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This paper examines the properties of Australian indigenous crude oil and the changes to Australian refinery process- ing required after the Gippsland crude finds in the late '60s. In addition the paper details the dif- ferent crudes available to Australian ref ineries and the relative product yields in relation to Australian crudes. Market demand for petroleum products both now and in the future is then related to the products yields. The paper also examines the impact of the OPEC induced crude price spiral and the subsequent changes in refinery engineering, current and projected market demands, and energy conservation measures both inside and outside the industry.

Jan 1, 1982

By Welch B. J

Results obtained from linear sweep voltammetry at a graphite anode in cryolite-alumina melts are presented, together with those obtained from a chronopotentiometric investigation of the influence of dissolved metal. The results, consistent with both production information and other fundamental studies, showed that the following two reactions occur at the anode.Equation 1Al (dissolved) ? Al3+ + 3eThe latter accounted for some of the loss in currentefficiency.The rate of the former reaction is limited by the slow desorption of the CO from the electrode surface. Mass transfer conditions, and hence cell design, influence the importance of the second reaction.

Jan 1, 1976

Economic mathematical methods have been developed and applied in the design, planning, development and managing stages in the mining industry. Economic and technological efficiency is achieved with the aid of a large range of probability models, which are used to enable decisions to be made progressively during the different stages. The entire operation is considered as a total system made up of sub- systems and the models representing these are consecutively interrelated with each other. Algorithms and programmes representing the economic mathematical models for all the stages involved were tested and were found to be applicable to the various important mines in the Donetsk basin. Currently, these models are accepted and widely used.

Jan 1, 1977

There has been considerable attention in the literature to coarse sizing by wet and dry screening, but these methods have not proven to be applicable to the calculation of screen capacities for fine wet sizing, desliming and media recovery: A method is presented for the calculation of the size of screens for such duties, being based on the mean particle size of the oversize material on the screen which reflects the surface area from which the fines or media must be removed. Similarly for dewatering, it is the area from which the water must be drained. Desliming, media recovery and dewatering are each considered along with water require- ments both with the feed and as wash water.

Jan 1, 1984

The operation of a one tonne submerged combustion pilot plant for the recovery of copper from anode furnace and converter slags is described and the effects of variables discussed. Using coal as reductant, copper levels of anode furnace slag were lowered to 1% or less, with batch times of approximately 120 minutes. Fluxing with limestone was required to produce a fluid slag at temperatures of 1200 - 1300¦C. For converter slags, reduction to 0.5% Cu or less was achieved in batch times of 35 minutes. The chemistry of the pyrometallurg- ical recovery of copper is briefly reviewed in relation.to copper recovery methods.

Jan 1, 1978

By T C. Hughes, R Hughes

Ausmelt has developed and commercialised high temperature reactor technology that has been applied to waste processing in the form of a catalytic waste converter (CWC). Ausmelt Technology uses a top submerged lance system within a versatile converter containing an oxidised molten siliceous slag. Metals and other valuable products can be extracted from wastes for recycle into the community. Non-valuable components such as toxic organochlorinated compounds are destroyed and prevented from reforming. The slag produced is inert and can be safely used in building and concreting. The CWC can be applied to practically all types of wastes and examples from Ni-Cd batteries to toxic wastes are discussed. Additional benefits can be derived from large-scale operations if the surplus heat generated is exploited to produce steam and electricity.

Jan 1, 2000

By Satayev IS, Shepelev DV

Various ways for applying the X-ray fluorescent method to process lump-by lump separation of secondary aluminium raw materials (scrap, slags, waste) as well as ferrosilicon and ferrochromium are being considered and physically demonstrated. A commercial X-ray radiometric sorter has been developed for processing secondary raw materials. Marketable quantities of aluminium scrap with appropriate copper and zinc content have been produced for smelting with a minimal additional of pure aluminium. An industrial complex for scrap processing, incorporating two X-ray radiometric sorters from the Hammermils company is successfully operating at one of the works in Russia.

Jan 1, 1993

By L Gladysiewicz

This paper deals with the current situation in the mining industry in Poland. An overview of typical transport systems working in the different branches of mining is provided. The transport systems currently used in lignite mining, particularly in the Belchat=w mine û the largest brown coal mine in Poland, and those operating in copper mines are described in detail. New designs of belt conveyors used in underground hard coal and copper mining are presented.

Jan 1, 2003

By Collier D

The topaz resource at Torrington in northern N.S.W is currently the subject of a joint research and development programme managed by Pacific Copper Ltd, This programme has culminated in a pilot topaz calcination plant, located at Parramatta, which, through its operation, will establish the commercial viability of developing this mineral as an industrial raw material for both the refractory and fluoride chemical industries.

Jan 1, 1989

Concrete has been used for many years in block caving, principally for drift and drawpoint linings. This paper describes the requirements for concrete in this application, the required properties, the mix design, and transportation and placement systems. In addition a concrete mix design rationale is also proposed.

