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By M. Gomilanovic

The Republic of Monte Negro (a member of the Serbia and Monte Negro federation) has 26 different mineral raw materials, 4 of which are recoverable and 22 unrecoverable. At present, 12 types of mineral raw materials are exploited. Based on these resources more than 80 facilities were built for the production and processing of mineral raw materials. The most significant of them are coal, bauxite and decorative and technical stone. Bearing in mind that all the mentioned mining facilities have significant impact on the living environment, and that Monte Negro was declared the ecological state, the objective of this paper is to present the experience acquired from this field of science.

Jan 1, 2003

By Qingwen Shi, Yun Zhao, Brijes Mishra

The effect of discontinuities on the fracturing and mechanical behavior of shale has been extensively investigated on a laboratory scale in previous works. It is well agreed that the lamination properties, including discontinuity and lamina properties, affect the behavior of shale. However, it is still unclear how the lamination properties are affecting the stability of the shale roof in an underground coal mine entry. This paper investigated the effect of lamination properties using the discrete element method on a mine-scale entry model as an extension to the previous work conducted on laboratory scale models.

Jan 11, 2022

By Henry N. McCarl

From the earliest use of crushed and broken stone as landfill for eroded gullies in trails and roads, to the mixing of sand and gravel with cement to make concrete, men and women have found mineral aggregates to be useful materials in satisfying human wants. Crushed stone, sand and gravel, volcanic cinders, pumice, manufactured lightweight aggregates, slag, cinders, expanded perlite and vermiculite, and a great array of recycled materials such as grog (broken or crushed brick) and fly ash have served as mineral aggregates. These materials have provided bulk and strength in portland cement concrete, bituminous concrete, road base, fill, concrete block, and plaster and stucco finishes. Mineral aggregates provide many special characteristics such as compressive and tensile strength, surface textures, weight and density, thermal and acoustical insulation, abrasion resistance, and impermeability to various concrete products and mixes. While most materials used as mineral aggregates are consumed on the basis of their low unit values, the large volumes extracted in the United States each year make them one of the most valuable mineral resources in current production. In 1960, US production of construction aggregate was just over a billion tons per year (Meyer and Zelnick, 1991). Two decades of accelerated interstate highway, residential, and commercial construction brought the total annual production of mineral aggregates to roughly 1.4 Gtpy by 1970 and just over 1.6 Gtpy by the late 1970s. General economic and related construction slowdowns in the early 1980s saw annual US production of aggregates fall to below 1.1 Gt in 1982, and then rise to just over 1.7 Gtpy in 1990, a new peak in mineral aggregate production and use. Per capita annual consumption of mineral aggregates was approximately 5.68 t/capita in 1960, 6.89 t/capita in 1970, rose to a high of 7.25 t/capita in 1979, and has since settled to just under 7 tpy for every man, woman, and child counted in the United States Census of 1990. The value of these materials came to approximately $9 billion in 1990. During the period 1960-1990, roughly half of all mineral aggregates were used in the construction of residential, commercial, and industrial structures, and the remainder was consumed in highways, bridges, and other transportation facilities such as railway roadbeds, airports, and water-related projects (Meyer and Zelnick, 1991). During the period 1988-1992, public works (highways, waterway projects, road maintenance, etc.) represented closer to 60% of annual mineral aggregate demand with residential and non-residential construction approximately 40%. The growing market share of public works projects has been mostly due to the dramatic slowdown in residential, commercial, and industrial construction during the 1988-1992 period.

Jan 1, 1994

By Éder Domingos Oliveira, Carlos Antonio Morais, Ruberlan Gomes Silva

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of different reagents, such as limestone, lime, magnesium oxide, and sodium hydroxide, in experiments carried out in the single purification step and in two consecutive purification steps by raising the pH of a rare earth sulfuric liquor with the aim to remove or reduce the impurity concentrations in the rare earth sulfuric liquor. The choice for the best purification condition was made based on the minimum loss of rare earth elements (REEs), reagent consumption, and residue generation. The exploratory experiments show that it takes place in the two consecutive purification steps, the first one consists in dosing the limestone pulp until it reaches a pH of 3.5 followed by an addition of a lime pulp reaching a pH of 5.0. Under this condition, the results were a total removal of Fe3+, PO4 3− , and Th4+ ions and a reduction of 99%, 87%, and 37% w/w in the Al3+, UO2 2+, and SO4 2− concentrations, respectively, in the purified rare earth liquor. Furthermore, the lowest REE losses (8.3% w/w) and reagent consumption (4.3 kg/m3 ) and also a low residue generation (7.5 kg/m3 ) were observed in this condition. Despite reaching similar results regarding impurity removal, the experiments done with the addition of limestone, lime, magnesium oxide pulps, and sodium hydroxide solution in the single purification step, where the pH was raised to 5.0, presented higher REE losses (64.9%, 42.5%, 44.8%, and 60.9% w/w, respectively) and a higher residue generation (43.2, 25.1, 11.1, and 13.6 kg/m3 , respectively). This occurred due to the co-precipitation of salts containing rare earth elements in their composition. The experiments conducted with limestone, lime, and MgO resulted in a higher consumption of reagents, while the same result was observed when NaOH was used (4.3 kg/m3 ). In the experiments carried out with the addition of magnesium oxide and sodium hydroxide, the respective purified rare earth liquors presented a high concentration of magnesium, sulfate, or sodium, which could impact the quality of the marketable rare earth salts, whereas the salts obtained under the best condition observed in this study seem to be amenable for use as raw material in an attempt to obtain rare earth products with an acceptable chemical quality.

