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Test Work on High Throughput Diamond Tracer Recovery from Alluvial Recovery Tailings with a Containerised Optical Sorter Under Real Production Conditions Worldwide alluvial diamond deposits are traditionally processed with dense media separation and XRF sorters, hand picking or grease tables. The test work conducted verifies the performance of an optical sorter detecting the transparency of particles for diamond recovery from the DMS concentrate, eg XRF-sorter and handpicking tailings. The containerised setup enables economically feasible, high throughput, semi-mobile setups to retreat recovery tailings from alluvial and also primary deposits. The test work has been conducted with quartz and glass particles, which are less transparent or comparably transparent, under realistic production conditions on a 600 mm belt machine with an installed electrical power of only 21 kW. The results show that 99 per cent recovery can be reached at a throughput of 10 t/h in the -8 + 2 mm fraction and at 22 t/h in the -25 + 8 mm fraction. At a throughput of 18 t/h a recovery of 88 per cent has been assessed. At a further escalation of the throughput, dust in the sorter container made sorting impossible in the coarse fraction and the recovery decreased significantly in the fine fraction. Analysis of the belt coverage indicates that higher throughputs of the coarse fraction can be fed onto the optical sorter if the dust extraction system is improved. The results are basis for the decision to conservatively feed 20 t/h of the coarse fraction and 17 t/h of the fine fraction in day to day production. The settings have been applied to sort alluvial recovery tailings in South Africa and will be applied to sort the recovery tailings of a primary deposit in Lesotho. The test work has shown that an optical sorter can be used to retreat recovery tailings with high throughputs. The compact setup of a screen and a 9 m standard container enables semi-mobile, temporary setups for small recovery tailings dumps and remote areas. In addition, sorting on transparency ensures the recovery of high value low-fluorescent diamonds.

Sep 13, 2010

Operating well designed and maintained surface mine haul roads is the key to minimising truck haulage costs - in itself a significant component of the total cost per tonne mined. Existing and proposed mining operations are subject to scrutiny, both from the economic and environmental perspectives. In the long run, this scrutiny returns improved efficiencies and leaner, 'greener' operations. The focus of this evolving evaluation process should and will certainly fall on haulage operations - simply by virtue of their contribution to overall cost of operations and sustainability impacts. Whilst the end result - improved efficiency and contributions to resource sustainability - is not in itself problematic, it is the route, or process followed to achieve these improvements that needs to be carefully managed. We can be guided on this journey by our understanding of how a road is designed, and, critically, the technological solutions that can contribute to a company's sustainability initiatives. This paper examines the current state of mine road design and operation, together with the economic and environmental issues associated with under-performance. The paper serves as a basis for evaluating the economic and environmental contributions that technology in road design and management can deliver to sustainable operations. Utilising innovation is the key to long-term sustainability and as a means of positioning the industry for the imminent structural changes to the economy and environment, changes which are now within the operating life of many mines, haul roads and haul trucks.

Jun 1, 2010

Essential features of the role of the fill material in mechanized cut and fill mining are discussed, with particular emphasis on its dewatering and strength development after emplacement. The fill material is regarded as a chemically-reactive porous medium, the most important property of which is permeability. Methods are described for measurement of permeability and other fill properties and results of such measurements applied to develop an orderly approach to the operation.

