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By Gregory J. Chekan

As part of the initial investigation and validation of a new boundary-element formulation for stress modeling in coal mines, the underground stresses and displacements at two multiple-seam coal mines with unique stress problems were modeled and predicted. The new program, LAMODEL, calculates stresses and displacements at the seam level and at requested locations in the overburden or at the surface. Both linear elastic and nonlinear seam materials can be used, and surface effects, multiple seams, and multiple mining steps can be simulated. In order to most efficiently use LAMODEL for accurate stress prediction, the program is first calibrated to the site-specific geomechanics based on previously observed stress conditions at the mine. For this calibration process, a previously mined area is "stress mapped" by quantifying the observed pillar and strata behavior using a numerical rating system. Then, the site-specific mechanical properties in the model are adjusted to provide the best correlation between the predicted stresses and the observed underground stress rating. Once calibrated, the model is then used to predict future stress problems ahead of mining. At the two case study mines, the calibrated models showed good correlation with the observed stresses and also accurately predicted upcoming high stress areas for preventive action by the mines.

Jan 5, 1999

By S. D. Michaelson

Open pits and quarries are the major sources of all "hard rock" tonnage mined today. Normally, ore is fractured from the pit face by blasting and then truck-hauled to a primary crusher where pro- cessing begins; overburden (or waste) is generally truck-hauled from the pit to dump areas. Truck haulage of blasted ore and overburden accounts for some 25 to 50% of total mining costs in a typical open pit and commonly is the largest single cost factor. Obviously then, cost reduction efforts should properly focus on improving existing haulage systems and developing new breakthrough techniques for material transport. Continuous flow systems for large tonnages ordinarily will result in a lower cost than batch systems such as truck or rail haulage. Continuous flow with pipelines for liquids and slurries, or conveyors for medium to coarse dry materials (in the -8-in. range) are the economic answers for bulk materials handling over reasonable distances.

Jan 11, 1968

Anyone who has driven backwards using only their rear view mirrors knows how difficult it is to avoid spinning the steering wheel the wrong way. So why run your mine that way? Traditionally Reconciliation has focused on the past performance of the mine. In this paper we make a case for Prognostication û the act of forecasting or predicting something in the future from present indications or signs. Reconciliation is a common activity carried out at most mines around the world. Countless geologists and engineers spend hours poised in front of spreadsheets diligently comparing how their resource/reserve model, grade control, and survey pick ups compare to what was actually produced. The result is usually a group of factors, which are applied to future estimates in an attempt to better predict how the operation may perform. Unfortunately, if the road ahead isnÆt the same as what you have just been down, youÆll be æoff-roadingÆ in no time! An alternative is to constantly collect and analyse key measurements that are used to calibrate critical estimates in an iterative process. When variations occur, they are analysed and corrective action is taken to ensure the estimates and measurements realign. In this way the estimates become forecasts and can then form the basis for decision making to ensure that what does happen in the future will match the plan or schedule. By automating this process, some mines have been able to be proactive on a daily basis in order to improve the overall performance of the operation. This paper outlines the key estimates and measurements used for reconciliation, details the characteristics of an automated web based information management system to facilitate the process and provides some insights about how mining operations might move beyond reconciliation.

Jan 1, 2003

By S Cyphers, J Missen, B Jansen

The AGL Loy Yang Mine is one of the largest and most significant coalmines in Australia. Commencing in 1982, this mine produces 30–35 Mt/a to supply more than 50 per cent of Victoria’s electrical power requirements. At this mine there are unique geotechnical challenges to overcome to ensure its safe operation including: significant mine depth, low density of coal in the operating and permanent mine batters, the influence of groundwater and deep sediment aquifer pressures. One of the challenges is the behaviour of brown coal, which is neither a soil nor a rock and displays long-term creep stress relief. Other geotechnical challenges include ensuring stability in high unconsolidated dumps, potential large-scale block movement in mine batters driven by crack water pressure and heave from high-pressure aquifers.The paper will outline the geological and hydrogeological setting and potential failure mechanisms, and detail an integrated geographic information system and reporting regime that in part addresses ground control management at the mine. The paper will also outline the management processes for a dynamic geotechnical environment and the benefits of the alliance arrangements to meet the geotechnical requirements at the mine and the effective personnel integration in the mine technical services team.CITATION:Jansen, B, Missen, J and Cyphers, S, 2014. Geotechnical management at the AGL Loy Yang Mine, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 239–246 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

