Search Documents

By Phil Allen

A synthetic fiber manufactured by one chemical company has been treated by another chemical company to produce a cloth fabric capable of performing ion-exchange functions. Only a few delimiting parameters have been established. This paper will discuss briefly the highlights of a functioning ion-exchange cloth. Throughout the paper this fabric will be referred to as "Fabric Z".

Jan 1, 1970

By Verya Nasri, Mehdi Bakhshi

"Fiber reinforcement has emerged as an alternative to steel bars in precast concrete segments due to advantages such as saving cost and reducing production time while developing a more robust product with improved handling and long-term durability. ACI recently drafted a new report as the first design guideline on FRC tunnel segments to provide specific guidance for this emerging technology. ACI document offers general information on the history of FRC precast segments from tunneling projects throughout the world; a procedure for structural analysis and design based on governing load cases, and a description of the material parameters, tests and analyses required to complete the design. This paper summarizes the design considerations in this ACI guideline prepared by the authors of this paper as the main contributors. Application of this guideline to design of a tunnel with an internal diameter of 5.5 m (18 ft) results in elimination of steel bars.INTRODUCTIONPrecast concrete segments are installed to support the tunnel excavation behind the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in soft ground and weak rock applications. The TBM advances by thrusting off the completed rings of precast concrete segments that provide both the initial and final ground support as part of a one-pass lining system. These segments are typically designed to resist the permanent loads from the ground and groundwater as well as the temporary loads from production, transportation and construction. Tunnel segments are generally reinforced to resist the tensile stresses at both the Serviceability (SLS) and the Ultimate Limit States (ULS). With traditional rebar, a significant amount of labor is needed to assemble the cages and place the rebar, which results in higher production costs.Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) can be used to enhance the production, handling, and placement of precast concrete segments. This is because of the uniform dispersion of fibers throughout the segment to include the concrete cover, which is very advantageous for resisting the bursting and spalling stresses. These stresses develop as a result of the high loads induced on the segments during the TBM jacking process. The presence of fiber in the concrete matrix helps mitigate against unintentional impact loads during segment handling and tunnel construction operations."

Jan 1, 2016

"The 35th Annual American Mining Hall of Fame Awards Banquet and Fundraiser, sponsored by the Mining Foundation of the Southwest (MFSW), will be held at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017. This year, the Foundation will honor one living Hall of Fame inductee, two Medal of Merit recipients, four honorees from Mining’s Past and an Industry Partner for their respective contributions to the mining industry.Gary J. Goldberg will be the 2017 Hall of Fame Inductee and will serve as the keynote speaker at the awards banquet. Goldberg was appointed president and chief executive officer and joined the board of directors of Newmont Mining Corp. in March 2013. Prior to this appointment, he served numerous companies in key positions including Rio Tinto Minerals, US Borax and Coal & Allied Industries. At every appointment, he was able to improve safety concerns and reduce injury rates. While serving as chairman of the National Mining Association, Goldberg launched the CORESafety initiative and US Borax was the first mining company to receive the California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Award.The Medal of Merit will be awarded to John C. Lacy, a shareholder of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C. and a director of the Global Law Center at the University of Arizona’s Law School. Lacy’s law practice concentrates on mining and public land law and encompasses transactional and title consideration involving acquisition of mineral rights. He played a crucial role in the revisions to the mining law of the Republic of Bolivia and the English translation of the mining laws and regulations of Mexico. Lacy’s expertise in mining law impelled the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law to approach him to head the new Global Mining Law Center in 2015. The program now partners with the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources and offers cross-listing of courses"

Jan 10, 2017

By A. H. Kaksonen

Numerous reactor designs for biological sulfate reduction have been reported. Fluidized-bed bioreactors (FBR) can efficiently retain biomass and allow high mass transfer and reaction rates. This work reviews the development of various sulfate-reducing FBR processes for treating acidic metal- and sulfate-containing waters and recovering metals from bioleaching liquors. The FBR process performance was evaluated with continuous flow experiments under various operational conditions: fluidization rates, influent pH values, metal, sulfate and salt concentrations, hydraulic retention times, electron and carbon sources, and temperatures. Substrate utilization and sulfide inhibition kinetics were determined with batch FBR-kinetic experiments. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was used to predict the performance of the FBR. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were characterized in FBRs with molecular and culture-based approaches with the aim to gain a better understating of the bioprocesses. Based on the studies, FBRs are well suited for the combined removal of metals, acidity and sulfate from water.

