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By Malcolm D. Flavel

Recent research into the mechanisms of crushing processes has led to the establishment of new criteria for the effective design and operation of comminution plants. This paper reviews this work and gives examples of the productivity gains and cost benefits that have been achieved in the practical application of these findings.

Jan 1, 1988

By Robert J. McCarthy

There are two things on everyone's lips when mining folks gather these days - one is the exciting business opportunities that now exist for mine development and expansion, and the other is the dire shortage of human resources needed to design, manage, and even operate the mines. Years of stagnant industry growth, limited employment opportunities, and unwarranted perceptions of remote and harsh working conditions have caused mining to be a less than desirable career choice. Attrition and reduced entry to the workforce has resulted in shortages for not only mining professionals, but also skilled trades people and operators. Consequently, to survive, let alone grow, mining companies, suppliers, and educators are all pursuing innovative solutions with technology, inter-industry recruiting, centralized services, and strategic partnerships. This paper describes some of these initiatives and proposes others, now that the people are gone!

May 1, 2008

By L. S. Chabot

INTRODUCTION THE bibliography of mining methods in the past few years has contained many articles dealing with the use of the diamond drill for blasthole drilling. In the Canadian mines, this method has been used with great success in stoping at Noranda, Aldermac, Waite Amulet, East Malartic and Sladen Malartic mines in the Province of Quebec. It has also been used at the Dorchester and Beattie gold mines in Duparquet, Quebec. The method has found useful application at Copper Mountain mine, British Colombia, and at Flin Flon mine in Manitoba. In the United States, the diamond drill blasthole method has been used at Cornwall Iron Ore Mines in Pennsylvania and at the Republic Steel Corporation magnetite properties in the Port Henry district of northern New York. In the Lake Superior iron district, the method has been used at the Anvil-Palms mine of Pickands, Mather and Co. at Bessemer, Mich., and is also used at the Book mine of the North Range Mining Co. at Alpha, Mich. Other companies in the district have also experimented in some degree with the method at some of their properties. This paper is being offered as a preliminary report on the use of the diamond drill method of stoping at the Book mine. Sufficient work has been done with it to prove its worth and it is the purpose of the article to present some results, operational details, equipment ideas and recommendations which we have found in its use at our mine. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The Book mine is situated about a mile north of the village of Alpha, in the NE-NE ¼ and the SE-NE ¼ of sec 12-42-33, between the Dunn mine and the Balkan-Judson mine, and about four miles southwest of the village of Crystal Falls, on the Menominee Range of Michigan. The property was found to have ore near surface in sufficient quantities for open-pit operations and stripping was begun in the latter part of 1942 to prepare it for ore production in 1943. During 1943, 288,447 tons of direct shipping ore were produced from the open pit and 382,933 tons in 1944. While the mine was being operated as an open pit some 350,000 tons of lean ore were stockpiled for later treatment. This material is being treated in a washing and jig plant and concentrates are produced during the shipping season. The ore bodies at the Book mine are characteristic of the Menominee Range. They are found on the flanks of sharply folded anticlines which have a fairly steep pitch to the northwest. The open-pit operations in 1943 and 1944 revealed two of these anticlinal structures. A detailed study and classification of the old diamond drill records, coupled with the information of some new holes drilled, has established the

Jan 1, 1947

By Graeme Miller

The geotechnical characteristics of the ore are important in understanding the kinetics of a copper heap leach. These characteristics can indicate potential problems and can be used to determine the semi-quantitative changes in field kinetics as compared with column kinetics. The application of this approach allows a more rigorously based determination of ?scale up factors? than has been the case the date. The shrinking core model has been shown to be a poor predictor of leach kinetics based on the crushed ore size distribution. However the model itself is a very useful tool to analyse commercial heap data. Significant geotechnical parameters such as: bulk density / stress characteristic, limit moisture capacity and particle density are used to determine the effect of changes on the diffusion controlled leach rate. By consideration of the geotechnical reaction of the ore mass the leach rate changes are related to changes in these variables. Analysis of commercial heap data has indicated effective diffusion lengths of up to ten times the largest particle size.

