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By D. Boufounos

The large open pit areas of surface mining as well as the huge quantities of residues generated during the digestion of bauxite with sodium hydroxide solution to produce alumina are considered as the most important environmental problems associated with the exploitation of bauxites. Aluminum of Greece, which is the only aluminum refinery in the country, located in Agios Nicolaos, Paralia Distomou, Viotia, produces almost 680.000 tones of bauxite residue annually which is pumped through pipes from the refinery to the sea bed of Antikira gulf. In order to avoid any kind of environmental problems related to this disposal method and to reduce the total volume of bauxite residue disposed of in the environment, Aluminium of Greece investigates several alternatives for bauxite residue utilization. In this framework, it also examines the potential use of bauxite residues as a filler in abandoned mining open pits. Bauxite residues are mainly composed of fine particles of silica, aluminum, iron, calcium and titanium oxides and hydroxides. Furthermore, the material presents low hydraulic conductivity, slightly higher than the limit posed for low permeability layers by the EC landfill directive. Based on these properties the dry disposal method was selected for disposing bauxite residues in mining open pits since it has many advantages such as reduced overall disposal cost, effective use of land and minimum environmental impacts. The results obtained for this method, which is investigated at demonstration scale, are presented in this paper.

Jan 1, 2005

By B. E. Dindsale, P. B. Altringer, R. H. Lien

The Bureau cf Mines, U.S. Department of the Intericr, is investigating biolcgical and chemical deccntaminaticn of cyanide- containing leachates and residues. Biolcgical cyanide cxidaticn, using bacteria isolated from a precious metals tailings pond, destroyed >85 pct of the cyanide in several prccessing solutions containing up tc 280 ppm CN. Reaction time varied from about 4.5 hr in a trickling reactor using quartz as a bacterial substrate to 2 mo in unagitated, covered flasks. Chemical techniques were used to destroy the remaining complexed cyanide down to 1 ppm. Exploratory tests were also conducted using spent ore from heap leach operations as the bacterial substrate to determine if biological cyanide oxidation could be used to destroy the residual cyanide in spent heaps.

Jan 1, 1991

By Jouko Suominen

The basic development of various mining equipment has been strongly influenced by two objectives; improving economic results and safety aspects. Both of these factors contribute to increased requirements of mechanization and automation in different parts of mining processes. When we are limiting the discussion the crushing circuits, automation has two dimensions, one being the component automation, or intelligence, the other being automation of complete processes. Both of these subjects are closely tied up, the former being a condition for the latter. The key technologies of crushing automation are transducers, programmable logics and computer software. Also equipment technology continually faces new challenges, which result even in totally new product families. One example of this kind of development area the track-mounted, integrated crushing systems, where design criteria have been simple control, unmanned operation, and flexibility in changing requirements. This crushing system, or philosophy, offers excellent possibilities for new concepts in various underground and open pit applications, connected with automatic process control. Following presentation is a summary of aspects, of haw a crusher manufac¬turer sees the development of automa¬tion as an integral part of equipment technology and development.

Jan 1, 1989

By James J. Guesk, Robert W. Reisinger, Timothy C. Richmond

A high-altitude (2,900 m [9,500 ft]) historic underground copper mine in Wyoming is discharging copper-laden water with a neutral pH into an otherwise pristine creek. The Wyoming Abandoned Mine Land program is reclaiming the site under a CERCLA deferral agreement. The clean-up goal is to reduce copper in the mine discharge so that the creek can eventually support a trout fishery. A pilot-scale passive treatment test utilizing sulfate-reducing bacteria has been conducted at the site beginning in summer 1997. Test results show significant reduction in copper concentrations in near-freezing mine water at flow rates ranging to 19 liters per minute (5 gpm)

Jan 1, 2000

By John G. Reid

Geologists, employed by the Australian Company, Metals Exploration Limited, discovered nickel laterite enrichment at Greenvale in 1967. A joint venture was arranged with the Freeport Minerals Company who had gained early experience with nickel laterite ores when building and operating the Nicaro and Moa Bay Treatment Plants in Cuba. A 5 tonne/day Pilot Plant at the Freeport research facilities at Belle Chasse, Louisiana, verified the amenability of the ore to treatment by the reduction and ammonia-ammonium carbonate leaching process used at Nicaro. A 5 800 tonne/day Treatment Plant was constructed on the coast at Yabulu, North Queensland. This paper describes the ore body, the mining operation and the stages of treatment required to produce nickel oxide products and a mixed nickel/cobalt sulphide product at Yabulu.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. A. King, D. R. Weir, P. C. Robinson

