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By Broderick E. Davis

Each year, about 45 Mt (50 million st) of flotation tailings are discarded in Florida phosphate operations. These tailings only contain about 4% of the phosphate in the ore. However, more than half of the phosphate in the tailings is concentrated in the +600 µm (+28 mesh) size fraction at grades of up to 20% P205. Many phosphate producers have attempted to solve this problem by floating the +425 µm (+35 mesh) flotation feed separately. However, phosphate recoveries in these circuits are typically only 60%. For seven sampled phosphate operations, the phosphate content of the +600 µm (+28 mesh) fatty acid tailings ranged from 15% to 25% P205. In every case, the +600 µm (+28 mesh) fatty acid tailings was higher in grade than the overall flotation feed. Attempts to efficiently recover this coarse phosphate have apparently been unsuccessful at these seven phosphate operations. Recovery of this coarse phosphate would provide an additional 900 kt to 2.5 Mt (I to 2.7 million st) of phosphate annually and add an additional year to the reserves of these important deposits. A typical central Florida phosphate matrix is composed of three different mixtures of minerals. The +1.18 mm (+ 16 mesh) portion is chiefly phosphate pebbles and is beneficiated by sizing. The -106 µm (-150 mesh) portion contains virtually all of the clay minerals and is discarded in the hydrocyclone overflow. The -l mm +106 µm (-16 +150 mesh) material is a mixture of quartz and phosphate minerals.

Jan 1, 1993

By Robert Mullen, Patrick K. Sollars

In 1994, Cyprus Twentymile Coal Company and Scandura formed a joint task force charged with the purpose of developing the highest rated fabric belt for underground longwall coal mining. This paper details the development efforts and concepts utilized by Cyprus and Scandura to meet the challenging demands of Twentymile Coal's East Mine District (EMD). The finished panel consisted of a 5,500 meter (18,000 feet) conveyor with 245 meter (800 feet) of drop over the first 3,660 meters (12,000 feet) and 245 meters (800 feet) of lift out-by over 1,830 meters (6,000 feet). The panel was designed with an operating capacity of 4,500 tph (5,000 stph) and 4.1 m/s (800 fpm) belt speed.

Jan 1, 1998

By A. E. Hall, K. R. Mutama

The wind tunnel has been used extensively for mine ventilation research and continues to be a valuable tool. The advent of the powerful personal computer has reduced the use of wind tunnels because several flow problems car be simulated and investigated quickly. This paper describes the recent design and construction of a wind tunnel which is now being used for mine ventilation aerodynamic research and teaching purposes. The wind tunnel has a square cross section measuring 900 by 900 mm and is 8485 mm long from the entrance to where it joins the fan. The tunnel was designed as an open circuit suction type and is attached to a 7.5 kW variable pitch axial flow fan capable of producing over 6 m3/s of airflow. The entire length of the wind tunnel can be used for flow investigations and all activities are visible since the sides are made of plexiglass. Results are presented from the test program to show that even without honeycombs and screens air flow symmetry is achieved.

Jan 1, 1993

By Thomas W. Traylor

Today, in Detroit, Michigan, a 14 ft. 6 in. diameter soft ground tunnel is being mined at penetration rates limited only by the logistics of liner handling and spoil removal. Soil conditions are highly variable and include clays ranging from very plastic to very hard, gravels, sands, silts and boulders. The permeable soils contain high concentrations of methane gas, compressed by groundwater levels some 40 ft. above tunnel invert. Despite these adverse conditions, mining crews frequently complete their 70 ft. production quota in six hours and go home. In one 4000 ft. reach of tunnel, progress averaged 68.9 ft. per mining shift. This paper has been written to explain this extraordinary accomplishment, and to demonstrate that truly continuous rapid excavation in difficult grounds is now limited by factors other than the excavation process itself. BACKGROUND The Detroit metropolitan area has a long and interesting history of soft ground tunneling. From 1949 to 1968 the city of Detroit alone constructed some 75 miles of soft ground tunnel. During this period the development and common usage of rotary or "wheel-type" soft ground tunneling machines was pioneered in the Detroit area. These machines are designed for, and were successful in, the cohesive or clayed soils that predominate the downtown Detroit geology.

