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By Green A. D M

The establishment of the Imperial Smelting Furnace at Sulphide Coporation Pty. Limited for the smelting of zinc and lead made it necessary to design and install sintering capacity to produce approximately 500 t.p.d. of zinc-lead sinter. The updraught sintering process installed is a recent development and the plant was designed with adequate flexibility and equipment to enable operating staff to investigate the process and achieve maximum production under optimum operating conditions.Sulphur dioxide gases from the sinter machine are passed to a contact acid plant for the manufacture of sulphuric acid.

Jan 1, 1964

By Benjamin H. Clark

"For over 50 years, Derrick Corporation has been renowned for its innovative and durable fine screening equipment and screen surface technology. Derrick’s latest innovation, the patented Stack Sizer, offers mineral processors both high tonnage capacity and high separation efficiency on an extremely small footprint.The Stack Sizer is suitable for separations from 6.3 mm down to 75 microns (200 mesh). The Stack Sizer, coupled with Derrick’s patented urethane screen surface technology, offers an extremely economical alternative to hydraulic classifiers, hydrocyclones, and less efficient low volume wet screening systems. Stack Sizers have been used in feed preparation for flotation, spirals, and a variety of jigs. Mineral processors wishing to reduce grinding circuit circulating loads and generation of slimes due to over grinding, thereby enhancing the efficiency of flotation and gravity circuits, now have another technology at their disposal to perform this critical sizing and grade control function.Over 200 Stack Sizers have been installed in numerous mineral processing applications worldwide attesting to the rapid acceptance of this technology. Stack Sizers are currently screening ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, mineral sands, silica sand, kaolin clay, feldspar, garnet, phosphate, aluminum dross, potash, coal, tantalum, spodumene, niobium, and other rare earth mineral ores.INTRODUCTIONDerrick engineers have long understood and demonstrated the importance of screen width in coupling both high capacity and high separation efficiency for fine wet sizing applications. As opposed to fine dry sizing, where the length of the screening machine is critical for high separation efficiency, introducing slurry feed to screens in a thin and even layer at minimal velocities across wider screen surfaces allows for high capacities and efficiencies, with maximum screen cloth life. This is due primarily to the combination of free liquid and high frequency vibration of the Derrick motors, which allow fine undersize material to pass through the screen apertures. Lacking either of these factors would be extremely detrimental to the screening process. Without the high frequency vibration of the motor, the screen is essentially a low efficiency sieve bend. Without the free liquid to carry fines through the screen openings, the screen is for all intents and purposes a glorified conveyor or dewatering unit, as little or no sizing takes place once the screen is devoid of free liquid. For optimal screening results, Derrick recommends feeding slurry to a screen at approximately 20% solids by volume. Figure 1 shows the Stack Sizer design concept. Note that a single feed point is used to evenly distribute the flow to the five separate feed points."

Jan 1, 2007

By D R. Cohen

As one of the four basic sciences, the study of geology is intrinsically worthy as a means of increasing fundamental knowledge of the behaviour and evolution of the universe. Geological knowledge can also be translated into practical outcomes for society such as resource discovery and protection of the environment. Australia has a long tradition of providing very high quality geoscience programs to prepare graduates for a range of occupations. We are, however, reaching a nexus in the way universities should or can deliver engaging programs. This has been triggered by the rapid evolution of the digital world (the Internet of Things), new technologies, unprecedented access to information, better understanding of the processes by which we learn and adapt our thinking, growing complexity in the problems we must face or opportunities to grasp, and university funding models. Designing education programs for the next generation of geologists extends far beyond tinkering with syllabuses. We must develop skills sets that will allow graduates to work in rapidly changing landscapes, but in doing so may have to sacrifice content to build capability in our graduates. Whereas universities must respond to changing demands on graduates by ensuring degree programs contain an appropriate balance of material and high quality of delivery, industry and government must also fulfil their responsibilities to provide additional training programs for graduates to assist their rapid transition into independent professionals. This paper examines various educational issues being considered in developing the new Decadal Plan for the Earth Sciences, and reflects on directions that education is heading in many of our universities.CITATION:Cohen, D R, 2017. Educating the next generation of geologists, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 3–10 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