Jan 1, 2010

Thallium is an uncommon heavy metal that may be found in concentrations that exceed regulatory limits in mining influenced water associated with processing cadmium, copper, gold, lead, and zinc ores. This study evaluated cost-effective modifications to lime precipitation treatment to reduce thallium concentrations to below the EPA drinking water MCL of 2 ppb. The oxidative precipitation of Tl+ to Tlß+ by potassium permanganate was explored for thallium removal at low concentrations (1 ppm initial thallium). Laboratory batch tests were performed to evaluate the removal of thallium from synthetic solutions. Three ratios of potassium permanganate to oxidizable metals in solution were used (one-half, one and two times stoichiometry). Thallium was removed to less than 1 ppb for all stoichiometric ratios evaluated within 10 minutes of reaction. The efficacy of oxidative precipitation for thallium removal is presented.

Jan 1, 2011

By A. M. Laird

Endako Mines' molybdenum operation is located near the geographic center of the province of British Columbia, Canada. The property is six miles south of the Northern Transprovincial Highway and the northern main line of the Canadian National Railway. The area is broken by high hills covered with dense stands of spruce and pine with vast areas of the valley floors covered with aspen and poplar. The climate is moderate with precipitation averaging 22 inches per year. Approximately four feet of snow accumulates in the winter, and temperatures range from 900 F. in summer to -40° F. in winter. The orebody, a lowgrade porphyry type deposit, occurs in a widespread granitic intrusive which has been locally weakened at the intersection of two regional faults. In this vicinity the quartz monzonite has been further shattered to permit the entry of mineralizing solutions and local dykes. Two types of mineralization occur within the orebody. The most prom¬inent is the six inch to four foot wide continuous quartz veins with characteristic ribbons of molybdenite and frequently finely-divided grains of molybdenite within the quartz. The second type occurs as fine fractures filled with quartz molybdenite in the form of a stockwork halo radiating out from 20 to 200 feet from the quartz veins. Minor hematite, magnetite and chalcopyrite are also present. Mineralization is roughly proportional to the extent of kaolinization in the quartz monzonite, kaolinization being one of three distinct forms of hydrothermal alteration. Pyrite is commonly associated with molybdenum mineralization within the orebody and a pyrite halo is recognized on the south side of the orebody.

Jan 1, 1968

By Kirsten Corin, Belinda McFadzean, Cyril O’Connor, Jenny Wiese

As orebodies being mined globally are of ever-decreasing grades, the focus on the concentration process has moved increasingly to the challenges faced in management of the gangue minerals. This is especially so in the flotation of platinum group minerals (PGMs), where head grades are typically in the region of 4–7 g/t. Hence, in PGM operations, a typical recovery of about 80 percent requires depressing about 85 percent of the gangue minerals. In a flotation cell the main control parameters are reagent type and dosage, froth depth and air addition rate. This paper reviews research projects carried out over an extended period aimed at optimizing the depression of gangue minerals: both those that are naturally floatable and those, such as chromite, that are entrained.  This has involved comparing the two major depressants used in the industry — guar and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) — in the depression of the relevant gangue minerals, as well as investigating their consequent effect on the behavior of the froth phase. Because most PGM flotation plants treat the ore as if all the PGMs are associated with sulfides, copper sulfate is widely used as an activator, but this can also lead to inadvertent activation of gangue minerals. Finally, chromite levels must be kept below 3–5 percent to avoid any negative effects on smelter performance, and thus it is important to reduce chromite recovery which mainly occurs due to entrainment through, for example, froth depth control.   

