato, A. J. Monhemius, Yasuhiro Awakura, G. W. Warren, E. Peters

An electrostatic pseudo-liquid membrane technique, in which extraction and stripping take place simultaneously in a single reaction vessel using an electrostatic dispersion, was applied to recover Ni(II) from aqueous 0.1 kg m-3 Ni(II)(as NiSO4) – CH3COONa solutions, and the Ni(II) ions were concentrated by a factor of 9 into an aqueous 1.0 kmol m-3 HCI solution using D2EHPA as an extractant at the applied voltage of 3.7 kV for the dispersion. When the process of ESPLIM proceeds favorably, the concentration of Ni(II) in the upper part of the organic phase of the reaction vessel is lower than that in the lower part. In addition, the concentration of Ni(II) in the organic phase of the extraction chamber is higher than that in the stripping chamber. For the stable operation of this process, the stripping rate must be greater than the extraction rate to prevent the excess accumulation of Ni(II) in the organic phase which leads to the poor dispersion of the aqueous phase.

Jan 1, 1993

By Julie Mitchell

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research on the application of expert sys tens technology to mining equipment diagnostics and predictive maintenance, to increase mining productivity and efficiency. One of the greatest hindrances to mining productivity is the breakdown of equipment, causing lengthy and costly delays. A diagnostic maintenance expert system (DIMES) is being developed for the hydraulic system of a continuous coal mining machine. Through the use of such a system, the frequency of equipment failures and repair time should be significantly reduced. This paper describes the application domain, the functional requirements, and the problem approach for DIMES, the design and implement at i on of the knowledge- based system, the sensor work involved with the project, and the future plans for the continued development of this and other expert systems.

Jan 1, 1989

By V. Enns, E. Soprovich, J. H. G. Laflamme

A mineralogical and geochemical characterization study was carried out on arsenic-bearing Ketza mine tailings to complement a column extraction test program with the purpose of assessing the potential of arsenic mobilization from the tailings. Two types of tailings samples (i.e., exposed tailings from the impoundment area and water covered tailings samples) were subjected to column tests under standing water cover and with no water cover but weekly flow-through flushing. The tailings have a uniform size distribution. The samples are characterized by high Fe2O3 (44.0 to 68.2 %) and As (3.7 to 4.4w%) concentrations. Ferric hydroxides are the dominant species that are mostly amorphous or cryptocrystalline. Arsenopyrite, scorodite, an Fe-Ca arsenate hydrate phase, an Fe-Bi-As phase and ferric hydroxides are the arsenic-bearing minerals. Arsenic is essentially contained in Ca-As goethite, Fe-Ca arsenate hydrate phase and scorodite. Goethite, although containing low levels of arsenic, could be a significant arsenic-bearing phase because of its high abundance. There does not appear to be any significant chemical or mineralogical difference between the original exposed tailings and the material left underwater with no flow-through for over a year. There are differences in terms of CaO, Fe2O3, SiO,, As, goethite, scorodite, calcite and dolomite concentrations between the exposed tailings and the column material after undergoing approximately two-year flow-through and aggressive leach tests. These differences are likely to be resulting from a combination of different column test conditions and sampling or heterogeneity of the material.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. A. Metz, Isaac Vera, Hans Ruge

The El Soldado copper mineralization occurs as relatively high-grade irregular ore bodies with assay contacts and with frequent inclusions of barren rock. The sampling methods must be timely for production grade control purposes, as well as accurate and inexpensive. Sampling techniques evolved from sampling dump cars at the haulage level to sampling Scooptrams at the loading pockets. These methods were abandoned in favor of sampling production blastholes. Several sampling alternatives are discussed. These involve the selection of optimum volumes and sampling frequencies while taking into consideration geological parameters and statistical analyses of sampling data.