Jan 1, 1997

By Maurício L. Torem, Isabella A. Scorzelli

Taboca Mining is one of the largest producers of tin in the world. In its pilot plant, significant amounts of a middling of 90% xenotime (YPO4) and 10% zircon (ZrSi04) are produced. Until now, these minerals of this ore body could not be separated successfully. This paper presents some aspects of the fundamentals of xenotime and zircon flotation with anionic (fatty acids) and cationic (amine acetate) collector, as well as the influence of the superficial leaching of the minerals with cold HCI and HNO3 on the floatability. The mineralogical studies showed that both minerals are optically liberated in -212+106 µm size fraction. Surprisingly, SEM analysis indicated that both xenotime and zircon contain very small inclusions (1-5 µm) of thorite (ThSiO4). On the other hand, zircon is fairly metamictizated giving rise to malacon. Zeta potential tests showed that the isoelectric points of xenotime and zircon correspond to a pH value of 4.5 and 4.7, respectively.The pretreatment with HCI and HNO3 displaced the isoeletric point (IEP) of the minerals to the left. The microflotation tests indicated that the floatability of both untreated and treated minerals are quite similar in the presence of the collectors studied in this work. Adsorption mechanisms are also suggested.

Jan 1, 1995

By Robert J. Wise

The mine plan for an underground longwall mine plan usually requires a longwall panel conveyor that begins operation at its maximum length and gradually shortens over the life of the panel. Current mine plans around the United States require initial panel conveyor lengths of up to 4500 m (15,000 ft) and capacities of up to 3.2 kt/h (3500 stph). Because these conveyors are constantly being moved from panel to panel, their components must be as compact and light as possible, and the design must be flexible enough to be modified as new terrain and conditions are met. In the past, when drive horsepowers or belt tensions were exceeded due to conveyor length, a new flight would be added, including additional belt storage units. In some cases, this led to as many as three flights installed in a single longwall panel. As the longwall retreated through each flight, mining was required to stop during removal of the drives and storage units. This sometimes meant several days of lost production. Intermediate drive technology was developed to eliminate this excessive downtime and still keep conveyor belts, motors, pulleys and other components as small as possible. With intermediate drives placed along the carrying side of the conveyor, belt and motor sizes are kept as small as possible, and only one storage unit is needed. Most importantly, as the longwall retreats through a booster drive station, it can generally be removed in a regular downtime slot and no additional production time is lost.

Jan 1, 1993

By K. A. Brame, L. G. Austin, R. S. C. Rogers

The breakage parameters of phosphate ore were determined by batch first-ordering grinding studies in a laboratory ball mill according to the Austin, Klimpel, and Luckie procedures. The results were scaled to five larger mills of 0.56, 0.82, 8.36, 4.41, and 5 m in diameter assuming equilibrium ball charges for the full-scale mills. The results were used to predict product size distributions and capacities for batch grinding in the smaller mills and open-circuit grinding in the larger mills. The predicted capacities were in approximate agreement with experimental values except for the 5-m diam mill. The Bond method gave capacity predictions that were 4570 to 150% too high.

Jan 1, 1987

By Dirk van Zyl, Clint Strachan

A study was conducted to assess the feaeibility of increasing the heap height above one lift at the Alligator Ridge Mine. This study concentrated on the physical aspects of the heap and liner performance. Two principle aspects were addressed during this investigation: (a) the adequacy of heap permeability under present and future loading conditions; and (b) the adequacy of the liner to limit seepage losses. Field and laboratory test a were performed and their details and results are presented. It was concluded that the permeability of the heap would remain adequate for higher heap. The geometry of the heap will be the major constraint. It was also concluded that the liner would perform satisfactorily beneath higher heap.

