Search Documents

By N Merry, T Cocks

The mineral exploration industry is increasingly aware of the importance of the relationship between mineralogical data and geochemical assay results. However, until recently, the cost and time constraints of most techniques for analysing alteration mineralogy have precluded detailed alteration studies. These impediments have been reduced by the development of the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA), a field portable infrared spectrometer that allows rapid (in field) and cost effective analysis of alteration minerals including subtle variations in mineral crystallinity and composition.   A major application of this technology is in mapping mineralogical variations within hydrothermal alteration systems. Using actual case study examples this paper introduces two approaches to using the PIMA data: 1. for directly mapping alteration systems and using the PIMA data to provide vectors to mineralisation, and 2. for establishing empirical relationships between geochemical data and PIMA spectral data. These applications demonstrate that this technology can be an invaluable tool for targeting and mapping alteration and mineralisation.

Jan 1, 1995

By T Haskell, Y Joe, S Dickie

A current trend amongst producers is the increase in dewatering of iron ore fines (<0.5 mm), due to an increase in wet beneficiation processes used to upgrade lower quality ore deposits, increased water content in orebodies located below the water table, and increasing focus on transportable moisture limits (TML). Vacuum filtration is commonly used for dewatering of iron ore fines, and as with all filtration processes performance decreases with particle size. Significant improvements are possible with the use of filter aids, usually anionic surfactants and flocculants. Anionic surfactants reduce the surface tension of the associated water, which is then removed more readily leading to improved filtercake moistures. Anionic flocculants used correctly can improve cake permeability, in turn, decreasing cake formation times and increasing filtration rates. In addition to increased throughput, savings and benefits for producers can include: moisture limit penalties, improved handleability, along with energy and water savings.The effect of filter aids on two iron ore fines samples from the Pilbara region were evaluated using a lab scale vacuum filtration unit. The first sample showed a reduction in the filtercake moisture content by 2.3 per cent weight/weight (w/w) with the use of BASF’s Drimax® 1234. For the second sample a reduction in the filtercake moisture of 3.4 per cent w/w along with an increase in filtration rate of 20 per cent was achieved by using a combination of Magnafloc® 5250 and Drimax® 1239 NF, as both filter throughput and cake moisture were considered important by site.CITATION:Haskell, T, Dickie, S and Joe, Y, 2017. The use of filter aids on iron ore fines, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 183–186 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

Steven F. Leer, president and chief executive officer of Arch Coal Inc. will be the master of ceremonies for the 12th Annual National Mining Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. The black-tie (optional) affair will be held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 10 in St. Louis, MO. Six legendary leaders will be inducted at the ceremony. They will join 145 mining greats previously honored in the annual ceremonies. R. Joe Wagner, vice president for exploration and chief geologist of The Doe Run Co., St. Louis, will be the evening’s keynote speaker. His father, Richard Edwin Wagner (1898-1979), was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame in 1998 at the banquet in Phoenix, AZ.

Jan 1, 1999

The EMEM Awards of the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) were formally launched on 3 March 2000 by Ms Susan Shabangu, Deputy Minister at the Department?s Mineralia Centre in Pretoria. The launch was attended by invited guests from the mining and aggregate industries ,representatives of the Patron Organisations (see below),non- government and scientific organizations, the media, other government departments involved with mining environmental management and members of staff of the DME both nationally and regionally.

Jan 1, 2000

The pellet plant, built by Dravo Corp, in Groveland, Mich., for the Hanna Mining Co., is now in full operation. Although using jasper, a type of iron ore with low iron content (approximately 28% Fe), the plant has a rated capacity of 1,250,000 tans of pellets per year. In its four years of existence, the nearby concentrating plant has seen its capacity increase from 700,000 tons to 1,500,000 tons a year as part of a major expansion program at Groveland. Utilizing the Dravo-Lurgi continuous grate process, the pellet plant produces %a-in. pellets of more than 60% iron content. The fully-hooded pelletizing grate, largest in the U.S., is 9 ft. 10% in. wide and 223 ft. 1% in. tong over 34 windboxes, with an effective hearth area of 2195 sq. ft. Drying, firing, and cooling functions are all carried out on this single piece of equipment.

