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By P. Sanchez-Mejorada

GEOLOGISTS who are acquainted with the mines of northeastern Mexico realize that the most important lead-silver replacement deposits of the province are confined to a single formation. But since the formation is several hundred meters thick, the author has determined the relative position of the lead mantos in the belief that this information will prove useful in the search for new mines. This article describes the stratigraphic location of lead-silver replacement deposits known in several mines situated in a region comprising part of the states of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. The area studied extends for 200 km* (125 miles) from east to west and 70 km (45 miles) north to south. Metallogenic Province: The most important metallic deposits of the region have the following common characteristics: 1) The orebodies occur as manto replacements of calcareous sediments. 2) The horizons that have contributed large tonnages of ore are in similar positions in the corresponding stratigraphic columns (as it will be shown later on). 3) Lead is the most important metal in the ores. Silver is commonly present in small amounts. Occurrence of zinc is dependent on the degree of oxidation of the primary sulfides. 4) A large proportion of the total production has been in the form of oxidized ores. 5) The deposits are located on anticlines. Rocks of Cretaceous age crop out over large areas of the states of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila. forming part of a belt that extends to the south along the eastern Sierra Madre. The sediments are cut by a small number of intrusive stocks ranging in characteristics from rhyolite to diorite. The most prominent structural feature of the region is a series of folds trending northwest-southeast. Faulting is not conspicuous in the region, although a major fault zone is found farther East.' The physiography closely reflects structural features, with mountains formed by anticlines and valleys conforming with intermediate synclines. Narrow valleys have also been developed along the axes of many anticlines, where solution of limy sedi- ments and erosion have proceeded along axial tension fractures. Stratigraphy: Rocks of the Upper Cretaceous are exposed in only a small percentage of the total area. Generally they have been eroded away from the mountains and are covered by recent talus and alluvium in the valleys. Humphrey' has published an excellent paper describing the Cretaceous formations of the Sierra de los Muertos, a short distance west of Monterrey. A brief summary of these formations is given below to convey an overall picture of the stratigraphic sequence that prevails just south of the area under consideration. Upper Cretaceous Indidura: Essentially thin shaly sediments. Cuesta del Cura: Limestone in thin wavy beds

Jan 1, 1959

By Will H. Coghill

The scope of this paper is such that it was deemed advisable to group the contents into several main sections. They are: Section 1. Geography and Geology. Section II. Historical Review. (a) Mining and Smelting in Alabama. (b) Milling. (c) Summary of Milling Research. These two sections are primarily a bibliography and summary of the research on the Birmingham Red Mountain ores up to the middle 1040's. Section III. Status of the Birmingham Iron Industry. This sect ion points out the extent to which the findings of the iron-ore research have been applied on a commercial scale. Also, a very brief description of the dependent and allied industries is included. The value of the Birmingham iron ore is greatly enhanced by the proximity of coal and dolomite. Thus the coal and coke industry and the dolomite industry are closely allied with and to a large extent dependent upon the possibilities of economic utilization of the Red Mountain iron ores. Section IV. Beneficiation Investigations of the Red Mountain Iron Ores. This is a record of the most recent, hitherto unpublished work of the Southern Experiment Station of the Federal Bureau of Mines, Tuscaloosa, Ala., on the chemical and physical composition not only of the Big seam but of most of the iron-bearing rock strata of Red Mountain.