By R. F. Coulter

THE Flin Flon concentrating and metallurgical plants (Figure 1) of the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Limited, lie adjacent to the town of Flin Flon, on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, 400 miles northwest of Winnipeg. Since the start of milling operations in 1930, over 50 million tons of ore from the Flin Flon mine have been treated in the concentrator. During the past few years, newly discovered orebodies have been brought into production and their ores processed at the company's main metallurgical plants. All these properties are within a 75-mile radius of Flin Flon and have aided substantially in augmenting plant metal production as well as retarding depletion of ore reserves in the Flin Flon mine. •Current satellite producers are the Schist Lake, Coronation, and Chisel Lake mines. The Schist Lake mine, located 3 ½ miles southeast of the main plant, is a copper-zinc producer. It was brought into production in 1954. The

Jan 1, 1962

By D. P. Desmond

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated leaching automobile catalysts with sodium cyanide (NaCN) solutions at high temperatures to recover platinum-group metals (PGM). The feed was virgin monolith rejects, used monolith, and used pellet catalysts. Leaching with a 5-pct NaCN solution for 1 h at 160° C dissolved over 97 pct of the PGM in the virgin monolith, over 85 pct of the PGM in the used monolith, and over 90 pct of the PGM in the used pellet catalyst. Over 99.8 pct of the dissolved PGM was recovered as a precipitate by heating the solution to 250° C for 1 h in an autoclave. The cyanide complexes were decomposed, and free cyanide was destroyed.

Jan 1, 2010

By Steven A. Mathe, Seokbin Lim

Current analytical models can accurately predict the final velocity of explosively driven flyers and can somewhat predict the acceleration profile, but do little to address the deformation of the flyers. Explosive systems such as linear shaped charges and explosively formed projectiles, which can be described as multiple interacting explosively driven flyers, often involve interactions between the flyers that occur much before the flyers reach their predicted final velocity. In this regime, it is important to accurately understand both the acceleration profile and the deformation profile of the flyers, as both significantly affect the functioning of the explosive systems. Previous work proposed an analytical model to meet this need. As the expanding gas cloud of detonation products drives the flyers, rarefactions impinge upon the gas cloud from around the flyer edges, which produces a pressure difference across the back face of the flyer leading to deformation of the flyer. Previous research condensed the effects of the rarefactions into a single term, the pressure release ratio, ?, which was calculated based on hydrocode simulations of a block of explosive only and an assumption of isentropic expansion. This work intends to determine the value of ? for different explosive compounds. The results of this analysis were compared to hydrocode simulations of an open-faced sandwich configuration explosive/flyer system with an average accuracy of 15% across the tested compounds.

Jan 1, 2015

The Mt Leyshon Volcanic Complex lies 24 kilometres south-west of Charters Towers and is part of a major continental volcano-plutonic province of Permo-Carboniferous age in north-east Queensland.The volcanic complex is located on the contact between Cape River Beds of Cambrian age and the Ordovician Ravenswood Granodiorite Complex. The emplacement of the complex appears to have been structurally controlled and is at the intersection of major north-east and minor north-west trending lineaments. The gold mineralisation occurs in the form of cavity coatings, matrix replacement, disseminations, and vein and fracture fillings containing quartz, chlorite, carbonate, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena in various volcanic breccias and rhyolitic intrusives. The current published mineable ore reserves, calculated by Noranda Australia Limited, are 6.3 million tonnes of 1.8 grams per tonne gold and 4.8 grams per tonne silver. The orebody is open at depth, and in all directions except north where it abuts the granodiorite.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. Heriba

Cyanide is highly toxic to humans and other organisms. Concentrations of RCN as low as 0.05 ppm can be lethal to fish (Scott and Ingle', 1981). In wet climates and in colder climates where natural degradation is slow, it is becoming mandatory to destroy cyanides in effluents before they can be discharged. The disposal of spent gold ore as tailings from cyanide heap leach processing facilities is a matter of concern to the public, the mining industry, and regulatory agencies. South Dakota mining laws and regulations require that spent ore be neutralized to a suitable level with respect to cyanide before disposal (Durkin, 1990). To safeguard the environment and protect ground-water and surface-water supplies adequately, a reliable test is needed to determine the amount of cyanide in the solid spent ore.

