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By M. Okido, W. Wei, L. Chai

The kinetics on the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was studied by use of series piezoelectric quartz crystal ( SPQC ). Arsenic ioninhibits the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, which is consistent with the previous results by other measuring method. This further demonstrates that the SPQC can monitor the chemical activity of the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Cupric ion accelerates the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The mechanism was discussed, it was considered that copper promotes the protein enzyme of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, rustic yanin, to form over the range of cupric ion concentration studied. There action order of cupric ion in accelerating the bacterial growth is 0.067. The growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is dependent on temperature, the apparent reaction activation energy decreases from25.56 kJ / mol to 18.32 kJ / mol because of the addition of 10 mg / L Cu(II) to the bacterial growth solution of pH 2.0 at initial inoculum of 10%.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. V. Keller

Black lung disease, or paeumocomosis, is a serious health hazard for workers working in a coal mine. Though the exact cause of black lung disease is not known, it is certain that prolonged inhalation of fine coal particles, ever present in the mines, does give rise to black lung disease. For a long time, it also has been known that limestone applied to coal dust mine surfaces tends to hold down coal dust thus preventing it from refloating in the air of the coal mines. Since the humidity in the mines may be generally high, this also might be an important factor in the particular substrate system behavior. Fine solid particles stick to other particles and surfaces very indiscriminately. The term adhesion is used for the phenomenon of attachment of particles to surfaces whereas cohesion is used for the phenomenon of attachment of particles to each other. The measurement of the force of adhesion of coal particles to coal substrates presents a great problem, especially in the case of particles in the size range of a few microns. These micron sized particles are at the limit of the resolution of the optical microscope and therefore an electron microscope has to be used for this purpose. The forces of adhesion between these particles and substrate may be very strong and can exceed the weight of the particle by four to five orders of magnitude.

Jan 1, 1973

By G Akdogan, R V. R Handfield-Jones

The application of microwave energy as a substitute for conventional heating has drawn interest from many researchers in extractive metallurgy. Microwaves have a heating effect just as many other forms of radiant energy. Microwaves are able to penetrate the substance at which they are directed and in being absorbed heat the material from the inside. As a result of heat generated in the interior of a particle, microwaves can affect the rupture of a particle (in this case a host ore) and break down the matrix of the particle (host ore) and expose the recoverable mineral to the leaching reagent. Two series of leaching experiments were carried out at temperatures above 90????C using a conventional heater (hot plate) and a modified 850 W, 2.45 Ghz microwave oven. One series of tests was carried out at ambient temperature. A pyritic/arsenopyritic gold concentrate was leached with 3.3 kg/t to 6.8 kg/t NaCN for two hours. The extraction of gold at 6.8 kg/t NaCN was higher in microwave assisted leaching (59 per cent) than the extraction obtained in leaching at conventional heating (39 per cent) and ambient temperature (28 per cent). Extraction of gold was dependent on the size fraction used and was 48 per cent for û75 ¦m, 43 per cent for û90+75 ¦m and 37 per cent for û150 + 90 ¦m size ranges.

Jan 1, 2000

By D Pastars, J L. Mauk

Located at the southern end of the Awhitu Peninsula, the Waikato North Head ironsand mine is approximately 50 km southwest of Auckland . The ironsand deposit consists of Quaternary sands, clays and peats, formed by aeolian and marine processes. We sampled on widely- and closely-spaced intervals to test variability within the mining area. X-Ray powder diffraction shows that samples contain feldspars, quartz, pyroxenes, amphiboles, clays and titanomagnetite. Densities range from 1.6 to 2.5 grams/cubic centimetre, with porosities from 30 to 43 percent. The percentage of magnetic minerals values range from 0 to 75 percent, slimes (clay minerals) values of 0 to 26 percent and non-magnetic minerals from 20 to 95 percent. Mineralogical differences in the Mitiwai Formation and Waiuku Blacksand Member cause bimodal populations in the density, magnetic minerals, nonmagnetic minerals and slimes plots. The Mitiwai Formation has higher non-magnetic mineral values and lower density, slimes and magnetic mineral values than the Waiuku Blacksand Member.