Jan 1, 1946

By Thomas H. Sheldon

IN the zeal for opening up new ore-bodies, or for. extracting the ore from attractive bodies gal ready opened up, we very often lose sight of the fact, that, after all, the operation of a mine is a business proposition, pure and simple; and for the best working-results should be treated upon a strict business basis. Of course, in every mine of consequence a record is kept of expenditures and receipts, and such glittering generalities as "gross receipts," " net receipts," " mining expenses," .and " per cent. profit," can be told to the cent; but does this . record show economy of management, either as compared with the same record of other months, or as compared to the record of other mines of the' same class ? Moreover, if such a record shows that the cost of mining is high, does it in any way en¬able the manager to put his finger on the leakage? Does it necessarily follow that a mine which makes a profit of, say, 40 per cent on 25-dollar ore, is doing less economical mining than one which saves 60 per cent on 80-dollar ore ? Of course the figures in the latter case look the more attractive, but when it comes to a point of saving everything which can be saved, and of cutting down expenses to the lowest possible cost of operation, the former mine is doubtless on the most firm and economical financial basis. But as the relative merits of the system of mining in the two cases, nothing could be decided without a basis of detailed comparison ; if one system is more economical than the other, why is it so, and wherein does the advantage lie ? This can be shown only by keeping accurately the cost of each mining operation. And no matter how dissimilar two mines may be in character and operation, yet there are a few general heads common to all mining operations. In the first place, it is necessary to break the ore from the solid ground ;

Nov 1, 1905

By T Preston

Solid Energy is the largest coal producing company in New Zealand, employing 500 people and more than 250 mining contract personnel. The coal produced by Solid Energy plays a significant part in the energy mix for New Zealand being supplied to the coal-fired power station at Huntly. It is also supplied to a wide range of industrial users, NZ Steel, and primary processing. It is fair to say however that the positive economic and social benefits of coal have to some extent been overshadowed by the negative environmental consequences of coal mining.   Over the past two years Solid Energy have been actively researching and addressing the impacts that they currently have on the environment and making a significant investment in environmental improvements, rehabilitation projects and environmental research to address historical and ongoing environmental issues. These investments have been driven by the companyÆs commitment to its environmental policy, which states:   æSolid EnergyÆs overall environmental objective is for the cumulative result of all the activities we undertake to have a positive net effect on the New Zealand environmentÆ.   With such significant investment it is essential that the company is able to target expenditure wisely, ie invest where there is greatest environmental gain to be had, and are also able to actively demonstrate to stakeholders the improvements that are achieved. In order to be able to demonstrate the commitment and the steps that the company is making towards this goal a number of systems have been developed. Firstly an environmental management system along the lines of ISO14001 formalising the environmental processes, responsibilities, auditing and management review. Secondly as part of the planning element of the EMS an environmental management matrix, which allows the scoring of sites against environmental management goals, has been developed. Thirdly the monitoring and measuring tools have been upgraded with GIS driven relational databases installed for management of consent related information and monitoring results.   The development of the environmental management matrix has drawn on a number of existing systems such as the Australian Institute of Mining and Minerals Code 2000. In addition to adapting the scoring regimes from these methods the Solid Energy Environmental Matrix has been further developed to ensure that it reflects the actual environmental impacts on site, as well as the management and audit systems that are in place to control them at a strategic level. The development of this matrix has included a number of steps: +        reviewing the information that stakeholders would be interested in, +        reviewing what was already available, +        development of systems to collect data and benchmark the current         operations, and +        setting up support systems to ensure that the correct information would be provided for scoring.

Jan 1, 2004

By Malcolm Wills

Hedges Gold Pty. Ltd. mines and processes a lateritic gold orebody approximately 120 km south east of Perth in the Darling plateau. The operation is approximately 26 km from the town of Boddington and 31 km from the town of Dwellingup. Hedges operates under The Western Australian Environmental Protection Act, Licence Number 3183. Presently, nine Limitations and Conditions are applicable to the tailings dam. These conditions apply to maximum discharge/disposal quantity permitted. Hedges mine is located in state Forest within the eastern, low rainfall section of the Darling Range and within the waler catchment area of the Murray River. Ore is carted by 120 tonne haulpacks to the plant. The plant and tailings dam is on private farm land some six kms from the mine.

