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By P. Scinto, A. Festa

"Orway Mineral Consultants Ltd (OMC) as a consultancy has specialized in comminution circuit design for over 30 years. The OMC Power Model is OMC’s in-house software for specific grinding energy power-based circuit calculations. The model uses ore hardness parameters from testwork, circuit configuration, equipment geometry and operating conditions as inputs. The model combines proprietary and published power models to predict the total specific energy and the specific energy for each of the components of the comminution circuit. This makes the software a valuable tool for the design and validation of JKSimMet modelling or actual plant performance. Proprietary calculations have been developed and reconciled with over 100 plant benchmark projects encompassing a variety of comminution circuit configurations.This paper describes the OMC approach for determining power requirements for the design of grinding circuits. The accuracy of the OMC Power Model software is confirmed through plant survey benchmark performance and comparisons are made with other power modelling techniques. Practical examples are presented, showing applications for single stage SAG (SS-SAG), SAB and SABC circuit configurations.IntroductionConventional low throughput grinding options, consisting of multi-stage crushing followed by rod and ball mills, have almost become obsolete in the move to higher milling rates required to process lower metal grades. Grinding circuits with fully autogenous (AG) or semi-autogenous (SAG) mills, often combined with ball mills are now the standard to meet the high capacity requirement for processing ores with lower metal grades. Simulation software and power-based equation methodologies have been established for designing AG/SAG based grinding circuits and predicting their energy requirements.Presently, power-based equations remain the principal method for designers to size mills and estimate the power requirement for comminution circuits. The technique is simple and it relies on the design to specify a feed and product size plus a hardness index to produce a specific energy value (kWh/t). The desired throughput of the mill is multiplied by the specific energy to give the mill power requirement, which is used in turn to size a mill for dimensions, internal geometry and loading conditions to match the power draw."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. V. Ramani

One area of study in the Coal Mine Injury Analysis project was to illustrate and enhance the ability of mine safety management personnel to apply analytical techniques to injury experience data and to justify requests for funds for safety enhancement actions on a cost/benefit and other quantitative basis. Four volumes of this final project report detail (1) the objectives and scope of the mine safety management research, (2) the results of literature review, and case studies, and (3) models developed for mine safety management. The four volumes are titled as Volume III: Mine Safety Management, Volume IV: Analytical Techniques for Mine Safety Management; Volume V: Mine Safety Management Case Studies and Volume IX: Training Cost Model. In this volume, the quantitative procedures that have been developed for the mine-specific analyses of accident/injury experience data are presented and their applications are demonstrated in a summary form through case study examples. The quantitative procedures will aid mine safety management personnel to develop focused accident prevention strategies including training, as well as to justify the investment in such proactive programs through cost-benefit analyses.

Jan 1, 1993

By J. B. Zadra

Tungsten metal, chemically equivalent to commercial grade, is produced by electrolysis of impure tungsten compounds or scheelite in an alkali, phosphate or borate electrolyte. A preliminary investigation of fused-bath electrolysis shows the effect of electrolyte composition, temperature, and current density on current efficiency, yield, crystal structure, and purity of product. Experiments show that tungsten can be electrowon from scheelite in a fused alkali, phosphate, or borate bath with similar results. Studies on electrolyte composition show that the addition of sodium chloride is essential to both electrolytes in treating scheelite. Although its main function is to react with or flux the CaO, it also increases the bath fluidity. Temperature studies revealed optimum ranges between 900° and 1,100° C.; 900° C. proved satisfactory for tungsten trioxide, and 950° to 1,050° C. for scheelite. Current efficiencies were satisfactory for all current densities ranging from 10 to 57 a./dm.2. Yields were 400 to 650 g./kw.-hr. over the same current-density range. Crystal size and purity of the product are functions of temperature, current density, and amount of impurities in the electrolyte. Deposited crystals vary in shape from spherical grains to clusters of dendritic hexagonal needles, and in size from smaller than 35 to 570 microns. The purity of the tungsten metal produced ranges from 99.7 to 99.94 percent.