Jan 1, 1993

The MIMDAS geophysical data acquisition system developed and tested by the former MIM Exploration Pty Ltd (MIMEX) is now commercially available worldwide through Geophysical Resources and Services Pty Ltd (GRS). The system implements several new features in its design that give it significant advantages over conventional systems and allows for new approaches to electrical exploration. In particular, the achievable signal to noise levels permit exploration to depths once thought beyond the range of electrical exploration. The flexible multi-channel configuration lends itself to truly 3D surveys in the style of modern seismic techniques. Each of these aspects is illustrated with a number of case histories from both Australia and South America.

Jan 1, 2004

One of the more recent developments within the mining industry has been the adoption of formal continuous improvement programs. A continuous improvement (CI) program was launched across Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) in early-2002. The purpose of this program was to identify further operating improvements within departments. The focus of the continuous improvement program was not only on the areas of the operation which were performing below expectations but also on areas of the operation which were performing well but could still be further improved.The effectiveness of a continuous improvement program depends on the stability of the processes in place and the participation of many employees from all levels of the business.Continuous improvement has had some successes and failures at KCGM and this paper will discuss both within the open pits department. Further improvements that could be made to the process will also be discussed. Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Fimiston operation is located in the Kalgoorlie Goldfields and it the largest gold mine in Australia producing over 800 000 ounces of gold per annum.

Jan 1, 2004

By James E. Hoffmann

Oxidative pressure leaching is gradually supplanting other techniques for the decopperizing of slimes. The reasons for this include: much more rapid reactions, more compact equipment, a reduced environmental burden, and perhaps most important, a much lower final copper concentration in the decopperized slimes. This paper will discuss the reactions occurring during decopperization, the acidity and temperatures encountered and the techniques employed for discharging non condensable gasses. A spreadsheet is provided which allows adjusting the operating conditions depending upon raw (undecopperized) slimes composition, solids concentration and lixiviant composition. A typical process equipment flowsheet is provided along with a process narrative.

Jan 1, 2000

By Zhou Jun

Water-quenched samples were taken from a commercial flash furnace at three levels along its reaction shaft during operation at high feed rate. The samples were subjected to a series of analysis and observation. Such processes of the feed in reaction shaft as oxidation, desulfurization, melting, slag and matte formation and etc., variations of particle size along axial and radical direction of the shaft are investigated. The following smelting mechanism in reaction shaft named as “Multi-particle and multi-phase fusion model” is proposed: (1) Fragmentation and collision of concentrate particles take place simultaneously in reaction shaft with particle size growing up. Collision produces large-size “unit melt” which falls into the reaction layer in the settler bath. (2) In the settler reaction layer below the shaft, weak bath smelting reactions take place among the shaft products, producing final matte and slag which separate into two layers. (3) The processes in the shaft are all progressive along the whole height of the shaft. The predominant reaction in the shaft is oxidation, not reduction.