By Ismael Vemdrame Flores

No panorama atual da coqueificação há uma necessidade comum de aumentar o uso de carvão de menor qualidade, principalmente devido ao alto custo e decrescente disponibilidade de carvões coqueificáveis de primeira linha. Neste cenário, uma forma de melhorar a qualidade do coque é através do controle de tamanho de partículas de carvões e misturas. A granulometria dos carvões pode alterar sua petrografia e propriedades reológicas, podendo ser utilizada de forma benéfica. O presente trabalho é uma primeira parte de um estudo de longo prazo e tem como objetivo avaliar os efeitos de preparação de carvão em suas propriedades. Para esse fim, dois carvões coqueificáveis e uma mistura foram selecionadas e caracterizadas em diferentes faixas de tamanho de partícula. Os carvões e suas frações granulométricas foram caracterizadas por análise imediata, petrografia, fluidez Gieseler e índice de inchamento livre. Os resultados demonstraram que as frações granulométricas dos carvões apresentam diferentes propriedades (cinzas, matéria volátil, composição maceral, fluidez e FSI) de acordo com o tamanho de partícula estudado. Além disso, discutiu-se o motivo por trás das diferenças observadas.

Aug 1, 2018

Tellurium (Te) is one of the least abundant elements in the crust and tends to form minerals associated with copper, lead, zinc and iron sulfide deposits. Today, most tellurium production comes from the anode slimes and other wastes generated in metal refining. Most of the current tellurium produced in the world is used as an alloying agent in iron and steel, as catalysts, and in the chemical industry. However, future demand and production could increase because tellurium is increasingly used in solar panels and some electronic devices. Tellurium minerals are found in Au-Ag districts in New Mexico, but were not considered important exploration targets in the past. In New Mexico, tellurium is found associated with porphyry copper deposits in southwestern New Mexico and with Au-Ag veins in the Eureka, Sylvanite, Organ, Lordsburg, Steeple Rock, Wilcox, Mogollon, Chloride, Cuchillo, Hillsboro, Zuni Mountains, White Oaks, and Nogal-Bonito districts. The only tellurium production from New Mexico has been from the Lone Pine deposit (Wilcox district), where approximately 5 tons of tellurium ore was produced. Gold-tellurides are found with gold, silver, pyrite, and fluorite in fracture-filling veins in rhyolite at Lone Pine, with reported assays as much as 5,000 ppm Te. Other districts in New Mexico have potential for tellurium, but require field evaluation.

Feb 27, 2013

The 102nd Annual General Meeting of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held in the Gold Room, Transvaal Automobile Club, 60 5th Street, Lower Houghton, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 18th August, 1999. Obituaries The President announced the death, during the year, of the following members: Honorary Life Fellows and Past Presidents D.D. Howat Life Fellows O. Deane, J.S. van Zijl Fellow A.A. Hejja Retired Fellows A.L. Forder, C.B. Parker, A.C. Petersen, F.W.J. Ross Members J.S. Stanko, D.H. Gray Retired Member P.K. Bredell Retired Associate I.S. van Eyssen In memory of the deceased and in sympathy with the bereaved, all rose and observed a moment of silence.

Jan 1, 1999

By Cyril Smith

SEVERAL investigators, mainly concerned with the mechanical proper-ties of the alloys, have studied the so-called aluminum bronzes after various quenching and reheating treatments. Of these works, perhaps the most complete is that of Bouldoires,1 who studied changes of length, electrical conductivity, thermoelectric force, hardness and micro-structure oh tempering quenched alloys containing 5 to 20 per cent of aluminum, although the work of Carpenter and Edwards,2 Curry,3 Greenwood,4 Braesco,5 Matsuda;6,7 Grard8 and others has added much to our knowledge of the changes occurring during tempering. The so-called acicular ß decomposes on tempering at temperatures between 350° C. and the eutectoid, giving rise to a Widmanstätten structure of a needles in a matrix of d or fine a + d, associated with an increase in hardness and almost complete loss of ductility. Matsuda, studied the' eutectoid transformation by means of dilatation and electrical "conductivity measurements during cooling at different rates. He found that on cooling at the rate of 10° C. per minute there was a decrease in electrical resistance and in length instead of the usual increase which occurred with slow rates of cooling. On tempering the rapidly cooled samples, the increase commenced at about 400° C. and at 520° C. the resistance and length had reached the equilibrium values. These peculiarities he accounted for as being due to a transitional phase ß' being formed, ß having an electrical resistance and volume less than either ß or a + d.

Jan 1, 1933

By R. Benito

The publication of the Lerchs Grossmann paper in 1965 outlining a threedimensional graph algorithm for ultimate pit definition set the standard for the mining industry regarding pit optimization. Although the algorithm provides a solution from a static standpoint (i.e., assumes instantaneous mining), it is widely used for commercial packages to generate ultimate pit limits and intermediate phases. However, the solutions delivered are presented in canned reports lacking connection to the original data, which prevents further data analysis and extended reporting. The approach presented in this paper attempts to overcome such barriers by performing openpit optimization through databases. An adaptation of the Lerchs Grossmann graph algorithm is used to generate nodes, arcs and tree structures in customized tables to determine the maximum closure of a graph.

