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By Jerry C. Tien

Mining in China dates back at least 4,000 years. Today, with no less than 103,000 metal/nonmetal mines and between 40,000 to 80,000 coal mines, China’s mining industry is undoubtedly the largest in the world. Despite improvements in recent decades, seemingly endless mining accidents continue to make the news. Official coal mining deaths were 6,702 in 2003, and 6,027 miners died in 2004; actual figures may be much higher. Added to these were the 2,699 deaths in the metal and nonmetal industries. Most of these accidents were due to CH4 (methane gas) explosions and fires as a result of inadequate mine ventilation de-sign or practices. A good portion of these accidents occur in small, privately run and often technically illegal mines. During the past 10 years, the Chinese government has attempted to crack down on small and often technically illegal mines without much success. The number of accidents and associated fatalities has not significantly reduced. However, there appears to be a new urgency in China’s efforts to step up mine safety in the country. After its worst reported mine disaster in more than a half century, the government quickly paid reparations to families, suspended high-level officials in charge and announced additonal reforms. One of those was the elevation of the central government’s work safety office to cabinet-level status. There has been increased transparency in reporting and investigation of mine accidents and disasters in recent years. There has also been an increase in public criticism by labor leaders concerning the neglect of mine workersafety.1 This article examines the causes of China’s many mining accidents, current legal and enforcement structures, respective mining health and safety related laws and regulations, recent mining industry developments and the latest effort to curtail small mining operations.

Jan 1, 2005

Many mines in Canada, the US and S. Africa are reaching the hoisting limit. Very little payload will be possible without compromising safety due the excessive weight. It has been suggested (DeLorme, 2000), that one of the most attractive concepts to enable deeper hoisting is to reduce the allowable factor of safety in the wire rope. Researchers at the Spokane Research Lab are developing new technology to improve hoisting safety and productivity by providing new monitoring and analytical tools. A Shaft Conveyance Monitoring System (SCMS) has been developed which determines hoist rope end load, true conveyance position and acceleration, and rope safety factor, as well as other hoist operating parameters. This information is transmitted to the hoist operator display 20 times per second. Recent field measurements on 45 mm(1 ¾ in.) diameter hoist rope indicate that dynamic forces during loading of a 9000 kg(10 ton) skip may exceed the safety factor of the rope. To improve on the current understanding of the mechanical behavior of hoist ropes, and to help interpret the results from field-testing of the SCMS, a new approach to computer modeling of stranded wire rope is also being developed. Particle Flow Code, PFC3D (Itasca 1995b) is used to simulate the structural behavior of wire rope and the interaction between individual strands when the rope is subjected to static and dynamic end loading. Details of the SCMS, field results from the measured rope loads, and the results of numerical modeling on the wire rope will be discussed.

May 1, 2002

By R. Webber, D. Averill, L. Whittle, D. Moffeti, G. Kassakhian

"This paper describes the recent pilot-plant work carried out on two alternative processes capable of producing an effluent containing less than 10 pCi/L total radium-226 activity and very close to 3 pCi/L dissolved radium-226. The processes incorporate coprecipitation of radium with barium sulphate by the addition of barium chloride in continuously stirred tank reactors followed by either chemical coagulation with ferric chloride, flocculation and clarification, or polymer-aided dual-media filtration. IntroductionUranium mines in Canada have practiced radium removal from tailings basin effluents since 1965. Treatment consists of addition of barium chloride to precipitate radium as barium- radium sulphate and provision of natural or constructed settling ponds for sedimentation. This process, however, has been identified as being deficient in that it allows particulate or suspended radium-226 releases which are higher than the regulated dissolved values». Also, the large size of some of the settling ponds is believed to represent a real limitation of the present technology because of inferred difficulty in recovery of barium-radium sulphate precipitates.The Federal Government Mining Task Force established a Radioactivity Sub-Group in 1974 to assist in the development of effluent regulations and guidelines for the uranium mining industry. Among the recommendations of the Sub-Group was the need to seek more effective methods of radium removal, including development of physical/chemical treatment systems as an alternative to settling ponds. In response to the SubGroup recommendations, a bench-scale study began in March 1976at the Wastewater Technology Centre (WTC) of Environment Canada . The results of this study indicated that coagulation and flocculation of the precipitate from barium chloride addition is a viable alternative to sedimentation in settling ponds(3). The bench work was expanded and accelerated in 1977, with financial assistance provided by the Atomic Energy Control Board. Subsequently, a research program with a larger scope was developed; this program is jointly managed and funded by government and industry, as shown in Table I.One of the goals of the joint program is to develop, at pilot scale, a physicalI chemical process to reduce the radium-226 content of uranium mining and milling effluents. Target radium-226 activities for treated tailings basin effluents were set: namely, 10 pCil L total and 3 pCil L dissolved radium 226. Extensive bench-scale and pilot-scale work was conducted through 1978 and 1979 and has culminated in the development of two physical/chemical processes. This paper describes work carried out at a pilot plant which led to the selection of the two physical I chemical processes for demonstration. In short-term tests, the processes produced effluents meeting the radium-226 target activities."