By J. R. Szedon, T. L. Chu, G. A. Gruber

Amorphous adherent filnzs of silicon dioxide have been deposited on silicon substrates by the oxidation of silane at temperatures ranging from 650 to 1050C. Various diluents (argon, nitrogen, hydrogen) were used to suppress the formation of SiO2 in the gas phase. Deposition rates of the oxide were determined over the temperature range in question as functions of' re-actant flow rates. Etch rate studies were used for a cursory comparison of structural properties of deposited and thermally grown oxides. From electrical evaluation of metal-insulator-silicon capacitors it was determined that the interface charge density of deposited films is similar go that of dry-oxygen-grown films in the 850° to 1050 C temperature range. Deposited films exhibit several ionic instability effects which differ in detail from those reported for thermal oxides. Stable passivating films of silicon nitride over deposited oxides appear to be practical for use in silicon planar device fabrication. Such films can be prepared under temperature conditions which have less effect on substrate impurity distributions than in the case of grown oxides. AMORPHOUS silicon dioxide (silica) is compatible with silicon in electrical properties and is the most widely used dielectric in silicon devices at present. Silica films can be prepared by the oxidation of silicon or deposited on silicon or other substrate surfaces by chemical reactions or vacuum techniques. The ability of thermally grown silicon dioxide films to passivate silicon surfaces forms one of the practical bases of the planar device technology. Properly produced and treated films of grown SiO 2 can have low densities of interface charge (-1 X 10" charges per sq cm) and can be stable as regards fast migrating ionic sgecies. 1 To maintain these properties, even with an otherwise hermetically sealed ambient, the Sia layers must be at least l000 A thick. Such thicknesses require oxidation in dry oxygen for periods of 7.8 hr at 900°C or 2 hr at 1000°C. Although oxidation in steam or wet oxygen can reduce these times to 17 and 5 min, the resulting oxides must be annealed to produce acceptable levels of interface charge., Oxidation or annealing involving moderate to high temperatures for extended periods of time can be undesirable. Under some conditions, there can be changes in the distribution of impurities within the underlying substrate. A chemical deposition technique using gaseous am-bients is particularly attractive and flexible for preparing oxide films. With a wide range of deposition rates available, films can be produced under condi- tions of time and temperature less detrimental to impurity distributions in the silicon than in the case of thermal oxidation. The pyrolysis of alkoxysilanes, the hydrolysis of silicon halides, and various modifications of these reactions are most commonly used for the deposition of silica films.3 Silica films obtained in this manner are likely to be contaminated by the by-products of the reaction, organic impurities, or hydrogen halides. The use of the oxidation of silane for the deposition process has been reported recently.4 The deposition of silica films on single-crystal silicon substrates by the oxidation of silane in a gas flow system has been studied in this work. The deposition variables studied were the crystallographic orientation of the substrate surface, the substrate temperature, and the nature of the diluent gas. The electrical charge behavior of Si-SiO2-A1 structures prepared under various conditions was investigated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. The experimental approaches and results are discussed in this paper. 1) DEPOSITION OF SILICA FILMS The overall reaction for the oxidation of silane is: The equilibrium constants of this reaction in the temperature range 500° to 1500°K, calculated from the JANAF thermochemical data,= are shown in Fig. 1. In addition to the large equilibrium constants, the oxidation of silane is also kinetically feasible at room temperature and above. However, the strong reactivity of silane toward oxygen tends to promote the nucleation of silica in the gas phase through homogeneous reactions, and the deposition of this silica on the substrate would yield nonadherent material. The formation of silica in the gas phase can be reduced by using low partial pressures of the reactants. Argon, hydrogen, and nitrogen were used as diluents in this work. 1.1) Experimental. The deposition of silica films by the oxidation of silane was carried out in a gas flow system using an apparatus shown schematically in Fig. 2. Appropriate flow meters and valves were used to control the flow of various reactants, i.e., argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and silane. Semiconductor-grade silane, argon of 99.999 pct minimum purity, oxygen of 99.95 pct minimum purity, and nitrogen of 99.997 pct minimum purity, all purchased from the Matheson Co., were used without further purification. In several instances, a silicon nitride film was deposited over the silica film. This was achieved by the nitridation of silane with ammonia using anhydrous ammonia of better than 99.99 pct purity supplied by the Matheson CO.' The reactant mixture of the desired composition was passed through a Millipore filter into a horizontal water-cooled fused silica tube of 55 mm