Preconcentration of Porgera ore results in high recoveries of gold into gravity and flotation concentrates. The bulk of the gold is contained in auriferous pyrite flotation concentrate and is not readily recoverable by direct cyanidation. Oxidation in autoclaves at high pressure and temperature produces a residue that contains the gold in recoverable form. Pilot plant treatment of the autoclave residue is described, through washing and jarosite decomposition stages, to cyanide leaching and recovery of gold and silver by carbon-in-pulp techniques. The concern associated with disposal of plant effluents are also addressed.

Jan 1, 1987

By Heinrich H. Becker, Vladimir L. Konyukh, Sergey P. Koltsov, Valery A. Davidenkol

Ramifide conveyor transport of the biggest russian coal mine "Raspadskaya" is simulated by Petri nets. There are 6 longwalls with accidental output. 12 belts, and 5 transfer bunkers at this mine. It is necessary to coordinate transport links for recon- structed conveyor system. Many tasks were solved by dynamic simulation, such as estimation of transport lateness, influence of transfer bunkers on an unevenness of total coal flow, maximum filling of each bunker, maximum time of main conveyor refusal, co-ordination of unloading for dependent bunkers, choice of main conveyor. The problem of mine-wide conveyor transport animation for dispatcher is formulated in reference to mine "Komsomolets". OBJECT OF SIMULATION The biggest russian coal mine "Raspadskaya" is situated on a south part of Kusnetski coal basin (West Siberia). One mines about 20.000 tons of coal out of flat seams by 2.2-4.5 m thickness in a day. There are 6 fully- mechanized longwalls by output 720- 3600 tons in a shift in mine. Coal haulage to surface is carried out by 12 belts having 1.6 - 4.3 km length. For a smoothing over un- evenness of coal flows 5 transfer bunkers to 300 tons were intro- duced. The designed conveyor system is divided into two parts (Figure 1). In the upper part some coal from Face 1 comes through belt road C, into transfer bunker 8,. From the opposite side that bun-

Jan 1, 1996

By Z. C. Liu, F. F. Roxborough, Lin. B. B.

The size distribution of coal cut by a mining machine is an important performance factor. It is well established that the main machine system variable that affects product size is the depth of cut. In essence, the greater the amount of coal won by a machine cutting at shallow depths, the greater the proportion of dust and fines produced. Conversely, deep cuts produce less dust and a generally larger product size. When cutting with a rotating drum, as well as with a longwall shearer, the depth of cut always varies from zero in the vicinity of the roof and floor, where most of the dust and fines are produced, to a maximum at mid-drum level. In this paper, minimizing the amount of shallow cutting with a cutting drum is discussed, and the effects of the drum cutting and design parameters on cross-sectional cutting area per revolution are analyzed. This study shows the following: •more shallow cutting occurs during the entry quadrant of a cutting cycle than during pick exit; •the ratio of the projected area of shallow cutting to the total projected area of cutting by a single pick per drum revolution is virtually the same for drums of different radii (however, it decreases as the maximum depth of cut increases); and •for double drums, the use of unequal drum diameters can reduce the production of dust and fines, compared to using drums of the same diameter.

Jan 1, 1998

By Patrick A. Ley

Maintaining, managing and manipulating large quantities of geologic data can be a very costly and time-consuming process. The use of computer-based methods can provide some relief to the problems of editing, displaying, and interpreting spatial geological data. ENCORE is a system designed specifically for coal orebody modeling and reserve esitmation where the geologic data is stored on a large mainframe computer and is accessed from a local work station for editing, manipulating, and producing various reports and high-quality engineering maps. The ENCORE system was designed for use by the geologist or mining engineer with little or no computer background and, additionally, it was designed to provide the geologist or mining engineer enough flexibility to be able to select the appropriate methodology for the orebody being analyzed. The various analysis tools incorporated into ENCORE can significantly increase the professional's productivity without burdening he or she with the need to understand the details of the internal computer language.