Jan 1, 1980

By A. W. Schlechten, A. H. Larson

Equilibrium H2S/H2 ratios were determined as functions of temperature (500o to 900°C) and composition in a hydrogen-circulation apparatus. Within the composition range studied there exists a two-phase region of "Zr3S4" and "ZrS2". The upper composition limit of this two-phase region is hounded by a disulfide phase and is practically constant over the temperature range investigated. The lower composition limit of this two-phase region is bounded a "Zr3S4 " phase and varies appreciably with tem- perature. The upper composition limit of the homogeneous region of the disulfide phase is not definitely determined, but it appears to he bounded by the stoichiometric composition of ZrS2. The lower composition limit of the homogeneous region of the Zr3S4 phase could not he determined due to the extremely low values of the equilibrium H2S/H2 ratios. Various thermodynamic quantities are evaluated from the data. PUBLISHED free-energy data for the Zr-S system are practically nonexistent. Strotzer, Biltz, and Meisel1 measured the sulfur pressures for the reaction 2ZrS2(s) + S2(g) = ZrS3(s) in the temperature range 783" to 874°C. The average heat of reaction calculated from the temperature dependence of the sulfur pressure is -47 keal. It should be noted, however, that according to these investigators, the two-phase region as determined by sulfur pressure constancy under isothermal conditions extended from approximately ZrS2, 3 to ZrS2.7. From consideration of X-ray data they concluded that the homogeneous regions of the disulfide and trisulfide phases are ZrS1.8-2.0 and ZrS2.8-3.2, respectively. Hahn and coworkers2 have made a structure study of the zirconium sulfide phases. They summarized the zirconium sulfide phases as follows: the compounds ZrS3 and ZrS2 with narrow homogeneous regions, a "Zr3S4" phase with a homogeneous region roughly within the limits of ZrSl.5 and ZrSo.9, the compounds ZrS and Zr4S3, and a "Zr3S2" phase with a homogeneous region within the limits ZrSo.8 and ZrSo.5. It is noted that the compounds ZrS and Zr4S3 are only formed in the gaseous state through sublimation of a phase which has the approximate composition of the compound. This paper describes the determination of the stability of the zirconium sulfide phases by a hydrogen-reduction method in which hydrogen is circulated over the heated sulfide until equilibrium is attained. The resulting H2S-H2 mixture is then analyzed. Partial molar free energies, enthalpies,