Jan 1, 1992

By Thomas E. McNider, Robert C. Howell, J. W. Stevenson

As of the end of October, 1990, there have been eight spontaneous combustion heatings reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) at the No. 5 Mine. A reportable heating is defined as one with elevated surface temperatures of the strata greater than ll°C (20°F) above the ambient. The first heatings occurred in November, 1986. The last three heatings were located near the start line of "K" Longwall Panel in the southwest where mining had begun on May 21, 1990. All of the heated areas had been at the time of detection, or were sometime areas of high ventilation pressure differentials or high air velocities. All of the heated areas are in an expanded seam with associated, extensive floor heave which is characteristic of all of the expanded seam thus far exposed by development mining in the No. 5 Mine. Jim Walter Resources, Inc. submitted a plan to MSHA which would reduce the potential for spontaneous combustion at the No. 5 Mine by reducing high air velocities and high pressure differentials in the gob. These two parameters are the dynamics which feed oxygen to the pyrite, thus initiating the oxidation process which can lead to spontaneous combustion. No. 5 Nine operated under this plan for 29 shifts before mining on the longwall was stopped by MSHA and the Spontaneous Combustion Control Plan revoked. This paper briefly details the geology of the expanded seam and history of the heatings. It also gives a retrospective view of the operation under the Spontaneous Combustion Control Plan and reasons why it was revoked by MSHA. Currently, knowledge of the reaction process of the footwall coal seams at No. 5 Mine and other potential spontaneous combustion seams in the United States is limited. There are techniques used in the United States and other countries to minimize the potential for heatings in spontaneous combustion prone areas. The No. 5 Mine has attempted to utilize this current technology. However, in deep, gassy mines the problem is complex.

Jan 1, 1991

By Edmundo Tulcanaza

Increasing exploration costs and the need to reduce the time-frame from exploration to production presently demand formalized procedures to assist exploration planning and reserve analysis. Exploration planning is basically required to select the most cost-effective drilling/sampling program, and to flag the needs for data of greater relevance and reliability. Reserve analysis is necessary to determine the sensitivity of grade-tonnage relations, and to clarify the economic implications of mining when alternative technical choices are to be considered.

Jan 1, 1982

By E. C. Wilson

The knowledge concerning the lubrication of open gearing for mining machinery has contained many unknowns and at its best has relied to a great degree on a "Rule of Thumb" procedure. It will be within the scope of this paper to explain what we have learned to date and what must be learned in the future. The results in the lubrication of open gearing have spanned the spectrum of unsatisfactory to satisfactory. With the advent of larger mining machinery, we are faced with the necessity of a more thorough knowledge of open gear lubrication. We have avail- able, better steels for the gearing, advanced technology and machinery for cutting proper tooth profiles, and better means of aligning the teeth in the gear train. This has made it possible to transmit more horsepower through the same size gear set than ever before, if we have the proper lubrication to complement the factors previously mentioned. We have set up computer programs which can calculate the data fox the tooth forms, the correct operating center distances, the contact stresses, the bending stresses, and the PVT factor of the gear teeth. This program does not, at the present, have sufficient data available to calculate the type of lubricant which should be used.

Jan 1, 1968

By Norbert Patzelt

Today the standard method for grinding ore is the wet process. This is mainly due to the fact that the downstream process is wet and considering the total circuit dry grinding is not the most eco­nomical method for the comminution of the ore. Presently in gold ore processing dry grinding is only applied in cases where whole ore roasting is required downstream from the milling plant or if organic carbonaceous matters and sulfides are the primary reasons for the refractoriness. Since dry ore can be fed to the roaster, a dry grinding mill can advantageously be applied. In cases where d1y grinding could be applied advantageously for instance if the ore contains water soluble material and wet grinding is not possible there are serious concerns prevailing within the industty against this technology due to several reasons. Besides of the aspects as discussed later in this paper, there are several plants in operation with little success and considerable operational prob­lems. The reasons for this often lie in the fact that the several com­ponents of such a plant are bought from independent sources with­out considering the system requirements. It is essential that the dry grinding plants require accurate design between drying, pneumatic transport and grinding of the ore in the circuit. This paper will address some of these concerns raised in the industiy from a mill vendor's view along with discussing the development for the selection and configuration of the various dty grinding circuits.