Jan 1, 2003

Projected cooling requirements for ERPM led to the first proposals for the large- scale use of ice for mine cooling in the early 1980's. Following successful research into ice conveying and ice melting a large ice plant was commissioned at Harmony in 1985 and a much larger 6000 ton per day plant is presently under construction at ERPM. A brief description of the mining project is given, followed by general descriptions of the surface ice plants and the ice conveying system, the systems for using the ice for mine cooling, and the control of the whole ice cooling System.

Jan 1, 1988

By T. PH. D. Egleston

THE importance of making analyses of gases in furnaces which are used for metallurgical purposes is every day growing more and more evident. It is the only method of understanding the reactions that take place in the furnace, and of economically conducting the operations both with regard to the fuel used and the reactions which take place on the bodies to be subjected to the influence of the heat and gases. As a knowledge of the composition of gases is becoming every day more necessary to the proper conduct of furnace operations, it seems desirable that furnace managers should generally know that the analysis of gas for commercial purposes is neither difficult, tedious, or expensive, and that it does not necessarily imply the use of corrections requiring difficult instrumental observations and long and tedious mathematical calculations. Any method, therefore, which will tend to render these analyses simple will also tend to having them made and repeated as frequently as the analyses of the ores and other materials charged in the furnace. They should be made even more frequently, as their composition is affected by any change in the condition of the furnace, and a knowledge of their composition will give a ready clue to the unseen and otherwise not easily detected changes which are taking place. The only practicable method of making industrial analyses of gas is that of measuring volumes in graduated tubes. The methods by

Jan 1, 1877

By J. A. Jaekel, W. C. Aitkenhead

Uranium deposits in the Spokane Indian Reservation, as well as those around Mt. Spokane, are essentially low grade, much of the ore containing less than 0.2 pct U3O8. The Mining Experiment Station of the Division of Industrial Research, State College of Washington, has been engaged in intensive research on the amenability of these low grade ores to froth flotation. The results: successful flotation of autinite, chief mineral constituent. At the outset of this work the goal was a concentrate of 1 pct U3O8 with a 90 pct recovery from ores containing less than 0.2 pct U3O8. Most of the work has been done on argillite ore from the Midnight mine on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The goal has not been attained using this ore, but samples of the granite ore from Mt. Spokane yielded successful results. For example, a concentrate containing 11.2 pcl U3O8 was produced from a Mt. Spokane high grade ore containing 1.27 pct U3O8 with a recovery of 97.8 pct. Another Mt. Spokane ore yielded a concentrate of 5.0 pct U3O8 from an ore containing 0.13 pct U3O8. with a recovery of 85 pct. This same ore gave a recovery of 93.5 pct when the grade of concentrate was reduced to 2.0 pct. It has been concluded that a successful method for floating autunite has been developed and that the mediocre results from the Midnight argillite ore are probably caused by the presence of some other uranium mineral or minerals less amenable to these reagents. The experimenters tested a third type of Washington ore, found on the Northwest Uranium Mines Inc. property on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This is a conglomerate of pebbles and small boulders of partially decomposed granite and is shot through with autunite. Its characteristics lie between those of the Midnight ore and the granite ore from the Spokane district. It responds better than the ore from Midnight but not as well as that from Mt. Spokane. As the fatty acids are the only type of collectors showing promise, investigation has been concerned with these acids and the optimum conditions for their use. The first method for treating the argillite ore from the Spokane Indian Reservation made use of Cyanamid's R-708 as a collector, a tall oil product described as a substitute for oleic acid. Although the investigators proved that R-708 is a collector for autunite when mixtures of autunite and silica sand are used, results on the ore were mediocre. Tests of other fatty acids revealed that the solid fatty acids of the saturated series are collectors for autunite and that their collecting power increases with the length of the carbon chain. The even carbon members of the whole series were tested from the 10 carbon acid (capric) to the 22 carbon acid (be-henic). The least expensive collector, stearic acid (18 carbon), proved to be a good one, so this was used in most of the tests. In first attempts with stearic acid, the collector was dissolved in various hydrocarbons and the solutions were added to the flotation cell. Cyclohexane, gasoline, fuel oil, kerosene, and other solvents were tried. Small amounts of high grade concentrates could be brought up, but recoveries were low. Finally emulsions of stearic acid were tried. It was discovered that stearic acid alone has little collecting power except when conditioning is carried out at high temperature. When hydrocarbon solvents were also present, it proved to be an excellent collector. An example of one emulsion that proved satisfactory for some ores is given as follows: 1 part stearic acid by weight, 1 part sodium oleate by weight, 1.2 parts kerosene by weight, 100 parts water. In some successful tests part of the stearic acid was replaced by oleic acid. The emulsions were made by agitating the stearic acid and sodium oleate together with hot water, then adding the kerosene and agitating while cooling. In the five tests reported in Table 1, 650 g of ore were ground with 650 cc water in a laboratory rod mill. The pulp was filtered to eliminate excess water and the ground ore transferred to a stainless steel beaker for conditioning at high pulp density. In most of the tests sodium hydroxide was added to the conditioner during agitation, then the collector emulsion, and finally the sodium silicate. The amount of alkali was adjusted to give a pH of 8.5 to 9.0 in the flotation cell. After conditioning the pulp was transferred to a laboratory flotation cell and the test completed in a normal manner. It is interesting to note that a deposit of high grade concentrate forms on the conditioning agitator and in the conditioning vessel, and at times on the agitator of the flotation cell itself. A few grams of concentrate running as high as 4 pct U3O8 were recovered from the conditioner when Midnight ore containing less than 0.2 pct U3O8 was treated. In the examples given in Table I this conditioner concentrate is calculated as part of the total concentrate. The authors have not yet fully explored the possi-