Jan 1, 2000

A brief introduction is given of the scale and of some special features of South African gold mining; it is noted that great depth of mining and narrowness of the reefs, and hardness and abrasiveness of the rock are the main sources of the problems of the industry. The most inhibiting problems are: Excessive rock pressure occcurring in conjunction with rockbursts, hot and humid working places due to high virgin rock temperature and auto-compression of the air, and low level of productivity. Conventional solutions applied ordinarily in mining do not promise to eliminate, or even alleviate, these difficulties.

Jan 1, 1985

By Dalmijn WL, Valk HJLvd

At the Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, the Department of Raw Materials Technology, a mathematical model has been developed to predict the porosity distribution in an uniform jig bed. If the porosity distribution in an uniform jig bed is known, it is possible to correlate this to the settling velocity of particles with a density different from the density of the bed grains and thus model the stratification in a jig. For measuring the porosity distribution in the jig bed a method has been developed based on light absorption techniques.

Jan 1, 1993

By P Vix

A thermodynamic model of the copper Peirce-Smith (P-S) converter has been developed to predict the behaviour of magnetite in the converter slag, the amounts of slag and matte, the compositions of slag and matte, the volume of the bath, the bath temperature and the SEMTECH OPC signals. The predictions of bath temperature, slag and matte compositions and magnetite content in the slag have been validated by the industrial data. The effects of fluxing strategy, returns and skim charges, oxygen enrichment and temperature on the magnetite formation in the slag have been predicted and discussed. Some industrial applications of this model have been presented.

Jan 1, 2005

Until the early 1960s the world aluminium industry was dominated by six principle pro- ducers with integrated activities from bauxite mining to aluminium production. The growth in consumption of aluminium since that time and the emergence of additional producers has broadened the market for bauxite. In addition the increase in the optimum size of alumina refin- eries has influenced competing metal producers to unite in large joint ventures to minimize alumina costs. From these bases the paper examines present and likely future markets for Australian bauxite; differing marketing phil- osophies for serving those markets; factors influencing successful marketing; and the sources and relative strength of competition which Australia faces.

Jan 1, 1974

This paper provides an overview of the future for underground thick seam coal mining in Australia. It reviews the available and anticipated mining systems and technologies which may be adopted to mine coal seams of greater than 4.5 m thickness, together with an assessment of the likely technological and operational risks and challenges involved. This overview of mining systems is presented in the context of both current and recently completed research projects funded through the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP). The projects have been joint investigations between The University of New South Wales Mining Research Centre (UMRC) and the Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE). Outcomes from the projects have included an appraisal and classification of underground thick seam reserves in Australia and their suitability for each mining method.

Jan 1, 2000

Expert systems have been employed in a number of areas for a considerable number of years. However, the traditional long development times associated with these systems have restricted their application. With the advent of powerful Expert System Development Tools such as COMDALE/X and the use of efficient development techniques, the time required can be drastically reduced. This results in the availability and applicability of this technology to a wide range of applications. This paper discusses some of the 'rules' which indicate amenability (or otherwise) of a particular problem to an expert system solution. Various problem types are examined and these are illustrated with reference to examples of their use at various operating sites.

Jan 1, 1991

By Chen B

In recent years great efforts have been made in the optimisation of ball mill operation. This paper describes a methodology developed for modelling and optimising the steady-state grinding process. Thirteen basic similarity numbers of the process are derived. Based on these similarity numbers, we build a group of mathematical models which give a full description of the relation between dependent and independent variables. The parameter estimation and multi-objective optimisation of the grinding process have been done using these models, and validated with experiments in a continuous laboratory-scale ball mill.

Jan 1, 1993

The Elgas Underground Storage Facility at Port Botany, Sydney, is the first purpose-built cavern of its kind in Australia and provides large capacity, safe and environmentally benign storage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The facility will provide Elgas with the flexibility to source product at competitive prices and ensure long-term security of supply. Construction has provided Orica Australia, formerly ICI Explosives, with a unique opportunity to provide a bulk explosive delivery system specifically designed to meet the exacting demands of the site and of the project.

Jan 1, 1999

BlIP Minerals is a large, diversified, international mineral producer. This paper describes the company's operating strategy, and identifies the role of mineral processing in this strategy through three examples: the column flotation installation at Escondida in Chile, the leach-SX-electrowinning plant, proposed for Escondida, and the whole-ore roasting process being constructed for the Syama gold operation in Mali. It is concluded that the application of appropriate and sometimes novel mineral processing technologies can achieve significant benefits in reduced operating cost, improved product quality, and in some cases the exploitation of previously uneconomic deposits, thereby providing strategic advantages to the company.

Jan 1, 1993

I trust you know now or will know by the time you havecompleted your degree and added a little on-the-job experience,how to make the product from the mine you are working for. Butyou may not know the process to turn it into dollars, which ofcourse will be the life blood of your company. I am not going topromise to turn you into super salesmen, but I hope I can takeyou beyond the level of believing that selling our mineralproducts is as simple as putting in it on to a train, waving itgoodbye and waiting for the cheque to turn up in the mailbox afew weeks later.

Jan 1, 1994