Jan 1, 1998

By Steve Hicks, Zach Agioutantis, Greg Hasenfus, Zach Wedding

Most prediction methods used to calculate mining-induced subsidence rely on empirical formulations, which typically assume flat topography and uniform properties in the overburden. It is also well known that when a longwall panel mines below a valley bottom surface ground deformation magnitudes and orientations may be significantly influenced by the presence of the valley. This paper discusses ground deformation data collected at different surface locations above the Buchanan mine in the eastern United States. Measurements at individual surface points and strata movement measurements using a three-point extensometer have been collected as the area was undermined. Measurements correspond to the mining of the panel immediately under the measurement points and to the mining of adjacent panels. Measurement locations correspond to valley bottom locations. The measurements are critically evaluated and compared with respect to topography and panel face location. The issue of the fluctuation of GPS measurements is also discussed.

Jun 25, 2024

By P. K. Davis

The results of a previous basic study of the flow and design characteristics of the hydrocyclone has shown that a recovery as high as 99% with a product rating of 0.95 can be achieved on a "batch?2 basis with a single, water-only cyclone if it is configured properly. The next logical step was to demonstrate continuous processing of gob for the efficient recovery of coal by means of a laboratory-size demonstration system. A project to design and construct such a single-cyclone system was also sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. A recovery of 93% with a product rating of 0.89 was demonstrated. The system design and the data taken are discussed.

Jan 1, 1989

By T. Bednarski, T. McCallum

"Physical impurity transfer in solvent extraction (SX) has a significant impact on operating costs, electrowinning (EW) performance, and cathode quality. Some operations use a wash stage to limit impurity transfer by diluting the entrained pregnant leach solution (PLS) to prevent direct transfer to EW. Wash stage operating conditions vary impacting impurity transfer. A number of factors impact dilution efficiency including mixer continuity, wash aqueous acidity, and organic quality. The impact of these variables on dilution efficiency was studied and compared to current industry practice. INTRODUCTION With the exception of iron, impurity transfer in copper SX is due to PLS carryover in the loaded organic via aqueous entrainment and crud movement. The quantity of impurity transfer is influenced by many variables including operating set points, organic quality, and settler housekeeping. Crud management and treatment is a common practice aimed at minimizing transfer of impurities to EW. Crud is a complex solid-stabilized emulsion of aqueous and organic[9]. As such, it contains a large aqueous component and the associated impurities (from the PLS). A common practice is to remove interfacial crud to prevent movement. Additionally, mixer continuity can be altered to enable compaction and improve the efficiency of interfacial pumping[10]. Understanding the factors impacting aqueous entrainment and optimizing the available controls should be a key focus for any operation. Aqueous entrainment in the loaded organic can be impacted by: • Mixer continuity • Mixer organic/aqueous (O/A) ratio • Mixer speed and impeller type • Organic and aqueous depths • Specific settler flow • Use of settler internals (picket fences, coalescing packs) • Organic quality • Design and operation of loaded organic tanks Conventional thought is to run the E1 mixer in aqueous continuity to reduce aqueous entrainment. Generally, O/A ratios close to 1:1 result in improved metallurgical and physical performance. Mixer speeds should be chosen to achieve acceptable stage efficiencies while minimizing over-mixing. Organic depths can be increased in the E1 stage to increase retention time and minimize aqueous entrainment. Settler internals can also be used, but require maintenance to maintain effectiveness. The quality of the plant organic inventory will impact physical performance. Poor organic quality can lead to higher phase disengagement times increasing impurity transfer to the electrolyte. Additionally, the design and operation of the loaded organic tank can impact impurity transfer[8]. Despite the variables that can be used to reduce aqueous entrainment and crud movement, impurity transfer is still an issue in some operations. For these operations with high PLS impurity concentrations, a wash stage may be beneficial to manage impurity transfer. Understanding factors impacting wash stage performance is important to optimize performance and limit impurity transfer."