Jan 1, 1964

By T. Gammatikopoulos, C. Gibson, M. Aghamirian

Lithium is an alkali metal found in brine deposits in the United States, Chile and Argentina, as well as in hard rock deposits in Australia and North America. In hard rock deposits, spodumene (LiAl(Si2O6)) is the major economic lithium bearing mineral. Spodumene is typically upgraded through a combination of dense media separation, flotation and magnetic separation. One of the major spodumene concentrate quality specifications is the iron oxide content because it will help determine if the concentrate is considered ceramic grade for use in ceramics and glass or chemical grade for use in lithium ion batteries. The rejection of iron bearing silicate minerals from artificial ore composites (high amphibole and low amphibole, high quartz/feldspar) from a hard-rock spodumene deposit was investigated using magnetic separation and flotation. The efficacy of Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation (WHIMS) in iron rejection was found to be dependent on the mineralogy of the iron-bearing silicate minerals including modal distribution, liberation and association. When magnetic separation was conducted prior to flotation, the Fe2O3 grade in the final flotation spodumene concentrate was reduced from ~3% to ~1% Fe2O3 , and improved lithium recovery in flotation was observed. It was determined that it was most effective to conduct WHIMS on the flotation feed after scrubbing and de-sliming because this reduced the required magnetic field to recover iron-bearing minerals, likely because slime coating was greatly reduced. Flotation collector screening of four different collectors with varying rosin acid content demonstrated a potential increase in selective flotation of spodumene over some iron silicate minerals with decreasing rosin acid content in the fatty acid collector. However, due to marginal difference in flotation results with the various collectors tested, further testing is required to confirm the observations made and establish a hypothesis regarding the effect of rosin acid content.

Jan 1, 2017

By Bernard Kopelman

The particle size of tungsten metal powder used to make tungsten wire for use in radio tubes and incandescent lamps must be closely controlled if the highly desirable feature of nonsagging is to be achieved. Our knowledge of factors affecting the particle size of tungsten powder has been limited by lack of any extensive literature on the subject. There are no publications in the English language discussing this problem in any but the most general terms. In this paper the published experimental information on this subject is reviewed. Based on the published data and some experimental data obtained by the author, a general theory of factors affecting the particle size of tungsten metal powder obtained by reduction of the oxides in hydrogen is offered. The various forms of the tungsten oxides and tungsten metal used in the experiments described were those prepared by commercial processes, so that the experimental results obtained on a laboratory scale would be more directly applicable to actual commercial reduction conditions. The effects of time of reduction, temperature. and concentration of water vapor in the hydrogen were observed by counting microscopically the particle distribution obtained. Such a method is very time-consuming, but the data obtained by this method are more reliable and more fundamental than those obtained by any of the several instruments available for measurement of particle size. Review of the Literature Until the year 1912, tungsten powder was prepared commercially by reducing tungstic oxide in the presence of carbon or one of its compounds (such as glycerin or ethylene glycol), usually by firing the mixture in a closed fire-clay crucible. The resultant powder contained about 95 per cent tungsten.' When reduction of tungsten oxides by H² was introduced Commercially,²,³ several investigators became concerned with the equilibria between tungsten metal and its several oxides in an atmosphere of hydrogen and water vapor.4-l3 While these many investigations were in fair agreement on the equilibria WO³ + H2 = WO2 + H2O and WO2 + 2H2 = W + 2H2O there arose considerable controversy as to the chemical composition of the oxide between WO³ and WO², because of very poor agreement on the equilibrium constant of this intermediate oxide reduction reaction. The controversy on this intermediate oxide has been in progress for more than 100 years. Thus Malguti,14 in 1835, decided it was WO2.56 In 1857, Riche15 proposed the formula W³O8. Usler,16 in 1865, confirmed the existence of WsO8 and further proposed W1O1l. In 1897, Desil7 agreed upon W²O8 but also found W5O14.

