Search Documents

By Garry M. Johnston, Matthew L. Sutcliffe, Nicholas J. Welham

"The predominant current processes for the treatment of oxidized copper–cobalt ores use a reductive acid leach to bring the desired metals into solution. However, the indiscriminate nature of acid leaching results in a solution, akin to a metal soup, containing not only the Cu and Co but also an extensive suite of other metals. These other metals, notably Fe, Mn, Al, Ca, Mg and Si, all have to be eliminated from solution before the copper and cobalt can be recovered. Generally precipitation processes are used, but these tend to result in significant losses of copper and/or more usually cobalt from solution, leading to reduced recoveries. The AmmLeach® process uses ammonia-based chemistry to selectively leach the target metals, leaving the rest behind in the leach residue. This approach eliminates any need to clean the solution of unwanted metals and the consequent metal losses. After solid–liquid separation, the leach solution is immediately subjected to separation and concentration of the copper and cobalt using solvent extraction and electrowinning. INTRODUCTION The Copper Belt extends through the northern part of Zambia and the southern province of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and contains the richest and highest grade deposits of copper and cobalt remaining in the world. Whilst there are a number of mines that produce sulphide concentrates, using froth flotation, the largest deposits are those where near-surface sulphides have been weathered over time to form oxides. The oxides cannot be concentrated by conventional physical means to give high recoveries. Despite this, a number of dense medium separation plants have been installed and used to produce a higher grade concentrate which is typically exported (while the rejects, typically 2 to 3% Cu are stockpiled for treatment at a later date). These plants generally have low recoveries and can only be used on the dwindling supply of high grade materials. In exporting the concentrate, little value adding is undertaken within the country, thus greatly reducing the economic benefits to the country. Recent changes to the regulations in the DRC will effectively ban the export of low value ores, concentrates and intermediates in favour of high value metals. This will necessitate mines to install new processing circuits in order to comply with these regulations. The head grade of ores currently being treated in the DRC is slowly decreasing as the extremely high grade materials are being selectively mined out. In many cases, the removal of a small volume of high grade materials leaves a much larger volume of economically marginal ore behind. This is due to a desire for short-term profits overtaking long-term prosperity. The remaining ore, which in many cases is still of relatively high value by world class standards, is likely to be only treatable by low cost heap leaching. There are some initial trials of heap leaching within the DRC, but implementation at a large scale has yet to be adopted."

Jan 1, 2015

By A. Beitz, P. Smartt, G. Einicke, G. Rowan, P. Glynn

Coal is Australia’s highest export earner and Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal. With coal now being extracted from deeper reserves under increased risk profile, and in the interest of aiding the stability of coal supplies, Japan is funding a number of safety projects in Australia and China. The CSIRO, Australia’s premiere research organisation with the country’s largest exploration and mining research group, are currently undertaking a jointly funded Japan-Australia safety project at Anglo Coal’s new Grasstree Colliery in central Queensland. The project, entitled Mine Communication and Information for Real-time Risk Analysis, will deliver step-change capabilities in data integration, decision support, gas monitoring, geo-technical monitoring, emergency response and personnel safety to the Grasstree Colliery. Some key activities include: developing and installing underground coal mine Ethernet LAN components, real-time monitoring of gas and geo-technical sensors, MODBUS serial to TCP/IP converters, e-reporting of underground conditions, emergency guidance systems and underground trials of Internet Protocol telephone and video. The project seeks to integrate (in real time) key data sets from the comprehensive and diversified range of propriety system currently in use at mines (ventilation, strata, operations e.g. haulage, pumps, conveyors etc) into a single integrated risk management interface. This interface will filter the data through a rules-based inference engine that will cross reference the various data streams, compare with past events and outcomes associated with the similar historical data and present this “intelligence” to

