Search Documents

By Victor Benavente

La lixiviación es un proceso hidrometalúrgico que permite obtener el cobre de los minerales que lo contienen, aplicando una disolución de ácido sulfúrico, agua y agentes oxidantes. Este proceso consiste en que los minerales son sensibles al ataque de soluciones ácidas y oxidantes. En ese sentido, el objetivo del texto fue determinar la respuesta de los sulfuros secundarios de cobre a la lixiviación ácida y oxidante utilizando cloruro de sodio como portador de cloruro al sistema de lixiviación. El desarrollo de las pruebas y la ejecución de las mismas, definiió el proceso de lixiviación para minerales sulfurados de Minera Pampa de Cobre.

Sep 12, 2011

By Robert W. Schaut

The use of micropiles is increasing for new construction and to retrofit distressed foundations in expansive soils. Typical micropiles in expansive soils have a lower section where the micropile grout is embedded in direct contact with the soil, and an upper section that is cased with rigid PVC pipe or other material to reduce the friction between the micropile and the surrounding expansive soil. In the upper cased section, the micropile grout is in direct contact with the inside of the casing. During construction, grout can flow upward into the annular space between the soil and the outside of the casing as the grout is tremied into the micropile. Thus, various interfaces may exist in a typical micropile, including soil-to-grout, grout-to-PVC, and soil-to-PVC. As the surrounding soil heaves, shear stresses are mobilized along the interfaces. The frictional characteristics of the interfaces are design variables that must be evaluated. For this study, an experimental program was conducted to evaluate the shear strength of the three interfaces listed above. Conventional direct shear testing was performed at a commercial testing laboratory. In addition, specialized testing was performed at Colorado State University (CSU). For the CSU testing, an interface testing protocol was designed using a modified triaxial cell to allow evaluation of the interface characteristics between rigid PVC and cylindrical specimens of grout or clay soil. It is shown that the shear strength of the soil-to-PVC and grout-to-PVC interfaces are similar, both of which are significantly lower than the shear strength of the soil-to-grout interface. This indicates that the use of a PVC casing in the upper portion of a micropile has a positive effect in reducing friction and the shear stresses resulting from expansive soil.

Jan 1, 2011

By A R. Proudman, A H. Purvis

The Granites Gold Mine Callie gold deposit is located 550 km northwest of Alice Springs in the Tanami Desert. Gold mineralisation occurs due to a complex interplay of geological factors which include but are not limited to favourable lithology, structure, alteration and quartz veining. High-grade mineralisation, while pervasive under favourable conditions, is highly variable over short distances and is very nuggetty. In contrast, the lithology and geological structures that host the mineralisation are very continuous. Orebody modelling techniques have evolved over time because of a growing understanding of the mineralisation controls. Modelling issues such as sampling and assaying accuracy, modelling method, data density, gold population statistics, geological interpretation and domaining, grade boundary and calculation conditions, and model block size are constantly being reassessed in an effort to increase understanding of the mineralisation controls and modelling accuracy. The evolution of the modelling process in response to increasing data levels and a growing understanding of the mineralisation controls has resulted in changes to the perception of the orebody size and style. This has caused the choice of underground mining method to be revised several times and the process to final mining method selection to take longer than usual. In order to achieve the planned production start-up date of July 1998 the process has been allowed to progress in parallel with development of the underground mine. This paper describes the resource modelling and mining method selection process applied to the Callie underground mine and some of the issues which have contributed to its evolution. Some conclusions that are relevant to the efficient planning and development of new mining projects in general are presented.

Jan 1, 1998

By Clarence Karr

AN EXTENSIVE characterization was conducted on the neutral oil components in a low-temperature bituminous coal tar. A total of tai individual compounds identified with respect to individual isomers, and at least 55 other compounds were indicated to be present. The amounts were determined in all instances. A comparison of isomeric distribution in the tar with thermo-dynamic equilibrium distribution, and kinetic distributions indicated that the composition of the tar largely reflected the structure of the coal from which it was formed. Detailed descriptions are presented for the separatory and qualitative and quantitative procedures for the characterization of the neutral oil component. These include micro fractional vacuum distillation, displacement liquid chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, countercurrent distribution, and infrared and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Descriptions are given for the synthesis of authentic specimens of alkylindenes, The ultraviolet and infrared spectra of 134 polycyclic compounds, ranging from alkylindenes to alkylphenanthrenes, either found in the distillable neutral oil, or thought likely to be present, are also given.