Jan 1, 1947

By Bernard Kopelman

The particle size of tungsten metal powder used to make tungsten wire for use in radio tubes and incandescent lamps must be closely controlled if the highly desirable feature of nonsagging is to be achieved. Our knowledge of factors affecting the particle size of tungsten powder has been limited by lack of any extensive literature on the subject. There are no publications in the English language discussing this problem in any but the most general terms. In this paper the published experimental information on this subject is reviewed. Based on the published data and some experimental data obtained by the author, a general theory of factors affecting the particle size of tungsten metal powder obtained by reduction of the oxides in hydrogen is offered. The various forms of the tungsten oxides and tungsten metal used in the experiments described were those prepared by commercial processes, so that the experimental results obtained on a laboratory scale would be more directly applicable to actual commercial reduction conditions. The effects of time of reduction, temperature. and concentration of water vapor in the hydrogen were observed by counting microscopically the particle distribution obtained. Such a method is very time-consuming, but the data obtained by this method are more reliable and more fundamental than those obtained by any of the several instruments available for measurement of particle size. Review of the Literature Until the year 1912, tungsten powder was prepared commercially by reducing tungstic oxide in the presence of carbon or one of its compounds (such as glycerin or ethylene glycol), usually by firing the mixture in a closed fire-clay crucible. The resultant powder contained about 95 per cent tungsten.' When reduction of tungsten oxides by H² was introduced Commercially,²,³ several investigators became concerned with the equilibria between tungsten metal and its several oxides in an atmosphere of hydrogen and water vapor.4-l3 While these many investigations were in fair agreement on the equilibria WO³ + H2 = WO2 + H2O and WO2 + 2H2 = W + 2H2O there arose considerable controversy as to the chemical composition of the oxide between WO³ and WO², because of very poor agreement on the equilibrium constant of this intermediate oxide reduction reaction. The controversy on this intermediate oxide has been in progress for more than 100 years. Thus Malguti,14 in 1835, decided it was WO2.56 In 1857, Riche15 proposed the formula W³O8. Usler,16 in 1865, confirmed the existence of WsO8 and further proposed W1O1l. In 1897, Desil7 agreed upon W²O8 but also found W5O14.

Jan 1, 1947

By Wolfgang G. Brunner

The closing of the gap in the European waterway- net is one of the big and challenging traffic projects following the German reunification. The water canals in the North German plain connect the Rhine river, the border between Germany and France, with the Oder, the German border river to Poland. As early as in the 30's of the 19th century the planning and construction of a ship- lift and a canal bridge started, in order to close this last big gap in the system between the Mittelland Canal and the Elbe- Havel Canal near Magdeburg. This main waterway connects the West of Germany, known for its coal mines and steel mills, with the capital Berlin, and from there it goes on into Poland. The building activities started in 1934 but came to a complete stop in 1942 because of the war. The communist government in East Germany was not interested in continuing this huge project, including the ship lock Rothensee, the canal bridge crossing the river Elbe, the former border river between West and East Germany, and the lock Hohenwarthe due to lack of political backing along with low construction capacity. Now this important project is in progress and this report describes the special foundation techniques used on the great ship lock Hohenwarthe. Hohenwarthe is a double- bay ship lock of considerable scale, which is notable for recirculating water rather than letting it flow. It includes 44 800 m2 ( 481 720 sq. ft) of up to 55 m ( 180 ft) deep cut- off walls, ground water control, 1248 bored piles with a depth of 22 m ( 72 ft ) serving as foundation and 28 000 m ( 91 864 ft) of soil densification with vibroflotation equipment for ground improvement. In the year 2003 the project shall be completed and all ships can travel from the West to the East through Germany without expensive and time- consuming detours through other canals and locks.

Jan 1, 2000

By H. G. Sell, G. W. King

An investigation was made of the lensile proper-ties of recrystallized high-purity tungsten and a W-1 pel ThO2 dispersed-phase alloy over the temperature region of 800° to 2400°C. The thoria addition resulted in a modest strengthening effect over the entire temperature region. A decrease in ductility of both materials occurred above 0.5 Tm which was caused by void formation. Current theories of IT has long been recognized that a second phase of hard particles has a strengthening effect on a pure metal. At low or intermediate temperatures (<0.5 Tm), the strengthening effect is thought to arise mainly from the interaction of dislocations with dispersed particles. Above 0.5 Tm, dynamic recovery processes greatly alter the deformation mechanisms from those simply involving glide, and grain bound- strengthening by a dispersed second phase do not adequately explain the tensile results. Melallographic examination suggests that the improved strength of tire alloy results from the effect of thoria on the mierostructure. Stress-dependent thermally activated processes were found to occur high temperatures. aries may act as sources of weakness rather than strength because of grain boundary sliding. Grain boundary sliding at high temperatures has been postulated to be the primary factor giving rise to the formation of voids or cavities at grain boundaries1-3 which in turn cause premature failure and poor ductility.4 Voids, once formed, can grow by the condensation of vacancies from the equilibrium concentration&apos; or from the excess vacancies produced by the deformation.4,5 The high-temperature tensile properties of unalloyed tungsten have previously been investigated by Sikora and Ha116 and also by Taylor and Boone.7 The purpose of the present work was to investigate