Jan 4, 1964

By A. Feather

The Minataur? Process (Mintek Alternative Technology for Au Refining) is a novel route for the production of high-purity gold using solvent extraction. Following the successful demonstration of the process on a pilot-plant scale, a full-scale 24 t/a production plant has been commissioned at Harmony Gold Mine in Virginia, Free State. The commercial implementation of this process represents not only a significant advance in gold-refining technology, but may be instrumental in initiating important changes in the legislation regulating the marketing of gold in South Africa. Gold of either 99.99% or 99.999% purity can be produced from intermediate process products having a wide range of gold contents. The process comprises oxidative leaching of the solid feed, followed by selective solvent extraction of the gold from the leach liquor to reject impurities, and precipitation of high-purity gold powder. This paper outlines the process, presents selected results of two pilot-plant trials in which 5 kg/d of high-purity gold was produced from silver-refining anode slime and gold-electrowinning cathode sludge, and provides some details of the cost benefits.

Jan 1, 1997

By Eric E. Cather

A mineral survey of the Fisher Gulch RARE II area (A5299), Trinity County, California was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey. The Bureau of Mines was responsible for detailed examination of mines, prospects, and mineralized zones; the Geological Survey conducted geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies of the area. The area is underlain by the Salmon Hornblende Schist. Tonalite stocks 1.5 mi (2.8 km) to the east and northeast of the area intrude the schist and are closely associated with the nearby nines (Cox, 1967). The mines have quartz veins containing sulfides and gold in shears trending east to north past in the schist and tonalite (Hotz, 1972). Strewn and terrace gravel s occupy most of the drainages, many have yielded substantial quantities of gold.

Jan 1, 1981

The Gordonsville Operation of Pasminco US Inc. along with the Center for Advanced Mineral and Metallurgical Processing (CAMP) at Montana Tech studied, developed and implemented a pilot-scale hydrometallurgical facility for the industrial recovery of germanium and gallium. This paper describes the joint testing and engineering programme that culminated in this successful process.

Jan 1, 2008

By Billy J. Thorne

The damage model in PRONTO simulates the dynamic fracture behavior of brittle rock. It is based on work started by Kipp and Grady, [lg] continued by Taylor, Chcn and Kuszmaul [I91 [20] and recently.modified by B. J. Thorne (first documented here). The essential feature of this model is the treatment of the dynamic fracture process in rock as a continuous accrual of damage in tension, where the damage mechanism is attributed to microcracking in the rock medium. The fundamental assumption of the damage model is that the material is permeated by an array of randomly distributed microcracks which grow and interact with one another under tensile loading.

Jan 1, 1989

By David A. Lipton

In 1980, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral survey of the 23,500 acre Garcia Mountain RARE II area (No. 5107) in the Los Padres National Forest. Bureau of Mines data indicate a low potential fur gold, silver, and mercury resources. Twenty-nine placer samples, representative of small yardages, showed small amounts of gold or other economic mineral values. Mercury deposits in faulted siliceous rocks in the Franciscan Formation occur north of the area. Similar rocks are in the southwest part of the study area, but apparently contain no mercury deposits. Geothermal and oil and gas potential is low.

Jan 1, 1982

By B C. Sarkar, D Ray, V Sarkar, P K. Sinha, R K. Singh, A Kumar

Estimation of iron ore grade distribution has been attempted using geostatistics and artificial neural network (ANN) based models for a banded iron formation (BIF) type iron ore deposit of East India. Geologically, it is a supergene iron ore formation through an enrichment process of parent material (BIFs) by gradual leaching of impurities, namely SiO2 and Al2O3. As the degree of leaching differs spatially, distribution of Fe varies depending on local controls of ore formation. While geostatistical methods work on models based on spatial correlations of mineralisation parameters, ANN models a non-linear distribution and is widely used as a global approximator. Spatial distribution modelling of Fe values has been carried out employing ordinary kriging (OK) and sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS). Non-linear modelling has been performed using hybrid neural networks (HNN) that provided an alternative option for grade estimation. Classical statistical modelling revealed a negatively skewed 3-parameter lognormal Fe population having a mean of 60.49 per cent with a skewness of -0.08 and a kurtosis of 2.60. Semi-variography and geostatistical estimation employing OK procedure led to block-by-block kriged estimates with associated kriging variance, which provided an overall mean kriged estimate and kriging variance of Fe as 60.29 per cent and 7.76 (per cent)2 respectively. SGS procedure revealed a mean of 60.71 per cent and a standard deviation of 5.89 per cent with minimum and maximum values as 45.12 per cent and 68.70 per cent respectively in respect of Fe. HNN model provided values of mean squared error (MSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) as 12.33 and 0.61 respectively, thereby exhibiting the robustness of the model to sustain maximum heterogeneity within the target domain. A comparison of Fe grade estimates obtained by kriging, simulation and HNN models more or less maintain similar distribution patterns that are close to the sample data. It is thus opined to carry out the grade prediction exercise employing all these three modelling approaches to obtain alternative scenarios for improved mine planning and design exercises. The techniques provide a foundation for cogent grade modelling leading to improved iron ore reserve estimation procedures.CITATION:Sarkar, B C, Singh, R K, Ray, D, Kumar, A, Sinha, P K and Sarkar, V, 2017. Iron ore grade modelling using geostatistics and artificial neural networks, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 431–438 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By B. J. du Plessis

