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By David Wilburn

Recycled materials are increasingly being used in road construction to supplement natural aggregate derived from crushed stone, sand, and gravel. An understanding of the amount of substitution that is taking place, its economics, and factors affecting the level of substitution is useful in estimating the potential for recycling and in assessing the total supply of aggregate. While U.S. consumption of recycled aggregates from crushed concrete is estimated to have increased 160 percent between 1994 and 1996; it comprised less than 5 percent of total aggregates consumed in 1995. Construction waste supply is regional, and is determined by infrastructure decay and replacement rates. Aggregate recycling rates are greater in urban areas where infrastructure is being replaced, natural aggregate resources are limited, disposal costs are high, or strict environmental regulations prevent disposal. Recycling is expected to increase as construction contractors attempt to save on transportation, disposal, and new material costs. Aggregate producers include recycled material as an option to consumers in order to prolong the life of their reserves and improve their range of products. Recycled aggregates can be a supplement for natural aggregates in selected applications, but their use should be evaluated locally based upon relative cost, quality, and market factors Because aggregate recycling is often affected by local and regional transportation systems, disposal and tipping fees, resource supply, the market for specific products, and municipal support, costs for three representative fixed site operations of different sizes were modeled. Under study conditions, all were found to be profitable, but highly dependent upon local tipping fees and market prices, which can differ significantly by location. Smaller operations were found to have different operational dynamics, often requiring creative marketing or incentives to maintain profitability.

Jan 1, 2001

By G. Schmelzer

The disposal and reintroduction into recycling of residues produced by today's industrial society is not only a problem of much public debate in the countries concerned but also an increasingly prominent topic in science and research. In the treatment of most types of waste, ecological as well as economic considerations are important factors. In view of this, not only will future expenditures for treatment and processing become more significant but also, on the other hand, the savings and profits resulting from recycling. The situation described above reflects the inherent problems in the treatment of solid residues produced by waste incineration plants. The incineration of municipal waste produced approx. 2.7 - 2.8 million tonnes of solid residues in 1993 in the Federal Republic of Germany, which in part included still considerable amounts of organic and inorganic pollutants that could potentially be released into the environment. The most significant of these in terms of volume is incinerator ash at approx. 2.4 million tonnes. Through the use of innovative processing techniques, attempts are being made to convert the residues into a form that remains environmentally neutral over the longest period of time possible. One such group of techniques includes smelting technologies. After it has undergone specialised treatment, mineral incinerator ash is converted into environmentally neutral and reusable glass (vitrification) since, besides a reduction in the volume of the residues by approx. 90%, the main goal is a complete immobilisation and destruction of inorganic and organic pollutants respectively. These glasses, after they have been reshaped, are resold as commercial products such as damming or form glass.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. P. J. Schmitz, F. S. Gouws

In flotation processes the structure of the froth phase contains a wealth of information regarding the behaviour of the plant. Various structural features of the froth phase provide an indication of the froth viscosity, froth stability, mineral content, bubble size, etc., which can all in turn be related to the performance of the plant. In this paper the application of machine learning techniques to exploit information from digital images of the froth phase of industrial flotation plants is discussed. This includes both connectionist techniques to identify control decisions necessary to maintain optimal operation of the plant, as well as symbolic methods, such as induction techniques. Both approaches are used to classify froth structures based on statistical features derived from digitized images of the froth surfaces. It was found that backpropagation algorithms perform significantly better than either non-incremental or incremental induction. Backpropagation algorithms requires significant user input in order to optimally train the neural network as opposed to induction, which requires little user input. In contrast to back propagation, decision tree induction produces easily understandable decision trees which can be incorporated into a rule base or an expert system. Finally, incremental induction provides a simple means to smoothly and continuously adapt induced rules to follow changing process conditions.