Jan 1, 1987

By C. B. Alcock

The control of high temperature processes requires the ability to measure significant variables during operations. With increasing automatic computerized control there is need for sensors which can provide on-line chemical analyses of all phases present in a reactor without the necessity to withdraw samples from the high temperature reaction zone. Probes using electrochemical cells and conductivity measuring devices have provided the answers to some of these problems, notably the measurement of oxygen in liquid metals, and similar potential systems based on the same fundamental principles for the analysis of non-metallic and metallic elements appear feasible. In this discussion, the state-of-the-art in chemical sensors will be discussed in terms of the potential materials of construction, and, in some cases, the limitations of upper temperature at which some promising systems can, at present, be applied. It is concluded that a new phase of basic research could improve the outlook substantially by providing solutions for some problems in chemical sensors which are now well-defined.

Jan 1, 1990

By Steven W. DeCou, Marcus R. Jensen, Stephen Navin

The Lake Mead Intake No. 2 is a project constructed for the Southern Nevada Water Authority which includes a 12-foot diameter lake tap and intake shaft constructed in over 225 feet of water; 1650 feet of 16x14-foot horseshoe-shaped tunnel leading to a forebay that is 165 feet long, 35 feet tall, and 30 feet wide; twenty-two 4-foot diameter steel lined well shafts extending 325 feet from the ground surface to the forebay; 3500 feet of 12-foot diameter pipeline crossing a bay in Lake Mead that has water depths of up to 80 feet; and 2700 feet of 9-footdiameter steel-pipe-lined tunnel. Major site grading for a future pumping station in the area above the forebay is also included as part of the project. The project is on the schedule’s critical path for completing the first phase of a $2 billion water supply program for the Las Vegas Valley. In this paper, the owner, the designer and the construction manager present a discussion of the risk management strategies that were used to control costs, minimize project delays, and facilitate problem resolution. The discussion includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the risk management strategies in meeting these objectives. This paper will be of interest to owners and engineers planning underground projects, especially those projects that present unique risks during the construction phase.

Jan 1, 1999

By M. J. McPherson, P. Mousset-Jones, G. Danko, I. M. Konduri, F. Calizaya

The flow of air through a bare rock, underground airway is affected by the size and frequency of the micro- and macro-asperities of the rough surface. The focus of this study is to characterize this roughness using the coefficient of friction, the friction factor and the fractal dimension. The rough surfaces were identified by two sets of 177 and 78 transverse profiles measured by a laser profiler along the length of an underground airway at the Sunshine Mine, Idaho. Based on the measurements, the friction factor was estimated from Atkinson's equation and the coefficient of friction from the Moody diagram, and power series and variography were used for computing a fractal dimension for the airway surface. Significant conclusions are reached relating the effect of error in the measurement of cross-sectional and rubbing surface areas of a drift, on the estimated friction factor for the airway. The potential role of the fractal dimension as an alternative to the friction factor for characterizing the roughness of a mine airway is discussed.

Jan 1, 1993

By B. A. Carbon

Western Australia is the largest state in Australia with an area one and three quarter times the size of Texas. Most of the State is desert or semi-desert, and only the southwest corner is heavily populated. The State has a population of one and a half million people, and one million of these live in and around the city of Perth. Perth is located on the narrow Swan Coastal Plain and is flanked by the Indian Ocean and the Darling Plateau. The Darling Plateau is an ancient peneplain rising some 300 metres above sea level, and forms an important resource base for the population. The Darling Plateau is old, having been formed some 200 million years ago, and its soils are deeply weathered. The parent materials were granite and gneis which have broken down to form lateritic gravels, overlying dense kaolinitic clays. Some 30 million years ago, in the Tertiary period, a sub - tropical climate prevailed. Appropriate conditions of moisture, temperature and drainage led to extensive laterisation. Some of the laterite contains bauxite of mineable quality. Some 1.9 million hectares of the south-west of Western Australia is covered by eucalypt forests. Threequarters of this forest is referred to as "Jarrah