Jan 1, 1966

A device is described which is suitable for the automatic sampling of dust in dust laden flue gases. This device, called a Venturi Sampler, consists of two pipes each fitted with a suitably designed venturi.Both pipes are placed in the flue where one acts as an open-ended reference tube and the other as the actual sampling tube.The gas sampling rate is automatically controlled so as to maintain a zero differential pressure between pressure tappings in the two venturi throats. The venturies are so designed that under these conditions the gas velocity in the sampling pipe is always equal to the free gas velocity in the flue-that is isokinetfc sampling conditions are maintained.INTRODUCTIONThere is a constant need in industry for regular and accurate assessments of dust losses, both to assist in improving operating efficiencies in order to minimize losses, and to obtain accurate metallurgical balances. In many cases where sampling is carried out in dust laden gases, the existing sampling methods are both laborious and inaccurate, and often make no provision for changes in flue gas velocity while sampling is in progress.In the majority of cases where a measurement of dust losses in a stack or flue is required, a preliminary velocity survey is made with a pitot tube to establish the gas velocity at each of the points at which samples are to be taken. The sample of gas (and dust) is withdrawn through a tube connected via a flowmeter to an exhausting apparatus. Some means of removing the dust from the gas sample is placed in circuit ahead of the exhausting apparatus. This is often an alundum or paper thimble housed in a gas-tight container.The purpose of the flowmeter is to measure the actual flow of gas during sampling so that the sampling velocity at the inlet to the sampling tube may be calculated, and the flow corrected so that the sampling velocity will agree with...

Jan 1, 1959

IN 1906, soon after his arrival in New Zealand, a brief article was prepared by the writer on "The Salient Features of the Economic Geology of New Zealand," for the Journal of Economic Geology. In November, 1907, a somewhat similar paper, entitled "The Mineral Wealth of New Zealand," was read at the Royal Colonial Institute in London. The present contribution to the Transactions...

Jan 1, 1909

Regions with extensive reserves of brown coal but with inadequate deposits of hard coal provide a particularly suitable field for the application of brown coal petrology.In fact, this discipline is indispensable where brown coal is to form the basis for high-quality products of upgrading. Both chemical and physical analyses are required in addition to the techniques employed in coal petrology, but it is the macropetrographic and the microscopic investigations that are of decisive and specific importance.Foremost among the methods of upgrading brown coal is briquetting. From the raw materials aspect the biochemical rank of coal (i.e. the type of deposit) and the coal variety (i.e. the lithotype) exert a marked influence on briquette strength. These are also the significant factors in the suitability of a brown coal for high temperature carbonization; here the demands on coal quality are even more exacting if adequately sintered and therefore high-strength lump chars are to be obtained. The principle applies also to the char from low temperature carbonization. There are close relationships between the tar yield and the remission of the coal.The reflectivity measurement therefore provides a rapid method for evaluating the suitability of a brown coal for low temperature carbonization. Similar correlations have been established between the content of extraction bitumen (raw montan wax) and the remission. Petrological investigations show that the quality of the coal bitumen is a function of the type of deposit and of the lithotype.

Jan 1, 1968

The Government signalled its intention in the Economic Statement on 17 December 1987 to improve the fairness of the taxation system and to facilitate the process of economic adjustment by: removing tax concessions that benefit some taxpayers at the expense of other taxpayers,ensuring that those who can afford it shoulder their fair share of the tax burden,securing a revenue base which will provide sufficient resources to maintain effective social services,reducing artificial protection and concessions that discriminate against some sectors, and encouraging confidence through an economic environment with a medium-term orientation. The Government has clearly stated to all sectors that tax preferences will be phased out and businesses need to look inwardly to their investment policies if they are to survive in an open economy. This paper will address the effect of these Government objectives on the taxation structure for all forms of mineral exploration in New Zealand. The present tax structure will firstly be analysed, in particular setting out the tax advantages available to the industry. The effect of changes to the tax system within the recent past which relate to mineral exploration will then be examined. Finally the paper will address the question of possible future changes, particularly in the light of Government's intention to move towards a tax system which does not provide an advantage for any one sector of the economy.