Jan 1, 1965

By C. M. Harrer

The location, features, quality, and extent of iron ore deposits are evaluated in this Bureau of Mines report. The results of pioneer beneficiation on Wyoming taconites and their success are discussed along with developments in the iron-ore mining industry, markets, and economics. Market potential, transportation, resource developments, taxation, cost of iron ore enterprises, and the future of Wyoming iron resources are evaluated. Although occurrences of iron ores in Wyoming were known prior to 1870, early production to 1900 was as a nonferrous metallurgical flux and as mineral pigment for paints. In 1901, the Hartville-Sunrise hematite deposits were available to the Western iron and steel industry and in 1962, the first western taconite operation was placed in production at Atlantic City, Wyo. This investigation disclosed the probability of other large iron deposits in Wyoming. Taconite in the Bradley Peak area of the Seminoe Mountains has a potentiality of 100 million tons; that in the Owl Creek Mountains may prove very large also. Pioneer beneficiation testing has been included, and results have been generally encouraging. Research continues on the large titaniferous magnetite deposits of Albany County, Wyo. At present high-density titaniferous magnetite is being mined and processed at Iron Mountain for heavy-aggregate and as a sized coating for underwater pipelines. Ample mineral raw materials needed for mining and processing Wyoming iron ores are available. Investments for iron-ore processing plants will generally be large, particularly for taconite and titaniferous magnetite.

Jan 1, 1966

The steps for the beneficiation of iron ores differ from ore to ore, depending on the mineralogical phases of the particular iron ore and the nature of the association of the gangue minerals with iron oxide in that ore. The extent to which the beneficiation can be undertaken economically depends both on the amount and the nature of the gangue. The analysis of the phases present in an orebody optimises the mining and process operations (separation, beneficiation, sintering, etc).X-ray diffraction (XRD) provides qualitative and quantitative information about the main ore phases as well as the gangue mineralogy and the amorphous content present in a sample. In addition, modern quantification methods such as Rietveld refinement allow the calculation of the distribution of elements in solid solutions such the substitution of Fe with Al in goethite or hematite.The use of high speed detectors has made XRD an important tool for grade and process control. Finger printing of XRD data can facilitate multi-dimensional mapping of ore deposits and drill cores, identifying regions of favourable mineral compositions. Grade control using XRD can be completely automated and controlled remotely.The two case studies in this paper demonstrate how XRD and finger printing can be used for grade control, process optimisation and quality control of a goethitic and a magnetitic iron ore. The enormous potential of XRD as an inexpensive, reliable tool, useful in the characterisation of iron ores will be demonstrated.CITATION:K÷nig, U, 2013. Application of x-ray diffraction to iron ores - potential implications for grade control and downstream processing, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013 , pp 275-280 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 12, 2013

By C. M. Harrer

The location, features, quality, and extent of iron ore deposits are evaluated in this Bureau of Mines report. The results of pioneer beneficiation on Wyoming taconites and their success are discussed along with developments in the iron-ore mining industry, markets, and economics. Market potential, transportation, resource developments, taxation, cost of iron ore enterprises, and the future of Wyoming iron resources are evaluated. Although occurrences of iron ores in Wyoming were known prior to 1870, early production to 1900 was as a nonferrous metallurgical flux and as mineral pigment for paints. In 1901, the Hartville-Sunrise hematite deposits were available to the Western iron and steel industry and in 1962, the first western taconite operation was placed in production at Atlantic City, Wyo. This investigation disclosed the probability of other large iron deposits in Wyoming. Taconite in the Bradley Peak area of the Seminoe Mountains has a potentiality of 100 million tons; that in the Owl Creek Mountains may prove very large also. Pioneer beneficiation testing has been included, and results have been generally encouraging. Research continues on the large titaniferous magnetite deposits of Albany County, Wyo. At present high-density titaniferous magnetite is being mined and processed at Iron Mountain for heavy-aggregate and as a sized coating for underwater pipelines. Ample mineral raw materials needed for mining and processing Wyoming iron ores are available. Investments for iron-ore processing plants will generally be large, particularly for taconite and titaniferous magnetite.

