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By D. S. Flett

Abstract. The commercial importance of hydroxyoximes as extractants for copper has given impetus to basic studies on the chemistry of metal extraction by these compounds. The discovery of accelerator compounds which produce catalytic effects on hydroxyoxime extraction rates has led to mechanistic studies of these rate processes. While these studies have highlighted the importance of interfacial chemical reactions in the extraction process, it is not yet possible to unambiguously describe the mechanisms of metal extraction in these systems or the associated catalytic effects. This paper reviews progress in understanding the mechanism of metal extraction by hydroxyoximes.

Jan 1, 1979

By Tim O’Neil

Nearly 4,800 mining professionals and exhibitors occupying 580 booths attended the 2000 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit, Feb. 28-March 1, in Salt Lake City, UT. The technical program included80 sessions and four specialty symposia: bulk material handling, control 2000, minor elements 2000 and plant operaters. Meeting highlights included the keynote session. Executive shared their perspectives on pivotal issues and approaches to address the challenges of the new millennium. SME has begun planning for its 2001 Annual Meeting, Feb. 26-28, in Denver, CO. The meeting carries the theme “2001 — A Mining Odyssey.” A call for papers has been issued and exhibit space is 80% reserved. For information, visit SME’s website, www.sme-net.org. Or write Box 625002, Littleton, CO 80162-5002,ph 800 763 3132 or 303 973 9550, fax 303 979 3461, or email meetings@smenet.org.

Jan 1, 2000

In September 2003, a test was conducted to see if a115-mm- (4.5-in.-) diam Mocap Vari-Stem blasthole plug could improve the pattern of explosives using different top stemming material. The test took place at the J.S. Faulkroad and Sonsstone quarry in McCalisterville, PA. The test consisted of a production stone blast. Half of the holes were stemmed with standard crushed stone. Two-thirds of the remaining half were stemmed with Vari-Stem plugs and crushed stone. And the remaining one-third of the second 50 percent was stemmed with Vari-Stem plugs and only drill cuttings.

Jan 1, 2004

By John W. Sweeney

Florida is usually thought of as a vacation State, not a mining State, yet Florida has been the leading producer of phosphate rock in the United States for 85 consecutive years and in 1978 supplied over 80 percent of the national output and over 30 percent of the world's output. It is estimated that the Central and South Florida phosphates contain 412,800 short tons (374,000 metric tons) of U308, that 115,000 short tons (104,000 metric tons) of U308 will be contained in the wet-process phosphoric" acid procsssed in the United States through the year 2000, and that 54,000 short tons (49,000 metric tons) of U308 will be available from Florida. In 1978, two companies in Florida and one in Louisiana went on-stream recovering uranium oxide from wet-process phosphoric acid and three others started construction of U308 extraction facilities. These six companies will have the capacity to recover 2,137 short tons (1,900 metric tons) of U308 annually in 1980, which will account for about 15 percent of our domestic requirements.

Jan 1, 1979

By Margreth Tadie, Chalwe Chibwe

Physicochemical properties of copper electrolytes are a strong fundamental consideration in electrodeposition processes during electro-purification and recovery of copper. Their influence extends to mass transfer as well as energy consumption during the electrodeposition process. In this study, the influence of electrolyte composition on electrolyte physicochemical properties was investigated to review the existing literature data. This review of data is considered necessary as more and more electrowinning models are being developed for process prediction and optimisation and a need of such data is required for accurate prediction of physicochemical properties. The major components of importance to the formation of smooth high-quality and high-purity copper cathodes at optimum current efficiency are considered the species in solution. These include Cu ions, Fe ions (major impurity), H2SO4, and a smoothing agent additive. A 5-factor, 2- and 3-level experimental design was employed to determine the effect of copper (35 and 45 g/l), sulphuric acid (160 and 180 g/l), iron (1, 3, and 6 g/l), polyacrylamide additive (2, 5, and 10 mg/ l), and temperature (45 and 55 °C) on electrolyte density, conductivity, and the diffusion coefficient in synthetic copper electrowinning electrolytes. The major species in a copper electrowinning electrolyte are found to be the most relevant for prediction of physicochemical properties. These results indicate that relatively simple empirical models are sufficient for modelling of the electrolyte domain in electrowinning, without the need for the generation of vast amounts of complex experimental data.

