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By Arnold P. Szaj

There is no startling revelation to the fact that the mining industry as a whole is generally moving toward the use of larger equipment to process ores in quantities far greater than what was even considered a decade ago. Trucks and shovels have led the way in extra large machines and many other manufacturers have followed suit in the development of so-called "supers" in their line of equipment. In order to keep pace with the industry, crusher manufacturers have also enlarged the size of their equipment. There is now on the market, a Gyratory crusher capable of accepting a 72" diameter piece of ore. Primary jaw crushers have also increased in size. It is inevitable, therefore, that larger secondary cone crushers would also be required to complement the other equipment used to process these large quantities of ore. This super-size secondary cone crusher is the SYMONS 10 Ft. Cone Crusher. Until 1973, the largest cone crusher built was the 7 Ft. Extra Heavy Duty crusher, which is currently used in the majority of the mining operations throughout the world. The 10 Ft. crusher, when compared to the 7 Ft. Extra Heavy Duty Crusher, is approximately 1-1/2 times larger in physical dimensions; three times heavier; will accept a maximum feed size which is approximately twice as large; and will crush at approximately 2-1/4 times the rate of the 7 Ft. machine at identical closed side settings. It will be the largest cone crusher built in the world. At the present time, Rexnord's Nordberg Machinery Group has accepted an order for two 10 Ft. Standard cone crushers to be delivered to an iron ore mine in South Africa in early 1975.

Jan 1, 1973

By J. H. McNamara

A process has been developed for the successful hydrometallurgical extraction of copper from sulfide ores. The extracted copper in the form of a salt is converted by reduction to copper metal. Purification of the metal is described which includes a description of the casting of ETP quality copper wire bars.

Jan 1, 1978

By Cayo Soto

Mining activity is important for the development of humanity. This development must be understood from the Academy where it allows showing alternatives for the industry performance. Likewise, these mining companies need to improve their results. Historically, a few years ago the application of the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criterion was verified, which is positioned as a factor/regulator in the design of the performance of industries in general. ESG as an integral part of the concept of sustainability serves as a tool to conceive mining without conflicts and with a reputation based on trust in the interrelation of the university, industry and society. Therefore, the academy must strive for new knowledge in a way that allows it to continue in the virtuous circle of constantly feeding it. In this context, the best mining practices are implemented in constant questioning of their activities. The scientific essence of the industry supported by the academy developed in an operational dynamic is addressed. Finally, the objective of this research work is to interrelate 3 variables: ESG, Academia, and the Mining Industry, where the transition of knowledge and the role of each variable in relation to each one can be understood. This allows for an additional understanding of mining in the future with new mental attention.

Feb 1, 2025

By Paul D. Tomlingson

Numerous worthwhile benefits accrue to the industrial organization that is supported by a maintenance organization performing at a world class level. That organization will be favored with consistently reliable production equipment. It will be assured of meeting production goals. Its product will exceed marketplace standards. Its customers will see them as a quality organization. Its employees will enjoy job satisfaction and the plant will realize continuing profitability. Every industrial plant aspires to achieve ?world class? status knowing it can compete favorably with the best, most profitable organizations in the world. The trick is to achieve the attributes that qualify your organization for world class status. But there are no world class maintenance organizations. Rather, there are world class industrial organizations that include a world class maintenance organization. Maintenance, by itself, is a service provider, dependent on the support and cooperation of other departments. When that service is exceptional, it is made that way because maintenance is operating in a plant environment that requires it to be exceptional. Managers have created an environment in which maintenance can be exceptional. The plant, mine or facility manager must acknowledge from the start that maintenance is not a stand-alone effort of a plant maintenance department. It will require the joint efforts of all plant departments. Quality material support and full cooperation from operations, for example, are among the essential requisites for effective maintenance and achievement of world class maintenance status. When attributes such as these are reinforced by dedicated plant managers, profitability soon follows.

By C. Garcia, J. J. Opazo, A. Potulsha, T. Comi

"Sierra Gorda SCM is a joint venture partnership of KGHM International (owned by KGHM SA, Poland), Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corp. (Japan) operating in northern Chile. The Sierra Gorda openpit mine and coppermolybdenum processing plant will become one of the largest mines in the world. The need for optimum production efficiency and sustainability has driven the creation of the most modern, wellinstrumented mine in Chile. This article contains a general review of the project including geology and history.This was a fast-track project going from greenfield site acquisition to mill startup in 10 years. Highly experienced and motivated engineers and technical staff have overcome many significant challenges resulting in a rapid ramp-up of production capacity. A potential expansion to double the production rate in the fourth year of operation has also been intensely studied.The Sierra Gorda property is located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, in the District of Sierra Gorda, Region II of Antofagasta, Chile (Fig. 1). There is almost no precipitation in this area. The mine site is generally flat with some rolling hills. The project is located about 5 km (3 miles) from the village of Sierra Gorda at an elevation of approximately 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above mean sea level. The village is near a highway and railway line. The city of Calama, home of the famous Chuquicamata Mine, is located about 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Sierra Gorda. In addition, the SG mine is in the midst of numerous other mines including Spence, Esperanza, Mantos Blancos, El Tesoro, Lomas Bayas, Gabriela Mistral, El Abra, Radomiro Tomic and Escondida, to name a few.The primary organizational value at Sierra Gorda is "Zero Harm." This includes employees, contractors, the environment, the community, plant facilities and mine equipment. A cornerstone of this program is called 5X5S (five by five S), which combines the lean principles of 5S with the safety model of taking five steps back and thinking about the task at hand for five seconds, five minutes, the time it takes to assess and manage the risk. "People caring about people" promotes proactive engagement in the safety of coworkers and others at work and at home."

