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By L. W. Higley

Electrowinning metals from solutions leached from low-grade ores is becoming an increasingly important extraction method as the metal industry turns to pollution-free recovery processes. Lead-alloy anodes are used industrially in the electrolytic recovery of zinc and copper. However, associated with the use of these anodes are the inherent problems of stability and lead contamination of the cathode. In an effort to eliminate these problems, the Bureau of Mines has developed a relatively inexpensive lead dioxide anode for electrowinning metals from strong acid solutions. The anode was prepared by depositing Pb02 directly on a titanium blank in a strong HN03-Pb(N03)2 solution at 2.15 to 6.45 A/dm2 and 60° C. This anode was tested in zinc and copper electrowinning cells containing 200 gpl H2S04 and 35 to 100 gpl metal ions at the current density of 3.23 to 6.45 A/dm2. Contamination of the cathode by lead was =0.005 pet. A 30-day test at 6.45 to 12.90 A/dm2 in an electrolyte containing 200 gpl H2S04 and no metal ions resulted in a slight change in surface morphology of the Pb02 anode but no measurable change in anode weight or dimensions.

Jan 1, 1976

At present, discounted cash flow analysis is generally accepted as the preferred method of valuation of mine projects in surface coal mining. One of the major reasons for that is its ability to take into account the time effect of money over the life-of-mine. As a looking-forward method, it requires forecasts be made with regard to economic, technological, technical, geological, and environmental conditions that will prevail in the future. All forecasts are inherently uncertain as they are a function of the uncertainty of all variables of the discounted cash flows analysis. This indicates that the only alternative for modeling the uncertainty in the project evaluation is the development of adequate risk models to serve the decision-making process. The paper offers a model of project cash flows at risk in strip coal mining, which is an integrated corporate risk management solution. The model is based on a stochastic approach that provides the answer to the question about how large is the deviation between stochastic cash flows and the planned value (or that used in the budget) at each time step of the discounted cash flows analysis, that is due to the uncertainty in the model variables. A solution is worked out for the allowable range of the stochastic cash flows variation that determines the probability of achieving the planned value of a mine project. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to model the stochastic behavior of the project variables. A case study of an opencast coal mine project is provided to illustrate the applicability of the risk model. The results obtained provide a new understanding of the mine project risk as a component of the project discount rate.

Jan 1, 2006

By A Parbhakar-Fox, S C. Dominy

The prediction of acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) from mine waste materials is critically important during all stages of the mine value chain. However, to determine such geoenvironmental characteristics static and kinetic testing of individual waste units must be performed on representative samples. The importance of sample selection cannot be underestimated; it is the single most critical aspect of any geoenvironmental investigation. Poor sampling techniques and inadequate sample selection will contribute to excessive variance, difficulties in interpretation and incorrect assessment. By undertaking mesotextural characterisation based on hyperspectral mineralogical data (with sulfur assay data if available), opportunities to improve sampling strategies are presented. Such data will inform the selection of samples for low-cost total sulfur, paste pH and geoenvironmental logging, which collectively will allow for accurate AMD forecasting and improved sampling practices to be achieved. Once sampled, robust quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols must be developed where the use of international certified reference standards become obligatory. This is currently not practised, resulting in inter-laboratory discrepancies when undertaking waste classification. Further improvements in geoenvironmental characterisation testing lies in the adoption of blended static testing protocols, whereby blends of waste materials can be efficiently tested so as to give an early forecast as to whether they will produce acidic or metal-laden drainage. Such information is integral in developing a waste schedule that will allow for a non-acid forming waste landform to be constructed right from the start of the operational phase. Ultimately, improvements in this discipline lie in technological innovations with regards to mineralogical characterisation, and by offering geoscience and minerals engineering students a competent education in the discipline. Collectively, this will empower a step-change in AMD prediction and waste handling, and will make the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a reality, rather than a dream.CITATION:Parbhakar-Fox, A and Dominy, S C, 2017. Sampling and blending in geoenvironmental campaigns – current practice and future opportunities, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 45–54 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By C. Pelley, S. Kelebek, S. Gregersen, P. Katsabanis

A series of small scale tests have been conducted to evaluate the effect of micro-fracture development, imposed by blasting, on the physical properties of the rock as well as its resistance to crushing and grinding. The uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, P-wave, S-wave velocity, point load strength index and grinding work index were evaluated for samples without any blasting load and for samples which had received a variety of blast loads, such as a simple side impact from a detonating cord, or combined impacts without any delays and with very short delays. The investigation covered two types of rock, granodiorite and limestone. The effect of blasting load on the physical and rock mechanics parameters of the rock was clearly shown and damage was quantified and related to loading. However the work index did not show significant differences between blasted and not blasted samples, probably due to the relatively low level of impact. Numerical modelling using the AutodynTM code was used to demonstrate damage development in the various configurations tested.