Feb 1, 2021

By P. Venkatraman

Laboratory and pilot-scale test data have shown that the innovative feed presentation of the CrossFlow separator provides improved metallurgy when compared to traditional hindered-bed or teeter-bed classifiers. This design feature prevents excess water from entering the separation chamber and disrupting the overall fluidization flow rate within the teeter zone. Recent side-by-side industrial-scale evaluations have verified that this technology can improve overall efficiency, reduce the cut point of separation, and increase throughput capacity. This paper describes the important features that make this novel separator ideally suited for size classification and density concentration. Test data from heavy mineral, phosphate, and industrial mineral applications are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2005

By A. J. Plumpton

Centrifugal air classification and li-quid-phase sedimentation are the principal methods of industrially sizing materials of dimensions smaller than those handled by screens. Increasing application of materials such as composites and high performance ceramics has furthered the need for closely-sized, fine, industrial mineral and synthetic products of controlled properties. Sedimentation can be used to separate very small sized particles but introduces problems of liquid-solid separation, de-agglomeration and drying. Some of the advantages and limitations of centrifugal air classification will be discussed and laboratory and plant measurements using centrifugal machines will be presented to support the discussion.

Jan 1, 1990

By H. J. Bickel

This paper is concerned with general concepts and statistical devices used in projecting overall energy requirements. Particular emphasis is given to the use of individual end- use markets as an approach to developing future overall energy requirements, and translating these requirements into fuel consumption.

Jan 1, 1962

By Santosh Kumar Ray, DEBASHISH MISHRA, Niroj Kumar Mohalik, SOMU MANDAL, Jai Krishna Pandey, Asfar Mobin Khan

Coal is a low-cost and high-calorific-value fuel. The coal mining industry worldwide has been suffering from severe accidents due to coal dust explosion hazards since its inception. Statistically, it was observed that 12,489 fatalities had occurred in 104 reported mining accidents from coal dust explosions during 1900–2020. There are numerous methods for detection, prevention, and control of coal dust explosions in mines. The underground mining environment is unpredictable and has an array of variables. These undulating factors make it difficult to prevent or control the coal dust explosion hazard. However, coal mining is done aggressively throughout the world, especially in developing countries as coal is a major source of thermal energy used in power plants contributing to about 38% (IEA, (2019), World Energy Outlook, IEA, Paris https:// www. iea. org/ repor ts/ world- energy- outlo ok- 2019.) of world electricity. Worldwide, coal dust explosibility studies are carried out in experimental mines, laboratories, and simulations. The complexity, lack of proper infrastructure, and unavailability of laboratory equipment sometimes make it difficult to study coal dust explosibility. The authors have discussed in detail and proposed that the CFD modelling can be a viable option for studying and evaluating coal dust explosibility.

Jun 29, 2022

By Zhigao Xu, Ming Wu, Jun Qu, Rong Zhang, Wenrui Nie, Ruan Chi, Zhenyue Zhang, Zhengyan He

The leaching processes and mechanisms of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth (RE) ores with ammonium sulfate were investigated for their high efficiency and low consumption exploitation. The leaching process is a typical reversible heterogeneous ion exchange reaction in liquid–solid systems. The raw ore and leached tailings were analyzed by SEM and FTIR. Results indicated that no dissolution or structural changes of the ores occurred during the leaching process. The migrations of RE3+, Al3+, and NHþ 4 in the leaching process were studied under various liquid–solid ratios. With increasing liquid–solid ratio, the content of NHþ 4 adsorbed on clay mineral by physical effect decreased, NHþ 4 adsorbed by ion-exchange increased, and the content of exchanged RE and Al increased until reaching equilibrium. The adsorption capacity of the RE ores for NHþ 4 remained about 0.61–0.63 mg/g. It was difficult to desorb NHþ 4 from RE ores with washing water alone. The leaching mechanism of Al was the same as RE, but the leaching of Al slightly lagged behind RE. At the optimal liquid–solid ratio of 0.4:1, the leaching efficiencies of RE and Al were 95.51% and 90.99%, respectively, and 56.65% of NHþ 4 remained in the leachate. After impurity removal and RE precipitation, the leachate can be reused by replenishing fresh leaching agent. The aim of this study is to enhance the leaching process of RE, restrain the leaching of impurities, and decrease the consumption of leaching agents.