Jan 1, 1984

By J. Hanna, I. Anazia

Selective fatty acid flotation of carbonate gangue from sedimentary apatites was achieved under acidic pHs without a specific apatite depressant and without conditioning the pulp with the collector. Concentrates (35% to 38% P2O5, 0.8% to 1% MgO) with high recoveries (80% to 85%) were produced from Indian and Chinese dolomitic ores. The calcareous and/or dolomitic-siliceous phosphate ores of South Florida and Utah required two flotation stages: one for carbonate removal, as mentioned above, and the other for phosphate recovery from siliceous gangue. Preliminary tests on the South Florida ore gave concentrates analyzing 29% P2O5 and 0.8% MgO, with a P2O5 recovery of 76%. A concentrate obtained from the western US phosphate ore from Utah assayed 30% P2O5 and about 1% MgO, with a P2O5 recovery of 89%.

Jan 1, 1988

By C. J. Myers, D. L. McKinnon, A. A. Dasys

In 1988, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) published an information bulletin stating that whole diesel exhaust should be considered a probable carcinogen. Since then, regulations across Canada and the United States (Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA) have looked at appropriate exposure limits for underground mine workers. In Canada, an interim standard of 1.5 mg/m3 Respirable Combustible Dust (RCD) has been adopted by some provinces and is being looked at by others. MSHA is considering levels as low as 0.5 mg/m3 soot. Golden Giant, being aware of regulatory developments, decided to look at means of reducing diesel particulate on thier large production machinery. This machinery (LHDs and haulage trucks) is powered by Detroit Diesel 71N Series engines and is used to produce 3000 tonnes of ore/day with a longhole mining technique. Having looked at the various control technologies, it was decided to evaluate the potential of using diesel particulate filters with a copper-based fuel additive for regeneration (the process by which collected particulate is burned off). This paper outlines the control technology used and the results of the field evaluation indicating the benefits to the underground mine worker.

Jan 1, 1993

By David McGregor, Ashoke SenGupta, Jerry Darlington

The stability of bentonite clay suspensions against flocculation in the presence of certain anionic polymers was investigated. These polymers included a purified sodium lignosulfonate, a sodium oxylignosulfonate, a potassium salt of humic acid, and a sodium polyacrylate. The polymers differed from one another in molecular weight as well as in carboxylic, phenolic, and sulfonate group contents. The scope of this study is in evaluating the extent of thinning achievable in a bentonite clay suspension in the presence of these anionic polymers under varying electrolyte concentration, presumably as a result of deflocculation of the clay platelets by the polymers. Under certain conditions of polymer dosage and electrolyte concentration, the lignosulfonate seemed to have flocculated the clay suspension, while the other polymers served fairly well as a deflocculating/dispersing agent. The lignosulfonate, however, showed some deflocculating ability when the electrolyte concentration of the suspending medium (water) was increased by adding sodium chloride to the clay suspension. Among the four polymers tested, the polyacrylate was found to be the most effective in deflocculating clay particles, followed by the humate and the oxylignosulfonate.

Jan 1, 2003

By I. Longson

Maintaining control over underground environmental conditions in the United Kingdom is increasingly dependent on the contribution of underground booster fans. Given the recent trends of higher rates of production from a fewer number of coal faces with higher levels of mechanization and higher power consumption, the effect has been to place a greater load on the mine ventilation system. This has increased the scale of potential problems that may arise should any of the main ventilation control devices not perform at the required full duty. This is particularly true for underground booster fans. Major changes occur in the main ventilation parameters on the stoppage or restart of a booster fan which results in a temporary loss of environmental control. This paper analyzes the impact of such events and details a mathematical model thar has been developed for a single-mesh circuit containing a main and a booster fan. Predictions based on this simple model are presented and discussed with particular reference to the energy changes occurring within the ventilation system immediately following a booster fan stop or restart