Jan 1, 2003

By L. Connolly, F. R. De Luca

"Rubber liners at Denison Mines Limited are used in 10 1/2x 24' low discharg0 pebble mills. These were originally 10 1/2 x 13 Dominion overflow type ball mills. Experience here shows that the wear of rubber and ni-hard lifters is approximately the same in the feed end half of the mill, while the wear of rubber lifters is much greater in the discharge half. The wear of rubber plates is considerably less than white iron in the feed end half of the Mill and slightly more in the discharge end half of the Mill. Rubber components are lighter to handle but their installation is time consuming. This leads to the conclusion that a combination of ni-hard lifters a~~ rubber plates is the most economical compromise in Denison's case, for the Mill. Rubber discharge grates are superior to steel grates, while steel feed end liners are superior to rubber.The Use of Rubber Mill Liners at Denison Mines LimitedGrinding is done in two identic0al circuits each consist-ing of one 10 1/2 x 14' Dominion overflow rod mill, two Dorr Oliver quadraplex rake type classifiers, two 10 1/2 x 24' Dominion low discharge grate pebble mills and ancillary pumps and conveyors for pebbles. There is one centrally located distributor box that receives the discharge of the 4 pebble mills and splits it out to the classifiers."

Jan 1, 1974

By Jiwei Duan

The energy transferred from a hammer to the pile top is considered as the effective energy in this paper. The effective energy is related to the pile dimensions, soil and pile-soil interface properties. This relation may be expressed as an equation based on the dimensionless theory. The relationship between pile capacity and effective energy was studied by performing a series of wave equation analyses using a commercial software called GRLWEAP (Wave Equation Analysis Program) by GRL Engineers, Inc. The results show that the pile capacity increases with the blow count when the effective energy is constant, however, it has a little change as the blow count is over 100 blows per foot. The pile capacity decreases as the ratio of pile penetration depth to pile diameter increases if the effective energy is constant. The pile capacity will increase as the pile diameter and wall thickness increases if the effective energy is constant. The pile stickout (pile length above the ground surface) does not have a significant effect on the effective energy and may be neglected. Curves for pile capacity versus effective energy are presented to be used for preliminary hammer selection according to effective energy and hammer efficiency. Finally, a case from PDA testing was studied. Measurements of the effective energy and pile capacity by CAPWAP were presented and compared with the results by GRLWEAP.

Jan 1, 2006

By Edwin Berry

THE consideration of the present value of a mine is of great importance when planning for the operation of a property,, and it is particularly so in the case of mines that have large ore reserves. At various times during the past 15 years, the writer has had occasion to make rather thorough studies of the subject, and has been greatly impressed by certain important points which these studies have brought out, points which, though they may be well known, are often lost track of in the rush to obtain low mining costs and high daily tonnage output. . It is the object of this paper to present briefly, and in a general way, some of these points, and especially those which have to do with the relationship which (1) ore reserves and plant capacity, (2) grade of ore mined, and (3) ore losses in mining, bear to the present value. Present value, sometimes called present worth or actuarial value, means the value today of the future earnings of an enterprise. Great industrial, manu-facturing or railroad enterprises, if properly handled, go on indefinitely and their value is directly dependent on their estimated annual earnings. Mines, or oil properties, on the other hand, have an earning capacity only until the ore or oil is exhausted, and their present value is dependent not only on their annual earnings but also on their life, which is the length of the period over which they can produce at a profit. A mine, or an oil property, is a "wasting asset," while an estab-lished manufacturing business is not, or should not be. In other words, the present value of a mining property. represents a sum of money on which there could be paid from operating profits a determined rate of interest, say 8 per cent., and in addition an amount which, if invested at compound interest as received, would at the end of the life of the mine pay back the present value. In his "Wealth and Income of the American People," Walter Renton Ingalls says: "The fundamental principle of mine valuation is the present worth of an annual dividend accruing during the period of years corresponding to the life of the mine."