Jan 1, 1959

By N. Kyriazi

The U.S. Bureau of Mines subjected the CSE SR-lOO self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to a series of laboratory treatments designed to simulate various environmental conditions in underground coal mines. The tests were designed to predict the ability of the self-rescuers to withstand those environmental stresses without causing a decrease in wearer protection. The apparatus were heated to 710 C for 48 h, cooled to -450 C for 16 h, vibrated for 9 h, and dropped 1 m on each axis. A critical concern was internal damage to an apparatus, without any obvious external signs, that would cause it to malfunction or seriously degrade its performance. Carbon dioxide (C02) levels in apparatus with combined treatments were higher than in apparatus with individual treatments and untreated apparatus. The higher levels remained within safe limits, however. None of the treatments caused venting of the small oxygen cylinder that provides starter oxygen. Some bottles were found to be empty because of manufacturing defects in the burst disks. This problem was corrected in later models. The heat treatments did make the case ends more difficult to remove and the breathing bag sticky and subsequently more difficult to unfold. An apparatus that was dropped and vibrated had a broken desiccant bag that released some of its contents which compromised the seal of the relief valve. The case was dented from the drops. As with the first-generation self-rescuers, if there is visible damage to the case of the apparatus, the apparatus should be considered to be internally damaged and must be removed from service.

Jan 1, 1990

By William R. Yernberg

The 2003 Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC) was held at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, LA, June 15-18. The New Orleans conference was the 16th since the RETC was formed in 1971. This year’s conference was sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.(SME), with co-sponsorship of the Construction Institute of ASCE. Attendance at the meeting was 1,178, a conference record. This was up significantly from the771 attendees at the 2001 meeting in San Diego, CA. The RETC was formed to “advance the engineering and scientific knowledge of rapid underground excavation and tunneling through interdisciplinary meetings, publications, technical-educational exhibitions and encouragement of research.” The RETC conferences are now held every other year. They provide an opportunity for individuals to meet with designers, contractors and manufacturers associated with the tunneling industry to share experiences in all phases of tunnel design and construction.

Jan 1, 2003

By Gene F. ] [Faufaul

This contract was concerned with the design, development, fabrication and testing of an improved tamper-proof filter cassette assembly for use in the, collection and evaluation of dust particulates, primarily in mining areas. This report presents the design effort, fabrication and tenting of five- prototypre unit$ as well as the design and production of 1000 filter cassettes with sampling heads. This new improved filter cassette has been tested and approved by NIOSH as meeting the requirements specified in the contract.

Jan 1, 1978

By Pervez Patel, Martin G. Frohberg, Demetrios Papamantellos

Model experiments were carried out on the mass transfer of iodine between n-hexane and a 4 2 X 10-3 M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. The influence of mechanical stirring by means of small gas bubbles (ca. 0.01 ml in volume) on mass transfer was examined in independent experiments. The results were described with the help of the penetration theory and in the case of bubble stirring with the help of a mathematical model based on this theory. S LAG-METAL reactions, especially those in steel-making processes, often occur under conditions where gas is evolved in the form of bubbles that break through the slag-metal interface. It is known that stirring by means of bubbles increases the mass transfer coefficient, but there has been very little quantitative work done in this field. Because of the difficulties that attach to experimental work at high temperatures this study was confined to model experiments at room temperature. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS The transport of iodine from an n-hexane layer into a weak sodium hydroxide solution was studied a) with stirring by means of bubbles and b) with mechanical stirring. The apparatus for the experiments with bubbles consisted of the cell, two Dreschel bottles filled with hexane in order to saturate the nitrogen flow, one flow meter, and a nitrogen gas cylinder fitted with a fine-regulating valve. Fig. 1 shows the cell consisting of a glass cylinder 33 cm in height with an overall diameter of 7.5 cm embedded in a copper flange. The flange is connected to a Plexiglas plate and to the gas inlet. The Plexiglas plate has holes of 0.2 mm diam bored into it which are spaced 1 cm from each other. For the experiments with mechanical stirring the bottom of the cell was sealed off by a Plexiglas plate. The upper layer was stirred by means of a glass stir-rer and the bottom layer with the help of a magnetic stirrer in a counter rotatory direction. Both stirrer speeds could be varied continuously. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Iodine dissolves in n-hexane producing a stable violet color thus enabling the iodine concentration in

