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By Albert F. Duzy

Recently there have been some problems associated with hot coal in shipments from the USA to overseas markets. This paper will serve several functions. First, a brief review is presented, together with a selective bibliography. Second, a thorough discussion of coal oxidation is covered. Third, potential effects of storage are presented and, lastly, methods are suggested for the safe storage and bulk transfer of coal. The scope includes coal storage for power plants.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Boldy

The discovery of the Delbridge massive sulphide deposit in the Noranda district of Quebec resulted from an appreciation of the significance of a mercury leakage halo as a litho-chemical pathfinder to blind ore, coupled to its location relative to a geologically inferred ore-bearing horizon within complex volcanic stratigraphy. Systematic sampling of micro-fractures present in outcrops delineated a diagnostic anomaly, drawing attention to an area considered prospective for buried ore. The massive sulphide deposit was subsequently found to be blind and topped at the 110 metre level.

Jan 1, 1984

By James A. Decker

Hanna has developed three production planning systems to help the mine engineers determine the sequence of mining from available ore supples. The Production Scheduling System was developed to give the staff a tool for long range planning by sequencing the removal of blocks from an open pit property. It was needed to determine the year of removal for each block so that the optimum present-valued pit limits could be established by our pit design program. Since in this type of planning short term grade control is less of a factor than it is in daily or monthly planning, the system gives the program greater control and more latitude in block selection. It permits only full blocks to be taken.

Jan 1, 1984

By M. A. Girts

Wetlands can be constructed inexpensively on mined lands to treat small flows of acid mine water. Metals are removed from the water by the wetland vegetation and indigenous bacteria. Full-scale field tests initiated at over 20 mine sites during 1984 and 1985 indicate that water quality can be upgraded to meet discharge standards with relatively minor maintenance requirements. Iron concentrations of 25-85 mg/L in the influent water fall to less than 2 mg/L during flow through a small wetland. Manganese can also be removed, though somewhat less efficiently. At the discharge, pH is easily raised to 6 by flow over limestone.

Jan 1, 1986

By C. Hanson

Two modes of potential loss of oxime extractants in liquid extraction processes for the extraction of copper have been studied. In loss "by chemical degradation, two mechanisms of acid hydrolysis are possible, some reagents degrade primarily in the organic bulk phase, Others at the interface between the organic phase-- phase protects the oxime but salts added to the aqueous acid phase can promote the rate of degradation. The reagents reported on are the LIX series (Henkel Cpn), SME529 (Shell Chem.Co.) and P5100 (Acorga) Loss by organic entrainment in the aqueous phase leaving mixer-settlers has also been studied, parameters investigated including impeller/tank geometry and the phase inlet arrangements. The consequences of extractant loss by the above mechanisms...are commented upon. They include the direct economic cost, the possible environmental problems and the implications for downstream operations such, as electrowinning.

Jan 1, 1980

By B. J. Arnold

Coal blending inherently means homogenizing a mixture of coals so that, overall, the properties of the blend meet some specifications for maintaining power plant performance and emission requirements. In common practice, however, coal blending is at best coal mixing. If necessary, more sophisticated blending systems can produce a more homogeneous feed by using accurate weighing devices and on-line coal analyzers coupled with sampling systems. Blending can be accomplished at the mine, on stockpiles, and from bins, bunkers, and silos.

