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By Qingming Feng, Jinhong Zhang

A study has been carried out to apply fly ash as a high strength, water-resistant precast construction material through geopolymerization. Experiment results show that the working conditions such as water content, the concentration of NaOH, curing temperature, and curing time significantly affect the mechanical property of geopolymermatrix. Through optimization, an above-100MPa compressive strength has been achieved with the geopolymerization products. The optimum working conditions involves 10MNaOH concentration, 14–15% water content, and curing at 90 °C in an oven for 1 day or at ambient condition for 3 weeks. Adding Ca(OH)2 does not help to increase the compressive strength of the specimen.Water soaking tests show that the geopolymerization product has a very high water resistance without losing noticeable compressive strength, even after a 1-month soaking time. To elucidate the geopolymerization mechanism, microscopic techniques such as SEM/EDS (scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction) and ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared) are also applied to investigate the microstructure, the elemental and phase composition of geopolymerization products. The findings of the present work provide a novel method for applying fly ash as a high-strength water-resistant precast construction material.

Aug 17, 2020

By Saurav Kumar, Akshay Kumar, Vinayaka R. Kiragi, M. K. Banerjee, Amar Patnaik, Vinod Kumar

Today’s industrial technology offers to optimize and reutilize the resources available in terms of scum that remains after hot rolling in steel rerolling mills in Rajasthan, India. Vast reserves of low-grade coal exist and tons of mill scale are produced everyday after hot rolling in steel rerolling mills in Rajasthan, India. The present research work aimed to optimize the various parameters of solid-state reduction of mill scale using low-grade coal from Rajasthan, India. This study investigates the effect of reduction temperature (850–950 °C in steps of 50 °C), reduction time (60 to 180 min, in step of 60 min), mill scale size (800– 300 μm), and mill scale to coal ratio (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) on achievable metallic iron percentage and its metallization. A higher percentage of iron content is obtained at a lower particle size of 300 μm. The structural analysis is carried out on 300 μm mill scales using XRD analysis, which shows the percentage of iron is approximately 63%, and metallization above 80% can be obtained under the reduction temperature at 900 °C for 180 min, for 1:3 ratio (mill scale to coal ratio). The chemical composition of the mill scale is obtained using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and particle sizes as well as distribution of mill scale are determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The elements present in the mill scale are also verified using EDS, which indicates the presence of a major portion of Fe, followed by Fe2O3, Si, and C, respectively.

Aug 14, 2020

By Guoqing Li, Hao Wang, Nailian Hu, Victor Tenorio, Jie Hou

This paper presents an algorithm for optimizing the scheduling of trackless equipment in underground mines. With the shortest working interval and maximum productivity as goals, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the problem, and obtain the optimal working sequence with the most suitable equipment configuration possible. The input for the proposed method is the number of units and capacity of trackless equipment, the production process, ore amount in stopes, and the distance between stopes. The algorithmis verified using four setups of 5 stopes with 5 cycles, 5 stopes with 15 cycles, 10 stopes with 10 cycles, and 10 stopes with 30 cycles. The solution time of the algorithmis no more than 20 min, which is acceptable for practical applications. The results show that the setup of 10 stopes with 30 cycles is closer to the actual production of the mines, and the optimization model can effectively improve the operation efficiency. In this scenario, the robustness of the optimization is tested by simulating equipment failure events. Under the condition of 8% failure rate, the operation time is extended over 3.21–14.56% than expected, which represents strong robustness. The algorithm can quickly provide a feasible and effective solution for the production scheduling decision of trackless equipment in underground mines.

Aug 12, 2020

By Diler Katircioglu-Bayel

This manuscript aimed to examine the impact of operating parameters on the wet grinding of talc in a vertical-type stirred media mill. Within the scope of the research, the effects of operating parameters including media filling ratio, solid mass fraction, grinding media size, and grinding time were studied. The findings were assessed based on the product particle size (d50, d10), surface area (Sw), and energy consumption (Em). As a result of the present research, the following optimum grinding test conditions were determined: 65% media filling ratio, 40% solid mass fraction, 1 mm grinding media size, and 120 min grinding time. After determining the optimum grinding conditions, the Box–Behnken statistical design was used to determine the effect of parameter interactions on the d50 size. The media filling ratio was found to significantly affect the decrease in d50 compared to the other two parameters. Furthermore, the minimum d50 size was also achieved under optimum grinding conditions.