Jan 1, 2016

By S. F. Willey

The difficulties encountered in justifying replacements for over-age mobile mine equipment at the Gay Mine are common to most mining operations. More critical management reviews, resulting from ever rising capital expenses, increased such difficulties. These increased difficulties are especially apparent to those who are primarily operators and are not statisticians, mathematicians, or computer oriented. The Gay Mine is located 17 miles east of the town of Fort Hall in southern Idaho. This open pit operation annually supplies the J. R. Simplot Company and the FMC Corporation with 1.5 MM - 2.0 MM tons of phosphate ore. Stripping ratios average approximately three bank cubic yards of waste per ton of ore mined. The mobile mine equipment fleet consists of ten 24 yard scrapers; twenty-one 30-50 ton end dump trucks; four 32 42 yard shovels; fifteen dozers in the D-8 and D-9 classes; and three road patrols. Equipment replacement is based on the results of evaluations made on individual units. Authorization of capital expenditures for equipment replacement is dependent upon a favorable profitability index (true rate of return on investment) plus a favorable payout time. The system is based on cash flows and requires the determination of (1) the net cash outflows in the form of capital expenses plus (2) the expected cash inflows resulting from reduced expenses and depreciation tax credits. After adjustments for taxes and the time value of money, the net amounts are used to calculate the required indices. The basic elements for the system related to the replacement of mobile mine equipment include: (1) the determination of dollar penalties to be expected from the continued use of aging equipment; (2) the selection of equipment that will provide the greatest return on the investment dollars; (3) the quantification of the expected savings; and (4) the calculations of the prescribed indices. Inadequacies inherent in previous evaluating methods led to the search for more

Jan 1, 1972

By John Marshall

Silverton was the queen city of the western mining towns in the early 1900s. Located high in the San Juan Mountains, the town constantly grew and changed. Yet, it was subject to the vagaries and whims of economics, politics and disasters, natural or otherwise. Breweries, smelters and sawmills serviced Silverton's swelling mining population, which reached several thousand at its peak. Two trains a day ran from Durango to Silverton, in addition to trains running from Silverton over the top of Red Mountain on to Ironton. They ran up Cement Creek to the little town of Gladstone and up the Animas River Valley to Howardsville, Eureka and Animas Forks. During these prosperous times, construction flourished. There were plenty of wooden structures, and many of these stand today. The first brick buildings were built by bricklayer Patrick Stanley in 1877. It took quite a while for the first car to arrive. Almost 28 years passed from the coming of the first train to the arrival of the first car. It was brought over 3,840-m (12,600-ft) Stony Pass from Creede, CO, in an incredible journey retold years later by Louis Wyman. "Dad's daydreams were not the idle musings or the fantasies of a mystic," Wyman said. "They had a way of erupting into reality. He advocated and built good roads," he said. "During the summer of 1910, he was up to his sweatband in a project that took in half the state of Colorado. He envisioned an automobile highway, unheard of at that time, running southwest from Denver through the scenic grandeur of the high Colorado Rockies. The road would traverse a thousand miles or more of the state's finest recreational land finally circling back to Denver. Years later, when all of the county roads had been connected, it became known as 'Colorado's Thousand-Mile Circle Route.' Of course, Silverton and the San Juans were bright stars along the way."

Jan 1, 1997

By Deborah Shields

Aggregate is an essential input to every economy, so governments need to ensure a sustainable supply of these resources through planning. There is also a need to shift from a linear economy to a more circular one, in which wastes are recycled rather than landfilled, so as to increase eco-efficiency. The purpose of the Sustainable Aggregates Planning in South East Europe (SNAP-SEE, SEE/D/0167/2.4/X) project is to develop a Toolbox for Aggregates Planning to assist governments and stakeholders in national, regional, primary and secondary, aggregates planning in southeast European countries. The Toolbox comprises documents on stakeholder consultation, data and analysis methodologies, a vision of best practices in aggregates planning and how to build an aggregates plan. The Toolbox will also support ongoing efforts to enhance minerals policy in the European Union (EU) as called for by the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials. Industrialized and developing nations see long-term and continued economic growth as essential to the well-being