Jan 1, 1988

By R J. Holmes

The procedures and equipment used for sampling iron ore process streams have generally improved in recent years. However, there are a number of areas where significant issues still commonly occur, including sampling high capacity streams, sample cutter design and operation, division of primary increments at the secondary sampling stage, the performance of crushers installed to reduce the particle size prior to sample division, and the sample mass that is retained at each sampling stage. These issues of non-conformance with correct sampling principles are caused by factors such as increasing the speed and loading of conveyor belts to increase throughput, which changes the trajectory of the ore stream and may result in an inability of the sample cutter to handle the increased flow rate without sample loss. Failure to sample the entire primary increment stream at the secondary sampling stage is also a common issue as well as failure of crushers to provide crushed products of the required particle size due to ongoing maintenance and/or adjustment issues. These common pitfalls can all be addressed through careful attention to detail.CITATION:Holmes, R J, 2017. Common pitfalls in sampling iron ore, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 261–264 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

Several Approaches to Enhance the Bioleaching of Enargite Some approaches were investigated to enhance the recovery of Cu from enargite by bioleaching with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using the galvanic interaction with pyrite and activated carbon, and with thermophilic bacteria, Acidianus brierleyi. Addition of pyrite initially enhanced Cu leaching by the Galvanic effect, but after that the formation of secondary minerals passivated the surface of enargite in inoculated batches. Activated carbon improved Cu recovery from enargite much better than pyrite, when it is contacted with enargite. Recovery of Cu from enargite has been recorded to at largest 2.4 per cent within 30 days in the presence of activated carbon when mesophilic bacteria were inoculated at 25¦C. The recovery of Cu from enargite was drastically enhanced by inoculation of thermophilic bacteria, Acidianus brierleyi, up to 60 per cent within 40 days at 70¦C and still not leveled off after 40 days unless the formation of Fe(III) precipitates occurred. After 40 days dissolved molar ratio of Cu/As is around 5.2, suggesting that metal-deficient sulfides and/or ferric arsenate might be formed on the surface of enargite.

Sep 13, 2010

By I Clark, S C. Dominy

Bulk sampling programs are typically applied in coarse gold mineralised systems to verify resource/reserve grades. In recent years, there have been controversies surrounding some results of underground bulk sampling exercises compared to the predictions using diamond drill data. Just how realistic is it to predict 100 t lots from drilling that was designed to model blocks of several thousand tonnes? This study looks at the variation of relatively small units within larger planned mining units and compares some of the geostatistical techniques which purport to provide tools for such studies. Relative difficulty of application, computer timings and summaries of results will be used to illustrate the likely variation in bulk sampling units as opposed to mining units and large-scale planning units. A case study based on publicly available data from a gold project in North America is presented. A simplistic and unconditional geostatistical simulation model demonstrated that up to 50 per cent of a relatively high-grade mining block could show as uneconomic low-grade subblocks. A subsequent study will consider a similar demonstration using uniform conditioning. Erroneous impressions of early sampling results can lead to unsupported prejudgements of the final results. Bulk sampling programs require detailed planning based on ore characteristics, where protocols must fit the mineralisation type. Any program requires definition of aims and data quality objectives across grade, geological, geotechnical and geometallurgical parameters.CITATION:Clark, I and Dominy, S C, 2017. Underground bulk sampling, uniform conditioning and conditional simulation – unrealistic expectations?, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 3–20 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

Adsorption of Alkylammoniums in the Interlayer of Montmorillonite and its Effect on the Viscosity of Organo-Montmorillonite Gels

Sep 13, 2010

By D Connelly

High purity alumina (HPA) is a processed, premium non-metallurgical alumina product characterised by its purity level ie 99.99 per cent (4N) or 99.999 per cent (5N). The market price, application, and performance of HPA varies widely according to its degree of purity. High purity alumina is a form of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) with growing use in LED lighting and coating on the ceramic cathode separator sheets in lithium ion batteries. This paper describes a study on producing high purity alumina from feldspar to produce HPA and potash for use as a fertiliser. The project was positive for a number of reasons. High potassium extraction (>99 per cent) was achieved in the alkali leach using sodium hydroxide as the leaching agent and full dissolution of the alkali leach residue was achieved using hydrochloric and sulfuric acid. The potential to produce a high purity alumina product via a complex but promising emerging process was assessed. The potential to extract potassium as potassium sulfate to add value to the project was also demonstrated with the test work.