Automation of the conventional grinding circuits of Palabora Mining Company (PMC) required that adequate instrumentation and a control system had to be put in place, after which extensive testing had to be done to evaluate different grinding control strategies. The objective was either to optimize the particle size from the grinding circuit, or to increase milling circuit throughput while maintaining particle size at existing levels. Prior to automation of the process as described below the circuits were controlled manually. No on-line information on cyclone feed densities, cyclone feed flow or cyclone overflow particle size was available. This type of control relied heavily on interpretation of the process parameters by the operator and on his ability to make informed decisions on what the set points should be. An integral component of the automation process was the installation of a SCADA package (SysCad SDX) for implementing the on-line control strategy. A self-correcting model for prediction of cyclone particle size was developed and implemented on the SDX. The model is calibrated using values from the particle size analysers while they are operational. If the particle size analysers choke or fail for any reason, the model continues to provide a good estimate of the particle size. This technique ensures that a continuous particle size indication is available compared to the intermittent reading from the instrument. The continuous signal allows particle size to be used as a process variable for control purposes. A strategy was developed and implemented which allows for the production of a controlled grind size from the conventional milling circuit to the flotation circuit. The grinding control strategy allows for the control of particle size from the individual cyclone overflows. This strategy allows the operator of the process to increase or decrease production rate by specifying a coarser or finer grind size required for flotation.

Jan 1, 2001

By K. A. Larsen, J. L. Ariail, C. M. LaRosa

This article discusses the evolution of U.S. laws and policies towards environmental remediation at mine lands over the last 20years, the opportunities that these changes present for reuse, and the remaining challenges associated with community capacity for effective reuse planning and implementation. Emerging initiatives by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior for addressing these challenges are discussed.

Jan 1, 2004

By Britt H. Hatfield, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Wen-Ruey Chang, David C. Christiani

Occupational exposures to whole-body vibration (WBV) at different frequency domains may differentially affect human comfort and the musculoskeletal system. Under this presumption, a frequency-based weighting scheme has been adapted in many widely accepted standards for WBV measurement. However, there is very little human data showing a direct link between WBV frequency and musculoskeletal disorders. We conducted an epidemiologic study to examine the association between WBV frequency and prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and to identify determinants of specific frequencies associated with LBP in urban taxi drivers. Methods The WBV frequency data were collected from 247 professional drivers (aged 44.6±8.3) who participated in an exposure validation study 1 of the Taxi Drivers’ Health Study (TDHS) in 2000. 2 In accordance with the ISO 2631-1 (1997) methods, we measured the frequency-weighted acceleration over drivers’ seat surface, under conditions representing randomly assigned destinations. We developed a WBV record-replay system at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute (LMRI) in Hopkinton, MA, USA. This system includes two tri-axial accelerometers (PCB Piezotronics, NY, USA), one RD-130T PCM data recorder (TEAC, Tokyo, Japan), and one LMWBV meter 2.0 (LMRI, MA, USA). Only the vertical axis of seat-surface WBV frequency was used in this study. To characterize the WBV frequency curve, we manually identified the presence of any peak within each of the following frequency range: <4, 4-10, 10-20, and >20 Hz. Information about the operating vehicles and driving environment was either collected from the vehicle registration record (manufacturer, year of make, transmission, engine size, etc.) or directly measured (wheel-base length, seat inclination, etc.). Structured interviews were conducted by an occupational physician to gather information on LBP that had led to medical attention or absence from driving in past year. We used multiple logistic regression to estimate the prevalence odds ratio (OR) associated with the presence of each index peak frequency, adjusting for age, body mass index, professional seniority, daily driving hours, seat inclination, and the intensity of predicted root-mean-square WBV exposure in m/sec2. For any revealed WBV frequency that was associated with LBP, we constructed a multiple logistic regression model to identify the personal and vehicle characteristics associated with the presence of WBV peak within the indicated frequency range.