Jan 1, 1970

Spectrum Resources commenced operations as a public listed mining company in August, 1983, with a variety of precious metal projects in New Zealand. At that time the outlook for most mineral commodities, with the notable exception of precious metals, was decidedly gloomy. Metal prices were depressed and demand forecasts were universally gloomy. Against this background the company reviewed the non-traditional metals sector to try and identify a 'new' metal with an above average demand growth and market value. Lithium, a commodity with exciting new applications in storage batteries and alloys, met both criteria. Annual world consumption of lithium is around 7000 tonnes; current prices are around $NZ40/lb for lithium metal and demand growth is projected at five to seven per cent per annum. Geothermal fluids at Wairakei and elsewhere contain anomalous amounts of lithium and in May, 1984, the Chemistry Division of DSIR was commissioned to carry out a literature survey on the possible recovery of lithium and other minerals from geothermal waters. The survey results were encouraging and the company subsequently negotiated exclusive access rights, for research purposes, to geothermal discharge fluids from the Wairakei and Kawerau geothermal fluids. Most of the subsequent investigations reported here were carried out by Chemistry Division, DSIR, under contract to the company with some assistance from the Industrial Processing Division, DSIR.

Jan 1, 1986

By Patrick Pelletier Jr., Pierre-Alexandre Bossé, Gianni Bartolacci, Ian Orford, Steve Parent

"Over the last decades, many authors have shown the importance of froth in the flotation process. Mineral recovery is related to froth recovery and flotation. Selectivity is affected by froth characteristics, especially structure and loading. The characteristics of froth textures could therefore be used for diagnosing flotation.Machine imaging, especially image texture analysis, allows on-line measurement of important froth characteristics and process state classification. The measured characteristics include froth texture, loading and stability indicators. To extract information from images, texture analysis tools are used as well as a block-matching algorithm (BMA). For process state classification, images are analyzed with the same tools and clustering is done with multivariate data analysis algorithms.Two case studies, Brunswick Mine Concentrator Cu/Pb circuit and LaRonde Mine Zn circuit, are presented to show that these indicators may be used for diagnosis and control. The influence of manipulated variables on measured froth features is shown as well as the relationship between froth characteristics, mineral recovery and flotation selectivity.INTRODUCTIONImaging is a way to depict abstract characteristics of a scene or an object; it is often related to other types of scientific observations, chemical component concentrations, for example (Geladi and Grahn, 1996). In this paper, the scene is flotation froth. Imaging can be especially useful in applications where it is difficult to obtain the measurements needed for process analysis – froth flotation, for example."

Jan 1, 2006

By Peter Faust, Jeremy Zorne, Timothy Siegel, Diane Fiorelli

Professional sport venue construction follows a very simple rule. Once the decision has been made to move the team to a new place, construction shall begin immediately, so that not more than one or two seasons pass by stuck in the old home. Such tight construction schedules require a different approach than traditional design-bid-build contracts. Design is mostly done on the fly, the construction schedule becomes a main risk factor and an early contractor involvement is desired. As specialty contractors become more and more sophisticated, owners, their construction managers or the general contractor have realized the value of ideas and modern technology they can bring to the table for a successful and fast project completion. Local knowledge and experience in a variety of solutions play a key role in the specialty contractor’s ability to provide added value to the project. This is also true for the specialty foundation contractor, who needs to understand the complexity of such modern structures from its integrate foundation, over the delicate concrete structure to a potentially fancy movable stadium roof. Not to mention all the modern high tech equipment which shall make such a place a great customer experience. His expertise shall enable him to propose the most suitable foundation element for the given ground condition and application. Rather to build what others have designed, his strength is to propose alternate concepts which will be faster and (hopefully) more cost effective. This paper highlights different value engineering (VE) input a specialty foundation contractor had on 3 major sports arena projects in California. Together with the entire team from owner to GC, including the Geotechnical (GEOR) and the Structural Engineer of Record (SEOR), the most efficient and best performing foundation solution can be found every time. But such an approach also requires the open mind of the owner to entertain last minute changes when the permit drawing set has already been submitted for approval.