By Henry T. Miller

INTRODUCTION The basic purpose of this paper is to suggest procedures and practices to insure that no employee working in a uranium milling operation receives exposure to radioactive, toxic, or other materials or agents that might produce a permanent, deleterious effect upon his physical health and well-being. This program is also designed to insure that each employee can carry out his assigned duties without risk to his health or to that of his fellow workers. The assumptions underlying this program are by necessity, conservative, with emphasis being placed upon prevention rather than correction or reaction to an undesirable situation. The limits specified-either as Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPCs), or Radiation Protection Guides (RPGs)--represent both standards of best practice and those of law and regulation. The total program is envisioned as a balanced combination of occupational hygiene and radiation monitoring. This includes surveying, air sampling, personnel dosimetry, bioassay, medical surveillance, epidemiology, and training--all backed by a thoroughly tested and evaluated set of emergency procedures. The program, as presented, is keyed to the results of monitoring, surveying, air sampling, medical surveillance, and epidemiology--it being obvious that no problem can result when no hazard can be identified. The lack of an identified hazard, however, does not negate the need for such a program and prudence suggests the need for routine surveillance programs in the best-designed facility. [The Model Mill] The model mill used in this paper is that presented by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in its study of the uranium fuel cycle1. The model mill processes 600,000 metric tons of ore per year into 1,140 metric tons of U308 as yellowcake per year using an acid leach process. Other characteristics of the mill such as location, tailings dam design, number of light water reactors supported, and geographical location are not pertinent to this paper. The usual remote western location of these facilities produce some difficulties in delivering the required occupational medical services and is not within the scope of this paper. The operating lifetime of most mills is commonly estimated as from 12 to 15 years in actual practice; however, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated a 20-year lifetime for its model. The principal steps in the acid leach process include :2 (a) Ore is blended and crushed to pass through a 2.5 cm (one inch) screen. The crushed ore is then wet ground in a rod or ball mill and is transferred as a slurry to leaching tanks. (b) The ore is contacted with sulfuric acid solution and an oxidizing reagent to leach uranium from the ore. The product liquor is pumped to the solvent-extraction circuit while the washed residues (tailings) are sent to the tailings pond or pile. (c) Solvent extraction is used to purify and concentrate the uranium. (d) The uranium is precipitated with ammonia and transferred as a slurry. (e) Thickening and centrifuging are used to separate the uranium concentrate from residual liquids. (f) The concentrate is calcined and pulverized. (g) The concentrate or yellowcake is packaged in 208 liter drums for shipment. This process is illustrated in Figure 1.3

Jan 1, 1981

By C. L. Elmore

This paper describes a new development in the cyanidation of gold ores, which we expect will result in a major improvement in the way many gold ores are treated. The process has evolved through work at Hazen Research, Inc. for Kamyr, Inc. and in brief, the consists of utilizing oxygen rather than air in the carbon-in-1 each (CIL) process. We refer to this improved process for all ores amenable to cyanide leaching as carbon-in-1each with oxygen or CILO.