Jan 1, 1992

By Mauro Araújo Medeiros

Os aços inoxidáveis dupex tem sido largamente empregado em vários setores da industria principalmente em virtude da sua boa combinação entre suas propriedades mecânicas e resistência a corrosão. Um aço inoxidável duplex DIN W. Nr. 14462 foi submetido a ensaios de torção a quente com taxas de deformação de 0,3; 0,5; 1; 3 e 5 s-1 a temperaturas que variou entre 1.000 e 1.150°C. As amostras deformadas foram analisas através de microscopia ótica. As configurações das curvas de escoamento plástico foram analisadas em termos dos parâmetros de fluxo localizado como um mecanismo de acomodação da deformação durante a torção a quente. As microestruturas reveladas mostraram que o comportamento plástico do material é influenciado pela disposição inicial das partículas de austenita na matriz ferrítica e a queda de tensão após o pico esta relacionada à ocorrência de fluxo localizado na matriz ferrítica associado à fragmentação das partículas de austenita durante o processamento, bem como aos fenômenos de recuperação e recristalização dinâmica, típicos dos aços inoxidáveis duplex.

Aug 8, 2018

By Jesse Paegle

Um grande esforço foi realizado por diversas empresas, visando à melhoria de nosso parque industrial e, nos últimos 10 anos, o nível de investimento no setor foi importante. Este cenário, fez com que novas tecnologias surgissem por aqui, facilitando ao corpo técnico avançar com soluções mais eficazes para carroçarias. A disponibilidade local de todos os estágios da cadeia produtiva, desde a matéria-prima, até a adequação das linhas de manufatura das montadoras, afasta o efeito da variação cambial. A ideia que ficou impregnada no mercado brasileiro, é que novos materiais e tecnologias são caros para nossa região. O que não é verdade. Estudos de caso realizados antes de 2005, incluíam no preço, taxas de câmbio e internação, pois consideravam o produto importado. Com a localização este custo extra reduz. Ações governamentais atuam, hora incentivando localizações, hora definindo objetivos de emissões e segurança. O programa INOVAR AUTO estabelece algumas metas importantes de emissões, percentual de localização e promove o P&D local. Todos estes ingredientes têm auxiliado no aumento da utilização de AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel) nas estruturas veiculares. Usando os aços de alta resistência como base, temos um crescimento significativo. Em 2001 não passavam de 2% das carrocerias. Em 2008 chegaram a importantes 8%. Atualmente, estão próximo dos 15%.

Aug 17, 2017

By H. Meseck

Dynamic pile test methods to establish the bearing capacity of driven piles were developed in the USA more than 20 years ago. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the first dynamic pile tests were carried out at the end of the 70's. Today dynamic pile tests are successfully used to establish the integrity and bearing capacity of driven and bored piles. The Institute of Foundation Engineering and Soil Mechanics at the Technical University of Braunschweig has developed its own method of measuring and evaluation for the execution of dynamic pile tests. The principles of the dynamic pile tests, the measuring and evaluation plant as well as the experience gained with it in the examination of cast-in-place piles are presented in this contribution.