Aug 12, 2020

By Yi Luo, Jian Yang, YUJIA LIAN

Scale physical models, constructed according to the principle of similarity theory, have been widely used to simulate the mining disturbances to surrounding strata and to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented ground control techniques. This technique has also been used for studying mining-induced surface and subsurface subsidence. The movements of the observation points installed on the physical model at different mining stages are currently measured using total station which is time-consuming and inaccurate especially on small scale models. A photogrammetry-based measurement system has been developed. During a physical modeling process, photos of the model can be taken during the simulation process reducing survey time from hours to a few seconds. A program, Photogrammetry Analysis for Physical Modeling of Mine Subsidence Process (PAPMMSP), developed based on photogrammetric principle is used to quickly identify the installed observation points and accurately determine their coordinates. The measurement accuracy is well under submillimeter level—an ultra-important advantage as any measurement errors in coordinates are magnified by the model dimension scale (commonly 20 to 400). A physical modeling case of subsurface strata movements and deformations associated with longwall mining operations is presented in the paper to demonstrate the functions and capabilities of the developed photogrammetry program.

Aug 11, 2020

By Mehmet Bugdayci, Onuralp Yücel, Yeliz Demiray Cucurachi, Ahmet Turan

The production of strontium (Sr) metal from its oxide via an aluminothermic process under 1–5 mbar pressure was examined in this study. SrO of 99%purity by weight was used in the experiments. The effects of stoichiometry and the duration of the process on the efficiency ratio of the metallic strontium were examined. The effects of functional additives (BaO, CaO, CaC2) were also examined. Characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and flame photometry techniques. The highest Sr efficiency ratio obtained was 96.89% in the experiment conducted at 1250 °C with 300% Al stoichiometry and 300% BaO stoichiometry.

Aug 7, 2020

By Sahendra Ram, Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, AMIT KUMAR SINGH, Dheeraj Kumar, Arun Kumar Singh, Rajendra Singh

This article offers an examination of a retreat mining method conducted at the Pinoura Mine in India from 2010 to 2017. The method is atypical for coal mines of India’s coalfields. The method executes depillaring in a single pass and does not require the formation of galleries and support installation in splits, thus, reducing the cycle time. A variety of observations are discussed throughout this work and emphasis is placed on field measurements and depillaring under weak roof (RMR = 40–45). This paper discusses design techniques, specifically the estimation of the snook (remnant pillar) size, and important practical observations after the fact. The execution of this method was eventually conducted in eleven panels.

Aug 4, 2020

By Veerendra Singh, NILAMADHABA SAHU, ARIJIT BISWAS

Manganese alloys are important raw materials for steelmaking. However, selective mining of high-grade manganese ore resources has resulted in a scarcity of these high-grade Mn ores (Mn: >42; Mn/Fe: >5). The present research work is carried out to explore a new smelting reduction process to produce high-Mn/Fe syntheticMn ore from low-grade ferruginous manganese ores. Representative samples of low-grade ores (Mn: 25–30%; Mn/Fe: ~1) were collected and smelting reduction studies were carried out using variable smelting power (20–30 kWh), carbon rate (10–20% of ore) and slag basicity (0.1–0.3) to produce high-MnO slag and manganese pig iron. Studies have shown that different-grade high-MnO slags (MnO: 38.57–58.24%; Mn/Fe: >15) and manganese pigs (Mn: 5.16–24%) can be produced at optimum process conditions. The high-MnO slag can be used as synthetic ore for the ferroalloy production process. The developed process is capable to effectively segregate the iron and manganese in the metal and slag, respectively. The optimum Mn and Fe separation (>95%) was achieved by smelting of 10 kg Mn ore batch in a 50-kVA electric arc furnace using 30 kWh smelting power and 0.16 kg of coke. The slag basicity was maintained at 0.3 and the optimum slag SiO2 was ~30%. The studies indicated that the upgrading of low-grade ferruginous manganese ores is a promising solution for achieving high-Mn/Fe-ratio synthetic ores for ferroalloy production. It can help the manganese alloy industry to overcome challenges associated with the scarcity of high-Mn/Fe-ratio Mn ores and efficient utilization of low-grade resources.