Jan 7, 1922

By Hans Korfmacher

Product take-back regulations implemented in Europe have presented significant challenges to the consumer electronic product and battery industries. Initially companies established single compliance organizations within individual Member States. These programs met business needs but were inefficient and costly. They were protected from pressures of marketplace competition and could not leverage economies of scale. In order to address these problems P&G, Hewlett Packard, Sony and Electrolux conceived a pan-European compliance organization to collect waste electronic equipment Europe-wide. This organization, called the European Recycling Platform (ERP), operates in competition with existing national compliance systems. Since 2005 ERP has collected 800,000+ tons of waste electronic products and delivered millions of dollars in cost savings. This presentation reviews the steps needed to establish successful competitive collection organizations that provide sustainable recycling at the lowest cost.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jozef F. Zurawski

Increasingly new interceptors or new Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects require connections to existing tunnels. More often than not, the existing facilities are old, in poor or questionable conditions, without proper construction records or as-built drawings. Many cannot be easily inspected unless major construction effort provides flow by-pass for safe access. This paper provides general guidelines on how to approach the problem of assessing the condition of old tunnels, how to plan and design the connection with limited physical assessment, how to develop the scope of work for the bid documents and how to provide geotechnical guidelines and designs for the bid documents.

Jan 1, 2008

By David Shatwell

Recent epithermal gold discoveries in Chile and Bolivia provide increasing evidence of a belt of intermittent, epithermal, precious metal mineralization east of the main Andean porphyry copper belt. This relationship may be the result of an easterly decrease in the age of magmatism and erosional levels, in¬crease in depth above the underlying Benioff zone and consequent changes in magma chemistry, or some other unrecognized factor. Examples are: • The Choquelimpie gold-silver mine in Chile and numerous other epithermal prospects (such as La Riviera, Bolivia) in late Tertiary volcanics along the Chile-Bolivia border. These lie east of the belt that contains the Toquepala, Quellaveco and Cuajone porphyries in southern Peru and the Cerro Colorado, Copaquire and Quebrada Blanca porphyries in northern rhila

Jan 1, 1990

By Shi Hongchao, Zou Zou Xinkuan, Zhang Jichun

As drilling and blasting is carried out in an urban tunnel, which is adjacent to an existing building or structure, the balance between blasting-induced vibration reduction and drivage efficiency is a most important issue that must be resolved properly. Therefore, a new cut blast method named Stepped V-cut millisecond blasting (SV-cut) was developed by optimizing the most common used Vertical V-cut blasting method (V-cut). The most significant features of SV-cut lie in the utilization of sublevel interval charging structure and millisecond delay blasting technology in cut hole and the cut-cavity formed from outside to inside sequentially. SV-cut provides advantages of high borehole using ratio, low vibration level, and satisfied advance per attack. Based on the principal of millisecond blasting, the rock fragmentation process and the vibration reduction mechanism of SV-cut are analyzed. Determining methods of blasting parameters, which do have significant effect on vibration intensity and cut-cavity formed quality, are proposed according to the forming requirement of both outer and inner cut-cavity and vibration reduction. In order to compare the performance between SV-cut and V-cut, field blasting experiments were performed in the blasting engineering of Yamalike twin-arc tunnel, which closely passes over aged parallel tunnels. Blasting results show that SV-cut blasting is proven as an effective tunnel blasting method for both increasing blasting effects and decreasing blasting vibration. Comparing SV-cut with V-cut, the SV-cut can increase blasting drivage about 8.5% and reduce the vibration intensity induced by cut hole blasting 30% at least.