Jan 1, 2003

The roasting of sulphide ores and concentrates is often the first step in the production of metals or chemicals. In many processes, the production of sulphuric acid is viewed as a by-product, while in some plants production is an important economic factor. Regardless of the purpose, a pyrite roasting plant consists of mainly three plant sections: roasting, gas cleaning and sulphuric acid. With the addition of air, the pyrite concentrates are transformed into solid oxides and gaseous sulphur dioxide at temperatures of 600 - 1000° C. After cleaning and cooling, the sulphur dioxide in the roasting gas is further processed to sulphuric acid. Two types of reactors are used depending on the application: stationary or circulating fluid bed . For over 60 years, Outotec has progressively been developing the principle of fluidised bed technology in several different reactor types for a multitude of process applications. The versatility of the fluidised bed reactor system has manifested itself in the treatment of minerals, including solid fuels, and for metallurgical processes both in the ferrous and non-ferrous fields. Process applications have included roasting, calcining, combustion and charring of coals, as well as off-gas treatment. This paper provides a summary of the pyrite roasting technology currently used along with a simple cost comparison of pyrite roasting and sulphur burning processes.

Jan 1, 2009

The roasting of sulphide ores and concentrates is often the first step in the production of metals or chemicals. In many processes, the production of sulphuric acid is viewed as a by-product, while in some plants production is an important economic factor. Regardless of the purpose, a pyrite roasting plant consists of mainly three plant sections: roasting, gas cleaning and sulphuric acid. With the addition of air, the pyrite concentrates are transformed into solid oxides and gaseous sulphur dioxide at temperatures of 600 - 1000° C. After cleaning and cooling, the sulphur dioxide in the roasting gas is further processed to sulphuric acid. Two types of reactors are used depending on the application: stationary or circulating fluid bed . For over 60 years, Outotec has progressively been developing the principle of fluidised bed technology in several different reactor types for a multitude of process applications. The versatility of the fluidised bed reactor system has manifested itself in the treatment of minerals, including solid fuels, and for metallurgical processes both in the ferrous and non-ferrous fields. Process applications have included roasting, calcining, combustion and charring of coals, as well as off-gas treatment. This paper provides a summary of the pyrite roasting technology currently used along with a simple cost comparison of pyrite roasting and sulphur burning processes.

Jan 1, 2009

By M. A. Trevits

During the time period from 1990-2007, 1601 reportable fires occurred in the U.S. mining industry (an average of 89 fires per year). The leading causes of U.S. mine fires were flame cutting and welding operations, frictional heating and ignitions, electrical shorts, mobile equipment malfunctions, and spontaneous combustion. The fact that mine fires continue to occur with an alarming regularity reinforces the importance of recognizing and eliminating the potential hazards and the overall need for improved fire control and suppression technology to ensure the best possible outcome during a mine fire. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting an evolving comprehensive program of research that is addressing mine fire prevention, detection, management and suppression. This paper presents a summary of recent research accomplishments and provides an overview of the next phase of the NIOSH mine fire research program.

Jan 1, 2008

By Henry Kreisinger, J. F. Barkley

This book is one of a series of publications being issued by the Bureau of Mines for the purpose of disseminating information in regard to the methods by which the fuels in this' country may be used most efficiently. A knowledge of the temperature of the gases in boiler settings and in other commercial apparatus using heat tends to develop improved designs of apparatus and better methods of operation, thus reducing waste of fuel. The following pages present, for the benefit of those designing, operating, and testing such apparatus, information as to the accuracy of temperature measurements made under certain conditions and the corrections that can be safely applied.

Jan 1, 1918

By Stanton Johnson

Africa has a long history of mining and has been one’of the world’s greatest sources of gold and other mineral resources since the days of the Egyptian pharaohs. Mining in Africa has been dominated by South Africa since World War II. However, in the past 10 to 15 years, other African countries are beginning to slowly catch up with South Africa. Ghana, formerly called the “Gold Coast” is located on the West Coast of Africa. Ghana has been involved in mining activities for well over 100 years. Most of the mining activities centered on the mining of gold and were to a large extent limited to underground mining methods. With a more liberal economic policy regarding the exploration and exploitation of Ghana’s mineral resources, mining activities are beginning to evolve to a much larger scale. Drilling and blasting which is an important aspect of this evolution is also changing due to the involvement of foreign-based mining and explosives companies.