Jan 1, 1982

By S. Page, R. Bhaskar

The development is described of a real-time tracer gas sensing system for use in fell-scale laboratory studies of air flow behavior around mining machines. A semiconductor sintered tin-dioxide gas sensor is used for gas analyses. A data acquisition and analyses software specific to the sensor characteristics was also developed as part of the system. The system permits the study of transient behavior and assists in obtaining a better understanding of the movement of air around mining machines and in the study of the effect of potential airflow modification devices on the dust exposure of face personnel. It seeks to replace the current method of using a centralized infrared gas analyzer that polls several sampling points using an array of solenoid valves and gas line purgers. The polling results in a significant time lapse between the first and the last set of readings. The system described in this paper has the advantages of real-time sampling and safe operation.

Jan 1, 1992

Computer applications in mine 'production' planning and control are concerned with the here and now. In production planning and control we are dealing with tactics as opposed to strategy. Our objective is to make the best of the situation in the short term, i.e., in a relatively fixed environment with relatively fixed plant, equipment, and labor. Environmental factors include not only the geology of the deposit but also market factors (such as price) and governmental constraints and regulations. Mine production planning systems are applied at the interface between concept and execution. Mine production control systems are applied at the interface between execution and revised operating practices or a revised concept. Fig. 1 shows the information flow that takes place regardless of whether the planning and control systems are manual or automatic. The feedback that results depends on the feedback mechanism that has been established, and this feedback can be enhanced by careful systems analysis and design. Chronologically, production planning and control activities support the last in the series of line functions that are ordinarily performed by mining companies. The first of these is exploration, the second is evaluation and development, and the third and final function is production.

Jan 1, 1979

By R. Poulin, A. Lamontagne, N. Tassé

This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation aiming to verify the concept of co-mingling of waste rock with layers of compacted tailings. Overall, co-mingling is expected to delay the onset and reduce the magnitude of acid mine drainage (AMD) production in waste rock. To denionstrate the efficiency of the method proposed, five different column tests have been set-up. Columns were fed with deionized water at the top and drainage waters were collected and analyzed. Bacteria counts were done on the tailings and waste rock after the column tests. Permeability in saturated conditions and capillary parameters were measured for the tailings. The results obtained show that the co-mingling method would be effective in mitigating AMD by maintaining nearly water-saturated conditions in compacted tailings, thus reducing oxygen supply in waste rock by preventing thermal air convection and minimizing oxygen advection and diffusion.

Jan 1, 2000

By Kalliat T. Valsaraj, Louis J. Thibodeaux

A mathematical model is described for the transfer of hydrophobic compounds from aqueous to an immiscible organic phase using fine bubble aeration; the process otherwise known as "solvent sublation" an adsorptive bubble separation process. The limitations of the model are explored by simulating experimental results both for a batch scale process and a continuous process. The qualitative predictions of the model with respect to the influence of the organic layer (mineral oil) are tested by performing experiments using chloroform and 2,3,6-trichloroanisole as hydrophobic compounds in the aqueous phase. The continuous process is seen to be limited by the requirements of fine bubble generation and the ratio of influent feed rate to air flow rate.

Jan 1, 1989

By S. S. Vasan, K. A. Natarajan, J. M. Modak

The biological removal of calcium from a bauxite ore in the presence of the soil bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa is demonstrated. A column bioreactor that can be either operated in a fluidized-bed (FB) mode for coarser particles or in a total-recycle-slurry (TRS) mode for finer particles was designed, fabricated and tested for this purpose. For the efficient removal of calcium from the ore to the required levels, leach solution should not be allowed to accumulate in the reactor. Therefore, the solution needs to be drained out periodically. Cascade leaching was found to be more effi¬cient. A direct correlation between pH changes in the leach solution and calcium solubility could be made. More than 85% of the calcium could be removed through cascade leaching.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. D. Snyder, J. D. Bode, F. T. King

INTRODUCTION Only in recent years have the environmental hazards associated with mining and tunneling operations been fully acknowledged and determined remedial action undertaken. The nature of these excavation operations leads to a wide diversity of hazards spanning mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental, and physiological. The most insidious of these are unquestionably the environmental ones which have the greatest long-term effect and are the most difficult to pinpoint and monitor. It is the atmospheric contaminants that lead to a significantly greater illness and mortality rate among miners. Dust is the most prevalent, hence most important of the atmospheric contaminants. Respirable particles lead to diseases characteristic of many mining operations: coal workers pneumoconiosis, asbestiosis, silicosis, talcosis, anthrocosis, etc. But toxic and suffocating gases can be equally insidious and the most innocuous pollutant, methane, leads to the most imminently disastrous results of all - explosion and fire. This means that truly effective monitoring of the environmental hazards in tunneling cannot be limited to a few simple standard check measurements. It must include the most precise measurements we can make for specific, documented hazards and even for factors, such as noise and heat stress, not immediately obvious as hazards. The Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act and more recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards are clearly designed to match such effective monitoring. We must, therefore, consider not only presently available monitoring instruments and those currently under develop-