Jan 1, 1988

By J. DeYoung

Weak demand for metals and consequent low metal prices resulted in continuation of the depressed state of US mineral exploration activity through 1983. Data collected by Resources for the Future Inc. and The Pennsylvania State University for a cooperative study on mineral exploration activity indicate that US exploration in 1983 fell by as much as 25% from 1982 levels. Precious metals remained the focus of most exploration efforts, as gold and silver prices remained attractive compared to base metals. Reports of 1983 domestic exploration and development activities in several industry journals indicates that about 85% to 90% of those projects were directed primarily at gold and silver. Gold exploration included work by several companies on Carlin- type disseminated gold deposits in Nevada, geological prospecting and drilling in the Wenatchee Gold Belt in Washington, and interest in lode and placer gold properties in California, especially by several small Canadian firms. Precious metals exploration projects were also reported in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah. There was also tome precious metal exploration activity in the eastern US. Development continued at the Ropes gold mine near Ishpeming, MI, and companies explored historic gold-producing areas in the Southeast. Some exploration for nonprecious metals took place last year. Stratabound copper-silver deposits were examined in western Montana, and US Borax continued exploring molybdenum resources in the Misty Fjords area in Alaska. Work on these projects during 1983 may have been stimulated by time limits on the availability of certain federal lands for exploration more than by projected improvements in metal markets. During 1983, several papers were published on mineral exploration strategies and the future of US exploration. David Watson of Raymond Kaiser Engineers, in a paper presented at the 1983 AMC Mining Convention, forecast increased exploration activity for gold and silver because of world economic conditions. He added that antimony, manganese, chromium, graphite, mercury, tantalum, tin, and barite are also likely targets based on their limited domestic reserve availability. He cited concern over reported subsidized mineral production by foreign producers and US regulatory and land-planning policies as retarding mineral exploration activity. Douglas Cook of Freeport Exploration Co., at the same meeting, presented a paper that showed that a 1950-75 period of vigorous exploration has been followed by a period where acquisition has replaced exploration as the predominant means of acquiring new mineral properties. At a December IIASA conference on "The Economics of Mineral Exploration," in Vienna, Austria, A. Rose and R. Eggert of The Pennsylvania State University pointed out that recent exploration decisions tend to rely more on evaluating production costs and comparing them with existing deposits, rather than on return of

Jan 5, 1984

By Fathi Habashi

SELENIUM AND tellurium are by-products of electrolytic copper refining. Copper anodes contain 0.01-0.2 % Se and up to 0.04 % Te; during electrolysis these deposit as a slime at the bottom of the cell. Such slimes contain 2-15% Se and 0.5-8 % Te, as selenides and tellurides of gold, silver, and copper. The following compounds have been identified in the slimes: (Ag, Au)Te2, Ag2Se, Ag2Te, CuAgSe, Cu2Se, Cu2Te. Anodic slimes from copper electro¬lytic refining are a grayish black powder, minus 200 mesh. When this complex mixture is decomposed in an acid medium, elemental selenium and tellurium can be obtained, while in an alkaline medium, both metals go into solution. Acid leaching The slime is charged in acid digesters of 800-900 lb capacity, heated to 260°C with 78 % H2SO4, for 8-12 hr. During digestion the following reactions take place:

Jan 1, 1970

By C. I. Wilmot

FMC's Paradise Peak Mine was discovered in July 1983. The deposit at discovery contained 11,340 ,000 tonnes (12,500,000 tons) of ore grading 3.71 glt (0.108 oz/ton) Au and 120 glt (3.5 oz/ton) Ag. A feasibility study was completed by Davy McKee in May 1984, with detailed engineering starting in June 1984. Construction of the facility started on January 2, 1985 with plant start-up taking place on April 14, 1986, two and one half months ahead of schedule and more than 10% under budget. This paper describes the status of the operation approximately 1-1/2 years after start-up including revisions and additions to equipment and process.

Jan 1, 1988

By J. S. Long

A finite-difference model using a digital computer was constructed to assist in the water management of a proposed oil-shale mining operation in the Piceance Basin in Colorado. The presence of ground water is both a detriment and a benefit for development of the resource. On one hand, dewatering is required because permeable zones are present in and above the oil-shale sequence, and rich oil shale at the proposed mine is as much as 457 m (1500 ft) below the water table. On the other hand, ground water is the most feasible source of water for processing the oil shale. A ground- water model was constructed to simulate the development of an environmentally acceptable water-management system that will satisfy both the mine-dewatering requirements and the water-supply requirements for processing. The ground-water model discussed in this chapter was constructed for the Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co. (RBOSC) by International Engineering Co., Inc., a subsidiary of Morrison-Knudsen Co. The model was applied to evaluate dewatering and water control systems for several open-pit mining plans initially investigated to develop Federal Lease Tract C-a. A collateral application of the model analyses was to project effects of the proposed dewatering operation on the regional ground-water regime in connection with a permit acquisition program by RBOSC. Subsequently, RBOSC has completely changed its mine development plan and has adopted modeling and related techniques more suitable for study of that plan and dewatering operation. The authors of this chapter are solely responsible for the contents and conclusions.

Jan 1, 1979