Jan 1, 1966

By Victor Nazimko

A new technique for reaming the holes has been tested. This technique is available for reaming a hole at its deep end creating an enlarged cavity that has helicoidal grooves oriented at less than 40 degrees to the hole axis. This technique increases bolt resistance by a factor 1.3-1.62; its bearing capacity by 3 times and enhances underground roadway stability. This technique is suitable for great depth (1000m and greater) and weak wet rocks.

Jan 1, 2008

By K. Tangri, M. Chaturvedi

On water-quenching from within the (a + ß) phase region Zr-2.5 Nb and Zr-2.5 Nb-0.5 Cu alloys can undergo w transfirmation. This transformation has been attributed to the enrichment of ß Zr phase, at the solution-treatment temperature, by the solute atoms. The ß—w transformation is accompanied by a hardening 01 the alloys and in the optimum condition w-bearing specimens of the ternary alloy are about 14 pct harder than those bearing only a&apos; phase. On aging crl reverls thermally to more stable phases, which results in a considerable softening of the specirnens, as follows: w quenched -waged + ß Zr (enriched) waged - a + ß Nb The high-temperature bcc ß Zr in certain zirconium alloys can transform to a metastable w phase which has a primitive hexagonal structure. In the Zr-Nb alloy system w phase has been observed in the composition range of 7 to 15 wt pct Nb by a number of investigators.&apos;-&apos; In this composition range w can form by water-quenching ß Zr or by aging. known as athermal and thermal w, respectively. Hatt and Roberts&apos; have found that thermal w has a constant c/a ratio of 0.622 +0.002 regardless of the composition and tha: the lattice parameters are of the order of a = 5.02A and c = 3.0 ?. The actual lattice parameters depend upon composition and the temperature of aging. The lattice constants of athermal w. however, depend upon alloy composition.3 The presence of w phase in zirconium alloys can cause substantial strengthening which has been attributed as probably due to the coherency between w and parent ß Zr phase. Robinson et al.&apos; found that the presence of w can raise the strength of Zr-5.0 Nb-2.0 Sn and Zr-5.0 Mo-2.0 Sn alloys to about 170.000 psi: however. the ductility is considerably reduced. With the growing use of Zr-2.5 Nb and Zr-2.5 Nb-0.5 Cu alloys in the nuclear reactors, and the significant effect of w transformation on the mechanical properties of zirconium alloys studies were undertaken to study the w transformation in Zr-2.5 Nb and Zr-2.5 Nb-0.5 Cu alloys. This paper is concerned with the formation and reversion of w phase in these alloys. 1) MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES The following two alloys were studied: 1) Zr-2.5 Nb-0.5 Cu (referred to as the ternary alloy): 2) Zr-2.5 Nb (referred to as the binary alloy). The chemical analysis of the alloys is given in Table I. The alloys, in the form of 3/8-in.-diam rods and 1/8-in.-thick sheets, were supplied by the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories of the A.E.C.L. Initial fabrication for preparation of various specimens was carried out by cold rolling and swaging with intermediate anneals at 1000°C. All the heat treatments were carried out after the specimens were wrapped in zirconium foils and encapsulated in silica tubes under a vacuum of 5 x 10-% m of Hg. For optical metallography and hardness measurements disc specimens + in. diam by + in. thick were used. After the required heat treatments the specimens were mechanically and then chemically polished in a 45 pct HNO3, 45 pct H20. and 10 pct HF solution. The hardness measurements on the chemically polished specimens were carried out on a Vickers hardness tester using a 10-kg load. For each specimen at least fifteen indentations were made in order to obtain a representative hardness value. The phase identification and structural analysis were carried out using X-rays and electron diffraction techniques. Wires of 1.5 mm diam reduced to 0.12 mm diam by chemical etching were used for making Debye-Scherrer powder patterns using copper K-a radiations in 114.6-mm-diam camera. Thin films for transmission electron microscopy were prepared by electropolishing heat-treated a by 7 by 0.005-in.-thick strips using a modified Bollmann-Window technique. The 10 pct perchloric acid-90 pct methyl alcohol electropolishing bath was kepl at -5OCC and polishing was done at 5 to 10 v. The thinned specimens were washed in ethyl alcohol at -30" to -40°C and dried between filter papers. The thin films