By Irvine G. Reilly

Results of a preliminary study of the ammoniacal leaching of covellite (CuS) in an aqueous oxidizing system in the presence of a non-miscible organic sulfur solvent are described. Up to 60% of the sulfur can be recovered from the solvent as elemental sulfur 1 while achieving high degrees of solubilization of the mineral. The effects of temperature, particle size, oxygen pressure, ammonia concentration and ammonium ion concentration on the degree of sulfur recovery were investigated. Maximum recoveries were achieved at moderate temperatures and in well-buffered systems, with a large excess ammonia concentration. Oxygen pressure and particle size were found to have little effect on fractional recovery of sulfur. A simple empirical model based on electrochemical theory correlating the effects of some of the parameters cont-rolling the degree of sulfur recovery is presented. The results of this work also confirm that in any proposed reaction mechanism for the oxidative ammoniacal leaching of copper sulfides, the primary oxidation product of the sulfide ion in elemental sulfur.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. P. De Carvalho, R. Dimitrakopoulos

An actor-critic reinforcement learning approach is presented to improve the production of an industrial mining complex by defining shovel allocation and adapting the short-term plan given grade-control decisions. Blasthole data updates the simulated orebody models, which are input into a stochastic grade-control method based on a spatially constrained clustering approach that minimizes the profit-loss function. These aspects are embedded in a discrete-event simulator that defines the material flow from faces to processors. A case study at a copper mining complex shows the methods’ ability to adapt to new information, improving the quality of the material feed and increasing cash flow by 23% compared to a baseline case.

Jun 25, 2023

By William H. Dresher

A study has been made of the reaction mechanisms occurring during the salt-roast process to form water-soluble sodium vanadate compounds from the vanadium oxide compounds present in vanadium-bearing ores and concentrates. Two reactions have been identified, either of which lead to water-soluble compounds--oxidation of sodium chloride by water vapor and. oxidation of sodium chloride by oxygen. The former reaction has been found to be predominant in the salt-roast process. A kinetic treatment of the data has shown that for the formation of sodium metavanadate the rate-controlling step in the reaction, in which sodium chloride is oxidized by water vapor is the decomposition of a species containing water and sodiumm chloride, on the surface at the gas-solid interface. For the formation of sodium pyrovanadate, the rate-controlling step is the decomposition of a species containing water and sodium metavaradate on the surface. The transportation of water through the system, perhaps as a sodium chloride-water complex or a sodium metavanadate-water complex, and the actual chemical reaction are relatively fast compared to the initial surface decomposition step. A similar treatment on the data for the oxidation, of sodium chloride by oxygen has shown that the rate-controlling step, is the actual transportation of oxygen from the gas-solid interface to the reactive site. This transportation is by a sequence of two diffusion processes. Transportation during the early stages of the reaction is by the diffusion of oxygen through a continuous layer of reaction product. After, the first few minutes of reaction time a second diffusion process begins and is continuous for the remainder of the reaction. This second diffusion process involves the diffusion of oxygen, through a layer of reaction product that has developed voids around which the oxygen must diffuse. The hindering, nature of this latter process causes the rate of transportation of oxygen to the reaction site to be considerably slower than by the simple diffusion mechanism initially followed. A thermodynamic treatment of the data has shown that the energy of activation for the decomposition of the water-sodium chloride species on the surface is -12.1 Kcal. per mole. For the decomposition of the water-sodium metavanadate species on the surface' the energy of activation is -15.1 Kcal. per mole. The results of this study indicate the limiting mechanisms of the basic reactions occurring during the salt-roast process. These results suggest what variables should be examined in applying this information to actual plant operations.