Jan 1, 2010

By Janeir Ribeiro Dutra

Os aços siliciosos de grão orientado (GO) e de grão não orientado (GNO) são aços ligados ao silício para aplicações elétricas. O aço silício de grão orientado possui as propriedades magnéticas otimizadas na direção de laminação, enquanto o de grão não orientado apresenta boas propriedades em qualquer direção. O aço elétrico de grão orientado tem como principais características as excelentes propriedades magnéticas, desenvolvidas especialmente para a redução das perdas magnéticas e aumento da eficiência de máquinas elétricas. Durante o processo de elaboração do aço o principal desafio é o controle de elementos como alumínio, titânio e enxofre, elementos estes provenientes da carga metálica (sucata e gusa) e adições de ligas na panela. Para este controle ser eficaz a estabilidade da composição química da escória na metalurgia secundária é de fundamental importância. O fluxo produtivo do aço GOAT na metalurgia secundária inicia-se no processo VOD(Vaccum Oxygen Decarburization) com término no forno panela. Este trabalho promoveu a adequação da escória da metalurgia secundária do aço GO através da: i. revisão do padrão de consumo de fundentes, mediante estudo de balanço de massa; ii. desenvolvimento de escória sintética para ajustar finamente a basicidade da escória. Os estudos de balanço de massa apontaram que em determinadas situações havia a necessidade da correção da escória para aquecimento no forno panela; iii. implementação de amostragem de escória ao final do processo VOD para correção da basicidade de escória para aquecimento no forno panela; iv. criação de modelo para correção da basicidade da escória. Após a implementação do projeto o controle da escória no forno panela ficou mais efetivo promovendo: i. redução dos teores finais de alumínio e titânio ao final do processo de elaboração no forno panela; ii.possibilidade de correção da quantidade de escória para aquecimento no forno panela sem comprometer a basicidade de escória requerida no processo; iii. atendimento a faixa otimizada do aço GOAT (M3, maior qualidade) passou de 33% para 65%; iv. redução do desgaste de panelas na elaboração do aço GOAT na metalurgia secundária; v. redução do risco de sucatamento por fora de faixa em alumínio e titânio do aço GOAT na aciaria que representou nos últimos 4 anos uma perda ao processo superior a R$ 1,2 milhão; vi. estabilização da basicidade binária da escória final do Forno Panela dentro da faixa desejável.

Oct 30, 2017

By G. Castillo, G. Thies, C. Bissue

"Newmont’s Phoenix mine began gold production in 2006 and has since experienced difficulties in reaching design throughput due to variability in ore hardness. In 2010, a debottlenecking study was conducted, generating multiple options to increase throughput of the existing Phoenix Mill through a series of phased expansions. An option was selected in early 2011 to increase the current concentrator capacity by approximately 25% through two phases. The first phase of the project was the installation of a secondary crushing and screening circuit in order to reduce SAG feed size from a P80 of 6 inches to 2 inches. The second phase focuses on downstream unit operations in the concentrator aiming to relieve existing bottlenecks such as flotation. This paper analyzes the design, commissioning, and operation of a recently installed SAG Pre-crush circuit (Phase 1). The design discussion will focus on concept development, flowsheet design, design criteria, process models, design limitations, and control philosophy. Discussion on the integration of operating data and flowsheet into design during engineering will be presented. Actual operating data of major equipment is gathered from the commissioning and operation of the circuit and compared to the initial design models. Conclusions will be drawn on equipment design factors used during engineering, and the success of model integration into operation. The paper concludes on the successes of the project and where improvements can be made during design.INTRODUCTIONThe Phoenix mine is located within 25 miles of the town of Battle Mountain, Nevada. The mill processes copper, silver, and gold ore. Production started in 2006 and has since struggled to reach the designed tonnage of 33,600 stpd due to the variability in ore hardness. In production year 2010-2011, the Phoenix mill average daily throughput of 33,000 stpd. In 2008, a larger primary crusher (FLS 60/89 gyratory crusher) was installed to operate in parallel with the originally supplied primary crusher (Metso 50/65 gyratory crusher), in order to provide additional capacity upfront in the circuit so that the primary crushing circuit could keep up with the mill.In 2010, a mill debottlenecking study was completed to assess the various options that could be implemented to increase the current mill capacity. The study was completed in late 2010 and contained four tonnages that Phoenix could achieve through various expansion scenarios. A single option was selected in early 2011 to increase the mill capacity from 33,000 stpd to 48,000 stpd. The selected option looked at a four phased expansion that would increase the capacity of the Phoenix mill and address the mill’s current bottlenecks:"

Jan 1, 2013

By Matheus Jacon Pereira

RFID é uma das tecnologias impulsionados da Internet das Coisas, que está sendo utilizada em soluções com o intuito de aumentar a eficiência dos processos, melhorar o cumprimento de prazos, reduzir custos e aumentar receitas. A inovação com RFID na indústria de metalurgia, materiais e mineração está em um estágio inicial, mas em rápida evolução e adoção. Este trabalho utiliza uma metodologia de revisão integrativa para avaliar quais são os casos de sucesso de automação com RFID empregados neste setor. Ainda apresenta os principais tipos de RFID, usos e boas práticas de implementação, assim como, um levantamento dos trabalhos em revistas técnicas e cientificas nos últimos 10 anos sobre este assunto.