Jan 1, 1998

By A. M. R. Neiva

The WNW-ESE-trending hydrothermal veins cut alternating mica schists and quartzites of mainly Ordovician age and, to the west, a Hercynian muscovite-biotite granite. They have been prospected and developed to a depth of 300 m and reserves of 20 t Au estimated. The paragenetic sequence and chemical compositions of the ore minerals are generally similar to those at Jales to the south. Gold, electrum and aurian silver form inclusions in arsenopyrite, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite and quartz and also occur in veinlets that cut these minerals. Silver has been found in gold, electrum, aurian silver, tetrahedrite, freibergite and the Ag-Pb-Sb sulphide owyheeite. Early arsenopyrite crystallised at an estimated 480 degrees C and the more common, later arsenopyrite in which Au and Ag are generally included at 430-300 degrees C. Sphalerite crystallised at 307-100 degrees C. Monoclinic pyrrhotite may have been formed by the inversion of hexagonal pyrrhotite at 248 degrees C

Jun 16, 1905

By Henry Howe

THIS paper is a discussion of the extremely valuable one of Mathewson and Phillips, The Recrystallization of Cold-Worked Alpha Brass on Annealing,1 which not only gives us a wealth of important data reached with great intelligence, but also shows both uncommon powers of imagination and a perfectly fair spirit. Let me try to analyze some of their results, and to enunciate some of the laws to which these results point. For brevity I refer to them as "The Authors." The page numbers in parentheses refer to their paper. 1. The Visible Aspects of Recrystallization.-Plastic deformation in a single direction, as in cold-rolling, draws the grains out in that direction, that is, inequiaxes them, without destroying their apparent individuality. Each grain seems to endure the drawing out without changing either its volume or its orientation materially, for the etching tint of each grain seems to be as uniform after as before the drawing out, save for the "etch bands,"2 shown in Figs. A to D of the Authors' Plate I. As the drawn-out metal is heated progressively, on reaching a certain "disintegration temperature" these old grains seem to break up, probably into submicroscopic fragments, and this apparent disintegration is followed by a coalescence of these fragments, so that their number decreases and their size increases, till they may become very much coarser than before the drawing out. Ruder3 coarsened the grains of silicon steel in this way till single grains reached an area of 50 cm. (7.75 sq. in.). The deformation itself probably breaks each grain up into many very small fragments, but the fact that each grain continues to have a uniform etching tint different from that of its neighbors indicates that these fragments retain the initial common orientation of the grain. The apparent disintegration which we observe, then, is rather an abandonment of community of orientation for individuality of orientation, by the fragments formed earlier during the deformation. Hence we

Jan 10, 1916

By P. Klaus

"KfW IPEX-Bank is the commercial arm of KfW Bankengruppe, responsible for international project and export finance.KfW was one of the first banks in Germany to promulgate environmental guidelines for its commercial business activities. These guidelines were first made public in 2000 and updated for the second time in 2004. They now include specific reference not only to environmental but also to social concerns. The guidelines specify the procedures to be followed in assessing credit risks related to environmental or social hazards.The bank considers sustainability as an interdependent framework of economic, ecological and social factors. In its efforts to contribute to sustainable development worldwide the bank uses its influence as far as possible to improve a project’s performance if such improvement is deemed necessary."

Jan 1, 2005

By Terry Keough

Contents for discussion ?Current liner technology ?Innovation of magnetic products ?Development of magnetic wear liners ?Installation and change out method ?Uses and capabilities ?Internal wear liners ?Summary Vulcanized rubber ?Many of you are familiar with using vulcanized rubber to provide wear protection on mining equipment. For years, this was the standard for most mining equipment, and mines spent a lot of money fabricating and lining steel equipment.

May 1, 2010

Of late there have been various papers published on this subject by various authorities, in which certain definite factors influencing slime settlement have been brought forward. As the principles set forth by these writers are of great interest, and have, in most cases, been generally accepted, the author will review them in the hope that by discussion some more knowledge may be brought to bear on many points connected with the subject.The definition of slime at the present time is not a standard one, and varies according to different authorities, some defining slime as ore crushed to such a fineness that it will pass through a screen of standard size, say 150 or 200-mesh, in water (1, 2);others as that part of the finely-crushed material which is in the physical condition which causes it to remain in. suspension in water, and possesses pr?perties which render it almost unleachable (3). Authorities seem divided on this point, but of late American writers seem to prefer the former definition. On the contrary, B L Gardiner describes slime as a mixture of small particles of crushed ore of varying sizes which, when mixed with water, tend...

Jan 1, 1912

By Frederick Laist

AFTER a series of experiments covering a period of about three years, ending from the spring of 19iJ.2 to the spring of 1915, a 2,000-ton leaching plant for the treatment of the accumulated copper concentrator tailing was built and put into operation. During the experimental period, the first step was that of laboratory experiments or beaker leaches. The results on this small scale were so satisfactory that a small operating plant, capable of handling 5 tons of roasted tailing per day, was installed. Again, the results proved satisfactory and an 80­ton plant was built and operated continuously from August until February, 1913. In this plant, full-sized roasting and leaching units were

Jan 8, 1916

By Guillermo Silva, P. Katsabanis

The conventional approach to design wall control blasts relies on the borehole pressure as the most important explosive parameter. Borehole pressure is intimately linked to explosion pressure, which in turn is related to the detonation pressure of the explosive. For fully coupled charges, the borehole pressure is equated to the explosion pressure, while for decoupled and decked charges its value is typically calculated under the assumption that the explosion products behave like an ideal gas when they expand into the volume of the hole.