Jan 1, 1967

By R. A. Cattell

With the activities of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division geared chiefly to problems directly connected with the war effort , the emphasis of the work under oil and gas development and production was to make engineering studies of selected reservoirs for the Petroleum Administration for War , to determine the extractable quantities of components in them, and to study the characteristics of these components for use in the manufacture of aviation gasoline and other products . The needs of the Petroleum Administration for War and the operators for specific data from gas - condensate fields were fulfilled , and , in addition , engineering data along lines of a forward - looking program of research on reservoir behavior were collected , which should be of great value in the postwar period . It is planned to publish many of these data as soon as conditions permit . The work of the Secondary Recovery Section had as its objectives in- . creasing the rate of production of crude petroleum and , which is more important , preventing the premature abandonment of wells in " stripper " and marginal According to the National Survey of Stripper Wells by the National Stripper Well Association in cooperation with the Interstate Oil Compact Commission , a total of 67,460 stripper wells was abandoned from January 1 , 1935 , to July 1 , 1942 , inclusive , with an estimated loss in proved reserves of approximately 216 million barrels . This survey also indicates that over 1.2 billion barrels of oil would be recovered by primary production from more than 290,000 stripper wells then in operation , and an additional 2.5 billion barrels of oil could be recovered from them by secondary production methods . The work of the Chemistry and Refining Section was oriented towards the optimum utilization of crude oils in the manufacture of aviation fuels for spark-ignition and jet - propulsion engines . The work involved intensive studies of superfractionation , hydrocarbon analysis , and the engine testing of fuels . Particular attention was given to the effect of sulfur compounds in the crude oils and in the fuels made from them . The research on thermodynamics is concerned with the experimental determination of precise and accurate values of the fundamental thermodynamic constants of pure hydrocarbons and related compounds . The data obtained in these investigations will be utilized for devising and improving chemical processes in which petroleum hydrocarbons are the raw materials . Without such data , much time and expensive material and equipment may be wasted in attempts to obtain reactions under conditions that the laws of thermodynamics rule out of consideration . Thermodynamic data are useful and required in the petroleum industry for calculations of heat balances in the design of furnaces , fractionating towers , and heat- transfer equipment . It is of utmost importance , also , to know the heat requirements of cracking and other chemical reactions so that heat may be supplied or dissipated in the proper proportions . These needs for thermodynamic data are being recognized more and more by petroleum -refining engineers . The responsibility for the production of helium for the Navy , the Army , other governmental agencies and non-Federal users is vested in the Bureau of Mines by an Act of Congress ( 50 Stat . 885 ; 50 U.S.c. 161-166 ) . The Helium Subdivision of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division continued to meet all demands for helium .

Jun 1, 1949

By M. G. Zabetakis

This publication describes an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Mines regarding the cause of an explosion of a dephlegmator or fractionating column at the Cities Service Oil Company Refinery, Ponca City, Okla., January 22, 1959. The column was that used with the refinery's No.1 Dubbs Coker. The explosion caused the death of an employee of the refinery and resulted in extensive damage to the refinery and to nearby property. The Bureau's study of the explosion began January 26.

Jan 1, 1960

By Rodrigo de Oliveira Pezzin

Devido ao fato que a exigência por menores teores de enxofre em alguns tipos de aços, torna-se interessante investigar a eficiência na dessulfuração dos materiais já conhecidos com matérias primas alternativas. Duas dessas novas matérias primas que podem ser utilizadas no processo de dessulfuração são o resíduo de mármore e a sodalita. Desta forma, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de dessulfuração em ferro-gusa por misturas contendo resíduo de mármore, sodalita e agentes dessulfurantes convencionalmente utilizados. Os testes foram realizados a 1400°C, em uma atmosfera inerte (Ar) com agitação constante. Os testes experimentais mostraram que 50 a 90% da dessulfuração ocorreu em até 15 minutos. As misturas contendo fluorita foram os que apresentaram maior eficiência de dessulfuração. A adição de sodalita ocasionou uma queda na eficiência de dessulfuração.

Aug 17, 2017

By T. P. Dolley

Domestic production of industrial sand and gravel in 2004 was about 29 Mt (32 million st), a 6-percent increase from 2003. This increase was buoyed by a robust construction sector of the U.S. economy. U.S. apparent consumption was 30.3 Mt (33.3 million st) in 2004, an in-crease from 2003. Imports were about 490 kt (540,000 st) in 2004, an 11-percent increase from 2003. Imports of silica are generally of two types. They include small-quantity shipments of very-high-purity silica or a few large shipments of lower grade silica that were shipped only under special circumstances (such as very low freight rates).

