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By G S. Beros, K M. Edwards

Over the past 20 years drum scrubbers have become a widely adopted technology within iron ore beneficiation plants. Generally, the drum scrubbers in use are considered high-capacity machines capable of accepting larger-sized feed material. Together with a water addition to a desired pulp density and a mild energy input, these large rotating machines effect an attritioning action that removes water soluble clays and other deleterious materials. Within the Western Australian iron ore industry, drum scrubbers have been successfully applied to Channel Iron, Marra Mamba, Bedded and Detrital orebodies. The introduction of drum scrubbers has enabled Western Australian producers to satisfy the substantial increase in demand for iron ore from Chinese steelmakers by making the lower-grade sections of the above orebodies economic. However, despite being a relatively simple unit process, the requirements for successful design and operation of these machines are not fully understood. This paper draws on the collective experience of both authors to provide some points to consider for incorporating drum scrubbers into iron ore beneficiation plant flow sheets.

Sep 18, 2023

By Wilton Pacheco de Araújo

A siderurgia gera grandes volumes de escória de aciaria como coproduto e precisa incrementar o aproveitamento desse material em novos processos para evitar a disposição em aterros, aumentando a competitividade do setor. Este estudo tem como objetivo caracterizar a escória de aciaria LD da Usiminas em Ipatinga-MG, buscando avaliar o seu potencial para uso como corretivo agrícola e fonte de nutrientes para agricultura. Foram utilizadas técnicas analíticas tradicionais e microscopia para determinar suas principais características. Os resultados mostraram que uma etapa a mais de separação por peneira (2 mm) no processo rotineiro de remoção de metálicos é possível produzir um produto com características químicas e granulométricas estáveis para se constituir um corretivo agrícola comercial. O material apresenta características superiores aos corretivos tradicionais, pois além de corrigir o pH, fornece nutrientes importantes para a agricultura. O processo mais lento de hidratação dos silicatos e de liberação dos nutrientes pode ser interessante para o fornecimento progressivo desses compostos dando longevidade ao corretivo, reduzindo potencialmente o custo de aplicação.

Aug 16, 2017

By Adrian Mercer, Ashkan Ameri

Due to general degradation, increased traffic levels, and historical ground movement, this road and rail bridge which provides an essential link between the interior of the country and the Port of Abidjan, required significant repair and reinforcement. This included strengthening the pre-stressed concrete box girders and replacement of the existing bored pile foundations. Replacement piles had to be adjacent to, and no longer than, the existing piles, in order to not compromise the stability of the operational bridge during the works. The underlying geology, however, meant that the pile loads had to be predominantly transferred into the ground through end bearing. Rather than installing a greater number of piles or larger diameter piles, innovative thinking changed the usual mind-set of designing the piles to the prevailing ground conditions, to designing the ground conditions to suit the piles. Jet grouted columns were installed beneath the toes of the new piles to increase the bearing capacity of the ground. This significantly contributed to the sustainability of the project and reduced carbon emissions through saving concrete, steel, plus transportation and disposal of spoil.

Sep 8, 2021

By EDER DOMINGOS OLIVEIRA, Leandro Viana Teixeira, Carlos Antonio Morais, Ruberlan Gomes Silva

Special attention must be considered in the production of high-grade rare earth products, such as mixed rare earth oxalates or carbonates. In the main minerals used industrially, the rare earth elements (REEs) are finely associated with impurities like calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), thorium (Th), uranium (U) and phosphorus (P). Most of these impurities must be removed to avoid losses of rare earth oxides (REOs) as well as to prevent product quality degradation and low operational performance in the downstream steps of solvent extraction or ion exchange. The present study aims at investigating the conditions required to precipitate REEs, either as rare earth oxalates or carbonates, from purified rare earth sulfuric liquor with low Al3+ and UO22+ concentrations and very high Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, and SO42− impurity contents.