Jan 1, 1995

By D. K. Denton, D. F. Scott, T. J. Williams

Spokane Research Center personnel have been investigating the use of seismic tomography to monitor the behavior of a rock mass, de¬tect hazardous ground conditions and assess the mechanical integrity of a rock mass affected by mining. Seismic tomography can be a valuable tool for determining relative stress in deep, >1,220-m (>4,000¬ft), underground pillars. If high¬stress areas are detected, they can be destressed prior to development or they can be avoided High-stress ar¬eas can be monitored with succes¬sive seismic surveys to determine if stress decreases to a level where de¬velopment can be initiated safely. There are several benefits to using seismic tomography to identify high stress in deep underground pillars. The technique is reliable, cost¬effective, efficient and noninvasive. Also, investigators can monitor large rock masses, as well as moni¬tor pillars during the mining cycle. By identifying areas of high stress, engineers will be able to assure that miners are working in a safer envi¬ronment.

Jan 1, 2000

By F. F. Peng, D. C. Yang, G. Yanief, E. H. Cho

This study deals with carrier flotation of cerium dioxide, a surrogate of plutonium oxide, which is the major contaminant at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of using carrier flotation for remediation of the site. In this study, a - 200-mesh fraction of pure cerium dioxide was used. Oleic acid was used as the collector, while calcium carbonate was used as the carrier. Mechanical-cell tests were conducted to float the surrogate from a mixture containing uncontaminated NTS soil, both in the absence and presence of the carrier. It was found that the addition of the carrier drastically enhanced the flotation recovery of cerium dioxide. The flotation recovery of the surrogate increased from 34% to 65% by adding only 0.5% calcium carbonate (-150 mesh). The recovery further increased to 95% by adding 10% calcium carbonate. The flotation method utilizing a carrier of calcium carbonate seems to have a high potential for the remediation of the soil contaminated with radionuclides at the NTS.

Jan 1, 1998

By G. Sanders

The studies reported on in this paper were initiated to draw attention to the severe contamination problem in the Section 30 drilling program at Chimney Creek. The lithologic-subset sampling study reached a different conclusion from that presented in your paper, and I wish to comment on your subsequent analysis of the data and your conclusions. Request for more complete data In the section on subsampling, you mention that the subordinate lithologies were separated and sampled, yet only the dominant-lithology gold value is plotted in Fig. 4. In a contamination study, the reader is interested in the assay values for the individual subsets. Please include a table of the subsample assay data in your reply. Also, please indicate which analytical methods were used to arrive at the gold values in the subsampling study. Turning barren rock into low-grade ore Figure 5 is very revealing and typical of all of the cross sections in Section 30. Note the long strings of low-grade mineralization spread out for hundreds of feet below the ore zones. There were some very high gold values found in certain contaminated fractions during the subset sampling. The conclusion, here, was that the distinctive, strongly-mineralized dolomite layer was probably loose and crumbly and continued to disintegrate during drilling. This caused salting of the unmineralized rock samples below.

Jan 1, 1993

By T. M. Barton, M. Gauna, A. A. Campoli

Coal mine bumps, the violent failures of overstressed coal, present a safety hazard to miners when longwall mining is conducted in deep, bump-prone coal mines. Two different longwall gate entry systems were evaluated in a southern Appalachian coal mine located in the Pocahontas No. 3 coalbed under approximately 610 m (2000 ft) of overburden that included a massive sandstone member. Both gate entry systems employed a center abutment pillar flanked by yield pillars. The original design used a 24.4-m (80 ft) square abutment pillar, while the new design employed a 36.6-m x 54.9-m (120 ft x 180 ft) abutment pillar. Rock mechanics instrumentation data analysis and in-mine observations indicated that this increase in abutment pillar size significantly decreased bump potential. The new design in worst-case conditions increased effective bearing area 62%, with only a 9% increase in gate entry system width, and eliminated face bumps that were experienced with the original gate entry design.

Jan 1, 1993