Jan 1, 1969

With unprecedented worldwide growth and increasing global demand for energy expected to swell by 60 per-cent in the next two decades, mining matters as much now, if not more, than it ever has. This was the consensus at the 110th Annual National Western Mining Conference presented by the Colorado Mining Association, Feb. 12-14 at the Westin Hotel in Denver, CO. The role of coal ? America?s most abundant energy source ? the future of uranium and its possible resurgence in the energy marketplace, the skyrocketing value of gold as well as the issues of health, safety, climate change, legislation and government?s role in mining were all discussed during the three-day conference that operated under the banner of ?Mining Matters.? Barbara Filas, chairperson of the 110th National Western Mining Conference, president of Knight Piesold Co. and former SME president, welcomed the record crowd with an inspiring speech in which she pointed out that although ?most normal folks don?t know what role mining plays in their everyday life, mining does matter. ?Our industry,? she said, ?matters to Colorado. It matters to Colorado because it is a $3-billion industry. It matters to the 13,000 people who are employed directly or indirectly by the industry and it matters to schools that receive more than half of the royalties that are generated by mining.? During discussions of mining?s place in Colorado, the western United States and the world, special attention was paid to coal, uranium and the future of energy. ?It is time to rethink our perceptions about coal,? said Mark A. Smith, president and chief executive officer of Chevron Mining Inc. He spoke during the opening reception in a presentation titled, ?Coal to Liquids: Bridging America?s Energy Gap.? Although coal is America?s most abundant, and cheapest energy source, it is also one of the most scrutinized because of the pollution it causes and recent, and heavily publicized, tragedies that have claimed the lives of some who mine it.

Jan 1, 2008

By A. E. Powers, J. F. Libsch

THE simultaneous influence of time and temperature upon the tempering process in steel is well known. Hollomon and Jaffe¹ have expressed the effect of time and temperature upon the progress of tempering by a single parameter, T (c + log t); where T is the absolute temperature; t, the tempering time; and c, a constant characteristic of the steel and treatment. It was found that when hardness data for plain carbon and low alloy steels were plotted vs. this parameter, a master tempering curve was obtained which satisfied all the data for a given steel and a given hardening treatment. Roberts, Grobe, and Moersch² successfully applied the tempering parameter to various tool steels, including high speed steel for tempering times ranging from 6 min to 100 hr. The influence of tempering time and temperature upon the physical properties of high speed steel has also been extensively investigated.'" Recently, the use of induction heating for very rapid tempering treatments has received attention. The authors% have shown that tempering treatments of only a few seconds duration may be successfully applied to plain carbon and low alloy steel. However, the influence of such short tempering treatments in high speed steel has not been explored. Since high speed steel is a highly alloyed steel exhibiting physical reactions during tempering that are often relatively slow and large in magnitude, it is an interesting steel for the study of tempering reactions. It was the purpose of the present investigation, therefore, to study the early progress of reactions leading to secondary hardness in high speed steel, type 6-5-4-2, and to determine if induction-tempering treatments of a few seconds duration are able to produce results equal to those of more conventional long-time tempering cycles. Experimental Details The chemical compositions for two different heats of W-Mo high speed steel used in this study are given in Table I. Table II summarizes the heat treatment given various groups of specimens cut 21/2 in. long and centerless ground to ¼ in. diam. Hardening treatments consisted of preheating to 1600°F (870°C) for V2 hr and then oil quenching from 2250°F (1230°C). Heat I was subjected to the high temperature in a salt bath for 3 min, while specimens of heat II were austenitized in a carbon-block muffle furnace for 10 min. Specimens of series E were immediately refrigerated to — 318°F (— 195°C) in liquid nitrogen following the hardening treatment to transform the major portion of the retained aus-tenite. Specimens of series F and G were subzero cooled to — 100°F (-75°C) in a dry ice-alcohol mixture. Induction tempering was performed with a Lepel high frequency converter operating at a frequency of approximately 300,000 cycles per sec. Heating cycles were controlled and recorded for each specimen using a chromel-alumel thermocouple, percussion welded to the surface of the specimen, and a modified high speed instrument with a timer previously used and described.' Temperature oscillation of the specimens, while being held at the tempering temperature, was ± 15°F (8°C). Tempering Treatments: After hardening, specimens were tempered between 900" and 1500°F (480" and 815°C) to study the progress of retained austenite decomposition and secondary hardening. The specimens tempered in salt for 1 hr (series C, G, and I) were considered to represent conventional treatment and are used for comparison with rapid tempering treatments. Several induction-tempering cycles were employed: 1—flash tempering, i.e., induction heating to the tempering temperature and immediately cooling (series A, E, and F); 2—induction heating for 60 sec at temperature (series B); and 3—double-induction tempering by two successive heating and cooling cycles (series D). All specimens tempered by induction were heated at an initial rate of 450°F (250°C) per sec except those of series E, which were heated at an initial rate of 1300 °F