Jan 1, 2003

By Li Tiemin

It is one of important tasks in research of vibratory pile driving to increase speed of pile driving and depth of pile driving -- this means to increase capability of penetrating hard layer. In general, vibratory pile driving hammer make pile be situated in vibratory situation to drive pile by means of weight of hammer and pile, but the depth of pile driving and capability of penetrating layer are limited by dead weight of hammer. This paper introduces a new kind of vibratory pile driving hammer which differs from general ham­mer. A set of pressing system is attached to hammer and pile driving frame. The pull of winch installed on frame passing guide pulleys bring downwards press to pile through absorbing system of hammer. The practice and comparison test have showed that the new hammer is faster in pile driving and bigger in capability of penetrating layer than general one. Now, the vibratory pile driving hammer with pressing device has been applied widely in China. RESUME: The vibratory pile driving hammer based on vibratory principle to design have applied wide­ly in foundation engineering in many countries over the world. In order to suit the needs of deep foundation, at present, how can quicken speed of pile driving and increase depth of pile driving have become even more value to many countries in the world. This paper introduces a kind of rapid vibratory pile driving hammer which can drive pile deeper and more faster comparing with common vibratory pile driving hammer. Therefore, a kind of simple and reliable method has been offered for rapid vibratory pile driving in deep foundation.

Jan 1, 1991

By G. Arpa

Ventilation survey using tracer gas measurement is one of the techniques for mine ventilation design, monitoring and investigation of movement of fresh air and contaminants. However, there has been little research into using both tracer gas monitoring and numerical simulation. In this research, tracer gas technique was used for quantitative assessment of airflows through narrow vein shrinkage stopes with various opening shapes and friction factors. SF6 was used as a tracer gas to monitor airflow through three narrow vein shrinkage stopes in order to obtain diffusion concentration curves against elapsed time. The mine ventilation simulator, MIVENA Ver.6, was used to construct the entire ventilation network of the mine to monitor airflows through the stopes. The diffusion concentration curves against elapsed time were simulated with a numerical model. The result shows that the concentration-time curve is unsymmetrical and is skewed to the front of the flow direction. From the results of history-matching between the measured and the simulated curves, volume flow rates of airways and stopes were evaluated. Importantly, the tailing effect of the concentration-time curve between the measured and simulated is greatly improved by reconstructing an equivalent airflow route to represent unused mine openings, dead end drives and other open spaces. Finally, it can be concluded that openings, dead end drives and other open spaces have no relation on flow rates, but affect the airflow quality provided from the inlet portal as shown by tracer gas diffusion characteristics.

Jan 1, 2009

Illumination hardware developed in conjunction with previous Contracts H024202l, H0242049, and H0242023 had not been adequately tested in actual underground work situations. The purpose of this contract was to install and monitor this equipment on mining machines and in actual working places of coal mines to gain experience with the use of the lamps and support equipment in the abusive and critical environments for which they were intended. The equipment that was to be tested consisted of the following: a. Lamps -A variety of sizes of permissible fluorescent lamps which operate from 12 volts DC power. These include the following sizes: Model 8, (9 watts) 2" diameter; Model 15/2 (14 watts) 2" diameter; Model 15/3 (21 watts) 3" diameter; Model 20 (25 watts) 3" diameter; Model 30, (28 watts) 3" diameter; and Model 40, (39 watts) 311 diameter. Representative photographs of these lamps are shown in Figure 1-1 and 1-2.

Jan 1, 1976

By Christof Metzger

This paper discusses the process utilized by the Kiewit?Bilfiger Berger Joint Venture (Contractor) to select, design, and procure the largest mixshield tunnel boring machine (TBM) ever implemented in North America. The mixshield will excavate the 8,534 linear m × 6.7 m ID (28,000 linear ft × 22 ft ID) tunnel for the City of Portland Oregon?s, Bureau of Environmental Services (Owner) East Side CSO Tunnel Project. TBM selection was conducted under a preconstruction contract in which the Contractor, Owner, Construction Management Consultant and Designer collaborated on TBM selection prior to commencement of construction. This paper focuses on TBM design considerations, including the use of one versus two machines, machine configuration,extended-wear protection, hyperbaric interventions, boulder digestion, and erection of a steel-fiber-reinforced segmental lining