Jan 1, 1961

By A. Anani

The goal of hot mix asphalt (HMA) design is optimal material blending to meet Superpave specifications. HMA cost minimization has being modeled as linear programing (LP) (Awuah-Offei et al 2011) and mixed integer LP problems (Brown et al, 2012) and solved with commercial software such as LINDO and CPLEX. Often these software, which are designed to solve general optimization problems, have licenses that cost thousands of dollars. The objective of this study is to develop a novel solution algorithm to the HMA optimization problem presented by Brown et al. (2012), which will negate the need for expensive commercial packages and is specific to this problem. This novel algorithm is based on the branch and bound algorithm for solving mixed integer problems. The algorithm is incorporated into a software package with an easy-to-use graphical user interface. The developed algorithm is validated using a real-life HMA problem. Using this solution algorithm will save companies thousands of dollars, otherwise used to purchase software licenses.

Feb 23, 2014

By Edward F. Nagle

Instrumentation engineers have recently devised practical methods of metering the net solids flowing in a hydraulic mixture. The solids flow rate is determined by measuring the specific gravity and the flow rate of the mixture. T e specific gravity is measured by a variation of the bubbler system. The flow measurement is made by a somewhat unorthodox orifice requiring field calibrations. The linear mixture flow signal is then multiplied by the specific gravity signal, which is directly proportional to the percentage of solids in the mixture, to produce a linear solids Slow rate signal. The computations in this system are performed by Sorteberg pneumatic relays. Having obtained this measurement, integration and automatic control of hydraulic solids flow are available. This system is useful in mining, drilling and dredging industries. It provides maintenance of the net solids flow rate and reduces power consumption. Automatic control will provide rapid stabilization of net solids flow rate and release operators from making menual adjustments. The advantages of this application are economy of operation and increased pump efficiency, This paper describes a hydraulic solids flowmeter system installed aboard a dredge. Its purpose is twofolds:- 1. 20 provide a summation of the net solids flowing 2. To make available a practical guide for the drag tender operator. (Dwg. GSD-2219)

Jan 1, 1958

By Tassos Grammatikopoulos, Mike Johnson, Niels Verbaan

Seabed polymetallic nodules, which contain significant quantities of metals key to electrification (nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese) can be processed using several different metallurgical processing options, including direct smelting and subsequent hydrometallurgical refining of the copper/nickel matte, ammoniacal leaching (gas reduction or Cuprion), and acid leaching (often reductive). Many of these approaches suffer from reduced cobalt extraction, difficult physical performance, or overall circuit complexity in general, leading to increased risk to the overall project. SGS has considered pressure acid leaching of nodules for further investigation, as publicly shared data on this processing route stems from the 1970s and 1980s and is not always easily accessible. This paper will detail the series of tests conducted and provide updated results obtained (high Ni/Co/Cu recovery with limited Mn/Fe), as well as comment on the potential treatment options on the product solution and residue.

Feb 1, 2025

By NEHA PANDEY, Sunil Kumar Tripathy, ARIJIT BISWAS

Due to the growing market of Electric Vehicles (EVs), there is a rise in battery demand. Nickel can be used as a potential element in cathode for lithium-ion batteries. Nickel can provide thermal stability, high energy density, and conductivity in cathodes of lithium-ion batteries. Low-grade chromite overburden from Sukinda mines contains less than 1 wt% of nickel, which can be utilized to extract nickel. Recovery of nickel from such low-grade overburden can help in value addition. The present study provides deeper insight into the aspects of extraction of nickel product derivatives (NPDs), mainly mixed hydroxide product (MHP), through the hydrometallurgical route. The current study focuses on extracting nickel and cobalt from a mine overburden with 0.41% nickel with major silicate gangue. MHP can be processed further for nickel sulfate production, a potential raw material for cathodes in EV batteries. The study discusses a process flowsheet to recover nickel and cobalt from overburden through atmospheric leaching with pre-calcination. It is observed that the step of pre-calcination improves the effective recovery of nickel from overburden. The leaching reactions are effective at a temperature of 90 °C and 1 atmosphere pressure. The orthophosphoric acid was used as a lixiviant for the selective recovery of nickel and cobalt from overburden. Recovery of nickel and cobalt obtained at optimum conditions is 84.0% and 39.9%, respectively. The iron impurity in the leachate solution is 1.27%. It is concluded that the process with pre-calcination along with acid leaching is effective for extracting nickel and cobalt at atmospheric pressure.