Jan 1, 2001

By A. B. Cron, R. MacPhail, L. Melis, K. Armstong

"Mt. Milligan is a porphyry gold/copper deposit in north-central British Columbia. Diluted and mineable drill-indicated reserves total 449 million tons at an average grade of 0.013 oz gold/ton and 0.19% copper. Large-scale commercial development of the deposit will make Mt. Milligan Canada's third largest gold mine.Metallurgical investigations for the Mt. Milligan project were done in three phases: scoping tests in the first half of 1989; bench-scale work from October 1989 to April 1990; and a pilot plant program in May and June 1990. Various process alternatives for the recovery of gold and copper are described and results are presented. Net smelter return evaluations led to the selection of optimum process conditions for maximizing revenue from gold/copper flotation concentrates.The selected flotation circuit and basic design criteria are described. Forecast average recoveries over the presently-defined 20-year project life are 75.2% for gold and 90.5% for copper in a copper concentrate averaging 17.6% copper and 1.0 oz gold/ton. 1.0 PROJECT LOCATIONThe Mt. Milligan porphyry gold/copper deposit is located in northcentral British Columbia, 150 km north of Prince George, British Columbia. The site is at an elevation of 1,100 m in an area of logged, gently-rolling topography. Nearby communities include MacKenzie and Fort St. James. Climate in the area is moderate and there is direct road access to the property. A location map is presented in Figure 1-1."

Jan 1, 1991

By Jerald E. Harris

"Often taken for granted, drill accuracy plays a major role in the relative success or failure of a blast.Expensive technological advances in equipment capabilities, drilling tools, communications, explosives, and timing can quickly be nullified by poor drilling."

Jan 1, 1999

By A. M. Kiwior

In 1969, the Congress of the United States declared that "the first priority and concern of all in the mining industry must be the health and safety of its most precious resource - the miner," Therefore, Public Law 91-173, Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, was enacted. Since haulage accidents account for a high percentage of coal mining accidents, Section 314e, ?Hoisting and Mantrips,? was included in the law. This section states: "Each locomotive and haulage car used in an underground coal mine shall be equipped with automatic brakes, when space permits. Where space does not permit automatic brakes, locomotive and haulage cars shall be subject to speed reduction gear, or similar devices approved by the Secretary which are designed to stop the locomotive and haulage cars with the proper margin of safety."

Jan 1, 1975

By S. G. Gendler

One of the ways of trauma and occupational diseases level reduction is noted to be the improvement of the labour protection measures planning. As an indicator for prospective trends determination in the labour protection planning improvement sphere economic risk has been proposed to be used. The trauma and occupational diseases analysis based on the correlative and regressive methods has been carried out for the “Vorgashorskaya” mine of Pechora coal basin. Trauma and occupational diseases occurrences frequency and economic losses value have been estimated. Trauma and occupational diseases economic risk distribution analysis has been presented in respect to the different subdivisions and occupational groups of “Vorgashorskaya” mine.

Jan 1, 2003

By Russell A. Schreiner

In conjunction with the Geological Survey, the Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral investigation in 1981 and 1982 of the Santa Rosa Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA), Riverside County, California. The Bureau of Mines is responsible for the mineral survey of mines, prospects, and mineralized areas in and near the WSA. A literature search was completed to obtain information concerning mineral occurrences and mining activity that relate to the WSA. A field investigation inside, and up to 1 mi outside, the boundary of the WSA, disclosed one prospect. This prospect was surveyed by compass and tape, and five samples were taken to determine the representative mineral content. No attempt was made to expose concealed mineralization or to re-open caved workings. All five samples were analyzed by fire assay for gold and silver and by colorimetric methods for tungsten. Two of the samples were analyzed by semi quantitative spectrographic methods to determine if any unsuspected elements were present. All analyses are furnished in this report except for the semi-quantitative spectrograhic analyses. Complete sample analyses are available for public inspection at the Bureau of Mines, Intermountain Field Operations Center, Building 20, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.