Aug 16, 2017

By M. Rudolph, A. D. Renno, H. Wu

In this study, synthetic pure cassiterite and cassiterite doped with Fe were successfully produced by sintering. Their crystal structure and chemical compositions are characterised by optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) as well as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) based chemical composition analysis. The electrostatic behaviour of synthetic and natural cassiterite was studied by electrophoretic measurements. Their floatability was studied by microflotation with two types of anionic collectors. Results show that the cassiterite floatability with these collectors behaves differently and lead to two opposite results: Natural cassiterite (enriched with Fe) > undoped pure SnO2 by using sulfosuccinamate (Aerosol® 22) Undoped pure SnO2 > Fe3+ doped > natural cassiterite (enriched with Fe) by using styrene phosphonic acid (SPA). Keywords: Synthetic cassiterite, lattice impurities, flotation, zeta potential, Aerosol® 22, styrene phosphonic acid

Jan 1, 2020

By P. Roy

Smelting or converting of sulphide concentrates and mattes in a batch operation presents a challenge when directing the off- gas to a conventional acid plant. The Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (a division of the Vedanta Group of companies) Chanderia Lead Zinc smelter was presented with such a challenge that was met with the adoption of the Cansolv® SO2 Scrubbing System. The Ausmelt top submerged lance technology used at Hindustan Zinc generates a furnace gas stream that contains between 0.1 vol% and 12 vol% SO2 during the three stages of batch smelting. Cansolv® SO2 Scrubbing Technology captures the SO2 to ensure that treated flue gas exits the facility at a concentration below 100 ppmv SO2 and it releases SO2 in a controlled fashion, to more closely match the needs of the existing acid plant. The application of a regenerable scrubbing system to capture SO2 from a batch-operated furnace and convert it to acid in a conventional acid plant was a first of its kind in the world. This paper provides an update on the design and operation of the Hindustan Zinc SO2 recovery system and suggests two improvements to the basic flow sheet that optimize the cost of SO2 scrubbing further.

Jan 1, 2007

Deep level block caving as a mining method is becoming more popular due to the fact that it is the lowest cost per ton underground extraction system. However, many block caves do not achieve their full potential due to draw horizon instability. In this paper five design rules are given to overcome this problem. The design rules described are applicable for slusher and trackless block caves where the operational depths exceed 500 metres.

Jan 1, 1999

By Leandro Brunholi Ramos

O aço API 5 CT P110 é amplamente utilizado no setor de petróleo e gás no Brasil devido sua elevada resistência mecânica, contudo ele não possui uma boa resistência a corrosão. Com a descoberta do pré-sal, novos desafios surgem neste setor, tornando necessário o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias resistentes aos ambientes agressivos que os materiais serão expostos. A aspersão térmica por HVOF se destaca pela obtenção de revestimentos contra corrosão e resistentes ao desgaste com baixa porosidade e com um relativo baixo custo em comparação a outros processos. Dentre os materiais que podem ser aplicados como revestimentos por aspersão térmica, o níquel se destaca pela ótima resistência à corrosão por formar um óxido protetor na superfície. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo obter e caracterizar revestimentos de níquel obtidos por aspersão térmica HVOF, no aço API 5CT P110. Os revestimentos foram caracterizados morfologicamente por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Foram obtidas curvas de polarização para avaliar o comportamento frente à corrosão e foram realizados ensaios para determinação do coeficiente de atrito. A camada aspergida de níquel apresentou resultados satisfatórios quanto às análises estudadas.

