Search Documents

By Erwan Yap, Brian Mangogna, Craig Romrell, Jeff McKay, Weishi Mang, Andrea Deml, Adam Steimel, Justin Dix

The Doe Run Company (Doe Run), a global supplier of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) concentrates, and lead metal alloys, installed an enterprise expert control system— termed as Digital One—on the company’s Pb, Cu and Zn circuits at its Buick Mill in December 2022. Digital One was developed with Metso and deploys Metso’s product, VisioFroth™. This automated system is now running and optimizing the flotation processes for all three circuits (Pb, Zn and Cu), all plant air and methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). In addition, Digital One also controls a second, newly built, modern flotation reagent system. Digital One also paves the way for automation and expert control of the entire mill, integrating grinding, thickening and filtration. Digital One is digitally immersed in a universal distributed control system (DCS); therefore, today’s mineral processing plants may be upgraded to it or designed around it. This presentation will explore the plant design and operation of this technology at the Doe Run Buick Mill.

Feb 1, 2024

By Lynn Salvati, Colin LaVassar, Loic Galisson, Joel Theodore, Lynette Sla

"Sound Transit’s University Link and Northgate Link projects will add 6.75 miles (10.9 km) of twin-bored tunnel to Seattle’s light rail system, extending the route north from downtown Seattle. The tunnels are being constructed primarily in glacial soils using pressurized-face tunnel boring machines. Cover over the tunnel alignment varied from 13 feet to over 300 feet (4–91 m). Since the tunnels are located in densely populated urban areas, controlling ground movements and monitoring settlement were essential to success of these projects. Hundreds of geotechnical instruments, including extensometers, surface settlement points, and near-surface settlement points, were used in both projects to monitor settlement. The observed data were compared to settlement predictions made prior to tunneling, and analyses performed to update empirical factors to better estimate settlements. Recommendations for designing efficient and cost-effective settlement monitoring programs are provided based on the review of the monitoring data and analyses.INTRODUCTIONThe paper includes data from Sound Transit’s University Link and Northgate Link projects. These projects will add 6.75 miles of twin-bored tunnel to Seattle’s light rail system. The tunneling for University Link will extend the light rail system from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington. Tunneling from downtown Seattle to the Capitol Hill Station was completed under the U230 contract, and tunneling from the Capitol Hill Station to the University of Washington Station was completed under the U220 contract. The Northgate Link extension will extend the light rail line north of the University of Washington, including approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of twin tunnels between the University of Washington Station and the Maple Leaf Portal and two stations, U District Station and Roosevelt Station. Tunneling for the Northgate Link project is still underway as part of the N125 project. At the time of writing, tunneling from the Maple Leaf Portal to Roosevelt Station has been completed. Therefore data labeled as N125 in this paper only include the portion of the alignment from the Maple Leaf Portal to Roosevelt Station."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. J. Sanzotti

This paper examines the potential for controlling longwall-induced subsidence by pneumatically backstowing the void created by mining with waste rock, and having the process scheduled as a unit operation of the mining activity. Based on a review of background literature, interviews with representatives of various mining companies, public-interest groups, and state and federal regulatory agencies, a hypothetical case-study evaluation of pneumatic stowing in a southwestern Pennsylvania mine site was conducted. The study indicated that current stowing technology cannot keep pace with the production potential of U.S. longwall systems. Further, at the case-study mine site, concomitant stowing would reduce subsidence by only 50% of that incurred during full longwall caving, the longwall coal production rate would decrease from 4000 tons per shift in the non-stowing case to 1500 tons in the stowing case, and a preliminary cost analysis reveals that pneumatic stowing would add $5.25 to $10.50 to the operating cost of producing a ton of coal at the case-study site.

Jan 1, 1995

By Brendan Donnelly, Jung-Hoon Sul, Lasitha Piyathilaka, Sanghyun Jeong, Benjamin Probyn

The chains of armored face conveyor (AFCs) are constantly in contact with water and wet coal, which results in a significant proportion of unplanned downtime experienced on longwall equipment due to corrosion. While reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the most prevalent water treatment methods for reducing salinity and dissolved solids in coal mining, its impact on the corrosion of the AFC chains has not been well studied. This work studies the direct effects of RO water on the corrosion of AFC chains. Immersion tests followed by surface micromorphology analysis and corrosion indices indicate that the RO water increased the corrosion rate of the AFC chains due to the reduced tendency of preventive films on the chains.