Jan 1, 1983

By O. N. Sikazwe

The Nchanga Cu-Co ore deposit of the Zambian Copperbelt, is hosted in Neoproterozoic siliciclastic-carbonate sedimentary rocks, and it consists of two orebodies: the Lower Orebody (shale) and the Upper Orebody (arkose). Refractory Cu ores present in the Upper Orebody comprise 150 Mt with average 0.87% Cu, and are characterized by inadequate recovery of copper by leaching. This materials characterization study, conducted on refractory ore samples from the Upper Orebody using optical microscopy, QEMSCAN®, and microprobe, has shown that copper occurs mainly in biotite, phlogopite, malachite, pseudomalachite and goethite. QEMSCAN® has quantified the abundance of each phase and total Cu deportment in each phase.

Jan 1, 2008

The Australian mining industry faces skills shortages across a broad spectrum of disciplines and levels, as it enters another major growth phase. Critical amongst the areas of most significant shortage in the professional sphere is the discipline of geotechnical professionals. More mines, deeper mines, ageing workforces are all contributing to this chronic shortage. But the shortage is not just at the operating sites, it is across a range of employment fields including sites, head offices, consultants, researchers and educators. This paper reviews the status of a number of these fields and explores some of the issues being faced. The different roles of a site geotechnical professional and a specialist geotechnical consultant are explored, together with some of the trends in terms of how such people are operating, and the skills they are expected to have to fulfill their job requirements. The paper also considers the move towards possible mandatory statutory geotechnical positions at mine sites and some of the implications if this were to come into force. Finally, the paper considers the current provider programs for mining geotechnical education, and how additional offerings are going to be needed in order to address the current shortages and the inconsistencies in terms of job expectations for people assigned to geotechnical roles without adequate education and training.

Nov 25, 2010

"INTRODUCTIONGold tailings retreatment plants have been operated for many years throughout the world. Several large tailings retreatment facilities have been operated profitably in South Africa since 1976 and there are tailings retreatment operations in Canada currently in production with more in the feasibility stages.The Timmins Gold Tailings Project of ERG Resources Inc. was designed to treat 8,000,000 tonnes per annum of gold tailings for an eight month operating season, and commissioning of the operation began in July 1988. The payback period for this project is about 3 years which corresponds to an IRR of 30%.This report summarizes the metallurgical characteristics of the reclaim tailings, describes the process flowsheet which was developed to enable ERG to economically recover gold from the Timmins area tailings, and reviews commissioning activities."

Jan 1, 1989

By R. Minango

Solvent extraction of Cu from acidic leach, using an oxime extractant, e.g. LIX 984 or Acorga is a well-known and establishedprocess. As the process advances, Cu is extracted to the solvent and is replaced by H+in the aqueous phase. At high acidity the distribution coefficient of Cu between the solvent and the aqueous phase decreases, and eventually a relatively high concentration of Cu remains in the raffinate, regardless of the number of equilibrium stages. In many processes this phenomenon is immaterial, as the raffinate returns to the leaching and no copper is lost. But when the copper raffinate is used for processing of additional metals, minimal concentration of Cu in the raffinate is essential for an effective process. The recommended process includes three steps: SX-1?standard extraction of Cu with oxime. The resulting raffinate contains about 6?8 g/lCu and 50 g/lH2SO4. SX-N?Extraction of most of the acid into an amine-based solvent, and stripping it with a base, e.g. aqueous ammonia, caustic, Na2CO3etc. The extraction removes no metals, but decreases the concentration of acid from 50 to10 g/l. SX-2?Extraction of the neutralized solution once more with oxime, to remove the residual copper. Such a process enables one to get down to 100?150 ppm Cu in the final raffinate. This process was developed and tested in the R&D facility at Chambishi Metals plc, by a joint team of Chambishi & Bateman, using Cognis LIX 984N and real solutions from the plant. In the laboratory the equilibrium isotherms for SX-1, SX-2 and the neutralization were developed. Computer simulation of the results showed that the optimal configuration is two stages for both extraction and stripping for SX-1. For SX2, 2?3 stages of extraction and two stages of stripping are needed. The stripping stages may be common to both SX-1 and SX-2. The neutralization of SX1 raffinate was tested both by conventional precipitation with lime and by extraction with alamine-based solvent extraction and stripping with a solution of 10% NaOH. For the SX-N only one stage was needed for both the extraction and stripping. The bench scale pilot plant was run for both SX-1 and SX-2. The results were very similar to the simulated ones, and the configuration of 2E2S for SX-1 and 3E2S for SX 2 delivered the required raffinate with less than 150 ppm Cu.