Jan 1, 1970

By G. Pan

A geostatistical approach is proposed for the design of infill drilling programs. The method is consisted of three major steps: developing geological favorability models, delineating mineralization and ore envelopes, and classifying reserves or resources. Geological modeling aims at developing favorable geological zones in which drilling is designed. Modeling mineralization and ore envelopes establishes criteria on potential blocks to be drilled. Top target blocks should be those included within ore envelopes. The framework of resource categories includes five types: probable reserves, indicated reserves, indicated resources, possible resources, and barren. Indicated reserves or resources are the top priority to be drilled for the definition of minable reserves. Possible resources may be considered as targets for further exploration. The algorithms involved in the analysis include indicator favorablity analysis, ordinary kriging, and indicator kriging. A case study presented here involves a gold deposit of Carlin type. The deposit was delineated by a sparse drilling program with 230 feet of average spacing. The infill drilling program designed by the new method suggests a significant reduction on the number of holes from a regular-grid infill drilling pattern.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. Coetzer

During galena flotation of Rosh Pinah milled material, metal ions and salts contents of various water resources (deionized, simulated circulated, lead concentrate thickener, lead tailing thickener and borehole) influenced mineral recoveries, upgrade ratios, selectivities, froth stability and flotation kinetics. The various water resources employed during galena flotation caused activation, depression or selectivity effects on minerals due to the presence of different ions in solution. Metal ions in these water resources were adsorbed by the ore, whilst ions associated with gangue minerals (dolomite and quartz) were released into the flotation pulp. Lead concentrate thickener water caused depression of sphalerite and pyrite, increased fast floating fractions for silver, copper minerals, sphalerite and quartz (unwanted), and improved slow floating rate selectivity against pyrite and sphalerite. Lead tailing thickener water enhanced sphalerite recovery during galena flotation (unwanted), and increased fast floating fractions of pyrite. Western borehole water did not affect galena recovery, but sphalerite and pyrite recoveries were unacceptably too high. Ions from copper, lead, and zinc salts tended to release high amounts of ions, such as calcium, magnesium, silicon, and manganese from gangue minerals (dolomite and quartz) during milling. During galena flotation, lead ions depressed sphalerite, pyrite and dolomite at a lead concentration of 400 ppm, but sphalerite was activated at a concentration of 800 ppm. Sphalerite was activated with copper ions (89% recovery, 2.09 upgrade ratio) and depressed with zinc ions (maximum recovery of 25%). This corresponds with findings in previous investigations. Dolomite and quartz were slightly activated with zinc ions. No evidence was found that lead and copper ions activated any gangue minerals during galena flotation. Keywords: galena, water resources, metal ions, activation, depression, selectivity.

Jan 1, 2003

By P. W. J. Delport, E. Du Toit

Investing in a mining venture can be risky and stakeholders need transparent, unbiased reports to understand the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves a mining company holds. Readability and textual choice can be used consciously to manipulate perceptions, or it can be done unconsciously. This exploratory study investigates the readability and textual choice of supplementary Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Reports of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The results indicate that narrative manipulation occurs in these reports through word choices that make the reports difficult to read, as well as specific narrative selections. This reduces the informational value of the reports. The results of the study will be useful to various stakeholders, such as mining company management, investors, investment specialists, financial analysts, and even employees and the general community, who all use these reports to make important decisions. It is also useful for the preparers of the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Reports, Competent Persons, and other technical specialists to be aware of readability and that certain textual choices can affect the interpretation of these reports. It is recommended that bodies such as the JSE and the SAMREC and SAMVAL Code committees consider adding a plain language requirement to regulations, guidelines, and codes to ensure transparent, unbiased, and objective reports.