Jan 1, 2015

By E. I. Gedgagov, A. V. Tarasov, V. M. Paretsky, A. D. Besser

"Hydrometallurgical technology and equipment have been developed in the Gintsvetmet Institute (Moscow, Russia) for processing of rhenium-containing alloys waste to produce commercial- grade metal products with recovery of all valuable components. The technology is based on waste treatment with hydrofluoric acid with subsequent decomposition with nitric acid at pH = 1 to 1.5 to ensure maximum degree of rhenium conversion to the liquid phase of pulp. Some experimental lots of ammonium rhenate and ammonium molybdate were produced at a pilot plant. The following main techno-economic performance values have been achieved when processing grinding residues (balance-based tests were conducted with a lot of SP-2 alloy waste) to produce ammonium rhenate of high purity, as well as tantalum-niobium, nickel-cobalt and tungsten-molybdenum concentrates: rhenium recovery of 92.3% into a commercial product from grinding waste; production cost of 170-210 US Dollars per 1 kg of rhenium in commercial-grade ammonium perrhenate taking into account its recovery; tantalum and niobium recovery of 75- 77% into bulk concentrate; nickel and cobalt recovery of 88-89% into a mixed concentrate; tungsten and molybdenum recovery of 88% to 91% into concentrate. Introduction During the recent years the use of rhenium has been increasing at a fast pace worldwide [1]. The growing prices for this refractory metal are an essential factor encouraging collection and processing of rhenium-containing wastes. Double-component waste, such as molybdenum- rhenium or tungsten-rhenium alloys can be readily decomposed and the process of rhenium recovery does not cause, therefore, any difficulties. The main separation of metals takes place at the stage of waste digestion with acid, because molybdenum and especially tungsten remain in precipitate in the form of hydrated oxides and rhenium reports in the liquid phase, from which it can be easily extracted by solid ion-exchange or solvent extraction techniques. However, most of rhenium is contained in super-alloy waste [2]. Such waste has different contents of valuable components, such as tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, nickel, chromium and other metals. The basis of all such super-alloy waste is nickel. Refractory metals in the super- alloy composition are in the form of metallized target-oriented eutectics, and due to this reason hydrometallurgical decomposition of such alloys is a difficult technological task."

Jan 1, 2008

By J. Chilton

The fact that methane ignitions continue to occur at the mining face indicates that monitoring with machine-mounted methanometers does not always indicate the presence of high methane concentrations. Methane concentrations at the face change quickly due to changes in airflow. By measuring these changes in airflow, it may be possible to predict changes in face methane levels more quickly. Currently there are no techniques or instruments to accurately measure airflow inby the mouth of the ventilation curtain or tubing. Tests conducted in the NIOSH ventilation test gallery compare the data provided by one-, two-, and three-axis ultrasonic anemometers. The effects of changes in airflow direction and turbulence on instrument readings are discussed, and guidelines are given for selecting the type of instruments to be used for monitoring airflow near the mining face.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. M. Carpenter

In response to the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2764; Public Law 110?161), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued the final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule (MRR). The rule, signed by the USEPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, on September 22, 2009, requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources and suppliers in the United States, and is intended to collect accurate and timely emissions data to inform future policy decisions. The MRR will go into effect on January 1, 2010, and a report of the total emissions for calendar year 2010 will be due to the USEPA by March 31, 2011. Under the final MRR, suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and certain facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions are required to submit annual reports to the USEPA. The gases covered by the rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases as outlined in Table A-1 of Subpart A of the MRR, which is also provided in Appendix A of this report.