Jan 1, 1960

By Stephen Krickovic

A degasification experiment was conducted in a Pocahontas No. 3 coalbed mine in Virginia. It involved (1) drilling holes in the coalbed in the out-side headings of a set of five being developed in virgin area, and (2) con-ducting a methane emission rate study as mining progressed and additional holes were drilled. Degasification from all drill holes except the longest in each of the outside headings and the first three drilled (excluding the in-situ pressure hole), was erratic and inconsequential in methane emission rates. The two longest holes liberated 66 and 79 cfm of methane, which is significant for the coalbed, but such quantity lasted a relatively short time; the first three were uniform but low in methane emission.

Jan 1, 1972

By Robert H. Leach, C. H. Chatfield

This paper gives a brief summary of the process of manufacture of sterling silver, and some of its more important physical properties, as observed in conlmercial production of rolled sheet and wire. Although papers have been published by Turner and Smith,1 Rose,2 Sperry3 and Jordaq4 there are few technical data available, and unfortunately the time allowed for the preparation of this paper has not been sufficient to make it as comprehensive as the title might indicate. Analysis of Steeling Silver Fine or pure silver is too soft for coinage and the manufacture of articles in which strength and resistance to wear are desired. From the earliest times of which we have record, copper has been the metal generally used to harden silver. Analyses of coins and silver articles from ancient tombs show varying amounts of copper, and old Roman silver objects in the British Museum have approximately the same ana,lysis as our sterling. The first authentic record of the establishment of a standard alloy is during the reign of Henry I1 in England. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the people in the Eastern Provinces of Germany had a reputation for the standard and purity of their silver coinage, and it is said that Henry II employed some of these Easterlings, as they were called, to improve and standardize the English coinage, which had become debased. The peculiar standard adopted is probably accounted for by the system of weights used. A troy pound contains