May 1, 2024

By M. S. Frasad

The State of Minnesota is interested in stimulating the development of clay resources and recently supported a two year project to collect data on geological, mineralogical, processing, economic and environmental aspects of such potential developments. This paper presents the .various process options adopted on the bulk samples collected from the Minnesota River Valley area which is a primary deposit and contains a major silica fraction. A standard test flowsheet involving degritting, dispersion, HGMS, and cycloning was developed and for some samples yielded an acceptable filler grade product. Secondary streams containing relatively high grade kaolin but of coarse size were also obtained. Improvement in particle size distribution and in physical properties related to paper product specifications (brightness, viscosity) were obtained by size reduction processes. Market and economic considerations for kaolin consumption in the upper Midwest are analyzed. Current markets for paper grade kaolin in Minnesota were briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

By Richard E. Ellwanger

Methods of utilizing flocculants as settling and filter aids for mineral processing slurries are reviewed. Broad chemical classifications and techniques for proper dilution, multiple addition, and combination treatments are discussed. A variety of custom built and commercially available systems for make up and delivery of flocculants to the application points are in use through- out the mining industry. Those concepts which, in the author's opinion, are particularly important to the successful make up and use of flocculants are presented in relationship to the available make up and feed systems. Actual industrial applications are included in the presentation.

Jan 1, 1980

By Juan L. Sepulveda

An MPSI KW-20 Tower mill has been tested at the Butte Molybdenum plant of Anaconda Minerals Company, as a substitute for the conventional 1.5x3.0 m (5x10 ft) tumbling ball mill currently used for regrind purposes. The Tower mill was operated in both open and closed continuous circuits. These results were complemented with a series of batch grinding tests to determine some of the operational features of this mill. The relative grinding efficiency of the Tower mill with respect to the tumbling ball mill was determined and the applicability of this new mill to a plant/heavy duty environment was assessed. Experimental results obtained on the regrind of moly concentrates indicate that approximately 40% energy savings can be realized by using the Tower mill instead of the ball mill.

Jan 1, 1984

By Rudrajit Mitra, Erik Hulthen, AARTI SORENSEN, TOBIAS HARTMANN, ELISABETH CLAUSEN

There has been an ongoing debate on how to transform engineering education to better prepare students for today’s professional world that is characterized by increasingly complex problems and challenges that engineers are tasked with upon entering the industry. While numerous publications have addressed possibilities of how experiential, problem-based, project-based and active learning can be integrated into the engineering curriculum, there has been little attention on mining engineering with respect to adopting this approach. This paper addresses the possibilities of integrating entrepreneurship education into mining engineering programs in order to foster discussion among academics from mining engineering on how to infuse value-creation experiences across the curriculum on a course, program and departmental level.

Sep 1, 2022

By Michael Schultz, Gregory Sanders

In 2017, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) initiated the design of the Sister Grove Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility (SGRWRRF) to provide additional treatment capacity for future population growth within the Lavon Lake watershed. To provide a discharge location for SGRWRRF approximately 4.5 miles of 2.4- meter (96-inch) internal diameter pipeline will be constructed, including 2.3-kilometer (7,800) feet and 487-meter (1,600 foot) long tunnel segments. This paper will discuss the anticipated geology of the two tunnel segments, selection of the tunnel alignment, the anticipated initial tunnel support requirements and other aspects of the project design

Jun 13, 2021

By James E. Myers

This study is a survey of the current "state-of-the-art" of commercially-available sonar tools to monitor the true shape of man-made cavities within the Hutchinson Salt of south-central Kansas. The work entailed ferreting out the available information, most of which is proprietary in nature; then examining actual existing conditions and arriving at a reasonable scientific evaluation of the method. Our studies were confined to one LPG field and two brine well operations in south-central Kansas. No field testing of any devices was performed, only questioning user firms, and studying cores, logs, and sonar surveys graciously made available by the companies we have contacted. Since these data are still somewhat proprietary, the company participants have asked that their company names be omitted from this presentation.

Jan 1, 1973

By F. Brost

In 1976, a decision was made to install a conveying system to transport ore 10.3 km (6.4 miles) from the new Eisenhower Partnership Mine to Twin Buttes. The system, supplied and installed by Cable Belt Limited, of England, represents a radical departure from conventional conveyor systems. The driving tension is applied through two endless wire ropes while the belt acts only as the carrying medium. Features of the system are a single 2240 kw (3000 hp) drive and a 60° angle bend. Construction was completed in two years. Full production was attained after several months' operation.