Jan 1, 1996

By R. J. Cornelius

Gold with minor associated copper mineralization in the area of what is now the Bougainville porphyry copper deposit has been known since the 1920s and was probably known in German colonial times, pre- 19 14, although no records persist other than a reference by Stanley (1922) to copper specimens from Kieta that he saw in Rabaul. Stanley did not at the time believe that they came from Kieta. Gold was first discovered at Kupei by Jack Comb in 1929 and the Kieta Goldfield was proclaimed in May 1930. In December 1932, the Tapu Reward Claim at Moroni - the site of the Bougainville Copper concentrator, was pegged by C.W.M. Evans who prospected up river from the West Coast. The Pumkuna (Panguna) Reward Claim on the site of the subsequent porphyry copper deposit was granted in February 1934 to G.A. Myers. n May 193 1, the Kupei Reward Claim was transferred to Bou- gainville Gold Options NL and later reverted to Jack Comb and then the Bougainville Syndicate, as did the Pumkuna and Moroni claims. Most of the interested parties had come from the Edie Creek rush on the New Guinea mainland. In 1935, N.H. Fisher, the geologist in Rabaul for the New Guinea administration who later became director of the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra, reported on the three gold areas. Norm Fisher described the gold and copper mineralization and its habit in great detail and this report had a major influence on the events leading to the discovery in the 1960s. Gold production up to the Japanese invasion probably did not exceed $50,000 in value. Half a ton of copper-gold ore from Kupei was sent to O.T. Lempriere's in Sydney for assay in the early 1930s.

Jan 1, 1991

By Taneomi Harada

Mine drainage has high acidity and sometimes contains more than the allowable concentration of ionized iron. In such a case, mine drainage is neutralized with calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide to separate precipitates, such as the iron hydroxide and gypsum generated. Currently, most of these precipitates are not utilized and are accumulated in tailing dams. As a result, the service life of the tailing dams is reduced. This becomes a matter of concern, since securing sites for such dams is difficult. A most effective means of solving this problem would be to promote utilization of these neutralized precipitates. This paper reports on the results of studies on neutralized precipitates produced at the old Matsuo Mine (Iwate Prefecture), which has the largest neutralization treatment facility in Japan. As a result of the studies, the following was proposed regarding application of neutralized precipitates. Utilization as ferrite: Mix ferrous hydroxide and ferric hydroxide in water to synthesize magnetite-like ferrite, to be used in the manufacture of magnetic markers for a mobility support system for blind pedestrians, or in producing magnetic fluids for sink-and-float separation of nonmagnetic metals and nonmetals. Utilization as hematite: Bake ferric hydroxide to produce hematite, thereby extracting metallic iron for paint pigment as well as for the manufacture of ironware by local industry. Production of aluminum sulfate: Precipitate aluminum ions from water and add sulfuric acid to produce aluminum sulfate.

Jan 1, 1995

By M. Dosemeci, M. McCawley, J. McLaughlin, Z. Wu, F. Hearl, W. Blot, K. Peng

Proposals have been made by two organizations, the International Standards Organization (150) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for a revised respirable dust criteria and criteria for thoracic and inspirable dust. These criteria yield different results than criteria based on lung deposition patterns in assessing the hazards due to dust exposure. Since these differences are a function of the size distribution of the dust an analysis of dust size distributions from various mining operations was performed to determine the amount of difference that could occur. The dust size distributions available for this analysis were taken from U.S. coal mines and from Chinese metal mines. The mass of mechanically generated dust that will deposit in the alveoli was found to be in direct proportion to the ISO/ACGIH criteria estimates in the mines studied. Therefore, respirable dust estimates for substances such as coal and silica are not a problem. Estimates of exposure to diesel exhaust in these mines, however, were not always in the same proportion to the estimated alveolar deposition. Also, concern with an excess of bronchitis among miners may not be adequately addressed by the use of samplers conforming to the ISO and ACGIH criteria. The cascade impactors used to acquire the data for this analysis require four to eight substrates per sampler. For daily dust exposure assessment this method is cumbersome and time consuming. Therefore, two new samplers have been designed to meet the need for determination of deposited dust mass. These samplers follow the lung deposition curve rather than the penetration curves proposed by the ACGIH and ISO and require analysis of only two substrates per sample.

Jan 1, 1992

By Jakub Nalaskowski, Robert Aranowski, Jan D. Miller, Jan Hupka

The polyolefins, mainly polyethylene and polypropylene particles, are used as an active filler material in polymer-polymer blends and are being used for the modification of asphalts to pro- vide for high-load, low-maintenance road construction. The stability of prepared blends depends on the interaction forces between polyolefinfiller and the matrix and/or between two polyolefin filler surfaces in the polymeric matrix. Various additives, especially surfactants, can be used to modify these interactions and improve the stability of polymer blends. In current research, direct force measurements between polyethylene (PE) surfaces in n-tetradecane, a nonaqueous solvent imitating the polymer matrix, were performed in the presence of lauric acid and dodecylamine using the AFM colloidal probe technique. Additionally, the zeta potential of polyethylene particles in the presence of surfactants in n-tetradecane was measured. The interac- tion forces between the polyethylene surfaces can be described as a combination of electrical double layer repulsion and steric repulsion between polymer chains extending into the n-tetradecane sol- vent. The addition of surfactant to the n-tetradecane was found to increase the repulsive force between the PE surfaces. The strongest repulsion was observed for dodecylamine. Additionally, the temperature efect on the interactions in n-tetradecane was studied. It was found that steric repulsion between the PE surfaces increases with an increase in temperature.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. R. Daly, D. Biswas