By T. Kawai

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) has started an exploration program for Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS) in the EEZ of Japan, and launched an investigation program for mining, processing and environmental impact on SMS development. With regard to the mining aspect, the mining system consists of three units: a mining unit on the sea floor, an ore lift-up unit to surface, and a mining support vessel unit which has an ore unloading system that unloads onto a shuttle ship. Regarding the mining unit, JOGMEC and certain Japanese mining and machinery companies developed two types of state of the art mining testing tools. Excavation tests on the actual SMS site in the Okinawa Trough, south-west of Japan, were conducted in 2012. In these tests, the functions of the testing tools, such as cutting ore, moving on the seafloor and climbing up slopes having steeper than a 25 degree gradient, were confirmed. The physical characteristics of the ore, which are key parameters for establishing a mining system, are yet to be fully understood as the exploration program has been undertaken simultaneously. Hence, those examinations have been carried out by ground cutting experiments, analysis of drilling core data, and the like. This paper describes the outline of a proposed mining system, mining testing tools and results of the on-site mining testing.

Aug 1, 2013

By Antônio Augusto Martins

Os processos produtivos consomem elevados volumes de matérias-primas e insumos, apresentando excelentes oportunidades de redução de custo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver um sistema automatizado de dessulfuração em Carro Torpedo, tendo em vista que o sistema atual utilizava planilhas eletrônicas. Construído a partir das práticas operacionais, o modelo matemático para Estação de Dessulfuração em Carro Torpedo da Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional torna-se uma representação simplificada da realidade, possibilitando um controle de processo mais efetivo. O sistema de nível 2 possui um módulo de engenharia, onde todos os parâmetros operacionais e constantes de processo são definidos e um módulo operacional, que se divide entre o cálculo das adições de dessulfurantes e a avaliação de desempenho operacional. Nos primeiros meses de operação foi possível implementar um modo de operação padrão para todos os turnos operacionais que resultou numa menor dispersão das variáveis de controle.

Jul 30, 2018

By José Gutiérrez, Cosme Soto, Octavio Vargas

El presente trabajo detalla las etapas más relevantes del proceso de cambio de la Guía Industrial 7 (IG-7) a la regulación S-K1300 cuya finalidad es reportar Recursos Minerales en la Bolsa de Nueva York. Los autores desean brindar una guía sobre las situaciones y retos más importantes sucedidos durante el proceso de adaptación y auditoria para reportar recursos minerales bajo regulación S-K 1300 en la Cia. de Minas Buenaventura. También, plantear una metodología para ponderar tanto las variables que le dan soporte a la estimación de las leyes, como los ítems que brindan calidad a la información de Geología.

May 10, 2023

By Chris Howell

PotashCorp?s Aurora phosphate mine, in Beaufort County, NC, operates four low pressure boilers and four high pressure boilers to meet its process steam requirements. Maintaining these boilers is critical to meeting production demands. Processing phosphate ore into phosphoric acid requires large amounts of sulfuric acid and steam. Ore is mined from the phosphate deposit with large bucket excavators after 9 to 30 m (30 to 100 ft) of overburden is removed. The phosphate ore is mixed with water to make a slurry that is pumped to the mill. Elemental sulfur is burned in the presence of air to make sulfuric acid. This process is highly exothermic and boilers produce steam while cooling the process. The phosphate ore is reacted with sulfuric acid and the resulting products are refined into different grades of phosphoric acid for fertilizers, feed stock and food additives. Plant operators at the mine were challenged with boiler feed water that was high in silica and other contaminants. As a result, boiler operations were experiencing difficult, labor-intensive operations and equipment deterioration. This resulted in higher operating costs and diminished processing performance. The facility was operating an aged boiler feedwater pretreatment system that included warm lime softening followed by pressure filtration and a cation/anion/mixed bed demineralizer system. The demineralizer required frequent regeneration and chemical usage was high and costs were difficult to predict. Depressurized well water (DPW water), used for plant utility water and boiler makeup, is very high in silica, in the range of 60-70 ppm. Silica can form scale at pressures below 600 psig. Above 600 psig, silica starts to volatize, carrying over with steam to potentially form deposits on downstream equipment and processes. Mine officials decided to upgrade the boiler feedwater pretreatment system to a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis (RO) membrane system. This new system, which started up in March 2009, has improved operating performance and reduced water consumption and overall operating expenditures.