Jan 1, 2005

By E. J. Bonet, P. B. Crawford

It is fairly common practice to reinject water into the aquifer near the oil-water interface in water-drive reservoirs. There have been many studies of aquifer behavior without reinjection,l-5 but apparently no analytical studies have been made to indicate performance when injection wells are present in the aquifer. The diffusivity equation may be used to describe the pressure behavior in an aquifer. When sources are present it can be written as A general solution of Eq. 1 may be obtained as the sum of two solutions. One is a general solution of the homogeneous equation, obtained by dropping the source term in Eq. 1 and still satisfying the required boundary conditions. Another is a general solution of Eq. 1 satisfying homogeneous boundary conditions.1° The first solution, which corresponds to the aquifer without reinjection, has been given quantitative and qualitative treatment in the literature.l-5,8,9 The latter solution will be treated here. Solutions with variable injection rates are obtained by superimposing solutions with constant rates, so we have considered only the latter. Five cases have been treated here: 1. A linear aquifer of finite width and extent. Water is injected into the aquifer at point xo, yo at constant rate. The pressure along the line x = 0 is maintained at zero pressure. (See Fig. 1.) Equations showing the pressure distribution, rates, velocity and cumulative influx have been developed. Certain numerical results are shown. 2. A linear aquifer of finite width and extent. Water is injected into the aquifer at point xo, yo at constant rate. The rate of production along the oil-water water contact is maintained constant. Equations showing the pressure distribution inside the aquifer are presented. 3. A linear aquifer of finite width and extent. Constant pressures are maintained at opposite ends of the aquifer. Water is injected at constant rates at point xo, yo. Equations showing the pressure distribution are shown. 4. A linear aquifer of finite width and infinite extent. The pressure is maintained constant at the oil-water contact. Water is injected at a constant rate at point xo, YO. 5. A linear aquifer of finite width and finite extent. The pressure at the oil-water contact is maintained constant. Water is injected at constant rate per unit length along a line x,. The Linear Aquifer The linear closed aquifer, performing at constant terminal pressure was selected as the first case to be analyzed. The development of the equations is based on uniform injection per unit of thickness, and gravity effects are neglected. In practical application this condition is probably most closely achieved when the

Jan 1, 1970

Jan 1, 1967

By Y. Wang, E. Forssberg, A. Johansson, B. Chan

A super-conducting high gradient magnetic separator with matrix vibration in dry separation mode is a powder purification device, which has been used to remove weakly magnetic impure particles from fine calcite powders below 53 µm in this study. A fundamental question concerned is the evolution of the matrix clogging under gas-solids loads. This paper presents the improvement of the separation selectivity using a method of mechanically based vibration on the matrix in the separator. The functions of the matrix vibration are discussed. The results indicated that the mechanically based vibration on the matrix within a high intensity magnetic field while a feed was introduced in an air stream, was found to be effective for the dry purification of fine powder materials.