By Greg Beckstrom

On Oct. 1-3, SME?s Twin Cities chapter (SME TC), in cooperation with the University of Minnesota ? Duluth?s Precambrian Research Center (UMD-PRC), cohosted a symposium on silica sand mining and processing. The conference was held at the Earle Brown Heritage Center near Minneapolis. The symposium was followed by a day-long field trip to operating mines, processing plants and loading facilities located in southwestern Wisconsin. Speakers and attendees at the symposium included university professors, industry experts, regulators, mining company representatives, equipment suppliers, consulting engineers and service companies. Approximately 320 people attended the conference. In addition, about 50 people who oppose mine development and the oil and gas industry showed up to voice their displeasure with the event and those companies that operate in this space.

Jan 1, 2012

By Larry Sevenker

On the basis of favorable salt characteristics, primarily compressive strength and impermeability, solution-mined cavities can provide structurally stable isolation chambers for waste. Solution mining techniques are established for storage of hydrocarbons. The proposition of waste isolation in engineered salt cavities is similar to this practice relative to characterization, certification and safeguards. What materials are isolated and how operations are conducted are principle differences. Compatibility of wastes with other wastes must be considered, but hazards can be precluded by avoiding certain mixtures. Waste material characteristics and cavity considerations are discussed.

Jan 1, 1981

By T. W. West

INTRODUCTION This paper presents an assessment of conventional flotation technology. In addition it presents some ideas which can be used to change the perception of what may be done with conventional flotation equipment to maximize its efficiency. Perspective of Conventional Flotation Technology 1. Flotation in many coal preparation plants is defined as something between a necessary evil and a non-viable concept because: -Too much art is required on a continuous basis to achieve uniformly acceptable results. -It is expensive, the capital cost in dollars per ton of circuit feed for flotation and dewatering is high. -It is a difficult process to use when SO2 reduction governs system design and equipment selection. -It creates a product (fine coal froth) that is difficult to dewater in the presence of BTU/lb as-received pressures. -It is a difficult process to control from a management standpoint, there are no dependable set points to rely on. 2. Many froth cell circuits are 0.5m x 0 (nominal 28 M x 0) feed which is sourced from screen/cyclone underflows. The original intent was to obtain maximum yield at acceptable product quality and moisture using disc filters. (See Figure #1) 3. An alternate to conventional flotation and its perceived to be limits of efficiency, capital costs, etc. is to move towards such developing flotation technologies as column flotation, reverse flotation, and microbubbles. A lot of work is being done to move these concepts thru pilot stages into full scale, commercial plant operation. The majority of the coal producers and coal preparation plant designers view these concepts as being in the development/pilot plant stages. OBJECTIVES Based on the preceeding comments of the perspectives of the coal producers and plant designers, the options are limited. They can make do with what they have available to them in the way of industry standard equipment and practices or they can move forward with developing technology. I feel there is a third option: what can we really do today with what is available to us, without reinventing the wheel? APPROACH 1. When processing coal against ash and SO2 restrictions, the fine clean coal stream can be the best stream on the clean coal conveyor due to the release by size and the ability to create a high BTU/low sulfur (dry basis) product. 2. Targets: -Consistent raw coal size consist in the plant feed . -Do not put pyrites in the froth cells. -Adjust criteria defining good flotation away from yield towards maximum BTU recovery at minimum ash. -Limit the froth cell feed size consist to 0.15 mm x 0 (nominal 100M x 0). -Establish and maintain a correct, consistent percent solids in the froth cell feed. -Select flotation reagents with care. -Introduce reagents in the proper sequence.