Aug 3, 2020

By Isa Nozari, Asghar Azizi

The extraction of copper from sulfate leaching liquor was investigated using Acorga M5640 commercial extractant in kerosene diluent. The effects of important factors such as the extractant concentration, contact time, liquor pH, and temperature were examined on the separation factor Cu/Fe and the extraction efficiency of copper. The results indicated that nearly 92.32% copper was extracted from the leach liquor at 10% (v/v) Acorga M5640 concentration, 1:1 aqueous/organic phase ratio, 20 min contact time, pH 2.5, and 25 °C temperature. Also, the further increase in the values determined had no positive impact on the extraction of copper. Under these conditions, the separation factor Cu/Fe was obtained about 29.64. The extraction mechanism was studied applying the plot of log(D) – 2 pH against log [extractant] and it proved the association of two moles of Acorga M5640 for the extraction of one mole of copper. McCabe–Thiele diagram was constructed and a single-step extraction process was found to obtain themaximumextraction. Additionally, thermodynamic datawere investigated and the extraction process was endothermic and non-spontaneous at 298 K (ΔH = 27.05 and ΔG = 15.52 kJ mol−1). Moreover, the loaded organic phase was stripped and 80.94% copper was recovered after 20 min using 10% sulfuric acid concentration.

Jul 31, 2020

By RALPH BALTES, AMIR EHSAN KIANFAR, FABIAN UTH, ELISABETH CLAUSEN

As indoor positioning provides particular challenges due to the unavailability of GPS signals, various systems such as ultrawideband (UWB), radio frequency identification (RFID), ultrasound, and wireless local area network (WLAN) have been proposed in recent years. Some of these technologies are currently being marketed and some are still being developed. UWB technology allows for higher precision while also reducing power consumption. Hence, the underground automation and localization systems can use this technology for more accuracy and robustness. This article discusses new robust UWB modules used for underground positioning and collision avoidance with regard to human safety in underground mining operations.

Jul 31, 2020

By Liming Yuan, James Rowland, Lihong Zhou, RICK THOMAS, DAVOOD BAHRAMI

Continuous monitoring of carbon monoxide and other fire-related parameters by means of an atmospheric monitoring system (AMS) has been used by the mining industry for early fire detection in underground mines. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) initiated a project to integrate real-time AMS sensor data with NIOSH’s mine fire simulation program, MFIRE 3.0, to simulate and predict the spread of smoke that would provide assistance to mine fire emergency response personnel. Determining the heat release rate of a fire using the monitored sensor data was a critical component of the successful completion of this project. NIOSH researchers developed a direct method to calculate the heat release rate when a fire is within close range of sensors. However, this method is only applicable to the case where a fire occurs in AMS-monitored airways. This paper presents an improved method for determining the fire heat release rate for complicated scenarios where a fire is distant from sensors and airflow splits and merges are present. The method was validated using a fullscale diesel fuel fire test conducted in the Safety Research Coal Mine at the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division and can help mine operators and safety personnel make informed decisions during a fire emergency.

Jul 31, 2020

By Ari Jokilaakso, Junjie Shi, Zhuo Chen, Pekka Taskinen, Xiang Gao

The amount of copper flash smelting slag has increased during the recent years along with an increasing slag-to-metal ratio. During slag tapping, some copper sulfide is mechanically entrained. As a result, it is necessary to recover copper matte from the slag by suitable methods. At present, the most common way is slow, controlled cooling in a transfer ladle. However, research on the detailed effects of slow cooling and the function of slag modification is rare. This paper described experiments that were performed at different cooling rates (0.5, 1.5, 3, and 7 °C/min), with and without additive. A detailed characterization of the copper-rich phase and its particle size was subsequentlymade using SEM-EDSmicrographs and image analysis software.With a decrease in cooling rate, the particle size of the copper-rich matte phase became larger. The addition of gypsum and carbon as a slag modifier affected the size of the copper-rich phase slightly, and its chemical composition was modified compared with the experiments without additive.

Jul 31, 2020

By Elmer Ruiz

Frente al actual escenario en Perú, el autor propone trabajar en el diseño de una nueva estrategia, acorde con la realidad de los trabajadores de la minería a pequeña escala, que permita alcanzar una solución viable e integral. Con el fin de dinamizar el proceso de formalización, el autor considera, entre otras, una serie de propuestas que incluyen: censo nacional, sinceramiento de concesiones inactivas, control de la comercialización, así como la promoción, sistematización y fiscalización de la actividad mediante su definitiva reglamentación.

Jul 30, 2020

By Víctor Tenorio

Las restricciones sanitarias impuestas por la pandemia del COVID-19 constituyen un referente forzoso para replantear las actividades de explotación, con el fin de no afectar los objetivos de producción. El obligado distanciamiento social exige contar con equipos teleoperados, vehículos autónomos, una nueva infraestructura de transmisión de datos que permita interactuar a los equipos con eficiencia y seguridad, salas de control para la supervisión centralizada y la incorporación de dispositivos compatibles con la internet industrial de las cosas. Todo ello representa, de acuerdo con el autor de este texto, una oportunidad para reactivar las operaciones y nivelar la tasa de producción, instalando un proceso de cambio que va desde la gerencia hasta los operadores.