Nov 1, 2013

By CASSANDRA L. HOEBBEL, Emily J. Haas, MARGARET E. RYAN

Researchers examined datasets from two separate studies that measured common demographic variables but different safety performance outcome variables. Of specific interest was how types of experience might relate to workers’ preparedness to effectively mitigate or respond to both routine and nonroutine risk in the mining industry. The results suggest that individual factors such as length of job, industry, and mine experience are predictive of routine safety performance — as measured by self-reported proactive and compliant safety behaviors — and/or nonroutine safety performance — as measured by perceived competence in self-escape knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) — in significant and sometimes unexpected ways.

By L. A. Wright, J. F. Emerson

The Pine Creek mine, owned by Union Carbide Nuclear Co., Div. of Union Carbide and Carbon Corp., is one of the world's largest producers of tungsten. The mine is located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 25 miles north- west of Bishop, Calif. Prior to 1948, production from the property came either from surface pits or from underground workings above A level haulage tunnel. The tunnel is at an elevation of 10,900 ft, which left 500 to 600 ft of vertical backs to the surface outcrops. Heavy production demands during World War II hastened the planning for long range development of orebodies below A level. A 7000-ft haulage tunnel, 1500 ft below A level, was started in 1943 and completed in early 1947. This haulage tunnel is at an elevation of 9400 ft and is known as Zero tunnel.

Apr 1, 1956

By J. F. Barkley

The work covered in this report was done to meet the requests from many Government agencies for information on alleviating sludge difficulties in No. 6 (Bunker C) fuel-oil storage tanks. Accumulated sludge at times caused serious loss in tank capacities; pumps became overloaded or lost suction; strainers often required very frequent cleaning; fuel-oil heaters in some instances became fouled and inefficient; and gobs of sludge that passed the strainers interfered with good combustion. The requests also included questions regarding the usefulness in general of oil "additives" for preventing sludge and the relative merits of the many trade-named additives being marketed. Realizing that preventing such difficulties would result in substantial savings to the Government, an investigation was begun with the limited funds avail-able. Although various claims are made for No. 6 fuel-oil additives other than preventing sludge, only an investigation as regards the storage tank-sludge problem has been possible.

Jan 1, 1955

By Art Carino

"The McClean Lake operation is located in the Eastern Shore of the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan some 700-air kilometers north of Saskatoon. It is operated by Cogema Resources Inc., the major share holder of the joint venture consisting of Cogema Resources Inc., Denison Mines Limited and OURD, a consortium of Japanese utilities.The JEB mill is the first uranium mill to be constructed and licensed in North America within the last 15 years. The mill uses conventional uranium unit process but employs innovative techniques unique to the JEB mill.This paper presents brief descriptions of the various unit processes, the innovations and the commissioning strategies developed to achieve the designed production capacity in the shortest possible time.INTRODUCTIONThe McClean Lake ore body was discovered in 1979, followed by the discovery of the JEB ore body in 1982. From 1985 to 1990, a cluster of deposits named Sue A, Sue B and Sue C were discovered. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) of the McClean Lake project began in 1990 under a joint federal-provincial process. Following the public hearings in 1993, the governments gave approval to proceed with the construction of the project, subject to fulfilling licensing requirements.The McClean Lake ores are located in the uranium-rich geological region of Saskatchewan known as the Athabasca Basin, 700 air kilometers north of Saskatoon. The JEB mill is located near the mined out JEB open pit that is now used as the tailing depository.The approved mill has a production capacity of 6,000,000 pounds of U3O8 annually and is capable and licensed to process JEB, Sue A, Sue B, Sue C, McClean Lake, and Midwest Lake deposits. Although the EIS has been approved, Mining of the Midwest Lake deposit has not been approved at this time."