Aug 8, 2018

By Alexsandro Marcio da Silva

Com o objetivo de prover informações precisas, coesas e em tempo real aos gestores da Diretoria da Usina Presidente Vargas (UPV) para a tomada de decisões, foi criado o projeto para Gestão de Indicadores de Desempenho em Tempo Real com o foco no processo produtivo e performance das áreas de Laminação (a quente e a frio), Zincagem e Folhas Metálicas. O projeto foi desenvolvido em fases, onde cada fase contemplava um determinado número de equipamentos, áreas e plantas, com visualização em drill down. Utilizando os conceitos de Data Visualization e Operational Intelligence, foi possível integrar e centralizar as informações de diversas fontes de dados, tais como, PIMS, MES, LIMS, ERP, Supervisórios, PROCOM's e entradas manuais. Padronizar as informações de controle do processo produtivo entre os gestores facilita a identificação de problemas e suas causas, e permite analisar simultaneamente várias áreas e plantas. Exibir em tempo real perdas operacionais em decorrência de desvios de processo, torna o processo de tomada de decisão mais rápido e assertivo, contribuindo para a melhoria da performance dos equipamentos, redução de riscos de falhas, e além disso aumenta a vida útil dos equipamentos e otimiza a monitoração dos processos.

Jul 30, 2018

By J. O. Nelson, C. J. Altstetter

Single crystals of hcp cobalt, 3 mm in diameter and up to 35 cm long, were grown using an electron-beam, zone-melting technique. The martensitic-phase transformation was studied in single-crystalline and polycrystalline specimens by making length-change measurements as a function of temperature under various elastic compressive stresses. Upon thermal cycling, single-crystalline or polycrystalline specimens repeatedly transformed almost entirely on the same variant of close-packed plane provided the maximum temperature did not exceed 600°C. Cycling to 1000°C resulted in transformation on more than one {111} variant. This behavior is termed multivariance. The multivariant transformation occurred very rapidly at an M, temperature 2° to 6°C lower than the M, of a transformation which would result in a single-crystal product. Elastic compressive stresses (up to 253 g per sq mm) tended to lower the A, and raise the M, temperatures, decreasing the width of the temperature vs dilatation hysteresis loop. The transformation habit plane and transformation shear direction of an as-grown single crystal were not grossly affected by elastic compressi?ie stress. This was evidenced by similar dilatations on the temperature us dilatation loops joy specimens with and without compressive stress. A dislocation mechanism is proposed to explain the observed results. IT has been shown that, on heating, cobalt transforms martensitically from the hcp to the fcc phase.' The transformation habit plane is (0001)hcp || (lll)fcc and the transformation shear direction is (1010)hcp || (112)fcc. The transformation involves a shear of 1g°28', which may be achieved by a shearing of a/6(112) of every two planes with respect to the plane beneath, thus changing the ABABAB stacking of hcp to the ABCABC stacking of fcc. Associated with the phase change is a 0.3 x 10"3 contraction in the habit plane and a 4.2 X 10"3 expansion perpendicular to the habit plane resulting in a 3.6 x X volume increase on heating.' On cooling, an identical volume decrease takes place. The temperature at which the fcc phase begins to form on heating (A,) is reported as 430°C, and the temperature at which the hcp phase begins to form on cooling from an elevated temperature (A&) is reported as 390oC1,3 Consequently, temperature vs dilatation plots have the form of a hysteresis loop. If heating or cooling is reversed during a transformation, a smaller hysteresis loop results. Upon heating, the transformation is always complete; whereas, fcc is often retained at room temperature as a metastable phase entrapped in the polycrystal-line hexagonal matrix.1,4,5 Two obstacles in the theory of the allotropic-phase transformation of cobalt have been: 1) a detailed knowledge of the product nucleus, and 2) a plausible method of propagation of the transformation. Bilby,8 christian, 7 and seeger 8,9 have suggested a "pole mechanism" as a means of propagation of partiai dislocations from plane to plane. A pole dislocation and a Shockley partial come together at a node. The a/6(112) Shockley partial rotates about the pole dislocation effecting the transformation shear. The pole dislocation must have a 2a/3(111) screw component which causes extension of the transformed region by two atomic planes with each full rotation of the Shockley partial. Bollmannl0 suggested, on the other hand, that transformation propagation occurs due to the stress fields of intersecting (111)-type stacking faults. As faults intersect, a stress distribution is set up about their intersection which is in turn reduced by the emergence of another fault on the second nearest plane. This process continues with the final result of a complete phase transformation. In view of the similarities between deformation and transformation in cobalt, the effect of stress on the transformation would, hopefully, yield valuable information concerning nucleation and propagation. In the present work single-crystalline and polycrystalline specimen length changes were measured as a function of temperature at various compressive loads. PROCEDURE Several orientations of single crystals of hcp cobalt in lengths up to 25 cm were grown by electron-beam floating zone melting from 99.95 and 99.999 pct, 3-mm-diam cobalt rod as supplied by Johnson