Jan 1, 2005

By Juan Enrique Alvarez Ogusko

Rotas hidrometalúrgicas para o beneficiamento do minério de cobre vem sendo estudadas a fim de substituir o processo tradicional por pirometalurgia. No entanto, o uso de soluções lixiviantes como o ácido sulfúrico e a amônia são considerados ambientalmente desfavoráveis ao processo e descarte. Além disso, durante a lixiviação do cobre também ocorre a lixiviação do ferro. O uso de glicina como agente lixiviante é uma alternativa de baixo impacto ambiental já que é um aminoácido capaz de ser metabolizado por organismos vivos. Na lixiviação, a glicina apresenta a capacidade de formar um complexo quelante apenas com o íon Cu2+. Esse trabalho buscou avaliar a capacidade de lixiviação de um minério de cobre concentrado proveniente do Peru. Para isso, três concentrações de glicina em meio aquoso foram avaliadas nas temperaturas de 25ºC (48 horas de contato) e 60ºC (duas horas de contato). O pH da solução foi mantido entre 10,5 e 11 com adição de hidróxido de sódio. Foi possível lixiviar acima de 30% do cobre usando 0,8M de glicina na solução e em ambas as temperaturas de estudo. Além disso, a lixiviação do ferro ficou abaixo de 0,6% mostrando a seletividade da glicina para o cobre durante a lixiviação.

Oct 30, 2017

By M. K. McCarter

In 1963, a major expansion program at Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine converted rail operation in the upper portion of the pit to truck haulage. Since that time truck-haulage capacity has increased to about 272 000 Mg (300,000 tons) per day. The majority of this production is waste material which is deposited in monolithic dumps located on the eastern slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains. The largest of these dumps, referred to as Copper Notch and Keystone, measures approximately 1830 m (6000 ft) in length, from 180 to 300 m (600 to 1000 ft) in height, and contains some 430 Tg (470 mil lion tons) of waste. The height, structure, rapid rate of growth, and anticipated leaching suggested the possibility of dump failure. In order to evaluate this possibility, an outside consulting firm was retained in 1966 to investigate the stability of the growing dumps. Their investigation indicated that, other than superficial movement, the waste dumps would be stable under static loading, and that soil distribution was not continuous enough to sustain massive foundation failure. Since this investigation, however, several failure processes have been observed. Crest settlement occurs frequently in response to compaction and over-steepening in the upper portion of the dump surface. Over-steepening results from accumulation of fines near the crest caused by natural segregation. Normally, coarse material, near the base of the dump, exhibits an angle of repose near 0.65 rad (37"). The fine material, however, stands as steep as 0.75 rad (40"). Periodic equilibrium adjustments cause stepwise settlement (Figure 1) of the dump surface and occasional sloughing of the protective berm. Routine surface preparation by dozers and graders and frequent inspections by supervisory personnel have proven adequate in preventing problems associated with this form of crest instability.

Jan 1, 1976

By A. Ludkin

The paper presents the history of the occurrence of spontaneous combustion in the north area, together with the associated problems. These are examined and a description is given of the methods used to combat the danger, including the use of modern scientific instrumentation. Detailed reference is made to the underground trials with pack injection and sealant coatings which were carried out at Seafield Colliery following the formation of a working group to assess the performance, in the same underground conditions, of (1) sandbagging, (2) pack injection, (3) surface coating. Based on these trials, an improved and more economical method of prevention has been established. There is, however, still scope for further improvement in techniques which would take into account the problems of gradient, transport, manpower and cost.

May 23, 1905

By N. Iverson, E. Haft, V. T. McLemore, M. Woodard, E. Owen

Present and emerging technologies are renewing interest in domestic rare earth elements (REE) production. REE deposits throughout the North American Cordilleran alkaline-igneous belt are being re-examined for their economic potential. In New Mexico, the mineral deposits found in this belt are associated with Eocene–Oligocene alkaline to calc-alkaline igneous rocks. Four areas in New Mexico have been examined for their REE potential. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are similar for all four districts, even though different REE minerals are found. Crandallite, xenotime, bastnäsite and brookite are found in fluorite veins and carbonatites at Laughlin Peak. Bastnäsite was extracted during fluorite processing from 1954-1980 from the Gallinas Mountains, where samples as high as 8% total REE are found in fluorite veins. Other REE minerals include agardite, parasite, xenotime, and monazite. Allanite, thorite and as much as 8133 ppm total REE are found in fluorite veins in the Capitan Mountains. In the Cornudas Mountains, exploration along the outer edge of the Wind Mountain nepheline syenite laccolith and within phonolite dikes, plugs, skarns and carbonate-replacement deposits in Chess Draw contain as much as 3110 ppm TREE, hosted in eudialyte, monazite, bastnäsite, and calciocatapleiite.