This study presents the development of a simplified artificial neural network (ANN) for the characterization of rock mass with a simultaneous display of its output in a three-dimensional interactive environment as well as in the form of a text document. The system was developed using JAVA object-oriented language, virtual-reality modeling language (VRML) and JavaScript, and it runs on the Internet. The user can walk through a three-dimensional virtual roadway, checking the underground rock mass behavior and, consequently, can design a support system. The system first characterizes the rock mass with the help of a neural network and recommends a suitable support system for the particular geomining condition. The system then represents its output in a three-dimensional environment. The neural network developed in this system was trained with 261 data sets, and its performance was evaluated with five case histories. The evaluation results showed that the network could identify the rock category and support system adaptively. The average error for the support load was 2.7%. Among the five case histories, two were represented in a three-dimensional environment. The output obtained from the overall system compared favorably with the existing underground conditions.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. Tsamantaki

Water-bentonite suspensions exhibit a yield stress which is defined as the minimum applied stress for flow. Considerable debate exists about the yield stress being a material property, hence different measuring methods should give similar answers, but several investigators have demonstrated that it is an engineering reality. Yield stress is normally estimated indirectly from the rheogram obtained with a viscometer following an extrapolation to zero shear rate (the dynamic yield stress), but the technique may be prone to errors because of slip flow. Direct measurements, not prone to such errors, rely on an independent assessment of the yield stress, normally carried out with the vane method (the static yield stress). In this paper results are presented and compared regarding the yield stress of 14 different water-bentonite suspensions measured using both the direct and the indirect methods. In order to obtain a wide range of yield stress values, two different types and two concentrations of bentonite at various pH were tested. Rheological data were obtained using a rotational speed viscometer and a yield stress vane measuring device. Measured vane yield stress values ranged from 5 Pa to 83 Pa. Rheological data collected with the rotating viscometer were fitted using various conventional techniques (interpolation, linear and non-linear regression analysis) as well as using a golden section yield stress search methodology based on Herschel-Bulkley model, developed in house. The vane instrument measures directly the yield stress of the suspensions and requires no further data handling. A comparison of the measured values of the yield stress with the direct and the indirect method is then made for the water-bentonite samples. Not very large differences are observed among different techniques and the variations are discussed. Similar data from literature are also analyzed and the comparison shows that differences on the various estimation methods are much larger than the differences observed in this study.

Jan 1, 2006

By G. Ferrara, P. Bozzato, B. Chinè

To obtain a reliable comparison between conical and cylindrical separatory vessels used in dynamic dense-medium separation systems, the following two studies were made: a study of the swirling flow in conical and cylindrical vessels using laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and a study of the behavior of suspensions of magnetite and ferrosilicon in water in both separators. It was found that the tangential velocity profiles differ in conical and cylindrical vessels. In a conical cyclone, free vortex conditions affect the largest part of the vessel, while in a cylindrical vessel, the motion approaches that of a forced vortex, i.e., that of a centrifuge. It was also found that the conical vessel manifests higher centrifigal acceleration and very strong densifying (the density differential) and, hence, the density gradient inside the vessel is large. It was found that the cylindrical vessel manifests lower centrifugal acceleration and low densifying, i.e., low-density differentials, and hence, the density gradient inside the vessel is small. Also, due to greater densifying, the density cut-point in cyclones is higher than the operating medium density, while, in cylindrical vessels, the density cut- point is closer to the medium density. The results provide an interesting description of the differing behaviors of conical and cylindrical vessels, and they help explain the differences in pegormance between the two types of separators.

Jan 1, 2000

By Keith G. Wallace, Justus B. Deen, Daniel J. Brunner

This paper describes the impact of natural ventilation pressure (NVP) on the Nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico (WIPP). The WIPP site is a U.S. Department of Energy underground facility for the disposal of low level radioactive transuranic defense generated waste. Because the facility is designed for the storage of nuclear waste, special design considerations are necessary to ensure containment of potential radioactive releases. The main design considerations which influence the ventilation system are the requirements of separate air splits for mining and storage operations and of air filtering before atmospheric discharge in the event of a radioactive release. The leakage between the two air splits must always be from the mining area to the storage area. The transient effects of natural ventilation pressures, caused by seasonal and diurnal surface temperature changes, impact the ventilation characteristics throughout the facility. This paper discusses the measurements taken to quantify the changes in NVP and the engineered systems designed to mitigate against the effects of NVP.