Jan 1, 1994

By S. S. Klima, J. A. Organiscak

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performed laboratory testing to examine and improve airborne dust capture and methane removal performance of flooded-bed scrubbers on continuous mining machines using a blowing face ventilation configuration to reduce respirable dust exposure to shuttle car operators. Several testing conditions were examined to minimize shuttle car operator dust exposure without adversely affecting continuous miner performance and production. Curtain-to-face setback distance of 9.1 m versus 15.2 m (30 ft versus 50 ft), face ventilation airflow of 226.5 m3/min versus 339.8 m3/min (8,000 ft3/min versus 12,000 ft3/min), and the use of side-body-mounted blocking sprays (on versus off) were the three primary parameters compared. Scrubber airflow was set and maintained at 198.2 m3/min (7,000 ft3/min) throughout testing. An examination of slab cuts versus box cuts and the location of the shuttle car (present behind the continuous miner versus not present in the entry) was also performed to demonstrate the effects of these constantly changing scenarios on scrubber performance. Results show that the best blowing face ventilation setup for minimizing shuttle car operator dust exposure for the tested parameters uses a 15.2-m (50-ft) curtain-to-face setback with 339.8 m3/min (12,000 ft3/min) face ventilation while operating the side-body-mounted blocking sprays. INTRODUCTION Coal mine worker overexposure to respirable coal dust continues to be a problem in U.S. underground coal mining operations, potentially leading to coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung). The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires that respirable dust exposure to coal mine workers does not exceed a 1.5 mg/m3 average over the actual working shift (79 Fed. Reg. 24814 (2014)). Although using a blowing face ventilation configuration on continuous miner (CM) sections is beneficial for removing methane emissions from the mining face, it can be detrimental for dust control for shuttle car (or ram car) operators and any other workers on the return ventilation side of the CM when compared to exhausting ventilation. Even with machine-mounted scrubbers on CMs, shuttle car operators still have some of the higher dust exposures with blowing face ventilation systems (NIOSH 2011, Beck et al. 2015). Although scrubber discharge air is not completely clean, dust being blown around the scrubber inlet and therefore not being captured by the scrubber can further increase these dust exposures (Goodman 2000). Dust control problems are also caused by inadequate face ventilation quantities causing scrubber face airflow recirculation issues (Schultz et al. 2010). In order to minimize respirable dust exposures on blowing face ventilation sections, ventilation, water spray, and scrubber parameters were experimentally examined to improve operating ranges for both dust and gas control. Several blowing face ventilation factors were examined with respect to CM spray systems and scrubber operation. Curtain-to-face setback distance and side-body-mounted blocking sprays were previously examined in the laboratory for dust control on a full-scale CM model using a scrubber on a blowing face ventilation system (Goodman 2000). The blocking sprays produced larger dust reductions at the CM’s rear corners and return for a 6.1-m (20-ft) curtain setback distance as compared to a 12.2-m (40-ft) curtain setback distance with equal face and scrubber airflows of 169.9 m3/min (6,000 ft3/min). Because face ventilation airflow quantities, shuttle car operator locations, and tracer gas concentration gradients were not previously examined during these experiments, additional research was required to determine improved operating parameters for blowing face ventilation systems.

Jan 1, 2019

By R. H. Thorpe

In the earliest days of mining coal the obvious method was by bord and pillar working. Longwall in Britain developed from this as an expedient to overcome bottlenecks arising from ? 1) increasing depth of seams causing roof control difficulties; and 2) ventilation problems. This system became almost universal particularly in the thicker seams, where faces of up to one mile in length were not uncommon. Coal getting in these faces was usually by pick and shovel, filled into small waggons of up to 15 cwts capacity. These waggons ran on rails laid alongside the coal face and were often taken away from the face to the main haulage roads by horses. The roof was supported by rigid props and the wastes were normally controlled by strip packing. This system of mining was very flexible and worked well down to sections of about 3'6"

Jan 1, 1976

Controlled blasting experiments in small development drifts were conducted at CANMET's Experimental Mine, from August 1992 to November 1993. The objective of these experiments was to develop suitable controlled blasting techniques for small development headings drilled by jackleg with 32 mm diameter holes. The experimentation also aimed to provide insight into blast damage mechanisms. Particular attention was given to the physical-mechanical properties of the rock and the rockmass structural data in order to make the results applicable to other geological environments. The drift faces were approximately 2.4 m by 2.4 m with 36 to 43 holes drilled to a depth of 2.4 m. Cartridged water gels, emulsions and semigelatin dynamite were used in the cuts and as primers, ANFO as the main explosive and decoupled 19 mm diameter semigelatin dynamite charges were used in the perimeter holes. Smooth blasting techniques and pre-splitting were tested in the underground mine. All the blasts were monitored with a multi-channel blast vibration monitor to which was attached sets of high frequency geophones and accelerometers. This first set of experiments has illustrated the efficiency of con-trolled blasting techniques to reduce blast damage and demonstrated the need for further research to improve the safe and efficient use of explosives.