Feb 1, 2023

By C. Graham

Mechanisation has been a predominant theme of the past 50 years in the mining industry, particularly underground mining. As the level of technology employed has increased, the anticipated productivity gains have not been realised and the differences are not explained by the demand for higher standards of safety and security. Now, mining costs are so high and productivity so low that the resultant return on investment for many Canadian operations has fallen to levels considered unacceptable in a competitive capital market. Simply continuing technological development cannot reverse this trend and its financial implications. The focus on technological development has distracted us from some basic truths. Systems that are more complex are more likely to fail and cost-effective processes depend on the continuity of productive activity and the flow of material. When putting these facts together, it becomes clear that in a system that has fixed external conditions, the single most crucial issue is the effective management of the operational cycle. By its nature, technology focuses our attention on what gets done and how it gets done, while the crucial issue is the increasingly longer periods in the operational cycle when nothing productive is being done. What is required is to match the level of technological complexity to the fixed system conditions, which are virtually unchangeable. This paper looks at the overall system and objectives and attempts to present an appropriate level of technology for the Canadian mining industry, now and in the foreseeable future.

May 1, 2004

By Paul W. Johnson

A computer program for calculating capital and operating costs from material and energy requirements and equipment costs for use in preparing cost estimates for metallurgical process evaluations has been written by the Bureau of Mines' College Park process evaluation group. The program permits rapid recalculation of processing costs when changes of data or equipment are desired, and produces tables of capital and operating costs suitable for publication. Equipment cost summary tables for each process section end supplemental information for input-data checking is included in the computer printout. The program is written in Fortran IV except for several subroutines which are written in machine assembly language for the IBM 7094.3 With a few modifications, the program can be used on other computers.

Jan 1, 1969

By Rafael Fernandes Reis

A solidificação do aço no molde é determinante para a qualidade superficial da placa, considerando que os principais defeitos tendem a se formar nos primeiros estágios de formação da pele. Assim, diversos parâmetros do processo que afetam a solidificação no molde devem ser considerados e um deles é a oscilação do molde. A partir de amostras da face estreita de placas obtidas no processo industrial, duas técnicas para avaliar o efeito da oscilação foram desenvolvidas com base em perfilometria a laser e metalografia. Em relação à perfilometria a laser, desenvolveuse um método de análise da profundidade das marcas de oscilação. Foi comprovada a correlação da profundidade média dessas marcas com o tempo de estripamento negativo. A segunda técnica refere-se ao ataque metalográfico à base de ácido pícrico, que se mostrou eficiente para visualização, via microscopia ótica, do gancho na base da marca de oscilação. Bolhas de argônio e partículas de pó fluxante podem ser aprisionadas na região do gancho de oscilação, e eventualmente ocasionar defeitos nos produtos laminados. O uso das técnicas apresentadas nesse estudo forneceu subsídios à tomada de ações visando a diminuição da profundidade do gancho e da marca de oscilação, resultando em melhoria da qualidade superficial das placas produzidas.

Aug 16, 2017

Lime production is the largest single chemical use for limestone and dolomite. The term “lime” in this review refers to high-calcium and dolomitic quicklime, their hydroxide forms and dead-burned dolomite. This review is restricted to a discussion of the U.S. lime industry. Production and consumption In 2004, according to preliminary data, U.S. lime production was about 20.1 Mt (22.1 million st), an increase of 900 kt (990,000 st) compared with 2003. Production in2004 was valued at about $1.4 billion. Commercial sales of lime totaled 18.6 Mt (20.5 million st) and captive production was 1.5 Mt (1.65 million st). Total U.S. consumption was about 20.2 Mt (22.2 million st). The majority of U.S. lime trade was with Canada.