Jan 1, 1988

By A. W. Khair

This paper presents an analysis of respirabie dust generation due to the action of a continuous miner. Underground coal cutting by a drum-type continuous miner was simulated in the laboratory using a specially designed unique automated rotary coal cutting simulator (ARCCS). An analysis of -400 mesh particles was done on gravity collected material. Samples of entrained dust were collected through the use of cascade impactors. Both samples were analyzed for size distribution and particle shape. Using the simulated coal cutter permitted variation of operating and in-situ parameters to provide information on the effects on generation of -400 mesh particles. In these tests coal blocks with an approximate dimension of 18 in. x 15 in. x 6 in. (45.7 cm x 38.1 cm x 15.2 cm) were first subjected to confining pressures, equivalent to in-situ conditions. Such blocks were then cut by the cutting head of the ARCCS, thus simulating the action of the continuous miner in underground coal mining. During the tests under a particular set of in-situ and operating parameters a number of other parameters such as 1) penetration of bit into coal, 2) penetration resistance (thrust and cutting pressures), 3) rotating velocity of cutting head, and 4) acoustic emission activity in the coal block were monitored. After each cutting cycle the fractured surfaces were photographed and a velocity survey was conducted by using a sonic technique. At the end of each experiment the cutting paths of the bits in coal were photographed using an optical microscope with an attached camera.

Jan 1, 1985

By Pengfei Wang, Guorui Feng, Shufeng Zhang, Yuxia Guo, Tingye Qi, Dian Li

"Based on the geological conditions of the No. 10203 mining face of the Xinyang coal mine, a numerical model of the longwall backfilling face is built using the FLAC3D software to calculate the limit broken length of the key strata. Based on the deformation laws of the immediate roof, the backfilling parameters are determined. Furthermore, the movement laws of the overburden strata with different volume filling rates (0, 40, 60, 100, and 100%) and with different layout forms of the filling strip (under a volume filling rate of 60%) are analyzed. The results of the numerical modeling show that the stress of the two sides of the working face and the deformation of the overlying rock are gradually reduced with the increment of the volume filling ratio. In view of the deformation of the roof strata within the allowable range, a volume filling rate of 60% is selected to simulate and analyze the filling effect under different layout forms of the filling strip. The filling width, stress concentration area, and layout form of the filling strip are the key factors to control the movement of the overlying strata. In addition, the probability integral formula is used to calculate and predict the ground subsidence on the filling area, which confirmed that the backfilling mining method is fully applicable in the Xinyang coal mine. The results of this study provide a certain theoretical basis for the determination of the filling process in the field.INTRODUCTIONIn China and other coal producing countries, gob is managed using the caving, filling, supporting, and slowly sinking methods (Zhang, Zhou, and Zhang, 2009). With the continuing development of the concept of green coal mining (Guo, Deng, and Zou, 2004), the filling method, which is safe and environmentally friendly, has been widely used in the field. On one hand, this method could reduce waste rock and other waste discharge. On the other hand, it could effectively slow the surface subsidence. Recently, strip-filling mining mostly adapted the arrangement of the strip backfill with equal intervals and widths (Xie et al., 2004), but the reasonability of this arrangement should be discussed. To arrange the intervals and width of the strip-filling body reasonably, Feng et al. (2019) put forward the “constructional backfill mining (CBM)” concept. The CBM is a type of backfill mining with low backfill rate, strong structural stability, and good backfill effect. The targets of the CBM include the efficient usage of solid waste resources in mining areas to reduce the backfill cost, the improvement of backfill materials and backfill technologies to increase the backfill efficiency, and rational planning of backfill and mining scheme to reuse the underground mining space. The determination of proper width and intervals for the strip-filling body is the main content of the CBM. Strip-filling mining using cemented coal gangue backfilling is the main method to undertake overburden of the overlying strata and to slow down the surface deformation. It also plays an effective role in cost reduction (Xu et al., 2007). This study focuses on proper determination of the strip-filling body parameters according to actual geological conditions by a simulation. It provides an appropriate reference for backfill mining in the Xinyang coal mine."