Jan 1, 1995

By Artur Skoczylas, Paweł Stefaniak, Sergii Anufriiev, Wioletta Koperska, Maria Stachowiak

In many underground mines the excavated ore is produced during the blasting process. Drilling machines that are used to drill the blastholes, where later the explosives will be mounted, are crucial for this task. In order to optimize the currently used techniques, great emphasis is placed on increasing the efficiency and safety of blasthole drilling operations. The natural consequence is the development of monitoring systems and algorithms for processing operational and historical data. In this article, we present the result of the analysis of drilling data carried out as part of the IlluMINEation project. The paper proposes an algorithm for work cycle detection for drilling machines, together with the estimation of general operating parameters and diagnosing the drilling process on the basis of long-term data. Based on the available data, selected components of the drilling cycles have been indicated. Several approaches based on the parameters of the defined cycles are proposed. These approaches can be used in the future to create a full-fledged system for examining the effectiveness and safety of mining drilling rigs.

Jun 25, 2023

By J. Kang

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has became an attractive alternative technology to be a new process to recover metal, of which can be substitute the existing Leaching/Solvent extraction processes. Solvent extraction of metallic ions is a technically important and also well-established process that is used in the chemical and hydrometallurgical industries.1 Solvent extraction techniques use the chelation of metallic ions dissolved in liquid solution with organic ligands. Conventional solvent-extraction technique needs large amount of organic solvents and often creates environmental problems.2 More environment-friendly technology is needed nowadays, and there have been increasing attentions to extract metal ions by SFE. CO2 becomes one of the most notable alternative organic solvents due to its nonflammable, nontoxic, nonpolluting, and relatively inexpensive properties with its moderate critical point (73.8 bar, 31.06 °C). Many works have been reported in metal extraction under the supercritical CO2 (scCO2) solvent.3-5 In this study, to recover cobalt from wastes especially from spent lithium ion battery scrap, we selected two ligands ? Cyanex 272 and DEA (diethylamine) for the metal extraction in scCO2. Cyanex 272 is a commercially available extractant along with its series, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302. Smart and coauthors measured the metal extracting abilities of these three extractants, and found that Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 extracted metal ions much better than Cyanex 272 in the scCO2 solvent.10 The pH of water contacted with high pressure CO2 (70-200 bar, 25-70 oC) is about 2.8-2.95 based on the calculation and the measurement.6-7 Cyanex 272 is known to be less effective as a metal extractant in this low pH environment compared with other Cyanex series. However, when DEA is added to metal extraction reaction with Cyanex-272, DEA works as a strong base to Cyanex 272 converting Cyanex 272 to a deprotonated form (Figure 1), which results in an easy formation of metal complex and the enhanced extraction rate of metal ion.8 Therefore, the purpose of this paper is the metal extraction from spent lithium ion battery waste using scCO2 with Cyanex 272 and DEA.

Jan 1, 2010

By C. H. McGuirk

Computerized Preventive Maintenance is important in maintaining consistent and efficient operation in any industry utilizing sophisticated and expensive equipment on a continuous basis. At today's large bulk materials handling facilities, the problems of continuous operation of complex machines with their thousands of components exposed to abrasion, dirt, dust and the elements, are intensified and multiplied. Effective preventive maintenance can increase profits. Yet, the number of tasks to be performed is so staggering that it is beyond error-free human capacity. The computer must be an essential ele¬ment in any efficient and economical preventive maintenance system. Computerized preventive maintenance techniques have been successfully used in many fields, usually involving highly skilled and specialized personnel working under favorable and controlled conditions. Now, The Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Company has developed and is applying a computerized preventive maintenance system that is applicable to the bulk materials handling industry. The "system" has taken many years of intensive effort to develop and has been time-tested and proven during the past years on equipment handling materials with rugged physical characteristics and corrosive and abrasive qualities, under some of the most adverse weather conditions on the Great Lakes.