Jan 1, 2001

By Robert T. DeGavre

INTRODUCTION The $645 million financing for Inco Ltd's Soroako nickel project in Indonesia not only represents a significant human achievement but also there are certain important lessons that can be derived from Inco's experience in financing the project. The paper will not present a technical assessment of the project since Inco Ltd. submitted a series of papers on this subject at the international Laterite Symposium as part of the 108th Annual Meeting of the AIME in February 1979. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOROAKO PROJECT Table 1 summarizes the milestones achieved in the Soroako project and its financing. Exploration Phase A contract of Work was signed on July 27, 1968 by the Republic of Indonesia and F.T. International Nickel Indonesia (P.T. Inco) covering an extensive area of over 25,000 square miles on the two southeastern arms of the island of Sulawesi. The Contract provides that P.T. Inco has the sole responsibility for financing the project and determining the terms on which the financing should be obtained, that P.T. Inco has the right to receive and hold outside of Indonesia foreign exchange revenues and to freely dispose of such revenues, and that Indonesians have the right to purchase up to 20% of the equity of P.T. Inco over a period following start of production. P.T. Inco began field investigations in the Contract Area in August 1968. Preliminary reconnaissance sampling with portable drills broadly outlined areas of favorable laterite terrain which were then systematically sampled on surveyed grids. By early 1971 sufficient exploration work had been completed to indicate that the laterite deposits near Soroako could sustain a major nickel-producing plant (figure 1). Pilot plant studies in 1970 and 1971 at Inco's research station in Port Colborne, Ontario, using two bulk samples of Soroako ore material, also confirmed that the ore could be upgraded and treated for the recovery of its metal values. Feasibility Phase Encouraged by the results of its exploration program and pilot-plant work, Inco Ltd. commissioned Toyo Engineering Company of Japan in August 1971 to prepare a capital cost estimate for a relatively small nickel project called "Stage I". Stage I was to be a single-line pyrometallurqical process plant with an annual capacity of approximately 15,000 metric tons of nickel contained in 75% nickel sulphide matte (see Figure 2). Electric power was to be supplied by a thermal power station. It is important to recognize that Inco's strategy was to develop the Soroako ore deposits in several stages: first, construct a small project to gain experience and to reduce the initial capital outlay and then later expand in one or more steps to a much larger project to achieve maximum economies. The strategy reflected both Inco's financial position in 1971 as its sales and earning dropped sharply and the difficulties previously experienced by Inco in trying to launch in the late 1960's very large "greenfield" nickel projects in New Caledonia and Guatemala. Toyo's Project Development Study was completed. in January 1972. Based upon Toyo's cost estimate for physical facilities, Inco estimated the total capital cost of Stage I to be $115 million. For the next several months, Inco ran numerous in-house financial feasibility studies, using as inputs Toyo's cost estimate and the results of its exploration and pilot plant programs. In September 1972, Inco completed a project feasibility study which was based upon a capital cost estimate of $135 million. The feasibility study was immediately made available to potential partners and lenders. Partner Negotiations The Japanese nickel market had from the outset been central to Inco's planning for the Soroako project. That market had been growing dramatically at rates in excess of 20% per annum during the 1950's and 1960's. Japan had established, for rational security and other reasons, a domestic

Jan 1, 1985

By C. Dixon

The Abandoned Mine by C.C. Woollacott A heap of rocks marks the abandoned mine. The veld's unpitying silence lies around. Those broken stone?a mute and mournful sign Of human enterprise with failure crowned. Time with the slow hands, shall form the scene anew, Repair the gashes in the wounded soil, And cover up the last remaining clue To a poor useless record of men's toil. And this, the mound they built when hopes were high Shall be a grave, where those hopes buried lie. Outline This paper will consider the implications of the mine closure provisions set out in the new Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and draft regulations. A comparison will be made with the existing provisions in the Minerals Act and the mine closure policy of the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME). The paper will consider whether the new provisions have the potential for improving performance as regards mine closure. It will investigate the financial provisions requirements and the implications of these provisions for mines. It will consider the requirements for a social and labour plan and consider the implications of this for mine closure and its funding. It will analyse the provisions relating to the transfer of environmental liabilities to third parties and consider the implications of this in the case of closing mines and non-closing mines. Finally it will consider the issue of residual legal liability of a mining company once a closure certificate has been issued.

Jan 1, 2003

By John P. Borovsky

A 3-year study was conducted to evaluate the problems and benefits of using vegetation to stabilize tailing from a potential Minnesota copper-nickel milling operation. The project consisted of three separate investigations: a waste characterization study, a greenhouse study and a field study. With few exceptions, the physical and chemical characteristics of the tai ling were found to lie within the range of properties of Minnesota soils. The tailing lacks organic matter; is deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; and may contain elevated levels of soluble salts and heavy metals, particularly copper and nickel. Numerous grasses, forbs and woody plants will tolerate the tailing as a rooting medium. Peat incorporation and topsoil dressing provided few benefits to the revegetation process which were not provided by a fertilizer application. With fertilization, grass/legume production in the tailing was comparable to local agricultural yields. Concentration of heavy metals in grasses grown in the tailing were generally below suggested tolerance limits for plants and animal forage. Legumes tended to accumulate higher concentrations of copper and nickel, and metal uptake of most plants was positively correlated with rate of fertilization. Tailing drainage water contained elevated levels of heavy metals, and establishment of vegetation had little effect on the quantity and quality of tailing drainage water. However, topsoil dressing significantly increased drainage water volume when compared to unvegetated control plots. Copper-nickel tailing revegetation recommendations were developed.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Kolacz