Jan 1, 2018

By César Beraun, Pablo Espinoza, Luis Loaiza

En la unidad Cerro de Pasco de Empresa Administradora Cerro SAC, existen varias fuentes de aguas ácidas de diversas características, con diferentes rangos de acidez y contenidos metálicos de hierro, zinc y cobre, que parcialmente han pasado de ser un pasivo, en términos económicos y ambientales, a ser una fuente de recursos. El tratamiento convencional que se aplicaba en la planta de neutralización consistía en neutralizar la acidez protónica y precipitar los metales disueltos utilizando lechada de cal y luego separar por sedimentación los sólidos formados para obtener un efluente tratado descargado por vertimiento y disposición de lodos formados en la relavera de la unidad. El cambio de pasivo a recurso para las aguas ácidas pasó por rehabilitar un proceso abandonado, identificando y separando en el interior de la mina subterránea un flujo que por su contenido de cobre ha sido separado en un circuito independiente del existente para las otras aguas ácidas de menores contenidos metálicos. Se desarrolló una secuencia de procesos de precipitación selectiva; inicialmente para recuperar cobre se implementó a escala industrial la cementación con chatarra de hierro. A escala piloto se han concluido tanto las pruebas para separar el hierro por oxidación y precipitación selectiva en medio ácido, como aquellas por las que, a partir de la solución pobre de la precipitación del hierro, se precipita el zinc en dos alternativas: precipitación alcalina como hidróxido de zinc o precipitación en medio ácido por sulfuración. A escala industrial, la recuperación de cobre en la cementación con chatarra de hierro alcanza el 75%, y 85% de contenido de cobre fino. A escala piloto, para el hierro se espera una recuperación sobre 95%, para un producto que alcanza 39% de fierro, mientras que para el zinc, la recuperación esperada es de 93% y un contenido de 35% de Zn en el precipitado de sulfuro.

Sep 20, 2019

By T. A. Sullivan

The processing of sweated aluminum electronic scrap was investigated to develop methods for recovering the aluminum and concentrating the other metals, including copper, lead, gold, and silver, into a product that can be separated by known methods. Two molten-salt electrorefining processes were developed and tested. The first process utilized a three-layer refining cell with a BaCI2-NaF-AIF3 electrolyte, which operated at 750° to 850° C. The second process used an all-chloride electrolyte of NaCI-KCI-AICI3 at 750° to 800° C, with separate anode and cathode compartments. High-quality aluminum was recovered that averaged 99.8-percent pure in the three-layer cell and 99.6-percent pure in the compartment cell. Over 94 percent of the aluminum was recovered with cathode current efficiencies of approximately 90 percent in both methods. The copper, lead, tin, silver, gold, and other metals were concentrated threefold in an anode product. Separation of lead and part of the tin by liquation from this product seemed feasible. The anode product was smelted to prepare a 96-percent copper bullion that contained 690 ounces of silver and 65 ounces of gold per ton, with 98 percent recovery of these values.