Jan 1, 1976

By E. L. Piper

Natural graphite has been known for many centuries, having first been reported as a distinct mineral form by Gessner in 1565. At that time, graphite was used extensively as pencil "lead" because of the ease with which it marks paper. It is a black, unctuous material found as flakes, lumps, or needles in scattered locations throughout the world. The less crystalline, or "amorphous", natural graphites are thought to have been formed from coal under conditions of high temperature and pressure. The more crystalline varieties, such as those mined in Ceylon, probably were precipitated from molten solutions or were pyrolyzed from gaseous carbon compounds. Recognition of the good thermal and electrical conductivity of graphite, together with its highly refractory nature, led to an increasing number of appli¬cations for this material. Clay and pitch bonded natural graphite has been used in crucibles, refractories, foundry facings, and other high-temperature appli¬cations. These forms constitute the most important current uses for natural graphite in the United States. Other products containing natural graphite include batteries, lubricants, pencils, brake linings, etc.

Jan 1, 1973

By Barry Hunsaker

I cannot help but be reminded, as I stand here today, of my boyhood years and heritage, both of which are inextricably tied to this very valley and are, in a: bay, apropos of the theme of this Keynote Session. I remember the scarcity of people. For example, 48, 000 in Phoenix and 436, 000 in the State in 1930 and 65,000 in Phoenix and 499, 000 in the State in 1940. Today Phoenix boasts a population of over 500, 000 and the State a population of 1, 500,000. I remember the' lack of facilities, goods and services, including gas and electric power. I recall stories of my grandfather who had the freighting or teaming contract to haul all the supplies and generating equipment, by wagon mind you, up the old Apache Trail to Roosevelt Dam. . .a three day trip from the nearest railhead which, by the way, was not Phoenix, for it did not merit a railhead on those days, but the village of Maricopa approximately 25 miles south of Phoenix. I remember chopping firewood, heating wash water on an open fire in a No. 3 wash tub at the rear of the house and doing my school homework by the light of a kerosene lamp just 25 to 35 years ago within what is now a large metropolitan area

Jan 1, 1965

By J. M. Dean

The MANpower SUPport Program (MANSUPP), a part of the Mine Management Support System (MMSS), allows an underground coal mine site user to determine manpower requirements for production support work by considering ongoing operations and current mine conditions. The objective of MANSUPP is to plan a detailed manpower structure for a mine by incorporating a production schedule, condition-modified work standards and management preferences to predict required manhours for various activities, for example, belt moves. The program is written in Quattro Pro version 3.0 (Lotus 1-2-3 compatible) utilizing the command language, macro and formula capabilities.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. Eggert

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductors has led to extensive interest and conjecture regarding their potential to change contemporary technology, discussions of the impact on the metallurgical and other industries have naturally arisen. In this paper we present data showing the possible impact of these developments on the materials related to the fabrication and proliferation of devices based on superconductor materials. We observe that the largest volume of effort with LTSC will be for the demonstration of high power devices while applied research relating to processing will remain the principal HTSC activity. We also note that in the next decade copper consumption in the US is expected to remain essentially at the current level while the need for Nb and Sn,; two major components of LTSC, will grow at a faster rate both in the US and the world. Although the use of superconductor-based magnetic separation is anticipated to increase, no major impact of these components on the metallurgical industries is expected.