Minimize drilling time in roof bolting. Approach The Bureau of Mines conducted a survey of 34 roof bolting machines used in underground coal mines. Results of the survey indicated that drilling time, bit cost, and respirable dust concentrations and be reduced by using the appropriate bits for drilling, To evaluate bits currently used and to find optimum cutting parameters needed to minimize drilling time, the Bureau tested two bits commonly used in most underground mines on both wet and dry systems. These are the dusthog* and shank type. The dusthog has dust ports in the bit body to remove cuttings. With shank bits, holes in the drill steel do this. Cost of each type is roughly equal. Bolters with dry vacuum systems were tested in the laboratory first. The lab tests were verified by underground tests in several mines. Bolters with low-pressure wet drilling systems were also tested under-ground. Tests concentrated on the effect of rpm, water and airflow rates, heating, wear, bit design and bit type. Lab Results -Dry Drilling Holes were drilled during the laboratory tests using a production model bolter drilling 45-inch-deep holes into mixtures of lime stone and sandstone aggregate. All tests started with new shank and dusthog type bits at 225 and 450 rpm. Thrust was about 6,000 lbs in all tests. Each bit was tested at two airflows, 15 and 25 cfm, airflows which are typical on operating roof bolter bits. Eleven styles of bits were evaluated. On the average, dusthog bits drilled 25% faster than shank types and were always cooler after drilling. The effect of RPM was tested with 5 different bit types. When bit rpm was increased from 300 to 400, drilling rates doubled. With used, well-worn bits drilling time and final bit temperature were more than doubled.

Jan 1, 1986

By Gerald M. Friedman

CONVENTIONAL usage defines emery as a natural aggregate of corundum and magnetite. Because emery bodies contain abundant spinel two types are recognized, spinel-bearing and spinel- free. Watson and Steiger1 introduced the name spinellite for emery in which spinel is a major constituuent, but this term has not been generally adopted. Spinel emery grades locally into spinel magnetite rocks with or without accessory corundum. Even this variety has been used commercially in the past. The term emery therefore applies to natural aggregates composed of corundum and magnetite; corundum, magnetite, and spinel; and spinel and magnetite.

Jan 7, 1957

By V. E. Ross

A comparison was made of three methods for determining the contributions of true flotation and entrainment during batch flotation tests. In the first method size-by-size recoveries are measured in both the presence and the absence of a collector, a frother being present in both tests. In the second method the mass of solids and water recovered after a chosen time of flotation is varied by changing the rate of froth removal and the depth of the froth. The third method uses a transfer factor to describe the classification of solids and water, and hence the changes in the composition of the pulp, during a single flotation test. Batch flotation tests were carried out with artificial mixtures of pyrite and gangue, the amount of floated material recovered being calculated according to each of the three methods. The discrepancies betweeen the calculated amounts are analysed in terms of the assumptions that are made for the various methods and the most suitable conditions for the application of each method are identified