Jan 1, 1952

By D. Tolgyesi, L. P. Gignac

Mine development has evolved in the past 15 years from a human-paced system using hand-held drills and track-bound equipment to a mechanized system using specialized equipment for each component of the development cycle. In most Canadian hard-rock mines, face advance is achieved by the following sequential activities: drilling, explosive loading, mucking and ground support. The state-of-the-art for each work element is reviewed and methods for performance estimates proposed. The entire development system and its production capabilities are considered based on equipment reliabilities, spare units, haulage distances, and muck bay spacing. The effect of the number of working faces on the system's performance will also be analyzed. Manuscript not received in time for publication.

Jan 1, 1983

By B. Vasanthakumar, H. Ravishankar, S. Subramanian, J. Braun

The flotation of sphalerite and galena in the presence of intra- and extra-cellular components isolated from Bacillus circulans before and after adaptation to the chosen minerals has been studied. Based on various biochemical treatments, the key biomolecule primarily responsible for the flotation of sphalerite has been identified as DNA, which functions as a bio-collector. A noteworthy finding is the considerably higher flotation recovery of sphalerite obtained in the presence of single stranded DNA (79.8%) vis-à-vis double stranded DNA (50.2%). Selective flotation tests using the soluble fraction obtained after thermolysis treatment highlight that sphalerite-adapted cells yield a higher selectivity index (S. I.) of 31.2 compared to galena-adapted (S.I. 4.3) or unadapted (S.I. 12.2) cells. During bacterial adaptation to the above chosen minerals, the quantitative and qualitative changes in the surface potential, surface morphology and cell wall components have been monitored. The prior adaptation of the bacteria to sphalerite results in the secretion of a higher amount of proteins, eDNA and phosphate, whereas adaptation to galena leads to a higher amount of polysaccharide, uronic acid and acetylated sugar, vis-à-vis the unadapted bacteria. A significant observation is that the bacteria undergo a change in morphology from rod to sphere as a strategy to resist metal toxicity during adaptation to galena. Interestingly, this phenomenon is not observed during bacterial adaptation to sphalerite. This morphological transition has been shown to involve changes in crucial cell wall components as well as changes in the levels of expression of bacterial cytoskeleton element mreB gene involved in the maintenance of the rod shape. The sequence of B.circulans mreB gene has been identified using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) followed by DNA sequencing.

Jan 1, 2014

By Michael A. Barbaglia, Mark William Withey

The lift shot is an essential blast design in the execution of mine creation and expansion plans. Whether it be opening a new quarry, creating a new level in an existing operation, or for control of water, lift shots are utilized to create the desired results. Lift shots by their nature differ from conventional production blasts because they have no free faces for relief of the blast. Due to this fully confined state, the primary direction of the rock movement is vertical, and the potential for excessive vibration and fly rock generation is great.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. P. Messervey

As a result of my field examinations in this Province, I have been struck by the evidence of widespread mineralization in rocks, particularly the limestones of Carboniferous age. Six prospects of lead and zinc or lead alone scattered through the eastern part of the mainland, one copper prospect and three veins of siderite, all point to a period of mineralization subsequent to the forming of the Carboniferous rocks in which they occur. While none of the present prospects are of proved economic importance, still it is possible, and indeed probable, that further prospecting will find concentrations sufficiently large to make mines. It may possibly aid the prospecting for these base metals if the present scraps of information are assembled from various sources, and I will further briefly recount the information as a result of my observations. Gay?s River At Gay's river, midway between Halifax and Truro, and four miles east of the railway, numerous pits and natural exposures show galena and sphalerite in limestone of Carboniferous age, near where it lies unconformably upon slate and quartzite of the gold series. These exposures extend for a length of over one thousand feet along a curving contact. The pits show that on the contact there is a fossiliferous and somewhat porous layer of limestone, which is so impregnated with galena and small amounts of sphalerite as to be of ore grade. Wherever observed, the thickness of this layer is less than two feet.

Jan 1, 1929