By L. Frederick

Measurement of gamma radiation occurring in nature to characterize geological formations has been widely recognized in mineral exploration. Different methods and apparatuses have been developed for drill hole logging purposes. Geological formations vary in amount of naturally emitted gamma radiation. A gamma signature from a geological formation is captured by utilizing different types of gamma detectors. A natural gamma radiation detector (NGRD) can be used to control mining whenever there is a significant difference between the radiation levels in the mineral or ore being mined and the waste materials surrounding the ore. Surface miners, such as the one shown in Figure 1, can precisely control the elevation of the cutter as the machine moves over the surface of the formation. This type of machine is predominantly used in selective mining operations, e.g. surface coal mining. If there is a means to know the position of the cutter relative to the interface between the ore and waste, the miner can recover all or most all of the valuable mineral with very little out-of-seam dilution. This paper discusses the results of a successful application of gamma detectors to control a surface miner at one of North American Coal Corporations? locations - Red Hills Mine. The mine has nine coal seams in total with thicknesses ranging from 12? to 60?. The bottom six seams (Figure 2) are minable. The mine has complex geology and a significant amount of annual rainfall (4.7 ft). The mine produces approximately 3.5 million tons of coal and about 40 bcy of overburden per year. The operation utilizes diverse mining equipment including Dragline Marion 8200, electric shovel P&H 2800, Caterpillar end dump trucks CAT 785 and 789; bulldozers CAT D11, D10, D8, and D6. Coal is mainly extracted by utilizing a Wirtgen SM 4200 surface miner that is loading CAT 785 trucks with high volume coal bodies and payload of 150 t. Operational cutting depth is 24 inches with maximum cutting depth of 36 inches. Surface miner operators determine a cutting depth based on multiple cues, the most important being visual observations of a coal seam being cleaned or mined. The cleaning process involves removal of the last foot of waste material covering the coal seam. This is one of two critical phases in the coal extraction process. If, during the cleaning process, an operator sets a cutting head too deep, valuable product is wasted. If it is set too shallow, waste material is left to be mined with the coal. The second critical phase occurs in the last cut on the interface between the coal and waste material at the bottom of the coal seam. If the cutting head goes deeper than favorable, then waste material is delivered to a power plant.

Feb 27, 2013

By Ralph Spickermann

UK Seabed Resources (UKSR) signed a manganese nodule exploration contract with the International Seabed Authority on 8 February 2013 for a 58,000 km2 tract on the eastern edge of the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ). UKSR is a private company based in the United Kingdom and established primarily to develop the commercial potential of the CCZ deposits. This is the first of many anticipated regulatory, market and technical milestones that are requisite for (1) environmentally responsible commercial scale production of nodule derived metals and (2) generation of revenue through their sale in the global commodities market. This presentation will describe the progress made to date in this effort and an industry-based perspective on the tasks and challenges that may lie ahead.

Sep 1, 2014

By J. MacFadyen

The U.S. cement industry, including Puerto Rico, again set a record in terms of production and shipments. The increase in shipments came primarily from imports of portland cement as domestic production from produced and imported clinker gained only 1.9 Mt (2.1 million st). Clinker production as reported to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was 88.6 Mt (97.6 million st), an increase of 1 percent. Gray and white portland cement production from domestic and imported clinker, estimated at 93.5 Mt (103 million st), was up 1.9 Mt (2.1 million st). Masonry cement shipments of 5.5 Mt (6 million st), which equates closely to production, was up 6.3 percent. Blended ce-ment shipments were up 35.9 percent from 2004 at 2.35 Mt (2.6 million st).

Jan 1, 2006

By A. Noble

The design of separation circuits can be a complex, labor-intensive and costly process. While the engineer?s experience along with extensive data sets and simulation are crucial tools for determining the final solution, a more fundamental approach is suitable to compare preliminary options and reduce the number of potential alternatives. In light of this need, the authors have developed the Circuit Analysis Reduction Tool (CART?). This software package relies on the fundamental principles of linear circuit analysis; however, the solution methodology has been streamlined to automatically incorporate stream splitting and unique separation performance for each unit. The resulting tool allows preliminary analysis of circuit designs without the need of detailed feed characterization. In addition to the basic analytical approach, this paper supports the veracity of the methodology with several simulated examples for various separation models.

Feb 27, 2013

The 26th international APCOM symposium, hosted by The Pennsylvania State University, was held Sept. 16 to 20, 1996 in University Park, PA. Conducted about every 18 months throughout the world, APCOM symposia focus on the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry. The APCOM International Council is the governing body of the symposia and determines the symposium’s locations and sponsorships. This group is composed of the nine permanent (voting) members. They include the University of Arizona, Colorado School of Mines, Pennsylvania State University, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc., Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Technical University of Berlin, Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The three nonvoting members are Moscow Mining Institute, China Institute of Mining and Rudarski Mining Institute of Slovenia.