Dec 1, 1991

By C. F. Rust

Experimental evidence is presented showing that reproducible formation resistivity factor measurements and resistivity index determinations on reservoir core samples map be made utilizing either the two- or four-electrode methods. Equipment is described which permits the application of either technique to the core specimen without loss of time and with a minimum amount of effort. Since electrical resistivity measurements on reservoir rocks are important not only in electric log interpretations, but also in the study of fundamental rock parameters, it was considered desirable to compare the applicability of both techniques of resistivity measurement. INTRODUCTION The techniques employed in the measurement of electrical resistivity on reservoir rocks, as practiced in the petroleum industry, may be reduced to two fundamental methods: one utilizing two electrodes only, usually referred to as the two-electrode method; the other using two additional electrodes and commonly known as the four-electrode method. In the former, the core sample whose resistivity is to be measured is mounted between two electrodes, usually metal discs, which serve to pass a current of known magnitude through the saniple. The potential drop across the sample, measured between these same two electrodes, and the core dimensions furnish the necessary data to compute he resistivity of the sample. In the four-electrode technique the end plates, again usually ol metal, still serve as current electrodes. Additional probes or electrodes dispersed along the sample are utilized to measure the potential drop. Both methods are used in practice1,2 and it is the purpose of this paper to compare the two techniques as applied to the determination of formation reiistivity factors and the resistivity index exponent n, in Archie's empirical equation I = p/po = Sw 11. To evaluate the two techniques it is desirable to point out the experimental precautions which must be taken to insure reliable results. It is evident from the electrode arrangements of the two- and the four-electrode methods that, for a given sample, the volume of sample included by the four-electrode method is less than the volume included by the two-electrode method. One of the prime difficulties associated with the two-electrode method is the possible occurrence of an abnormally high resistance between the electrodes and the brine-saturated sample, which results in erroneous resistivity values for the core sample itself. Attempts to alleviate this difficulty meet varying degrees of success. Methods used in the past employ such absorbent materials as brine-saturated Kleenex: chamois, or felt. A technique described by Morgan, Wyllie, and Fulton,1 appears to be more satisfactory. Their method consists of spraying or painting the end areas of a core sample with conductive silver paint. This technique reduces contact resistances between the porous medium and the electrodes to a value which is generally negligible as compared to the resistance of the sample itself. In the four-electrode method these requirements are not as stringent since separate probes are used to measure the potential difference acrozs a portion of the sample. In this case, contact resistance occurring at the current electrode; are of no consequence. and those appearing at the potential

Jan 1, 1952

By S. K. Murphy, K. B. Le Bron, A. K. Ward, S. Hayes, T. Rangasamy

A process for evaluating different options for extraction of mining blocks is presented. The process is described and an example of the application of the process to a case study is presented. Un procédé pour évaluer différentes options pour l’extraction de blocs d’exploitation est présenté. Le procédé est décrit et un exemple de l’application du procédé à un cas particulier est présenté. Ein Prozeß für das Auswerten der unterschiedlichen Optionen für die Extraktion von Abbaublöcken wird dargestellt. Der Prozeß wird beschrieben und ein Beispiel der Anwendung des Prozesses zu einer Fallstudie wird dargestellt.

Jan 1, 2003

By Karen Bolm, Floyd Gray, Ailiang Gu, Kerry Caruthers, Carlos Velez, Laurie Wirt, Douglas M. Hirschberg

Understanding sources of dissolved metals and transport characteristics of acid drainage is needed to assist land-use strategies in mineralized regions, particularly in the semi-arid southwestern United States. Water- quality samples were collected from mined and un-mined parts of the Patagonia and southern Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona from streams, springs, seeps, adits, alluvial wells, and bedrock wells. Water quality during base-flow conditions was compared with that *of runoff samples from infrequent winter and summer storms. The largest fraction of annual discharge in these ephemeral streams consists of storm runoff, although springs provide a steady source of low discharge base flow to numerous intermittent perennial reaches. Several abandoned mines in the northern Patagonia Mountains contribute acid and heavy metals to streams. During base-flow conditions in mineralized areas, natural springs and intermittent stream reaches produce acidity but the volume is typically low and acidity is often diluted or neutralized down gradient. Overland runoff contains low concentrations of dissolved metals and moderate acidity, however, stream waters were strongly acidified and metal-laden from contact with abundant pyrite-bearing stream sediments derived from erosion of waste-rock material in and along the sides of the stream channel.

Jan 1, 2000

By G. V. R. Landman

In order to obtain a better understanding of the explosion risk at the coal face, anomalies in the ignition sensitivity for different modes of ignition of hybrid mixtures of dust, methane and air were studied. Results indicated that the explosible behaviour of the working environment is highly dependent upon the ignition source and the fuel composition. For example, depending on the ignition source, the same hybrid mixture can be inert or extremely explosible. In conclusion, it is stressed how the explosion risk can be expressed in terms of a safety factor which takes into account the influence of both the fuel and the ignition source.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. F. Myers, F. M. Lewis