Jan 1, 1972

Analysis for pillar extraction potential (A-PEP) is an intelligent tool, which could be used as a preliminary output indicator when considering the secondary extraction of regional support pillars in the Witbank and Highveld coalfields of South Africa. The safe and economic extraction of underground coal pillars is of paramount significance and importance to the South African coalmining industry to ensure continuity of supply of this fossil fuel. Pillar extraction practices in South Africa have been responsible a significant proportion of safety and fatality statistics in relation to its relative output (less than 5 per cent of total South African coal production) and, as a result, research was undertaken in local pillar extraction operations and extended to similar operations in New South Wales, Australia to assess a way forward for pillar extraction in South Africa. It was found that, although little in the way of new technologies has emerged in this field in the recent past, significant contributions could be made in the field of risk analysis to obtain a generic design methodology for pillar extraction in South Africa. The resultant A-PEP tool to assess pillar extraction potential is based on certain physical, risk and economic factors, which combine to indicate operational success in terms of economic, health and safety attributes. At the time of A-PEP?s development there was alack of operating underground coal pillar extraction operations, which made it difficult to validate its applicability. Since then, however, A-PEP has been successfully tested and validated against two unique underground coal pillar operations, which is the discussion of this paper. One operation is situated in the Witbank coalfield and is extracting pillars, which are 20 years old and at a depth of 80 metres below surface, while the other operation is situated in the Highveld coalfield-which is extracting 6 month-old-pillars underneath a massive dolerite sill at a depth of 220 metres. A-PEP has shown that its predictive nature is consistent the workings at both operations, irrespective of their unique conditions, and as such it can be successfully used as a mine planning tool. The A-PEP mine planning tool thus represents a positive step toward an integrated approach to underground coal pillar extraction when considering legal and operational aspects, which could form the basis for legislative guidelines when considering the future of pillar extraction in South Africa.

Jan 1, 2005

By J. W. Joubert, R. C. W. Webber-Youngman, M. D. Budeba

"SynopsisCost estimation for surface coal mines is a critical practice that affects both profitability and competitiveness. New mines require these costs to be estimated using available information before a project begins. The competitive advantage of a new mine depends on it being both efficient and cost-effective. Low-cost producing mines have a higher chance of survival in a low-price environment than do high-cost producers. The competitiveness and profitability of a coal mine is based on the costs of production and the supply position on the cost curve. There is no single method of cost estimation, and the available methods consider only one or a few variables, leaving out multiple variables that could significantly affect the estimation of mine costs. Mining companies are thus searching extensively for a method that will increase accuracy in the estimation and evaluation of mining projectsThis paper highlights the shortcomings of the available approaches and proposes a data envelopment analysis method to develop a frontier for effective surface coal mines, and the use of a parametric method for modelling the costs and productivity of new mines to ensure effective competitiveness. The models will extend the capability of estimation and the accuracy of estimates using the efficient decision-making units, by considering the optimal mine-specific and external variables affecting costs.IntroductionCoal contributes 25% of the world’s primary energy needs, after fuel oil, which contributes 35%. The world energy demand, estimated over the period 1990 to 2030, is expanding at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.7% (Schernikau, 2010, p. 14). This emphasizes the need for enhancing the production of existing mines, as well as opening new mines in order to increase the supply of coal."

Jan 1, 2015

By J. Darlington, A. K. SenGupta

Water-swellable layered silicates, namely, the smectite clays can remove suspended materials (called herein as debris) and metal ions from aqueous streams. The present study shows that the flocculating and metal extracting abilities of smectite clay-based flocculants can be enhanced when these clays are used in conjunction with a specific anionic polymer. Such performance enhancement is attributed to the following: i) the clay-dispersing ability of the polymeric additive, that would translate into an increase in the clay-surface area available for the attachment of the debris particles onto the clay particles; ii) the possibility of dispersant-to-coagulant transition of the polymer during the later instants of the treatment process, as a result of reduction in solvency of the wastewater for the polymer due to the release of cationic species from the clay-based flocculant solids; iii) metal-complexing ability and adsorption properties of the polymer.

Jan 1, 2002

By D Davies

El presente texto describe la situación del medio ambiente donde se eliminaron residuos de explotación minera, así como se revisa la legislación, el caso del desastre de Aberfan, precaución a raíz del desastre de Aberfan, seguridad, requerimiento de la junta nacional del carbón, las consecuencias financieras, la minería a cielo abierto, los problemas de las aguas, técnicas de control, las sustancias contaminadoras dentro de los afluentes de las minas de carbóny los efectos de la conservación de los ríos en el Reino Unido de la Gran Bretaña.