Mar 1, 2021

By Graeme McWhirter

This paper discusses the Installation of a Vibwall for the Cardiff Bay Barrage Project Wales, UK, by Kvaerner Cementation Foundations. Only the second use of the technique in the UK the wall was successfully placed to a depth in excess of 20 metres, in unique and challenging conditions. The installation of the Vibwall was a technical success, but not a financial one. The use of the technique was at its "limits" and this paper recommends some of the controls essential in the carrying out of such work in the future.

Jan 1, 2000

"The McArthur River uranium deposit is the single richest uranium ore body developed in the world to date. The ore body’s average grade is 15% U3O8. Proven reserves are in excess of 450 million pounds. The grinding circuit is located underground. The ground ore is pumped to a surface facility where the slurry is thickened and loaded into containers for shipping to the Key Lake mill 78 kilometers to the south.The paper will briefly describe the mining method employed. The underground ore handling and grinding circuit, and surface facilities including slurry load out, wastewater treatment and the freeze plant will be described in detail. The paper will emphasize radiation and safety procedures that are followed to minimize operator exposure to radiation risks.LOCATIONThe McArthur River mine is located 78 kilometres north of the Key Lake mill. It is located at latitude 57’ N in northern Saskatchewan, within the southern boundary of the Athabasca formation. The nearest town is Pinehouse, located 320 kilometres to the south. Access to the mine is by an all weather road and by a private airstrip.HISTORYThe McArthur River Operation is jointly owned by Cameco Corporation (69.805%) and Cogema Resources Inc. (30.195%). Exploration for uranium in the McArthur River area started in 1980 by the Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation, a predecessor company of Cameco.In 1984, a 12-kilometre long basement conductor was identified at a depth exceeding 500 metres. Systematic exploration drilling of this conductor resulted in the discovery of the P2 North deposit. Subsequent surface drilling programs from 1989 to 1992 delineated a narrow ore zone over a strike length of 1700 meters at a depth of 500 to 600 metres. At this time, geological reserves for the deposit were estimated to be 2.4 million tonnes at a grade of 5.0% U3O8 for a uranium content of 260 million pounds U308"

Jan 1, 2001

By A J. Scogings, W J. Shaw

The successful development of industrial minerals projects requires an integrated, holistic understanding of the metallurgical and product performance test work in the context of the geological setting of the deposit and applied to mining, processing and marketing of saleable products. The product specifications provide the essential starting point for geometallurgical studies. A sound understanding of the desired product is needed to design and interpret a program of test work. Examples are provided from recent studies on bentonite and graphite deposits.For bentonite projects, the na&#239;ve testing of only the cation exchange capacity (CEC) as a measure of purity can lead to unexpected outcomes when the deposit is mined. The CEC attribute may remain the same, while other important properties such as pH and swelling index change markedly with depth, due to weathering and oxidation, leading to disappointing production outcomes.For graphite projects it is not enough to report only total graphitic carbon content (TGC). Knowledge is required of the in situ flake size and textures in addition to purity and flake size distribution of extracted graphite, which may all vary from one domain to another across the deposit. Such geometallurgical attributes of the ore will impact on the ‘basket price’ used to estimate the value of marketable parcels of expected product.Disclosure of such information must be considered part of fully informing the market. As with all new project developments, consideration of the JORC (2012) and VALMIN (2015) Codes requires disclosure of all material information. This includes the geometallurgical characterisation, ie those aspects of the mineralogy that impact on resource evaluation, ore reserve definition and project valuation.CITATION:Shaw, W J and Scogings, A J, 2017. The importance of geometallurgical test work for industrial minerals projects, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 83–92 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017