Jan 1, 2011

By Valery M. Yubko

"The conceptual basis of the developed model is based on the ideas that evolution of geological-geomorphological structure of the CCZ is controlled by four types of geologic factors: geodynamic, sedimentary, volcano-tectonic and erosion-lithodynamic. In terms of time span two factors (geodynamic and sedimentary) can be considered as permanent and the other two as sporadic.The geodynamic factor is responsible for two interrelated geological processes. One is going under conditions of the axial zones of spreading centers and results in formation of the CCZ basement. Historically this process is considered as a starting point for each of the heterochronous fragments of the CCZ. The second one controls gradual shifting towards the Pacific Plate (Hawaiian direction) and subsidence to greater depths of the neogenic fragments (basement). Thus, those processes control basic topography, geomorphology and the seabed depth within the CCZ.Volcanogenic-hydrothermal activity of the EPR is one of the main sources of the ore components, which finally compose manganese nodules as a result of complicated processes of their dissemination and transportation to the bottom in dissolved and organically bound forms.The role of the other constant factor (sedimentary) is displayed in two ways. Firstly, initial relief is smoothed under the influence of this factor, which, subsequently, makes favorable conditions for manganese nodules formation. Secondly, it favors transportation of the majority of the ore components, participating in manganese nodules formation into zones of active nodules formation."

Jan 1, 2017

By Dennis Raúl Mercado

"El presente trabajo describe la metodología de aplicación PCR (Peligro, Riesgo y Control) para la identificación de peligros y evaluación de riesgos (IPER) en la Compañía minera Argertum- Panamerican Silver. El análisis de la evaluación permitió conocer una mejor evaluación de los peligros y riesgos a los que se enfrentan, estableciendo controles que puedan minimizarlos, así como mejorar el formato y la matriz de riesgos, de manera que puedan ser aplicadas de manera práctica en las distintas actividades que se realizan."

Sep 14, 2009

By D. Ofstie, B. Kargutkar

BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is transforming the way metallurgical facilities are built, operated and maintained. BIM provides a digital representation of the facility, complete with all physical and functional characteristics - enabling collaborative planning, concurrent design, construction simulation, sustainable operations and predictive maintenance through a connected information model. Building on experience gained in other industries, Hatch is aggressively applying the BIM process to the mining & minerals processing industry to address inefficiencies inherent in traditional document-based information management. Intelligent 3D models support real-time quantity forecasting and cost trending by commodity type and construction work package. By linking procurement and schedule data, material availability and constructability reviews are visualized to verify construction critical path, ensure work front safety and minimize craft downtime. The BIM digital information model connects engineering, construction, commissioning and vendor data, aiding timely asset-centric handover to plant operating and maintenance systems.

Jan 1, 2015

By Vanius Agramonte, Jesús Miranda

En la Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde (SMCV), puesto que la fragmentación del material, producto de la voladura en los frentes de trabajo, es uno de los factores que afecta la producción diaria de la operación minera, se ha optimizado el sistema de monitoreo de fragmentación de mineral SDR (Size Distribution Report, por sus siglas en inglés) para poder conseguir rápidamente los datos del material volado/fragmentado, de manera tal que la supervisión pueda tomar decisiones más prontas y efectivas para optimizar el ciclo de minado y aumentar las toneladas en la chancadora primaria (throughput). La naturaleza del sistema implementado permite que la información esté disponible para los usuarios de operaciones mina, entre los cuales los principales son voladura y operaciones de chancado.

Sep 20, 2019

By Pascoal Ferrari Pedrosa

Neste trabalho é apresentado os resultados de um estudo experimental com tijolos de solo-cimento vazado, com diferentes adições de resíduos de borracha vulcanizada oriundas da indústria de recauchutagem de pneus. Foram realizados ensaios de caracterização do solo utilizado, das composições desse solo com resíduos de borracha e das misturas de solo-cimento produzidas com essas composições. Conforme os resultados de ensaios realizados em corpos-de-prova cilíndricos e em tijolos de solo-cimento, verificou-se que: ainda não é possível a introdução do resíduo de borracha de pneus de pneus em blocos de solo-cimento, pois não atendem características da NBR-10834 [4] e precisam ser melhor avaliados.