Jan 6, 2006

Draglines are one of the largest land-based equipment moving across the earth. They typically ranging in size from2.5 to 6.5 kt (2,750 to 7,100 st). Their size, though, makes them difficult to maintain. Recently, G&S Engineering Services used an Enerpac synchronous hydraulic lifting system to lift a 3.2-t(3,500-st) dragline at the Curragh Mine in Queensland, Australia’s Bowen Basin.

Jan 1, 2004

To the members of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy We have audited the annual financial statements of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy set out on pages 483 to 496 for the year ended 30 June 2004. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Institute?s Council. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. Scope We have conducted our audit in accordance with statements of South African Auditing Standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes: ?examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, ?assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and ?evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Audit opinion In our opinion, the financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of the Institute at 30 June 2004 and the results of its operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with South African Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Auditors 30 July 2004 Council?s approval of the annual financial statements The annual financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2004 set out on pages 483 to 496 were approved by the Council on 30 July 2004 and are signed on its behalf by:

Jan 1, 2004

By H. Morgolin, M. A. Greenfield, P. A. Farrar

In attempts to correlate mechanical properties with microstructure, it is desirable to determine the effect of ß grain size. Determination of 6 grain size is not a problem where a has precipitated at ß grain boundaries. However, in alloys which have been processed to produce an equiaxed a +ß structure the ß grain size is difficult to determine because ß grain boundaries do not etch. The ß grain size can sometimes be laboriously determined by searching for grains which have some a! outlining the 6 grains. This difficulty of ß grain size determination in equiaxed a + ß alloys can be overcome by heating below the ß transus temperature for a short time and water quenching. Fig. 1 shows the starting equiaxed a + ß structure of the Ti-5.25A1-5.5V-0.9Fe-0.5Cu alloy used in this investigation, and Fig. 2 shows the microstructure of the same sample water-quenched after heating 1 min at 1675"F, which is 25°F below the 0 transus. The heavily etched microstructure consists of some equiaxed a! in a structure showing considerable amounts of transformed ß. The ß grain

Jan 1, 1969

By Johnson RW, Rogerson R

New perceptions of the nature of volcanic hazards on Bougainville Island have resulted from a recent remapping of the geology of the island. Ignimbrites and calderas have been identified at six Quaternary centres (Emperor Range, Tore, Kunua, Billy Mitchell, Loloru, and Laluai), and large-scale explosive activity now must be identified as a significant volcanic hazard on the island. Billy Mitchell and Loloru volcanoes are identified as the most likely sites of future, major, explosive activity. Billy Mitchell was recognised formerly as an extinct volcano, but is now known to have produced major eruptions 370 and 918 years BP. Five ignimbrite units recognised at Loloru range in age from about 12 700 to 3200 years BP. Bagana is an active volcano in central Bougainville, but its explosive activity is relatively minor and does not significantly affect areas beyond the uninhabited area of the volcano itself. Balbi is the largest volcano on Bougainville and has an extensive geothermal area at its summit. It was thought to have been in eruption last in the early nineteenth century. However, 370 and 940 year BP plinian ashfalls from Billy Mitchell cover the central area of Balbi, so the latest significant activity from Balbi may have been at least 1000 years ago.

Jan 1, 1990

By G. J. Knighton

Introduction The Sullivan concentrator treats the complex lead-zinc-iron ore from the Sullivan mine of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada, Limited, to make a lead and a zinc concentrate for its metallurgical plants at Trail. Three miles separate the mine and mill, which are situated near the town of Kimberley, in the East Kootenay district of British Columbia. The orebody consists typically of banded sulphides, mainly galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, and pyrite. Important factors in the concentration of the ore are its exceedingly complex and its high specific gravity. It should be remembered throughout the paper that results and figures are based on Consolidated&apos;s experience with the Sullivan ore. The present mill feed rate is 8,500 dry tons of ore per 24 hours, for an operating week of five and a half days. Grinding and classification of the ore are carried out in three stages and, in addition, there is a re-grind section which re-treats the zinc middling. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the classification in the various stages and to give the results o comparative tests which have been carried out for the purpose of improving operations in the mill. The Primary stage consists of six units, each made up of a ball-mill and classifier (see accompanying flow-sheet). Four units operate in open circuit and two in closed circuit. The secondary stage consists of eight ball-mills operating in closed circuit with twenty-one classifiers. In the Tertiary stage are two ball-mills in closed circuit with eight classifiers. The re-treatment section for re-grinding the zinc middling comprises one ball-mill in closed circuit with two classifiers.

Jan 1, 1947