Dec 28, 2023

By M. Shriwas, F. Calizaya

"Controlled recirculation may be considered as a beneficial means in mines of cold climate, where heating of air is required, and in deep or extensive mines, where cooling of air is required. Controlled recirculation can be designed by proper sizing of the booster fans with respect to main fan. Intuitively, it seems that the buildup of methane at the face will cease when a steady state condition is attained, and also that, at that same time, the maximum concentration at the face will remain same as in the return air. This supposition is proved by mathematical analysis that considers uniform mixing of methane in air in successive cycles of recirculation. This study includes two scenarios to show the effect of controlled recirculation on methane concentration in a sample network. Firstly, when recirculation crosscut exists near the working face; secondly, when recirculation crosscut exists away from the working face. The later scenario shows lesser buildup of methane concentration than the former one. INTRODUCTION The controlled recirculation is designed purposefully to allow a partial fraction of used air that increases the air velocity due to increased quantity of air and consequently allows effective dilution of contaminants to improve local ventilation condition at the working face. It can be designed by proper sizing of booster fan with respect to main fan in a ventilation network. Controlled recirculation may be categorized as crosscut, in-line or combined system based upon the configuration of the booster fan locations in a district ventilation network. Research on controlled recirculation has shown numerous benefits of controlled recirculation especially in deep or extensive underground mines, where further heating or cooling is required (Calizaya 1990; McPherson 1993 and Jones, 1987). However, fear of buildup of concentration has misled the mining communities to view the controlled recirculation as a hazard and deprived the mining industry to derive benefits from recirculation. Intuitively, it seems that the buildup of methane at the face will cease when a steady state condition is attained, and also that, at that same time, the maximum concentration at the face will remain same as in the return air. This supposition is proved by mathematical analysis that considers uniform mixing of methane in air in successive cycles of recirculation. This study includes two scenarios to show the effect of controlled recirculation on methane concentration in a sample network. Firstly, when recirculation crosscut exists near the working face; secondly, when recirculation crosscut exists away from the working face. The later scenario result shows the less buildup of methane concentration than former scenario result."

Jan 1, 2016

By Y. Lv, H. Ye, D. Du

Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) is a kind of industrial solid waste with high silicon content that contains harmful metal elements such as chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co). Developing a highly effective and environmentally friendly process to treat EMR is important, both for the reutilization of metal resources and for environmental sustainability. In this study, the bioleaching of available silicon from EMR using silicate bacteria is investigated, with flask experiments conducted to optimize the parameters in the bioleaching system. For metal ions, the concentrations of manganese (Mn), Co, Ni and Pb in solution were measured to determine the environmental safety effects before and after bioleaching. The results show that the bioleaching rates of available silicon in the slag were mainly affected by the temperature, pH and pulp density. Under the optimal conditions of temperature of 30 °C, pH of 7.0, pulp density of 5 percent, shake flask rotational speed of approximately 210 rpm, particle size of approximately 0.150 mm and leaching time of 16 d, the concentrations of available silicon in the bioleaching system rose to approximately 110 to 140 mg/L. The metals remaining in the residues were mainly bonded in stable fractions, with concentrations lower in the leachate after bioleaching. This study demonstrates that silicate bacteria can be used to increase the contents of available silicon from EMR, and that bioleaching technology can realize the harmless resource utilization of EMR.

By Rodolfo V. de la Cruz

Abstract. The Hoskold mineral valuation method was critically examined. The original derivation was presented and found to contain a number cf erroneous assumptions as follows: the sinking fund must be available for reinvestment in another property; the series of reinvestment of the sinking fund results in a perpetual annuity to the investor, and; evaluation of the present value of the net cash flows at the speculative rate of interest. The proper procedure of deriving the Hoskhold mineral valuation formula was discussed and illustrated with a cumulative cash position diagram, a useful tool in economic evaluation and investment decision methods.

Jan 1, 1980

By L. B. Phelps

Many coal mining companies have potential surface mine reserves which either are known or suspected to have had prior drift mining activity on them. In many cases, there is no documentation on these mines or at best, very fragmented records. These undocumented abandoned underground mines are creating engineering, financial, and environmental difficulties and concerns for both surface coal mine operators and regulatory personnel. This paper examines the use of resistivity techniques in detecting entries of abandoned drift coal mines. The detection of such a drift mine entry would confirm the presence and orientation of an abandoned underground coal mine.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. G. Anderson

Historically, the treatment of orebodies for recovery of valuable constituents presents many processing challenges. In a time of heightened environmental awareness, the constraints placed on processing complex orebodies are becoming more and more pronounced. As such, established technologies are limited in their ability to fill the needs of these emerging sources of raw materials. A prime example of this is in processing PGMs from primary sources. Normally, this type of material is found in a nickel-copper-iron sulfide matrix. Typically, these materials are processed by established pyrometallurgical means. However, other options should be considered. Hydrometallurgical processes are available which offer advantages over pyrometallurgical methods. One of these is the nitrogen species catalyzed sulfuric acid pressure leach used industrially by Sunshine Mining and Refining Company. In 1990, laboratory work was undertaken in cooperation with Stillwater Mining Company to test PGM matte materials from the Columbus, Montana smelter. The initial results were very positive, and they led to a design to recover PGMs in a high grade residue and to recover nickel and copper as valuable products. Handling the iron and other wastes in an environmentally safe manner was also successfully investigated.