Jan 1, 2005

By Sandra Lúcia de Moraes

O Brasil figura como uma das grandes potências minerais do mundo, sendo esse setor de grande valia para a economia brasileira por gerar milhares de empregos diretos e indiretos. Apesar de sua importância econômica e social, a atividade da mineração ocasiona uma grande geração de rejeitos. O país é detentor de um robusto arcabouço legal, com uma série de regulamentações a respeito do meio ambiente no setor mineral, sendo que 14 delas são específicas para rejeitos da mineração. No entanto, o acidente ocorrido com a barragem da Samarco em 2015 trouxe novamente à pauta a temática dos rejeitos, o que tem instigado uma série de discussões na cadeia da mineração. Neste trabalho, os autores procuraram caracterizar três aspectos: o cenário atual da cadeia produtiva da mineração, a problemática da geração de rejeitos e o nível de desenvolvimento tecnológico que visa o seu aproveitamento. Esse conteúdo está estruturado em duas partes. A primeira parte, retratada neste documento, analisa a cadeia produtiva da mineração e a dinâmica que caracteriza a participação de seus vários atores, assim como as formas de aumentar os investimentos em processos de recuperação de rejeitos.

Oct 30, 2017

By Ricardo Thomé da Cruz

Na produção de aços é essencial garantir maior durabilidade do material refratário em panelas siderúrgicas. A formação de um revestimento protetor (“coating”) de silicato dicálcico (C2S) em tijolos dolomíticos em contato com escórias básicas é fundamental ao aumento da vida útil dos mesmos. As temperaturas solidus e liquidus do C2S alfa puro são de aproximadamente 1.464°C e 2.154°C. Assim sendo, é esperada uma alta fração de sólido nas temperaturas de refino do aço. No entanto, a presença de óxidos como Al2O3, FeO e a fluorita (CaF2) na escória podem acelerar a dissolução do coating pela formação de fases de menor temperatura de fusão. A fim de melhor compreender esse processo, foram preparadas amostras de diferentes composições de fluorita + C2S na temperatura de 1.600°C. Os resultados foram analisados com o auxilio do software FactSage (simulação termodinâmica). Especificamente, foi estudada a influência da formação de fases e da temperatura de formação das mesmas, as quais levam a fusão do coating. Os dados de simulação foram validados através de ensaios em forno de laboratório.

Jul 30, 2018

By WM. E. Mlligan

IN the last year, much information had become available as to the extent that zinc participated in the war effort. The importance of foreign zinc in this program had been indicated by Bateman (M&M April 1945) as of the order of 400,000 tons annually in zinc or contained zinc. Pehrson (M&M April 1945) reviewed the domestic ore-reserve situation with respect to most minerals and metals and showed the extent to which commercial zinc ores had become depleted in this country. This picture was further darkened by O.P.A. figures appearing in E.&M.J. July 1945 in which figures for total production during the three previous years were broken down into percentages produced under ceiling and various quota price categories. True, factors other than depleted ore reserves contributed to this picture. Among the more important of these, were shortage and high cost of labor, both skilled and unskilled, and the general difficulty and cost of maintaining adequate equipment and supplies. The cost of production in the Tri-State district was most affected.

Jan 1, 1946

By K. J. Bathe

The current version of the computer program ADINA/BM (Automatic Dynamic Incremental Nonlinear Analysis for the Bureau of Mines) for linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic finite element analysis of mine structures is described. The complete report is divided into four parts. In Part A the program solution capabilities, the finite element library, the logical construction of the program and storage allocations are discussed. In Part B the theory and numerical techniques used in the program are summarized. In Part C brief problem descriptions and solution results for some sample solutions that have been transmitted as data cases with the program are presented. In the last section of the report, Part D, the users? manual of the program is presented. Program ADINA/BM is a general effective tool for coal mine structural analysis. The program is an extension of the computer program NON SAP (which was developed under an earlier contract with the U.S. Bureau of Mines). The important additional capabilities of ADINA/BM are: (1) the occurrence of all elements is time dependent, (2) all elements can be used in geometric and material nonlinear analysis, (3) the truss element can be used in elastic-plastic analysis, (4) the three-dimensional element can be employed in orthotropic, elastic-plastic and cracking and crushing analysis, (5) the program executes an out-of-core solution and thus allows the analysis of very large and complex coal mine models, (6) the truss elements can be employed as 2-4 variable-number-nodes elements, (7) a rock material model has been implemented, (8) displacement constraint equations can be imposed in the solution, (9) more flexibility in specifying the incremental solution strategy and an acceleration procedure in the equilibrium iteration are available

Jan 1, 1978