Jan 1, 2001

By William Gleason

The Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) has a long and proud history of being the world?s leading resource for the dissemination for technical information regarding the fields of mining and mineral extraction and processing. That reputation was met, and maybe even exceeded, with the programming for the Society?s 2014 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT Feb. 23-26. The meeting drew more than 6,700 attendees to the three-day conference that featured more than 90 technical sessions with 670 presentations. These sessions covered the breadth of the mining and minerals industry, but it was the so-called ?softer issues? that were discussed in the keynote session that kicked off the meeting. The keynote session, ?Community Engagement: Building Partnerships for Mining,? brought together some of the leading voices from the mining industry, as well as some of the top voices from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that work in the mining sector. The common ground between the panelists was their dedication to working to ensure a social, economic and environmental balance in the development of mines. ?We wanted to bring these NGOs in to begin a dialogue to see how we can work together,? said SME President Jessica Kogel. ?This is a space that SME has not typically operated in, but one in which SME can bring a technical, scientific voice to the discussion. SME wants to play a leadership role in creating partnerships between the technical, social and economic areas that are crucial to the success of any mining project.? In today?s environment, finding mineral deposits and extracting the minerals in an economically viable manner is just one piece of an increasingly complex puzzle. Earning and maintaining a social license to operate requires careful consideration of local and global impacts. The industry often comes under intense scrutiny when a new project is proposed and, therefore, it must strive to meet the highest ethical and environmental standards. Success requires cooperation and collaboration between the industry, community and NGOs.

The growth of "Unit Load-cargo handling technology in world cargo lin- er trades over the last decade has cre- ated a situation in which special pur- pose-vessels (cellular container ships, roll-on/roll-off vehicle deck ships and Lash type vessels) are rapidly replac- ing conventional cargo ships, the principal means previously available for transporting heavy lifts. Consequently heavy lift traffic has tended to accumulate awaiting ship- ment, especially where discharge is required in "off beat" locations. A partial solution to this problem will be provided by new and small but exceptionally versatile ocean going heavy lift carriers now finding their way into world trade routes. These new ships combine extremely high lifting capacity, high manoeuvreability and exceptionally shallow draft with bow and stern Ro/Ro capability. They can handle rolling loads of exceptional size and weighing up to 1,000 tons Each. But the problem is a far larger and more serious but essentially a domestic one. Major industrial pro- jects in Australia will require pro- gressively heavier and larger plant and construction sites are becoming much more inaccessible. Whereas these new ocean going heavy lift carriers have ample capacity to satisfy part of the total transport requirement, there is clear evidence to show that domestic transport resources have little if any potential for increase in capability at the same rate as demand or at the same rate as sea transport facilities. Resolution of the larger problem is within reach but only through a pro- perly co-ordinated approach to future planning for the overall needs of large scale projects on a national basis. This co-ordinated approach must involve Federal and State government transport administrators, railway and highway authorities, shipping and road haulage interests and finally the planners of the projects which require these improved heavy haulage services.

Jan 1, 1973

U.S. Borax’s mine in California’s Mojave Desert is the source of nearly half the world’s supply of refined borates. These minerals are used in hundreds of products, including essential plant nutrients that increase crop yield and quality, and safe building products that protect homes from insects and the elements. Borax’s workforce is also safe. In fact, it is among the safest in the nation. In 2003, the company was recognized by the U.S. Mine, Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for achieving the best safety record among large U.S. mining operations. It was also recognized by its parent company, Rio Tinto, for achieving the best record among its nearly 80 worldwide mining operations. Borax’s safety performance is five times better than the national average. And its workforce recently achieved more than two million hours without a lost-time injury.

Jan 1, 2004

By D. W. Rich

An environmental management system (EMS) is a key part of a company?s environmental stewardship. Procedures and practices to continually improve environmental performance can provide great benefits in operating the company. Managing site environmental quality data is a key component of this. An environmental data management system (EDMS) is an important element of the EMS for mining and other projects, providing project staff with the information that they need to make decisions that can have a significant impact on public health. Improvements in computers, data communications, and transfer formats have made it much easier to implement an integrated EDMS program for gathering, managing, selecting, and displaying data from the field and the lab. Software now lets users define sampling plans, create files for field data entry, and print Chains of Custody. Laptop and handheld computers facilitate field data entry and may provide automated communication back to the office. Most labs can now create usable electronic data deliverables. QC checks and limit comparisons can be largely automated. The result is organized data that can be efficiently used for reporting, graphing, and mapping, to better understand project issues.

Jan 1, 2009