Jan 1, 2011

By T. Dlokweni

Several Rockmass classification systems have been developed and used in Civil Engineering design and for underground mining operations. Some of these rockmass classification systems have been modified and used in the South African coal mining industry to quantify descriptive geological information for use in coal mine design and roof support selection. The Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR) system developed in the USA has been investigated in detail as part of the study. Advantages and disadvantages of the system have been identified by means of underground and surface borehole testing. Investigations into the rating systems in South Africa found that most of the rating systems used in the South African coal mining industry are for planning purposes, and are conducted on borehole cores. This study also highlighted that the rating systems being used are based on geology, and that the human factor plays a major role in the rating systems. To overcome these problems, all the classification systems used in South African coal mines have been benchmarked against impact splitting technique and documented. The best elements of these systems are combined into a new standard system that will be easily used by all mine geologists and rock mechanics engineers. Plusieurs systèmes de classification de la masse rocheuse ont été développés et utilisés dans le Génie Civil et pour les opérations d'exploitation minière souterraine. Certains de ces systèmes de classification de la masse rocheuse ont été modifiés et utilisés dans l'industrie minière sud-africaine pour quantifier l'information géologique descriptive utilisée dans la conception de mines de charbon et la sélection de soutènement du toit. Le système d'Evaluation de Toit de Mine de Charbon (CMRR) développé aux USA a été examiné en détail, comme part de l'étude présente. Tests en surface de trous de mine ont permis d'identifier les avantages et inconvénients du système. Une étude des systèmes d'évaluation en Afrique du Sud a révélé que la plupart des systèmes d'évaluation utilisés dans l'industrie minière sud-africaine sont utilisés pour la planification, et sont menés sur les carottes de trous de mine. L'étude présente a aussi souligné que les systèmes d'évaluation utilisés sont basés sur la géologie, et que le facteur humain joue un rôle majeur dans les systèmes d'évaluation. Pour surmonter ces problèmes, tous les systèmes de classification utilisés en Afrique du Sud ont été référencés en termes de technique de fissuration sur choc, et documentés. Les meilleurs éléments de ces systèmes sont combinés dans un nouveau système standard qui sera utilisé aisément par tous les géologues de mine et les ingénieurs miniers. Verschiedene Gesteinsmassenklassifikationssysteme wurden entwickelt und kamen im Design für Hoch- und Tiefbau und Untertageabbau zum Einsatz. Einige dieser Gesteinsmassen-klassifikationssysteme wurden modifiziert und sind in der südafrikanischen Kohlebergbauindustrie in Verwendung, um beschreibende geologische Informationen für die Anwendung im Design von Kohlebergwerken und der Firstabstützungsauswahl quantitativ zu beschreiben. Das in den USA entwickelte Kohlengrubenfirstbewertungssystem (CMRR) wurde als Teil der Studie im Detail untersucht. Vorteile und Nachteile des Systems sind mittels der Untergrund- und Oberflächenbohrlochprüfung gekennzeichnet worden. Prüfungen der Bewertungssysteme in Südafrika ergaben, daß die meisten Bewertungssysteme die in der südafrikanischen Kohlebergbauindustrie benutzt werden, Planungszwecken dienen und werden anhand von Bohrlochkernen durchgeführt. Diese Studie hob auch hervor, daß die verwendeten Bewertungssysteme auf Geologie basieren und daß der menschliche Faktor eine Hauptrolle in den Bewertungssystemen spielt. Um diese Probleme zu überwinden, wurden alle in südafrikanischen Kohlengruben benutzte Klassifizierungssysteme vergleichsweise in Hinblick auf Spaltschlagtechnik überprüft und dokumentiert. Die besten Elemente dieser Systeme werden in ein neues Standardsystem kombiniert, das leicht von allen Grubengeologen und von Gebirgsmechanikingenieuren benutzt werden kann.

Jan 1, 2003

By G. van Aswegen

Seismic monitoring became commonplace in the deep South African gold mines in the early 1990’s. The discipline has, to a large extent, developed beyond the ‘research’ stage, and a ‘Guide to Seismic Monitoring in Mines’ has been accepted by the Department of Minerals and Energy1. Although ongoing research is a requirement for the achievement of all the objectives of seismic monitoring in mines, sufficient knowledge exists to apply seismic monitoring for routine seismic hazard assessment as an aid to risk management. The design and management of seismic monitoring systems can be tested against requirements spelled out in the ‘Guide’. Assuming the seismic monitoring system performs as per requirement, the best practice for routine seismic hazard assessment in mines includes • Long term seismic hazard assessment: through back analysis of seismic data and correlation with numerical modelling output, reasonable tests for planned mine designs are possible. • Medium term seismic hazard assessment: o Spatial analysis through contouring of seismic strain related parameters, with superimposed contours or event plots of stress related parameters allow the delineation of potential instabilities in space. o Quantitative and statistical analyses of seismicity in smaller spatial units (usually encompassing production sites) allow the comparative seismic hazard rating of different areas/sites so that rock engineering input and risk management can be optimised • Short term seismic hazard assessment relies mainly on time history analyses of particular seismicity parameters. The temporal patterns are controlled by a combination of temporal and parameter filters, the optimisation of which determines the success rate.