Jan 1, 1997

By E. J. Donovan, O&apos

The use of Dynamic Analysis techniques in the design of conveyor systems is extremely limited. The most frequent use of the technique is in large and expensive systems where the emphasis is on insurance against failure caused by catastrophic tension waves. This paper sets out to illustrate a much wider range of applications where dynamic analysis has been successfully employed. The examples chosen deal with identification and correction of dynamic low tension problems, the variability in take-up movement as other system parameters change, the requirement for proper tuning of starting controls and finally the absolute necessity for a complete understanding of the entire system when specifying brakes for critical applications. The intent of the paper is to get designers to view a conveyor as a system of interacting flexible components rather than as a single rigid body.

Jan 1, 1993

By SAMUEL A. LOLON, ADITYA JUGANDA, JURGEN F. BRUNE, JR. GREGORY E. BOGIN

Historically, there have been many events of mine fires and explosions recorded in the United States and other countries that have demonstrated the existence of explosive methane-air mixtures, herein referred to as explosive gas zones (EGZs) [1]. The risk of mine explosions can increase if these EGZs migrate out from the gob into the surrounding mine entries — a phenomenon known as gob breathing. A number of 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using various magnitudes and periods of barometric pressure variation have indicated that the EGZ outgassing potentially occurs due to lags in pressure, which are strongly influenced by mine conditions and ventilation systems. Early-warning systems with real-time pressure monitoring and the application of gob ventilation boreholes are recommended to detect and mitigate explosion hazards from gob outgassing.

By Jim Merza

The recent heightening of environmental issues has forced more and more mining operations to focus on developing new methods to control dust problems encountered at their concentrate dryers, stock piles, tailings ponds and during the loading, transportation and unloading of their products. The development of dust control agents requires a quick reliable and most of all accurate method to evaluate the performance and to optimize the formulation of these products in the laboratory, thus avoiding expensive field trial evaluations. This paper gives an overview of the industry requirements for specialty dust control agents, application techniques and current laboratory evaluation procedures. The paper will also outline the development of a unique dust suppression testing apparatus called the "Dust Box, which is used to evaluate chemical dust suppressants at the laboratory level. Laboratory results from two test programs on different substrates are presented in the paper.

Jan 1, 1994

By E. R. Braer, C. J. Bise

The trend in underground room-and-pillar coal mining is to employ remote-controlled, continuous-mining machines and extended cuts to depths of 12 m (40 ft) or more. This system of coal extraction, adopted by more than 435 mines, can create additional worker safety hazards. To address the ground-control-related safety hazards, a combination of statistical analysis and numerical modeling was used. Initially, the reported roof-fall incidents and fatalities were reviewed to delineate the ground-control hazards. Then, the application of the coal mine roof rating (CMRR) for estimating safe extended-cut depths was evaluated. Finally, computer modeling was completed to predict roof displacements during extended-cut mining. This paper describes the results of these studies and their impacts on the safety of extended-cut mining.

Jan 1, 2000

By Leslie S. Halasz

This paper describes the techniques implemented at Randfontein Estates to develop twin-haulages at 'high speed'. An operation which culminated in the world record advance for twin-end multiblast cyclic development in hard abrasive quartzites. A major expansion project was planned for the mine, with the sinking of a third twin-shaft system (to be known as Cooke No. 3), to raise the level of ore production from 3 500 000 to 5 000 000 tonnes per alumm. Subsequent redesign of the proposed shaft system as a single 9 m brattice wall shaft took place, reducing the planned shaft sinking period by 12 months and saving an estimated R 250 000 (U.S. $ 330 000) in sinking costs. The advancement of the Cooke No. 3 Shaft sinking and development programme necessitated a rapid excavation schedule for two interconnecting twin-haulages from the existing Cooke No. 2 twin shaft complex to provide a second means of egress. An early holing between the two shafts would provide significant financial and technical benefits. Pre-development and equipping of shaft pillar excavations would enable a rapid shaft production build up and blocking out of at least one year's ore-reserves.

Jan 1, 1983