The crushing of ore, as defined by Taggart, is "usually a stage process, utilizing . . . machines especially suitable for the reduction of particular sizes. . . . down to a final stage, employed for the reduction of the finest sizes. ... In contradistinction, comminution to 20-mesh or finer is called grinding. There is a twilight zone in which the product is 6, 10, or 14-mesh limiting size which is either crushing or grinding. ..." Since the data in this paper pertain to a rod-mill operation, comminuting a particular ore size of ¾ in. to a final stage, coarser than 20-mesh, the rod mill is designated as a "fine crusher machine" in this paper. The published literature discloses a wealth of data regarding a rod mill as a fine-grinding machine but relatively little as a fine-crushing operation. Typical of the latter operation is: (I) a description by F. J. Tuck2 in which a fine-crushing rod mill replaced crushing rolls and (2) a description by the present authors3 in which a fine-crushing rod mill was installed instead of a collventional fine-crushing machine. The experience of the authors is that a definite distinction must he made between the rod mill functioning as a fine crusher and as a fine-grinding machine. As a fine crushing machine it prepares relatively large amounts of ore for a subsequent fine grinding operation; as a grinding machine, it grinds relatively small amounts of ore to some predetermined finished product. Pulp Movement and Action in Mill In considering the work performed by a fine-crushing rod mill, it seems important to understand just what takes place within the mill. We were inspired to study this matter by a paper by E. W. Davis,4 which indicated that definite water classification of ore particles took place in a ball mill. However, in thinking of the rod-mill action from this point of view, we were confronted with the fact that our rod-mill discharge product showed no evidence of action by water classification. The Tennessee Copper Co. ore is relatively high in sulphides, and the gangue rock and the sulphides are of about the same hardness. In the presence of any action by classification, the coarser sizes are definitely very lean in sulphide minerals.

Jan 1, 1947

By A. Thoraval, K. B. Slimane, O. Ozanam

The REP experiment is part of the research programme conducted by Andra to investigate the possibility of reversible radwaste disposal in a Jurassic (Callovo-Oxfordian) argillite formation at the Meuse/Haute-Marne underground laboratory site in northeastern France. The experiment focuses on the hydromechanical response of the formation to sinking the laboratory access shaft. Modelling of boreholes and shaft sinking operations has helped to optimise measurement point locations based on initial stress tensor anisotropy, while minimising interaction between instrument boreholes. Analyses were made of model sensitivity to intrinsic rock characteristics, hydromechanical coupling properties and sensor installation procedures. L’expérimentation REP fait partie du programme de recherche pluridisciplinaire engagé par l’Andra pour étudier la possibilité d’un stockage réversible des déchets radioactifs dans la formation Callovo-Oxfordienne des argilites du site de Meuse/Haute-Marne (Commune de Bure - France). Cette expérimentation permettra d’étudier la REponse hydromécanique de la formation aux sollicitations engendrées par le fonçage du Puits d’accès du laboratoire souterrain de recherche. Afin d’optimiser le positionnement des points de mesures, compte tenu de l’anisotropie du tenseur des contraintes initiales, et de minimiser les interactions entre les forages d’instrumentation, des modélisations des forages et du creusement du puits ont été conduites. Des analyses de sensibilité aux caractéristiques intrinsèques de la roche, aux propriétés de couplage HM et aux protocoles d’installation des capteurs ont été faites. Die REP-Untersuchung ist Teil des multidisziplinären Forschungsprogramms, das die ANDRA im Callovo-Oxfordian-Tonstein in situ am Standort Meuse/Haute Marne (Gemeinde Bure – Frankreich) im Hinblick auf eine Eignung zur reversiblen Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle durchführt. Dabei soll das hydro-mechanische Verhalten der Formation auf die Beanspruchungen, die durch das Abteufen des Zugangsschachts zum Untertage-Forschungslabor erzeugt werden, untersucht werden. Zur optimalen Positionierung der Messpunkte unter Berücksichtigung der Anisotropie des Tensors der Ausgangsspannungen und zur Minimierung der gegenseitigen Beeinflussung der Instrumentierbohrungen wurden ein Schachtabteuf- und Bohrmodelle entwickelt. Zur Untersuchung der inhärenten Eigenschaften des Gesteins, des gekoppelten HM-Verhaltens und der Installationsprotokolle der Messsonden wurden Sensibilitätsanalysen durchgeführt.