Jan 1, 1979

By C. D. Broadbent

Open pit blasting can be a low cost routine or a high cost bottleneck depending on geology, environment and the operator's ability to master site conditions. Because blasting is a repetitive operation, there should be ample opportunity to optimize the process; but ordinarily this optimization is rarely achieved and then only if conditions remain consistent and predictable. Often, however, and particularly with porphyry coppers, hidden differences in rock characteristics nullify the operator's best efforts. At a porphyry copper deposit being mined by Kennecott Copper Corporation, there are all of the following rock types: oxidized and fresh porphyry, altered and silicified limestone, explosion breccia, rhyolite, sandstone, shale and several others. The units can cover large areas or be limited to a few tens of feet in maximum dimension. They are rarely visible on the bench surface and often do not show up in the bench slope. Even though the blastability of these rocks varies substantially, a generally-uniform blasting pattern was formerly used with disappointing results. Secondary blasting was often required and high bottoms occurred frequently; overblasting wasted drilling time, and explosives caused excessive throw. Several possible methods for improving the blast design were considered and a geophysical method was chosen for testing. There had been reports in the journals that seismic methods were being used in Europe as aids for blasting design. A literature search turned up work by Haxby 1/ on use of a refraction seismograph for measuring pit bench rock strength. Using his work as a springboard, equipment was purchased and a program was planned and carried out for developing, evaluating and implementing the seismic method for routine mine use. Following are discussions of the development program and results.

Jan 1, 1974

By Michael J. Beus

This paper describes research conducted under the BuMines's Advancing Metal and Nonmetal Mining Technology Program, a major element being the application of new and improved technology to shaft design in deep underground vein-type mines. Two basic design parameters considered in shaft planning are configuration (shape) and ground support. The most common shapes are circular and rectangular. Ground support systems include concrete, timber sets, steel sets, rock bolts, and steel liners. The inherent advantages and/or disadvantages of various shaft designs such as ventilation and fire resistance, flexibility and ground support characteristics are well known. Circular concrete-lined shafts have minimal resistance to air flora and are virtually fireproof, an important consideration in deep hot mines. However, concrete does not yield significantly, and failure conditions and misalignment cannot be easily repaired. Timber-supported rectangular shafts predominate in the Coons d'Alene Mining District with its highly stressed and frequently heavy ground. The sets can be relieved and reblocked when out of alignment. However, the constant maintenance and repair requirements result in exposure to an inherently dangerous working environment combined with excessive operating costs. Obviously a dilemma exists--a circular, concrete-lined opening has many desirable features, provided it is strong enough to withstand the stresses involved. Rectangular, timber supported shafts have proven adequate in the Coeur d'Alenes; however, the implication of increased maintenance and repair requirements on ever-deepening shafts in this district and other similar areas will be an important design consideration in the future. This paper, then, presents shaft-configuration and ground-support guidelines to help remove some of the uncertainty concerning the stresses to be encountered in typical deep vein mining areas.

Jan 1, 1976

By M. Kul

In this study, the effects of various extraction and stripping parameters, such as equilibrium pH (7.0, 8.5 and 10), extractant concentration (5, 10 and 20 volume %), organic-to-aqueous (O/A) ratio and stripping agent type and concentration were studied on chromium (VI) recovery from chromium electroplating rinse bath wastewater using Aliquat 336. Results showed that these parameters all had significant effects on chromium (VI) recovery. A pregnant strip solution from a chromium electroplating rinse bath wastewater with 33.4 g/L chromium content, suitable for sodium dichromate production, was generated by 20 vol. % Aliquat 336 in commercial kerosene. The O/A ratio was 1/4 and the equilibrium pH value was 0.87, the as-received pH value. The wastewater was treated with a two-stage countercurrent extraction process to produce a loaded organic phase, which was later stripped at the O/A ratio of two with a 4-M NaOH solution in a two-stage countercurrent stripping process using Taguchi?s optimization technique.

Jan 1, 2010

By Rambabu Pothina, MELO EDUARDO PIMENTA DE, Rajive Ganguli

 The mining industry is home to a mass of sensor-generated data that are critical to real-time and long-term optimization. This heavy reliance on sensor data has resulted in an undesirable development. The industry is reluctant to verify the accuracy of sensors as it would mean shutting down important processes. Sensors are typically calibrated once a year, if at all. Errors in sensors go undetected until the next calibration or until errors are so gross as to be obvious