Jul 1, 1981

Joseph W. RichaRds, South Bethlehem, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*): The hold experiment of Mr. James Gayley in drying the blast used in the Isabella furnace has attracted the attention of the whole metallurgical world, and has given rise to a wide discussion of the reasons for its great success. Mr. Gayley and the capitalists who backed him in his work deserve congratulations on the success of the venture, not only because it succeeded, but because they have been rewarded far beyond the maximum that could be expected from theory or probability. To state the case in its simplest terms, all that could have been predicted was: (1) that the removal of the moisture from the blaet would result in the saving of the heat required for its decomposition, representing from 3 to 5 per cent. of the heat-value of the coke used; hence about that quantity of fuel might be saved; (2) that the furnace would be somewhat more independent of variations in the weather; (3) that the campaign would be a little hotter; and (4) that the speed of the blowing-eugines would be decreased, at least in amount proportionate to the reduction in temperature of the air led to them. I do not think anyone anticipated a much larger output per day. The results actually attained were: (1) the furnace made an increase of 24.86 per cent. in the output of pig-iron per day; (2) it consumed 19.6 per cent. less coke per ton of pig-iron made; (3) the blowing-engines were run 15.8 per cent. slower; and (4) the saving in power made up for the power required to run the refrigerating-plant. In addition, the blast was hotter; the waste-gases cooler, because of their smaller volume; and there was a greater proportion of carbon dioxide to carbon

Jan 1, 1906

By Tim O’Neil

“America’s mining industry brings good jobs to communities across America and provides the energy, minerals and equipment that are vital to our economic security and our way of life.” That was the surprise videotaped greeting from President George Bush at the official opening ceremony of MINExpo 2004in the Las Vegas, NV Convention Center. Jack Gerard reinforced the upbeat mood at MIN-Expo. He praised Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn for his support of the mining industry, the state’s largest manufacturing sector. Gerard is the president and chief executive officer of the National Mining Association, the sponsor of MINExpo 2004.

Jan 1, 2004

By S. O. Bada

Fine phosphate feed is considered to be slime and normally disposed of as a discard in settling ponds or dumped as landfill. The purpose of this research was to establish whether commercially acceptable qualities and yields could be obtained from this material using dry separation methods. The results obtained from the electrostatic separation of <105 µm phosphate ore are presented. An existing separator was upgraded in order to improve on product and flotation concentrate recovery, to test different mineral, and to reduce particle residence time between the charging chamber and the separating zone of the separator. The operating conditions were varied according to the charges imparted to the particles in the electric field, and according to other device parameters. Parameters such as splitter position, charge reversal, rotation speed, charging voltage and separating voltage. The <105 µm phosphate feed was concentrated under both triboelectrification and inductive charging. The use of inductive charging and charge reversal resulted in a significant increase in grade for <105 µm phosphate feed, with the P205 grade increasing from about 12 per cent to 20.50 per cent, and a recovery of 26.30 per cent under a single stage of separation. It was found that better separation was achieved at rotation speed of 6000 r/min, -8 kV charging voltage, and 25 kV separating voltage.

Jan 1, 2012

By Thomas J. Peters

In 1979 and 1980, the U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey conducted a mineral survey of the 15,600 acre (6,310 ha) Freel Peak RARE II area (No. 5271) in the Lake Tahoe Management Unit. This study by the Bureau of Mines indicates that potential for economic mineral resources in the area is slight. The only mineralized structures in the area consists of two quartz veins. One quartz vein, at the Mountain Top Mine (fig. 1), located by Fred Denner in 1932, is estimated to contain 2,000 tons (1,800 t) of silver and copper-bearing resources. Chip samples from the vein averaged 0.61 oz silver per ton (20.91 g/t), and 1.59 percent copper. The narrow vein is not economically mineable. The other quartz vein is poorly exposed and contains traces of molybdenum. A second reported molybdenum occurrence could not be substantiated.

Jan 1, 1982