Jul 30, 2020

By José Galindez

Tomando como premisa que los procesos, tareas, rutinas y demás actividades relacionadas con la actividad minera han quedado alteradas con la aparición del COVID -19, este artículo presenta y analiza alternativas digitales —tales como dispositivos móviles, plataformas digitales, chatbots, e-learning, programas de mantenimiento digitalizado, logística robotizada y uso de drones— que hoy resultan imprescindibles para continuar operando de manera segura.

Jul 30, 2020

By Roque Benavides

El artículo describe el enfoque de minería comprometida con el desarrollo sostenible de Compañía de Minas Buenaventura, el mismo que está basado en cuatro importantes pilares: fortalecer las actividades tradicionales a las que se dedican las comunidades vecinas; impulsar con ellas una “hermandad del agua” para obtener y compartir este valioso recurso; fortalecer la educación y la salud como estrategia para potenciar capacidades individuales y colectivas; y velar por la vida de sus colaboradores, aspecto en el cual la innovación y la tecnología juegan un rol muy importante. Adicionalmente, el autor destaca el rol solidario y reactivador de la industria minera en el marco de la emergencia nacional por COVID -19.

Jul 30, 2020

By José Farfán

La minería artesanal y a pequeña escala (MAPE) se caracteriza mayoritariamente por su informalidad, no obstante, tiene la capacidad de generar riqueza y desarrollo en los distritos más alejados y constituye una alternativa de empleo para miles de personas. En el artículo se detallan las dimensiones, características de producción y comercialización de las MAPE en Perú, y se ofrece una visión integral del proceso orientado a alcanzar su formalización.

Jul 30, 2020

By Ignacio Agramunt, Pamela Antonioli

¿Es la actividad minera positiva o negativa para un país? La respuesta la determinará el sector mismo, en la medida en que se decida a asumir el rol de motor del crecimiento sostenible, a través de su capacidad de añadir valor, es decir, de innovar. A partir de esta premisa, los autores analizan las brechas, dificultades y posibilidades que se plantean al tratar de modificar enfoques tradicionales, bien sea en competitividad, relaciones comunitarias, o procesos de mejora interna de las empresas. Al respecto, destacan la presencia de actores como el Hub de Innovación Minera del Perú, enfocado en facilitar, articular y acompañar la implementación de este tipo de procesos en las empresas.

Jul 30, 2020

By Jay F. Colinet

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as black lung, is caused by the inhalation of respirable coal mine dust and is a disabling and potentially fatal lung disease with no cure. Historically, CWP has taken a tremendous human and financial toll in the US coal mining industry. Recent health surveillance data indicates that CWP continues to occur at elevated levels. Respirable coal dust exposure must be controlled to prevent the development of CWP. The Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts laboratory and mine-site research to identify control technologies that can be used to successfully reduce respirable dust levels. Various technologies, using multiple methods of control, can be applied in order to reduce dust levels. An overview ofCWP’s impact and a general methodology for controlling respirable dust in underground coal mines are discussed in this paper.

Jul 30, 2020

By Chunlin He, Xinsheng Li, Feng Yang, Lu Han, Yuezhou Wei, Feng Gao

The solvent extraction of vanadium (V) from Na2CO3–NaHCO3 solution was attempted using Aliquat-336 (methyltrioctylammonium chloride) extractant dissolved in sulfonated kerosene as diluent with 2-octanol as phase modifier. The influence factors, such as Na2CO3 concentration, NaHCO3 concentration, temperature, extractant concentration and impurity P, on vanadiumextraction were investigated. The results revealed that the single stage extraction efficiency of vanadium reached above 89%from 20 g/L Na2CO3 – 20 g/L NaHCO3 solution under the following conditions: extractant concentration of 15%, room temperature of 20–30 °C, 2-octanol of 6%, phase ratio (O/A) of 1:1, and oscillation time of 1 min. The addition of NaHCO3 into Na2CO3 solution could lower the pH value of the Na2CO3 solution, improve extraction efficiency of vanadium, and not introduce other impurities. The phosphate anion did not interact with the vanadate anion in the Na2CO3–NaHCO3 solution. The P in the Na2CO3–NaHCO3 solution had little influence on vanadium extraction.

Jul 30, 2020