By Clyde M. Pearce

This paper describes the facilities at Pointe Noire, Quebec that Wabush Mines utilizes for the receipt, distribution, stockpiling and shipping of iron ore concentrate and pellets. The main topics to be covered will be: 1. - General description 2. - Concentrate receiving facilities 3. - Conveying circuits 4. - Stockpiling 5. - Vessel loading GENERAL DESCRIPTION The map of the eastern Quebec - western Labrador area as shown in Appendix #1 shows the location of Wabush Mines properties. You will note the Scully Mine located at Wabush Lake, Labrador, 235 miles north of the town of Sept-Iles, Quebec. Our neighbors, the Iron Ore Company of Canada have their properties further north at Shefferville, near by at Carol Lake and at Sept-Iles. To the Southwest, our other neighbors, Quebec Cartier Mining, have their iron ore processing facilities and their terminus on the St-Lawrence at Port Cartier. Concentrates are prepared at the scully Mine by mining, crushing, grinding, concentrating, drying and high tension separation for shipment by rail to Pointe Noire, Quebec. Pointe Noire is situated across the bay from the town of Sept-Iles, Quebec on the North Shore of the St-Lawrence River. The concentrate consists of 66% iron, 2 ¼ percent silica and practically no moisture, permitting the use of specially constructed railroad cars and handling facilities to convert the concentrate into pellets, the final product.

Jan 1, 1967

By Joseph W. Mullan

The today status of air pollution control legislation and regulations can best be described as an exaggerated state of environmental limbo. The '70's began but one and one-half months ago yet it already has been very appropriately named "the decade of the environment." This certainly will be the decade for new legislation - new regulations and hopefully "Clean Air." Already Washington is faced with legislators playing "pollution politics" to the crowds. Students have redirected their efforts from Vietnam to the cleansing of the environment and everyone including the man on the street has become an environ¬mental expert. This is the decade we all face, but where are we today? Pollution is not a new problem. It has been with us for centuries and while much is left to be done, much has already been accomplished. I will try to make some comparisons of what I believe to be the good and bad points in the national air pollution control picture and hopefully will generate within each of you sufficient concern as to which comparisons are sound.

Jan 1, 1970

By Anthony Iannacchione, Tim Miller, Nicole Evanek

The Subtropolis Mine is a room-and-pillar mine extracting the Vanport Limestone near Petersburg, OH. In February 2018, mine management began implementing a new mine layout to better control the negative effects of excessive levels of horizontal stress. Almost immediately, the conditions in the headings improved. Conversely, and as expected, stress-related damage was concentrated within crosscuts. Over the last 18 months, the mine operator has diligently experimented with different techniques/methods to lessen the impact of the instabilities in the outby crosscuts. The range of controls used by the mine operator include angled crosscuts, crosscut offsets, increased distance between crosscuts, arched crosscuts, cable-bolted crosscuts, altered blasting pattern, and windows. A window is used to resist roof deformation by leaving a strong brow of roof rock within the crosscuts.

By Michael Markels

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 with establishing effluent limitations which must be achieved by point sources of discharge into the navigable water of the United States. Section 301 (b) of the Act requires the achievement by not later than July 1, 1977, of effluent limitations for point sources, other than publicly owned treatment works, which are based on the application of the best practicable control technology currently available as defined by the Administrator pursuant to Section 304(b) of the Act. Section 301(b) also requires the achievement by not later than July 1, 1983, of effluent limitations for point sources, other than publicly owned treatment works which are based on the application of the best available technology economically achievable which will result in reasonable further progress toward the national goal of eliminating the discharge of all pollutants, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator pursuant to Section 304(b) to the Act. Section 306 of the Act requires the achievement by new sources of a Federal standard of performance providing for the control of the discharge of pollutants which reflects the greatest degree of effluent reduction which the Administrator determines to be achievable through the application of the best available demonstrated control technology, processes, operating methods, or other alternatives, including, where practicable, a standard permitting no discharge of pollutants.

Jan 1, 1975

By Bryan Ulrich

Knight Piésold and Co. hosted its annual roundtable discussion on March 17, 2011 at the Stockman Hotel and Casino in Elko, NV. The theme for Roundtable 2011 was, ?High density tailings, paste, and filtered tailings,? although the topic may well have been subtitled, ?Don?t prematurely rule out any technologies before they are given their day in court.? Bryan Ulrich, Knight Piésold?s local representative, as well as Tom Kerr from Knight Piésold?s office in Denver, CO, were on hand to help facilitate the discussion. Ulrich and Kerr are senior vice president and president of Knight Piésold?s U.S. practice, respectively. The event played host to more than 30 attendees from several western states. Attendees included personnel from a dozen mining properties and various corporate offices. There were also attendees from manufacturing and specialist consulting firms who have been providing services to various high-density tailings, paste and filtered tailings operations worldwide. It may be noted that the term ?filtered tailings? is used in this discussion. Alternative terms, such as ?dry stack? or ?dewatered tailings,? should be avoided whenever possible, as such terms tend to give a false sense about the nature of the material since these materials typically still retain a significant amount of moisture.

Jan 1, 2011