Jan 1, 2003

By G. R. Moulder

A device was developed that measures dynamic stress (ultrasonic energy) transfer through installed rock bolts, a measure that is directly proportional to the degree of grout bonding of the bolt to the mine roof structure and thus the ability of the bolt to bear static stress. The rock bolt bond tester (RBBT) is a hand-held portable device that shows three ranges of bolt bond condition; i.e., one-third (Bad bond), two-thirds (marginal), or fully bonded. These are shown respectively by a red, yellow, or green light that displays for 4 s. RBBT performance was verified with 2 1/2-to 8-ft bolts installed in various types 0f mine roof structures (sands tone, shale, and boney coal-mud), and 15 now being tested by the Bureau of Mines in mines across the United States. The unit is about the size of a five-battery flashlight and contains the transducer electronics, and battery pack. The RBBT is designed for extreme ease of operation, requiring only manual contact with the bolt and signal read-out. The batteries are rechargeable and the package is designed for durability in a mine environment.

Jan 1, 1983

In this paper, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on intact rocks and broken rocks that were reinforced by grouting, and the effects of grouting on the strength of broken rocks were analyzed. The results show that after grouting reinforcement, the bearing capacity of broken rocks with different lithologies increased, and their uniaxial compressive strength recovered by approximately 6%–16%. The results indicated that the stronger the rock, the smaller the strength recovery of the consolidated body formed after grouting. At the same time, using borehole camera observation and deep overburden strata separations, the fracture development characteristics of surrounding rocks of the gob-side retained entry were analyzed and divided into different regions. On this basis, a guided grouting method was proposed; that is, shallow hole grouting was first used in the plastic zone of the broken surrounding rocks to form the isolation layer, and then deep grouting holes were arranged in the elastic-plastic zone of the transition zone to guide the slurry flow to the shallow unfilled zone. Therefore, the broken surrounding rocks were reinforced into an integrated body and selfbearing capacity improved.

Jul 28, 2020

By Sir Robert Hadfield

SINCE the writer has been intimately connected with the development of manganese steel for many years, some remarks upon the early work with regard to the rolling and forging of this material might he of interest, and particularly as to the question of rails of special quality and of superior wearing qualities. In a paper on Iron Alloys, with Special Deference to Manganese Steel, read before this Institute at the International Engineering Congress in Chicago in 1893,1 the writer mentioned that, about 20 years ago, his firm in Sheffield produced railroad material, such as tires and axles, of forged and rolled manganese steel, thus showing that this product could be manipulated and worked up into the various required forms. The tires illustrated in the paper referred to above formed a particularly difficult class of work to produce in a special steel, but no special obstacles were met with Although there was no difficulty at that time in making and producing manganese steel in various forms, forged, rolled or pressed; nevertheless, on account of its higher expense, sufficient encouragement

Jan 2, 1914

By Thomas E. Doerfler

Information and data related to the occurrence of fatalities due to major disasters in metal/nonmetal underground mines were analyzed. Standard statistical methods were used to estimate the probability of occurrence of major disasters, and to examine the relationship of disasters to injury statistics published annually.

Jan 1, 1980

By S. P. Godby, S. P. Sharples

Wind-tunnel tests were carried out of the conditions under which nuisance dust particles (100-1 000 micrometres) become entrained by wind. A laser entrainment monitoring system (LEMS) was used, and was found to provide an accurate means of assessing nuisance dust emissions from a surface. Accurate determination of the threshold entrainment velocity of dusts using the LEMS gives a baseline against which the performance of dust control techniques can be evaluated. Minerals tested included coal, petroleum coke, limestone, sand and pulverised fuel ash. Pilot field trials of a portable wind tunnel equipped with the LEMS have been successfully completed, providing a means of validating laboratory results in the field

Jun 19, 1905

By Merle L. Bowser

The Bureau of Mines has developed a portable recording methanometer that utilizes the Bureau's methane sensor. The methanometer can operate continuously for at least 30 hours on small, sealed, rechargeable lead-acid batteries.

Jan 1, 1969