Jan 1, 1991

By K. Biswas, H. C. Lee, S. J. Jung

Ore passes are circular openings excavated in rock for in-mine gravity-transportation of ore. It is a very important component of the overall load-haul system of an underground mine. The function of an ore pass is two-fold: first, gravity-transportation of ore from the extraction level to the haulage level and second, the loading operation at the haulage level utilizing the gate assembly. In reality, like any other system component, an ore pass breaks down either due to a hang-up within the ore pass or due to a failure in the gate structure. The failure of the gate assembly may be attributed to a greater extent to the impact load as experienced by the components of a gate structure as a result of the direct impacts of the rock fragments and to a lesser extent to the static or 'dead weight' loads of the accumulated materials in the ore pass. This paper uses simulations in Working Model® as an aid to investigate the effect of both the impact and static loading on the gate assembly and on the inner-walls of the ore pass. The paper also investigates the impact of ore pass inclination and the presence or absence of dogleg on the static and impact loading of the same.

Jan 1, 2002

By Péter Siklósi, János Zámbó, Károly Solymár

It is fundamentally important to evaluate bauxites in a realistic, commercial way on the basis of the processing technology both for the supply of existing alumina plants and for the designing of new ones. The evaluation system developped by ALUTERV-FKI consists of chemical, mineralogical, texture and technological testing. The commercial value of bauxites is basically determined by their available alumina content and the caustic soda consumption required for their processing. However, their contaminants have to be taken into consideration, too. The commercial value of bauxites also depends on the processing technology and their possibly unfavourable chemical and mineralogical composition can be /at least partially/ compensated by R&D efforts. The selection of the optimum processing technology and the effects of further developing the same are demonstrated on monohydrate bauxites containing goethite and carbonates. Some of the technological solutions /desilication or deironing of bauxites, hydrothermal treatment of the digestion residue / make at the same time possible the complex processing of the bauxites, the profitable utilization of their main components.

Jan 1, 1984

By Robert F. Randolph, Arnold C. Love

This study describes the positioning strategies used by operators of radio controlled underground mining machines. The observations have implications for task design to insure adequate visibility and task performance. Radio controlled continuous coal mining machines have allowed many mines to increase safety and production by placing human operators away from the hazards of an unsupported mine roof. The operator is no longer confined to an operators component and visibility can be enhanced with proper positioning. Also, the operator is no longer subjected to the shocks and vibrations of the mining machine. The operator's ability to move freely about the worksite requires a careful analysis of several competing safety and production considerations. Thirty-five operators of remotely controlled continuous mining machines were observed using work sampling followed by interviews to determine where the operator was positioned and what he or she was watching. These observations were separated according to the task being performed by the continuous mining machine and summarized as position density plots. The specific task of tramming in reverse through a crosscut is analyzed along with more general summaries of the time miners spend outside of the policy-defined operating positions while performing other production tasks. The operators were: observed to frequently vary from company standard operating procedures (SOP). Many of the variations from company SOPS were based on task demands. Interview responses indicated that portions of the mining task place visibility demands on the operators that are difficult to accommodate within existing procedures. An improved task design process would include these visibility requirements. Also, the operator's vision can be augmented thorough video cameras in future teleoperated mining systems, and the operator can be increasingly isolated from environmental hazards.

Jan 1, 1992

By A. Unal, H. Sevim

The utilization of high-sulfur Illinois coal by utility plants has been decreasing since the enactment of the 1990 Clean Coal Air Act Amendment. Illinois coal producers can make their coal more attractive by offering the choice of taking the coal combustion and flue-gas desu furization products from the utility plants and placing them in the abandoned sections of their mines To be competitive, however, coal producers need to select an environmentally acceptable transportation-handling-placement system through which the cost-per-ton of product disposed of can be minimized In this paper, several such systems are presented The favorable operating conditions of each system are determined in terms of distance and tonnage ranges. For a 90 kt/year (100 thousand stpy) operation, it is found that, up to a distance of 150 km (93 miles), transporting products by truck would be less expensive than using rail cars and intermodal containers. Also, a case study is given in which a cost analysis is conducted for an underground coal mine receiving products from two Illinois utility plants. At 90 kt/year (100 thousand stpy) and a distance of 40 km (25 miles) between the power plant and the mine, it is found that truck transportation and under ground placement would cost $0.090/tkm ($0.131/st-mile) and $2.98/t ($2.70/ st), respectively.