Jan 1, 2019

By Steven Hoerger

Mixed integer linear programming (MILP) production scheduling models can be used to evaluate if tonnage improvement projects will deliver value over all time periods and whether new bottlenecks will be created. These MILP models can evaluate the interconnected effects of mine and process capacities, mining locations, cutoff grades, stockpiles, and orebody grade/tonnage distributions. A case study compares potential value creation from a mine capacity increase, a mill capacity increase, or a simultaneous increase in all capacities. For perspective, project valuations for capacity increases are compared against valuations for cost reduction projects, mine planning improvements such as phase design, dynamic cutoff grades and stockpiling, and the impact of geostatistics improvements in the areas of block model accuracy and ore control selectivity.

Feb 1, 2024

By V. C. Koppe, J. F. C. L. Costa, D. M. Marques, A. Amaral

Errors associated with estimating the grade of an attribute of interest in a deposit can compromise planning, sequencing, and mineral beneficiation decisions. Several factors are associated with estimation errors. Among them, we can highlight the factors associated with sample spacing, the size of production volumes, and the variability of the attribute considered in the estimation. The access to estimation error can be obtained by some geostatistical methods, for example, by stochastic simulation. However, this is a process that in some situations is computer intensive and takes time. Previous works have proposed a simplified method to access the Maximum Estimation Error (MEE) associated with different types of grade variables, depending on the sample spacing, at small production volumes and considering specific coefficients of variation ranges. This paper presents an approach to assess the MEE associated with long-term volumes. Considering the methodology proposed, it is possible to approximate if a specific drilling pattern used in a deposit provides an acceptable pre-determined estimation error for Resource Classification. Results and considerations on the impact of the geometry of larger production volumes on the MEE calculation are also presented.

Jun 25, 2023

By Felicia F. Peng

Using granular media for removal of soluble manganese from mine water and industry waste stream has the advantage of forming a compact surface layer of manganese oxide coating on the media. This process can avoid the step involving the separation of voluminous sludge of manganese hydroxide by the high-pH method for soluble manganese removal. The removal of soluble manganese is accomplished by adsorption and oxidation. The adsorption of Mn(II) on the manganese oxide-coated media was rapid through the specific adsorption and may be due to the ion exchange of hydroxyl ions on the manganese oxide by Mn(II). In the subsequent step, the adsorbed Mn(II) form the intermediate manganese complex on the manganese oxide product is oxidized with dissolved oxygen or other available oxidant source in the aqueous solution. This paper presents the efficiency of removal of soluble manganese from mine water by using a laboratory fluidized bed and the recovery of manganese oxide coating on the anthracite coal particles. In order to accelerate the formation of the manganese oxide layer on the surface of anthracite media, dilute potassium permanganate solution is used as an active oxidant. The effects of operation parameters on the manganese removal including pH, flow rate, concentration of feed and oxidant dosage are evaluated.

Jan 1, 1996

By R. Mensah-Biney

The aqueous biphase separation process (ABS) has been used to separate ultrafine industrial minerals. The partition behavior ofTiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and kaolin was not pH dependent. The partition behavior of SiO2 was, however, pH dependent. The partition coefficient of kaolin in PEG 3400/ Na2CO3 biphase system was 150 and that of the silica in the same system was 0.02, resulting in a separation factor of 8500 between kaolin and silica. The aqueous biphase separation system was used to separate free silica from kaolin in a raw clay sample from Mexico. The partition behavior of mica, feldspar and clay from North Carolina was also evaluated.