Sep 1, 2024

The Greymouth Coalfield contains New Zealand's greatest known resource of bituminous rank coal. The coals are of very high quality, with low ash and sulphur contents and a range of other properties that makes them desirable for a wide range of uses. In fact only a few producers around the world today can offer coals with such exceptional properties. This suggests that Greymouth coal has potential as a premium export trading commodity. These assertions have been largely confirmed by a comprehensive exploration drilling programme funded by Mines Division û Ministry of Energy between 1979 and 1984. The program, forming part of the NZ Coal Resources Survey, was carried out under contract by Lime and Marble Ltd. The drilling of 49 deep, predominantly cored, holes at 1000 m intervals over the coalfield has generated a vast amount of data. It has shown the existence of three major potentially minable coal deposits containing 233 x 106, 33 x 106 and 15 x 106 tonnes of coal in ground. Investigations have at this stage only identified targets and these estimates represent 'in ground' resources, not recoverable reserves. Recent geological studies as well as past and present mining have clearly highlighted the problems posed by the complexity of the coalfield geology. The coalfield lies within a mobile zone in the earth's crust known as the Paporoa Tectonic Zone, which has been active from at least mid-Cretaceous to the present time. Currently this factor poses the greatest obstacle to the determination of mining possibility of the, defined deposit and ultimately will strongly influence any future mining development. The Greymouth Coalfield has, however, had a long and eventful mining history spanning the last 120 years, where 32.5 x 106 tonnes of coal has been won from over 100 mines. In spite of the problems facing development, the large quantities and exceptional quality of the remaining coal will act as a strong inducement to persevere with this difficult but potentially valuable resource.

Jan 1, 1985

INTRODUCTION ò World coal production, Exporters and Importers òNew Zealand Exports, Markets and Products ò Types of Markets and Price Setting ò Bench Mark Prices and Exchange Rate ò Transport ò International Marketing - Key Factors ò Coal New Zealand , the Challenges

Jan 1, 1996

THE area dealt with in this paper is included within a radius of about 3 miles of the Poimena township. Several thousand tons of tin have been won from this field, and probably £200,000 spent in exploiting it.PREVIOUS LITERATUREThe field has been reported on by Government geologists on four occasions and several ,articles on it have appeared in the mining journals. The work done by Government geologists is summarized below:-"Report on the Blue Tier Tin Mining District and its Tin Deposits", 1886.Speaking of the tin-ore occurrences, this paper states:-"In the primary granite the lodes of tin ore occur, also dykes and belts of more recently obtruded porphyries. The really valuable metalliferous deposits may be classified as follows :-1. Lodes (of which the Lottah mine is typical).2. Dykes- (a) Indurated or hard (as shown by the formations at the Anchor and Cream Creek mines). (b) Soft (eg Hayley's Lease).

Jan 1, 1912

A large body of porphyry-type copper mineralization occurs at Panguna in southern BougainviIle. It is associated with the intrusion of quartz diorite/granodiorite into andesites, particularly with the contact zone. Metasomatism of both intrusives and andesite resulted in the formation of biotite pseudomorphing hornblende and the veining of the resultant biotite diorite and biotitized andesite by quartz-chalcopyrite veins with pink orthoclase and dark biotite selvages, respectively.The orientation of intrusives and veins appears to be controlled by premineralization fault-joint patterns in the intruded andesitic Kieta Volcanics.