Jan 1, 1999

During 1993, contraction of indus¬trial economies in Germany (-2%), France (-1 %), Japan (-0.1 %), Eastern Europe (-2%) and the former Soviet Union (-13%) dimmed prospects of a robust economic recovery for North America. Some European countries that suffer from high unemployment and large government deficits have non-com¬petitive cost structures that will require long-term economic reforms to solve. Restructuring in the United States also continued in 1993. The sluggish pace of the US economic recovery, in¬troduction of federal tax increases and the persistence of high levels of unemployment did little to inspire consumer confidence. By the end of the year, however, sales of consumer durable and capital equipment began to grow. Depressed demand for minerals by industrial economies in recession was partially offset by continuing rational¬ization or abandonment of non-competi¬tive productive capacity in Eastern Eu¬rope and the former Soviet Union. Al¬though aluminum, lead, titanium sponge and zinc prices fell, increases in copper and steel consumption helped steady their prices along with prices of some alloys. Cash flow to the mining industry - the primary source of exploration funds - was therefore constrained. For many companies, exploration expendi¬tures were reallocated geographically and in terms of commodities sought.

Jan 1, 1994

By Jon Holder, Brann Johnson

Pore-fluid/rock chemical interactions on both short and long time scales can produce significant pore structure and mineralic changes that can markedly alter transport properties, such as fluid permeability. The introduction of the chemical factor requires modification of experimental systems and methodologies developed for measurements in which chemical effects are minimal. Particular attention must be given to temperature effects, fluid chemistry, fluid/rock reactions and kinetics, fluid flow rate, and fluid/experimental-system reactions. The ability to obtain very low, steady flow rates at constant fluid pressure is important for study of some fluid/rock systems. Minimization of metal corrosion is of paramount importance and requires choice of proper metals, such as titanium, and certain Ti-alloys and Ni-alloys. In this paper, we briefly discuss the relevant chemical factors affecting system and experimental design. The primary focus, however, is on the characteristics of highly corrosion resistant metals, thermal and chemical resistant jacketing materials, and the attributes and limitations of various flow-rate and back-pressure control systems and flow-rate measurement systems.

Jan 1, 1986

By Naum S. Malts, Victor M. Sizyakov, Nikolai S. Shmorgunenko

A method has been developed in the USSR for processing the low-grade high-silica raw material by sintering the aluminacontaining mixes, which is widely used both as a principal process and in combination with the Bayer process. The process parameters were obtained on the basis of a study of interaction and equilibrium states of the individual profiles of a multi-component system Na20-A1203-Fe203-CaO-Si02 at the sintering temperatures. The compositions and melting temperatures of eutectics of the individual profiles are given. It is shown that the most easily meltable mix is one having a red mud as the main component. The variations are given of the sinter physical characteristics and recovery of the useful components with the sintering temperature. Considerations are given on selection of a sinter leaching flowsheet and directions are shown for improving a series method of processing the low-grade raw material.

Jan 1, 1984

By C. E. Capes

Reduction in the quality of resources and attendant increase in the quantities of fines to be processed present a major economic and environmental challenge for resource - based industries. It is becoming evident that agglomeration by immiscible liquid wetting will play a significant role in the treatment of these fines. Liquid phase agglomeration can be adapted to separate solids or liquids in highly divided form from liquid suspensions and emulsions. Diverse opportunities in coal fines recovery, novel fuels technologies and oily waste water treatment are cited here. The oil agglomeration of extreme fines from coal tailings, with consequent dramatic reduction in refuse for disposal, is now a commercial reality. It is suggested that this approach can serve as a prototype for the processing of extreme fines in an economical and environment ally sound manner.

Jan 1, 1989

By James P. Cooney

The global mining industry is in the process of redefining its activity and purpose in terms of sustainable development. This process is impelling a growing number of companies to engage their stakeholders on environmental and social issues. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have customarily acted as critics of the mining industry's performance. A new relationship between mining companies and NGOs is emerging in the context of sustainable development, ranging from dialogue to joint action. If positive interaction among mining companies and NGOs is to succeed, clear terms of engagement must be articulated, and measurable progress toward achieving both corporate and NW objectives must be demonstrated. The experience of Placer Dome is illustrative of the rewards and challenges of engaging with NGOs.

Jan 1, 2001