Jan 1, 1999

By Joy Sandberg

The 1989 mining industry compensation survey done annually by the Denver-based Mountain States Employers Council shows the "average" or "typical" employee in the mining industry is projected to receive an increase of 3.9% to base pay in 1990, compared to a projection of 4.1 % for 1989. According to MSEC, the actual percentage increase to base pay has continued to decline since 1980. A review of pay increases since 1980 shows the highest average increase was 11%, granted in 1981. Since 1981, there has been a steady deceleration through the decade. While 1989 final figures are not available, 1988 numbers might indicate a reversal of this trend. In 1988, the average employee actual increase was 3.8%. That was 0.7% higher than the 3.1% projection. This may be significant as actual increases have been lower than projections since 1982. Chart A shows the pattern of projected vs. actual percent increases in pay since 1980.

Jan 1, 1990

By Richard Giffen, Martha Gross, Luca Pellegrini, Pa Ousman Njie

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) Expansion project in Virginia includes parallel 1.5- mile (2.4 km) tunnels constructed using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM launching and receiving shafts were excavated within the footprint of two reclaimed islands abutting the navigation channel for the Port of Virginia. The shaft excavations—a circular tri-cell shaft at South Island, and a circular-rectangular twin-cell shaft at North Island—were supported by slurry walls up to 190 feet (58 meters) below the island surfaces. This paper describes specic design considerations for these shafts, as well as construction and uality-oversight aspects of their excavation and construction.

Jun 23, 2024

By Kenneth W. Luke

In the development of the ultimate pit limits for a narrow ore body, pa¬rameters necessary in the design of a functional, or working, pit become highly sensitive factors in the determination of ore reserve levels and their associated waste to ore stripping ratios. Through the use of geologic cross sections, ore reserves can be roughly calculated by utilizing a straight line approximation for pit wall slopes. The optimum position of the pit floor can be substantially altered from such a preliminary design though with the introduction of functional mining parameters, such as a ramping network, and working bench heights, berm widths, and bench to bench wall angles. Originally a computer program was developed to quickly evaluate changes in cross-section pit design with minimal alteration of input data. After developing a satisfactory technique of cross-section evaluation which incorporates working mine parameters, an optimization algorithm, or procedure, was developed and included in the program to eliminate much of the tedious manual decision-making required in determining the optimum location of the pit floor on each cross section. Optimization in this case implies the maximum profit pit. When pit and processing costs are defined or hypothesized, this computer program can be used to design the maximum profit pit, constrained by the recognized functional mining parameters. A second way of stating the optimization is that the program can be used to develop a pit design which minimizes waste stripping at any desired ore reserve level. The basic method of cross-section evaluation parallels present manual methods. Program input is a combination of data obtained directly from cross sections developed for, geological interpretation and pit design parameters selected by the mine planner. As a result it is easy for the mine planner to comprehend what the program is accomplishing, and thus participate in the development of the computer assisted design.

Jan 1, 1971

By Margaret Fuller Boos

Precambrian granitic pegmatites on the west, south west, south and southeast slopes of Storm Mountain, Larimer County, northern Colorado, were explored and mapped geologically 1956-1959. The area between Crystal Mountain Mining District on the north and Hyatt pegmatite mine area on the south was nearly inaccessible until a company built an access road, which was completed in 1959, into Roosevelt National Forest and its jeep-type roads. The area is extremely rugged, rising from some 6,000 feet on the highway at Drake, on Big Thompson River, to an altitude of over 10,000 feet at the summit ridge of Storm Mountain. Almost innumerable pegmatites of every possible type of granitic pegmatite intrusion infest the Precambrian gneisses and schists of the southwest-tilted fault block of Storm Mountain. The major bodies stand at least 100 to 200, feet high above the surrounding forest floor. Core drilling has shown that some extend to at least 200 feet below the surface. They blunt out at the southwest, some keel out below and others are faulted out at their southwest ends. Strike length ranges from 200 to 600 feet. The massive bulky bodies have nearly vertical walls. Contents are zoned or ribboned and layered. They consist of local commercial bodies of beryl, potash feldspar, mica, uranium minerals and quartz. As yet no lithium minerals have been encountered.

Jan 1, 1960