Jan 1, 1964

By C. L. Karr

Researchers at the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) have developed adaptive process control systems in which genetic algorithms (GA's) are used to augment fuzzy logic controllers (FLC's). GA's are search algorithms that rapidly locate near-optimum solutions to a wide spectrum of problems by loosely modeling the search procedures of natural genetics. FLC's are rule-based systems that efficiently manipulate a problem environment by modeling the "rule-of-thumb" strategy used in human decision-making. Together, GA's and FLC's include all of the capabilities necessary to produce powerful, efficient, and robust adaptive control systems. To perform efficiently, such control systems require a control element to manipulate the problem environment, an analysis element to recognize changes in the problem environment, and an adaptive element to adjust to the changes in the problem environment. The control system also employs a computer simulation of the problem environment. Details of an overall adaptive control system are discussed. A specific laboratory acid-base pH system is used to demonstrate the ideas presented; all results are from the physical laboratory system and not from a computer simulation.

Jan 1, 2010

By John J. Sammarco

Mining has one of the highest annual average fatality rates among major US industries. Health and safety dangers have been inherent to mining since the early days of picks and shovels. Even though miners’ health and safety has improved over the years, mining is still one of the most dangerous occupations. Mining was traditionally a low tech industry. It is now driven by competitive pressures to go high-tech by using programmable electronics (PE) for machine control, atmospheric monitoring and material processing. The industry’s experience with the functional safety of PE is limited compared with other industries. Thus, PE is an emerging technology for mining that can potentially create or worsen hazards.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. C. Huyhua

The effect or various oxidants on gold and silver dissolution in thiourea solutions (0.05 M in H2SO4) was studied using the rotating disc technique, a.t 2s c and 600 rpm. These studies were carried out at constant (4:1) initial molar ratio or thiourea to oxidant concentrations, to produce 50 % thiourea. oxidation. The initial dissolution rate of gold was approximately four times higher in the presence. of ferric sulfate (5.37 x 10-3mg cm-2 s-1) than in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), potassium persultate (K2S2O3), or monopersulfa.te (KHS06). The dissolution rates for silver were considerably lower than gold for the same oxidants. Oxidation of thiourea in the presence of peroxygen and persulta.te compounds is a. fast reaction and it is completed in less than ten minutes. On the other hand, the oxidation or thiourea with? ferric.sulfate is slow, yielding a second-order reaction rate constant k = 6.09 I mol-1 h-1. Sulfur formation in the ferric thiourea system begins when ferric ion reduction approaches to completion. With hydrogen peroxide, sulfur is observed at lower thiourea concentration than ferric. Suifate. The presence of a large excess or free thiourea i.e., s to 20 % thiourea oxidation) retards sulfur formation and maintains favorable dissolution rates. Finally, carbon-in-leach experiments indicate that thiourea solutions a.re stable for several days, with ferric sulfate or hydrogen peroxide. The dissolution rates of gold and silver doubles in the presence or activated carbon when hydrogen peroxide is used as oxidant.

Jan 1, 1989