Aug 16, 2017

By Gisele de Araujo Rocha

A boemita é importante na preparação de catalisadores, adsorventes, revestimentos, alumina e materiais derivados de alumina quando porosidade e resistência mecânica são desejadas. Sob condições hidrotérmicas foram preparadas boemitas a partir de 3 precursores diferentes: de uma gibsita comercial, e de pseudoboemita fibrilar e de monohidróxido diacetato de alumínio, ambos sintetizados em laboratório. A síntese foi realizada em autoclave mantida à temperatura de 160oC, em diferentes tempos de envelhecimento térmico. Ao final do tempo de síntese, as dispersões foram secas ao ar, à temperatura ambiente. A diferença nos materiais sólidos de partida pode ter alguns efeitos na morfologia final do cristal de boemita, sendo esse o objetivo desse trabalho. A estrutura cristalina dos cristais obtidos foi caracterizada por DRX e a morfologia foi examinada por MEV.

Aug 8, 2018

By Niander Aguiar Cerqueira

A construção civil é um setor de extremo impacto na economia brasileira, tanto em termos de empregos quanto no consumo de matérias-primas e geração de resíduos. Resíduos de Construção Civil (RCC) representam uma grande parte da massa total de rejeitos sólidos em médias e grandes cidades. Neste trabalho, um estudo foi realizado para produzir concreto com substituição de areia por RCC, em diferentes porcentagens, a fim de reduzir, reciclar e reutilizar esta grande quantidade de rejeitos da indústria da construção civil. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar as propriedades mecânicas de concreto estrutural com substituição total e parcial (25%, 50%, 75% e 100% de substituição de areia). Os resultados do teste de compressão indicaram boa qualidade para os concretos com substituição em massa de até 75% de RCC.

Oct 30, 2017

By Xiaolong Lin, Yuanbo Zhang, Tiancheng Nie, Guanghui Li, Zhizhong Li, Zhiwei Peng, Tao Jiang

The coal-based direct reduction process has gradually become the focus of research concerning direct reduced iron production due to its advantages, including high reduction rate, stable chemical composition, and good metallurgical properties of products. Based on coal-based reduction theory and briquetting technique, this paper reports the use of microwave energy for intensifying the reduction of carbon-containing briquettes mainly consisting of magnetite concentrate and biochar. The heating behaviors of the raw materials show that under the conditions of microwave power of 1250 W, N flow rate of 4 L min −1 and briquetting pressure of 400 N, the briquettes present the highest heating rate. The average heating rate reaches 35.16 °C min −1. When the briquettes are irradiated by microwaves at 1050 °C for 45 min, the metallization degree of the reduced briquettes reaches 93.58%.

Mar 1, 2017

By Shengping Li, Wei Lv, Gangqiang Fan, Xuewei Lv, Yingyi Zhang

The electrical conductivity of high titania slag, as being an important fundamental physical property utilized in the theoretical understanding of mass transfer phenomena and requirement of practical electric smelting processes, were measured by AC Impedance Spectroscopy using four-electrode method for ternary TiO2–FeO–Ti2O3 slag system based on 85 type of titania slag in Panzhihua in this work. The experiment results show that the slags have a high magnitude of the order of 80–180 s/cm−1 in the whole experimental temperature range from 1523 to 2013 K. The Ti2O3 exhibits very strong effect on increasing the electrical conductivity of high-titania slag since the specific values averagely increase by 55 s/cm−1 with corresponding Ti2O3 content range from 10 to 16 wt%. the X-ray diffraction gram and phases calculated by FactSage are presented and interpreted to discuss the impact of phase change on the electrical conductivity.