Jan 1, 1995

By M. J. Virnig, B. D. Boley, G. A. Wolfe, J. M. W. Mackenzie

A flowsheet for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite ores has been developed which involves acid leaching followed by hydroxide precipitation of the metal values and then releaching of the hydroxide cake with ammonia. Investigations of the chemistry of extraction of nickel by LIX® 84-I and a developmental reagent, XI-84-IT, along with the physical properties of the organic phases are described. Based on these investigations, suggestions with regard to design of a solvent extraction plant and operating conditions are made.

Jan 1, 1999

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

"Lithium is a silver-white alkali metal that has recently become a target commodity for many junior mining companies. Lithium has a wide range of applications including ceramics and glass, lubricating greases, air treatment, continuous cast mold flux powders, polymer production, and primary aluminium production, but the current popularity of lithium can be attributed to an anticipated increase in demand for lithium ion batteries. The most common lithium-bearing minerals occur globally in pegmatites and granites. Spodumene [LiAl(Si2O6)] is the most desirable economic lithium-bearing mineral due to its high lithium content (theoretical Li2O content of about 8 wt%). However, lithium can also be hosted in petalite, micas, tourmaline, and phosphate minerals. In Canada there are a number of spodumene deposits in Ontario and Quebec at development stage that have the potential to help narrow the forecast lithium supply gap stemming from the widespread acceptance and use of electric vehicles. This paper discusses the beneficiation of hard rock lithium deposits, including an in depth review of the use of flotation to upgrade spodumene. A review of the use of dense media separation (DMS), magnetic separation, and roasting as means to process spodumene bearing ores is also discussed. INTRODUCTION Lithium is a soft, silver-white alkali metal with atomic number 3. As of 2015, the end use of lithium was estimated to be as follows: lithium-ion batteries (35%), ceramics and glass (32%), lubricating greases (9%), air treatment (5%), continuous casting mould flux powders (5%), polymer production (4%), primary aluminium production (1%) and other uses (9%) (Jaskula, 2014). Lithium is found in brine lake deposits containing lithium chloride and in hard rock pegmatite deposits. It can be sold in a range of product types; as mineral concentrate, brine, compound (lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide) and metal depending on its intended end use (Goonan, 2012; Jaskula 2014). In the 1990s the United States and Chile were the largest producers of lithium globally, primarily from brine operations (Ober, 1994). Most of the lithium compounds produced over this period were consumed in the glass, ceramics and aluminium industries. In the 1980s and 1990s there were two major lithium operations in the United States: brine operations at Silver Peak, Nevada, and a spodumene mine and lithium carbonate/lithium hydroxide plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The Kings Mountain operations ceased production in 1991 and were eventually dismantled in 1994. Brine operations were also active in Argentina and Chile, while the largest lithium ore deposit in the world was operated at Greenbushes, Western Australia. During this period it was predicted that major shifts in demand for lithium would come from the success and widespread use of electric vehicles (Ober, 1994)."

Jan 1, 2017

By M. E. Poad

In 1986, a cooperative effort by the Homestake Mining company, the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the University of Utah was initiated to determine shaft stability while recovering high grade ore in a nearby pillar. Premining finite element simulations indicated the shaft would remain in elastic ground. Six years have elapsed and, despite some initial concern during the first lifts, it appears that the bulk of the original reserve will be safely and profitably recovered. An integrated application of rock mechanics tools from laboratory testing through numerical modelling to mine measurements and observations contributed substantially to the operational success of the project.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. W. Meckenstock

Evidence of the fact that the beneficiation of sand and gravel is now going on is readily observed by visiting various and and gravel plants almost throughout the U.S.A. of necessity this beneficiation process is concentrated more in certain areas than in others, and it is steadily increasing. Therefore, it can be said that beneficiation is now one of the processes inn the manufacturing of sand and gravel, It started some ten to twelve, years ago when the need for beneficiation made itself known, and when the manufacturers of sand and gravel producing machinery began to make equipment available to the industry.

Jan 1, 1958