Jan 1, 1968

By Hibbert W. D, Lottrey A

The behaviour of coal in a process is a function of both the coal properties and the processing conditions. In the case of the Loy Yang coal deposit, extensive testing has been undertaken to determine: ò the extent, distribution and structure of the coal resource; ò the variations in properties throughout the resource; and ò evaluation of the behaviour of the coal during processing. This has involved the conduct of an extensive borehole drilling program, backed by geological modelling and material characterisation (chemical, physico-chemical and petrological). Evaluation of the behaviour of the coal during processing has ranged from theoretical modelling, laboratory-scale investigations through to pilot scale and full-scale tests. Until recently, the bulk of the work was directed at evaluating the behaviour of the coal for existing pulverised fuel (pf) firing/steam boiler technology and a high level of understanding has been developed of both the coal resource and its behaviour within these systems. More recent efforts have been directed towards the evaluation of new technologies directed towards cheaper and more efficient power generation using this coal. Loy Yang coal has been evaluated in the following technologies: ò Hydrothermal dewatering/direct coal-fired gas turbine; ò Steam fluidised bed drying; ò Solar drying/densification; ò Briquetting; and ò Gasification.

Jan 1, 1992

By S M. J Koleini, F Hedjazi

The purpose of this research was to study the calcination of lead-zinc flotation tailings from the Angouran lead and zinc flotation plant in Iran as a pre-concentration step prior to hydrometallurgical processing of the oxidised tailings. There is an abundance of these tailings in the Angouran region and making use of these tailings would help preserve national wealth and also reduce the serious problems of environmental pollution caused by the tailings. At the optimal conditions of calcining at 750 - 800¦C for 45 minutes, the sample showed a mass loss of about 19 per cent. Mineralogical analyses showed that under these conditions the carbonate minerals including smithsonite (ZnCO3), calcite (CaCO3) and dolomite (Ca Mg (CO3)2) decomposed to their respective oxides. Hemimorphite (Zn4Si2O7 (OH)2.H2O) converted into willemite (Zn2SiO4) and this transformation postponed the formation of silica gel in the leach solution. The grade of zinc increased from 22.20 per cent to 29 per cent. These mineralogical changes resulted in desirable reactions in the acid leach process.

Jan 1, 2004

Sulfidisation Promotion Effect of Ammonium Sulfate on the Flotation of Copper Oxide Ores

Sep 13, 2010

By Revy T

A testwork program aimed to improve the assaying of underground face samples established that for an Accelerated Cyanidation Extraction using the LeachWELLTM 60X catalyst, followed by an Aqua Regia finish (to quantify non-cyanide-extractable gold): ò Assay results (including the aqua regia finish) from a full set of samples from one underground face can be returned within four hours. ò The reagent dose to make the method simple and 'bullet-proof' is 8 gm LeachWELLTM 60X and 20 gm NaCN per 200 gm sample (30 per cent solids). Pulverising is to 90 per cent passing 75 micron (compared to the standard of 90 per cent passing 150 micron), and cyanidation is completed within one hour - however both might be further optimised. ò The LeachWELLTM/Aqua Regia results demonstrate that Fire Assays suffer from a significant nugget effect which makes the Fire Assay data relatively unreliable. ò Original costs, specific to Bannockburn (viz including an Aqua Regia finish), handling approximately 20 000 to 25 000 per annum is estimated to be $5.40, ie about one-third less than fire assaying. Optimising is further reducing these costs. It is estimated that the LeachWELLT"'/Aqua Regia assay procedure has reduced the probable error limits of any given assay of this ore from the range 0.74x to 1.36x for Fire Assay, to an appreciably smaller range of 0.90x to 1.11x. Thus for a cut-off grade of 1.60 g Au/t, samples with Fire Assays ranging up to 2.18 g Au/t have 25 per cent chance of being below cut-off, while samples with Fire Assays as low as 1.18 g Au/t have an equal chance of actually exceeding cut-off grade. This 1 g Au/t range in uncertainty is generally unacceptable for many practicalgrade/tonnage relationships. By contrast, using LeachWELLTM + Aqua Regia assays, the estimated corresponding limits are 1.44 g Au/t and 1.78 g Auk respectively - a far more tolerable 0.34 g Au/t range of uncertainty. Subsequent data has demonstrated that sufficient accuracy for grade control is achieved by Accelerated Cyanidation alone, further halving the cost of assays.

Jan 1, 1994