A new optical sorting system based on a complex image analysis and high definition imaging has been developed by Comex. The image analysis is based on high definition cameras of different types and advanced filtration tools for verification of waste particles. Different mineral properties are used to identify the processed material. The system is further combined with a high speed rejection mechanism based on FPGA technology and operating in real time conditions. This provides a minimal error when removing waste particles from the sorted material.

Jan 1, 2014

By Charles Albert Ashburner

The coal-fields of the United States have been variously classified as to their geographical positions. In 1887 I proposed slight changes to the classification generally used, for more convenient description of our coal-fields in my report on the statistical history of coal in the States during 1886 for the United States Geological Survey. This new classification seems to meet all practical requirements and has been generally adopted. The coal-areas are grouped in two divisions—the anthracite division and the bituminous division. The anthracite division, in a commercial sense, may be said to include the anthracite districts of Pennsylvania alone, although small amounts of anthracite are mined in Colorado and have been

Jan 1, 1890

By C E. Gordon Brown

Aircraft utilization, weather and cost data are given for three separate projects north of the sixtieth parallel in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. These operations, carried out by helicopter-equipped geological and prospecting parties, have cost $24 to $30 per square mile, depending principally on the distance from the base. They provide adequate surface exploration of areas with 40 to 50 per cent rock outcrop. A good one-inch-to-one-mile geological map can be made. T HE exploration of the Canadian northland has been given increasing attention by the mining industry during recent years. In many cases, the initial problem is to make an adequate reconnaissance of a large area where existing geological information is meagre. The Geological Survey of Canada pioneered the use of helicopter-equipped geological parties for mapping at a scale of eight miles to the inch.

Jan 1, 1964

By L. A. Haas

A kinetic study of the carbon deposition reaction was undertaken by the Bureau of Mines as part of a broad investigation of metallurgical reactions in the iron ore blast furnace. The disproportionation of carbon monoxide on iron pellets was investigated at carbon monoxide pressures between 0.5 and 2 atmospheres (absolute) and temperatures from 400° to 1,075° C. Gas flow in the range from 0.25 to 0.85 standard liter per minute was found to have little effect on the reaction velocity. The addition of nitrogen and helium to caron monoxide exerted only a dilution effect on the rate of carbon deposition. However, an addition of 1 percent hydrogen increased the rate about 100 times. Small amounts of carbon dioxide in the inlet gas exerted little effect on the rate of carbon deposition. The maximum rate for carbon deposition in the first 2 hours occurred at 550° C. The apparent molar activation energies at various stages of the reaction were found to vary from 13 kcal initially to 36 kcal during the latter stages of the reaction. The reaction rate behavior was tentatively explained by an adsorption step followed by the diffusion of iron through a shell of inactive iron carbide.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. D. Bosman

The problems associated with squeezing rock conditions in tunnels are well known and have been extensively investigated in the past. Although squeezing conditions are predominantly found in tunnels developed in weak rock types it has been noted at the No. 6 Shaft of Hartebeestfontein Mine where the host rock consists of hard, brittle quartzites. This paper investigates typical time-dependent deformation mechanisms in the rock at Hartebeestfontein Mine. The paper will focus on observations made in a strike-orientated tunnel that intersected weak quartzite layers, that were sandwiched between two competent quartzite beds. The observed squeezing mechanism is dominated by creep along bedding planes with a soft talcaceous infilling that behaves in a clay-like fashion when saturated in water. Stress-induced deformation processes, some distance into the sidewall of the excavation, force the already fractured periphery of the excavation into the void. A laboratory study of the creep of intact rock and discontinuities collected at this site was conducted to characterize the time-dependent behaviour. The difference in creep rates between the two types of quartzite found at this site is described in the paper. Creep tests performed on the talcaceous infilling material found that its presence allows substantial shear creep along discontinuities. Attempts were also made to simulate the squeezing mechanism observed underground with numerical techniques. Due to the discontinuous nature of the mechanism described above, a viscoplastic displacement discontinuity technique was used as it allowed for the explicit simulation of discontinuity creep. The results of the modelling and how it compared with the observed behaviour are described in the paper. Environmental impact statement The work described in this paper will not cause any new, or contribute to any existing, hazards confronting the environment.

Jan 1, 2000