Jan 1, 2003

By Yasuo Kudo, Wu, Hayato Sato, Hiroshi Nakazawa, Shouming

"In order to recover copper from a waste nickel condenser powder, bioleaching experiments were carried out using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in a shaking flask. The content of nickel and copper in the waste nickel condenser powder in this study were 8.0% and 3.5%. X ray analysis showed the peak of barium titanate. In the preliminary study using metal nickel and copper powders , the dissolutions of nickel and especially copper were accelerated with the addition of ferric iron in the bioleaching of nickel and copper powders while not in the absence of ferric iron. Ferric iron oxidizes both metals, and Thiobacillusferrooxidans oxidizes ferrous iron resulting from the oxidation of metals, whereby the dissolutions of metals proceeds. The dissolution rates of nickel and copper increased with increase in the concentration of ferric iron in the bioleaching of the waste nickel condenser powder.1. IntroductionNickel condensers rejected from manufacturing plants are crushed and landfilled. Waste nickel condensers contain nickel and copper and could be considered as nickel and copper ores. Since the capacity of landfills is diminishing, it is required to recycle metals of waste nickel condensers in order to reduce the amount of wastes landfilled. Conventionally, metals in the waste were recovered by dry metallurgy after the incineration.Nickel has been refined by solvent extraction - electrowinning method (SX-EW method). Recently the amount of copper refined by SX-EW method has increased (Takahashi, et al. 1994). This method is cleaner and consumes less energy than conventional methods. Nickel dissolved well in acid solutions, but copper is not. If copper is leached efficiently from a waste nickel condenser powder, SX-EW method will be applied to recover copper from them"

Jan 1, 2000

By J. Katzur

Recently in Germany, novel artificial humus in combination with water-storing hydrogels has successfully been tested as soil improving material in pot experiments. The novel artificial humus (NOVIHUM®) is derived from lignite through oxidative ammonolysis. The product contains c. 5.5% nitrogen. Using NOVIHUM® as fertiliser, variable amounts of the contained nitrogen are gradually available to the plant, depending on the hydrolysis rates of the different N-compounds. NOVIHUM® is a unique combination of long-term fertiliser and stable humus. The tested hydrogel is a polyacrylate/poly-amide copolymer, which is able to improve the water holding capacity of the soil and to retard significantly desiccation. In May 2000, in Germany (Aue region), an experimental site was set up under extremely difficult growing conditions for trees (Quercus petraea) on a uranium spoil pile of the mining company WISMUT Ltd. The oak plots treated with NOVIHUM® and hydrogel showed increased total increment-values, which mainly are the result of the second growth phase. Obviously, these plants profit from the favourable physical parameters of the substrate and the use of the novel artificial humus as nitrogen source. The oak trees can better use the plant-available NH4-nitrogen released from the artificial humus during the planting year. In Greece, an experiment was set up in December 2000 aiming to the afforestation (Pinus nigra, Abies cephalonica) of a bauxite spoil pile of SILVER & BARYTE ORES MINING Co. S.A., on the Parnassus Mountain. The scope was to demonstrate, that the above soil improving materials are also appropriate for the recultivation of sites under extreme climatic and orographic conditions. The first results revealed, that where NOVIHUM® and hydrogel were combined, plant growth was greater than the average. The one-year results of the experiments fulfil our expectations concerning the application of NOVIHUM® in combination with hydrogel for the afforestation of problematic sites, such as the south-exposed steep slopes of the spoil piles of uranium mining. They may represent the most detrimental sites for afforestation in Europe.

Jan 1, 2002