Mar 1, 2017

By J. Kolacz

"A new sensor based sorting system has been developed, providing a possibility for laboratory scale testing and further scale-up of the separation results to the industrial operation. The new system contains different sensors as: X-ray detectors, visible light cameras, NIR cameras, ultraviolet cameras and magnetic sensors, in the same sorting unit. The sorting unit allows advanced calibration options and fine-tuning of the installed sensors to achieve the best separation effect under controlled conditions. Finally, the processed material can be analysed and separated by the rejection mechanism, similarly to the industrial scale operation. At the same time, the process is carried out with limited amount of material allowing detailed statistical calculations for processed particles and all sensor types. The optimal settings and sensor types are specified for the industrial application.The paper describes the scale up of the results achieved for iron ore and coal, where the test work was first carried out using the new laboratory sorting system and where the industrial scale sorting system has been built, in the final stage. The industrial scale sorting results showed a very good correlation between the laboratory and full scale operation. Thanks to the detailed study carried out in the laboratory equipment, the settings of the sensors in the full scale operation provided much better separation efficiency. It was especially important to provide proper setting for the X-ray sensor data calculations, which can be very critical for achieving the best results. During the industrial scale sorting of coal, the input material had 40-55% rock particles as the direct source of ash in the coal stream. The optimal laboratory unit settings and transferring these settings to the industrial sorter, provided 98.8% efficiency for removing rock particles with only few % losses of coal."

Jan 1, 2016

By T Baumgartl, T Huynh, K Tungpalan, E Wightman, M Edraki, M Tayebi-Khorami, L Huang, S Palaniandy, E Manlapig

With the increasing rate of tailing production worldwide there is a growing concern about the hazards of tailings storage facilities (TSF). Past and current mining, processing and waste disposal strategies that focus on the extraction of the valuable minerals, and an economic assessment only, are no longer suitable. Social implications and environmental legacies must be included for effective evaluation. This is possible by using an integrated assessment framework to evaluate more alternatives, including the production of additional saleable and benign streams, alternative tailings treatment and disposal as well as options for reuse, recycling and preprocessing of existing tailings. Tailings are not viewed as a final waste product but as part of the resource. From the sustainability perspective the models developed in integrated research programs will contribute to more effective methods for assessing different scenarios and potential processes and lead to better environmental management, increased production of benign tailings and improved efficiency of water and energy use and thus more responsible resource stewardship of the ore resource.This paper presents preliminary results from a multiyear research program on integrated tailings management at the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), The University of Queensland, called ‘Designer Tailings’. The project involves the gathering of experimental and observational information on tailings biogeochemical processes to design and modify the range of activities within mineral processing plants, upstream characterisation ore and gangue, and downstream tailings management for desired tailings properties and outcomes. This information will assist the development of new total integrated value chain CITATION:Edraki, M, Huynh, T, Baumgartl, T, Huang, L, Andrusiewicz, M, Tungpalan, K, Tayebi-Khorami, M, Wightman, E, Palaniandy, S, Manlapig, E, Evans, C, Farrokhpay, S, Bradshaw, D and Vink, S, 2014. Designer tailings – an integrated model for tailings management, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 599–608 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

By J-P Franzidis, M Esvelt, E V. Manla

The Floatability Characterisation Test Rig (FCTR) is a self-contained, highly instrumented, mobile pilot plant that is able to treat up to 2 tph solids. It consists of a bank of six 130 L WEMCO« SmartCells« and a bank of six 50 L WEMCO« SmartCells«. It was developed as part of the AMIRA P9 Project, primarily to determine ore floatability characteristics and to develop and validate flotation plant modelling, scale-up and simulation methodologies. However, it may also be used to carry out pilot-scale flotation test work. This paper briefly describes the circuit modelling, simulation and scale-up test work performed using the FCTR and the use of the FCTR in pilot-plant test work performed by the metallurgical staff at WMCÆs Kambalda Nickel Operations and Mount Keith Nickel Operation. At both Kambalda and Mount Keith the FCTR was found to be very flexible and straightforward to run, with an easily changeable circuit configuration and stable operation. Testwork was facilitated through having full stream sampling on all streams, and a high degree of instrumentation providing accurate measurement of process variables. The results obtained from the FCTR testwork were highly repeatable. As a consequence of using the FCTR, WMCÆs Kambalda Operation and Mt Keith Operation were able to complete a rigorous programme of pilot plant testwork more quickly than in the past, and with a high degree of confidence in the results.

Jan 1, 2003