Jan 1, 1990

By R. Mensah-Biney

The adsorption of gold-thiourea complex onto a cation exchange resin, Amberlite 252, has been evaluated in a batch stirred reactor. The observed non equilibrium saturation capacity was 3.20 meg Au/g dry resin (620 kg/t) whereas the equilibrium ion exchange capacity was only 0.53 meq/g (103 kg/t). The enthalpy of adsorption was 4 -25 kJ/mole under equilibrium conditions and increased to 20-200 kJ/mole under non equilibrium conditions. Under non equilibrium conditions, the adsorption capacity of the resin decreased with increasing temperature and increasing thiourea concentration and increased with increasing gold concentration. This dependence of adsorption capacity on thiourea concentration and temperature may be a useful tool for elution of gold from the loaded resin. Scanning electron microscopy revealed evidence of deposition of elemental gold on the loaded resin under non equilibrium conditions. The proposed mechanism for "adsorption" of gold-thiourea complex onto this cation exchange resin consists of an ion exchange reaction followed by a reduction of the exchanged gold complex to elemental gold on the surface of the resin.

Jan 1, 1997

By A. C. Barlow

The use of deep wells for waste disposal is not a new technique. The production phase of the oil industry has been using this method to dispose of unwanted oil field brine since the 1930's The adoption of this method by other branches of industry, however, to dispose of manufactured wastes is a relatively new development, but one which is finding increased use (2). Deep well waste disposal is not an ordinary technique even though it is finding relatively wide application. In fact, just the opposite is true; it is still a rather extraordinary measure. It is not now, nor is it ever likely to be a disposal method which can be assured of success before it is tried.

Jan 1, 1964

By Carl E. Nelson

Shallow epithermal stockworks hosted by maar eruption craters contain over ninety percent of the bulk mineable gold identified to date in the Circum-Caribbean region. Pueblo Viejo (Dominican Republic) and Santa Rosa (Panama) contain combined gold reserves of over 600 tonnes. Bulk mineable gold deposits are also being discovered in and around veins that were formerly mined underground. Bellavista, El Recio and San Martin (Costa Rica) contain combined announced gold reserves of over 50 tonnes. Representative rock suites collected at 8 bulk mineable gold deposits include 291 samples of veins and vein stockworks, hydrothermal eruption breccias, sinter, variably altered host, unaltered host, nearby intrusive rocks and basement. Analyses completed to date show that Circum-Caribbean epithermal ores are enriched in arsenic, mercury and antimony as well as gold and silver. Exploration efforts in the region naturally focus on districts with past production. However, an order of magnitude more bulk mineable gold has been discovered in shallow epithermal stockworks outside of the old bonanza vein camps. Exploration guides include basal island arc volcanic sequences, hydrothermal and hydrovolcanic (maar) eruption breccias, thinly-bedded carbonaceous maar sediments, and hot spring-related silicification and argillic alteration.

Jan 1, 1990

By Jonas Svensson

The Grangcold Pellet Process - for which patents have been applied or already granted in a number of countries - uses a hydraulic adhesive such as Portland cement, slag cements, pozzolanic cements, etc., for the production of cold bonded pellets. The idea of using a hydraulic binder for the agglomeration of iron ore fines is not new. Portland cement was proposed as an adhesive for cold bonded iron ore briquettes in patents granted more than 50 years ago (1). In a report on the briquetting of iron ore fines, published in Stahl and Eisen 1959 (2), it is stated that briquettes bonded with Portland cement are used on a small scale at on ironwork in Germany. According to the report, the briquettes showed excellent strength in the blast furnace although their general use was made impossible because they required a long hardening time, during which they are sticky, soft and difficult to store and handle. The Grangcold Pellet "recess has overcome this particular disadvantage by mixing the balls with a suitable amount of the balling concentrate before storing them. The pellets are embedded in the concentrate during storing in such a way that they are isolated from each other and thus prevented from sticking together to form clusters. Thanks to the embedding concentrate, the pellets are subjected to a more or less uniform pressure from all sides which does not deform them. Thus the mixture can he stored in a stockpile or in a silo until the pellets have hardened sufficiently. The concentrate is separated from the pellets by means of screening. The concentrate is returned to the balling operation and the pellets are either shipped to the blast furnace or stored for final hardening.

Jan 1, 1969