Jan 1, 1996

By Richard D. Lang

Introduction Argyle is located in the Kimberley region in northwest Australia (Fig. 1). It is a significant diamond discovery by world standards and is the first major diamond find in Australia. The deposit consists of a pipe and associated alluvial deposits. Before the 1970s, diamonds were known to exist only sporadically in Australia. They have been found occasionally in association with gold deposits in Western Australia. There is a small deposit near Copeton in New South Wales. Some alluvial occurrences have also been found in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales. The first indicator minerals in the Kimberley region of Western Australia were discovered in January 1973. Production from the alluvial deposits at Argyle began in 1983. A $430-million construction program to develop a mine and treatment plant capable of producing 25 million carats per year was completed in December (1 carat = 0.2 grams). Ownership and management Participants in the project are known as the Argyle Diamond Mines Joint Venture. The group consists of CRA Ltd., 56.8%; Ashton Mining Ltd., 38.2%; and the Western Australian Diamond Trust (formerly Northern Mining Corp.), 5%. The project is managed by Argyle Diamond Mines Pty. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CRA. Marketing is undertaken separately by the Western Australian Diamond Trust and by Argyle Diamond Sales Ltd. (for CRA and Ashton Mining groups). History Ownership of the Exploration Joint Venture has changed over the last 12 years as various parties changed their shareholdings. The original Kalumburu Joint Venture was formed in 1972 with five participants, each holding a 20% interest. By 1983, a number of ownership changes had occurred. The end result is that two original participants have sold out. CRA now holds a 56.8% share and the Ashton Mining Group holds 38.2%. CRA also assumed project management in January 1977. Table 1 demonstrates the long lead times involved in developing a project.

Jan 1, 1986

By M. D. Lackey

The "Art" of Big Hole Drilling has been in a continual state of evolution at the Nevada Test Site since the start of underground testing in 1961. Emplacement holes for nuclear devices are still being drilled by the rotary drilling process, but almost all the hardware and systems have undergone many changes during the intervening years. The current design of bits, cutters, and other big hole drilling hardware results from contributions of manufacturers and Test Site personnel. The dual string, air lift, reverse circulation system was developed at the Test Site. Necessity was really the Mother of this invention, but this circulation system is worthy of consideration under almost any condition. Drill rigs for Big Hole drilling are usually adaptations of large Oil Well drill rigs with minor modifications required to handle the big bits and drilling assemblies. Steel remains the favorite shaft lining material, but a lot of thought is being given to concrete linings, especially precast concrete.

Jan 1, 1983

By ANDREW HOBERT, Maoming Fan

Low-cost and environment-friendly green froth flotation modifiers of plant origin, such as guar gum, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and starch, have been used in flotation of some sulfide and non-sulfide minerals. Certain green modifiers may be used as dispersants, flocculants, depressants, or activators. The functions of green modifiers in froth flotation highly depend on their molecular composition, flotation slurry chemistry, hydrodynamic conditions, etc. This paper will discuss the fundamentals, current applications, and potential new applications of guar gum, CMC, and corn starch in valuable minerals (phosphate, potash, and iron ores) and the unwanted gangue minerals (silica and clay minerals) flotation. In this study, improved flotation performance was achieved using some green modifiers in flotation columns with the more plug-flow environments than in conventional flotation cells approaching perfectly mixed conditions. This is because the hydrodynamic cavitation-generated ultrafine bubbles could help bridge ultrafine particles to form aggregates, promote the formation of flocs, and increase the stability of flocs.

Jan 6, 2022

By V. R. Degner

The trend in both the metallic and non-metallic mining industry is toward processing increasing y higher tonnages of lower grade ores, thereby resulting in a growing interest in progressively larger volume individual machines in the flotation circuit. Because of the relatively high cost of large flotation machine development and evaluation, it is important to establish a rational basis by which the existing smaller flotation machine experience can be extrapolated to establish the configuration of the next larger family of flotation machines with a minimum of development modification in the field. This paper reviews the R&D approach used in translating smaller flotation machine experience to establish the configuration of a 1000 cu ft (2B.3 cu m) induced air machine. Internal cell hydrodynamic principles, which governed this extrapolation, and cell (liquid) surface and froth management considerations will be reviewed, and prototype machine mill tests will be summarized.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. R. Evans

Mining claims must have a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit to be valid. When required, a Federal government mineral examiner makes a determination of validity and recommendations thereof to authorized management officials. The examiner should show whether or not an existing mining operation, or a proposed operation have economic viability. This is accomplished through an analysis of legal entities, land status and use, geologic and mineralogic relationships, and mining, milling and processing techniques considered in an appropriate economic evaluation framework. A framework involves market and market entry studies, reserve analyses, all costs analysis, royalty buyouts, tax structure, discount rate of return, and escalation and risk factors. An income approach to value is then used by means of a simple or complex discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis to certify validity. Whether one claim is owned by a single miner, or hundreds of claims are owned by a large corporation, thorough, fair, consistent, and appropriate economic concepts should be applied by the mineral examiner.

Jan 1, 1993