Jan 1, 2014

By W. P. Arnott, P. Nascimento, X. L. Wang, K. C. Kocsis, S. J. Taylor, H. Firouzkouhi

We report the first spectral photoacoustic measurements of silica, coal, and kaolinite dust absorption coefficients from 11 to 13 μm at 5 nm resolution made with a tunable quantum cascade laser. This is important because airborne silica dust and coal dust within mining environments continue to be a problem for mine workers and staff due to their severe health effects on the respiratory system, while other dust types are potentially interferents to their detection. Our real-time spectra compare favorably with the non-real-time filter-based Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) spectra obtained using the sampling system developed by NIOSH for their end-of-shift method to determine silica dust concentrations using a portable FTIR. We discuss our new dust generation system and instrument testing chamber. We also show that our PM4 silica mass concentration measurements by a low-cost air quality sensor (SPS30) are in good agreement with the TSI Aerosol Particle Sizer instrument, the NIOSH end of shift method, gravimetric mass, and correlate well with photoacoustic light absorption measurements at a wavelength where silica absorbs strongly.

Aug 20, 2022

By S. Wegerer, M. Semel

The search for minerals typically starts with a reconnaissance phase. After finding a promising target area, further prospecting work will be conducted. Finally with growing confidence of having encountered an ore deposit with commercially viable concentrations of relevant minerals, an extensive exploration campaign will verify its potential. Best practice and reliable, efficient tools for mineral resource estimation of massive sulfide deposits in the deep sea have to be established yet. Therefore, a new seabed exploration system is in development. Various challenges are caused by the extreme environmental conditions in the deep sea and by the nature of massive sulfide deposits. Information of past and ongoing expeditions were gathered to form the basis of an in-depth requirement analysis. System functions and corresponding process times were derived. The experience from the existing MeBo seabed drill rigs serve as starting point for the concept study and following development. Initial MeBo system was built for maritime research purposes and now has to be converted into a new design, suitable for efficient and economic resource exploration. The new system configuration is modular structured to adapt easily to different application scenarios and challenges. To achieve an extension of the deployment depths, the overall equipment weight has to be limited through light weight construction and material. The drilling module contains a range of geotechnical coring tools to face the varying soil conditions of heterogeneous massive sulfide formations. The major challenge to overcome is the touch down sequence on uneven, 25° inclined, rough terrain in up to 4.000 m water depth. Furthermore, high precision of the final unit positioning is necessary. Landing sub-system proof of concept is validated in laboratory environment with small scale model. A novel seabed exploration system capable to land and operate safely on highly inclined slopes of mineral deposit is described. Obtaining high quality samples by wire-line coring technique is the objective.

Feb 22, 2026

By LUKAS FAHLE, Andrew J. Petruska, JURGEN F. BRUNE, Gabriel Walton, Elizabeth A. Holley

Adverse ground behavior events, such as convergence and ground falls, pose critical risks to underground mine safety and productivity. Today, monitoring of such failures is primarily conducted using legacy techniques with low spatial and temporal resolution while exposing workers to hazardous environments. This study assesses the potential of novel simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based light detection and ranging (Lidar) data quality for rapid, digital, and eventually autonomous mine-wide underground geotechnical monitoring. We derive a comprehensive suite of quality metrics based on tests in two underground mines for two state-of-the-art mobile laser scanning (MLS) systems. Our results provide evidence that SLAM-based MLS provides data of the quality required to detect geotechnically relevant changes while being significantly more efficient for large mine layouts when compared to traditional static systems. Additionally, we show that SLAM-specific processing can achieve an order of magnitude better relative accuracy relevant for change detection than quality metrics derived from traditionally deployed tests would suggest while reducing SLAM drift error by up to 90%. In collaboration with an operating block cave mine, we confirm these capabilities in field tests on a mine-wide scale and, for the first time, demonstrate methods of rockfall detection using MLS data. While more work is required to investigate optimal collection, processing, and utilization of MLS data, we demonstrate its potential to become an effective and widely applicable data source for rapid, accurate, and comprehensive geotechnical inspections.

Aug 16, 2022

By Ziyuan Liu, Xun Zhang, Yan Wei, Hang Qiu, Shaomin Lei, Yubiao Li, Yu Meng, Min Lin, Bin Liu

High-purity quartz (SiO2) is an important material widely used in many industries, including semiconductor technology, telecommunication, and optics. The content and distribution of impurities in quartz significantly affect the processing methods. This paper provides an insightful review on the processing of high-purity quartz, covering the analytical techniques, separation methods, and the critical procedures used to assess the quality of quartz ore. More importantly, the critical review of the thermal phase transition separation method for fine-grained mineral inclusions, micron-grade fluid inclusions, and lattice-bound trace elements is notably opened for the first time. It is proposed that the research field as a monopolized industry would benefit by expounding the critical problems that occur during the preparation of high-purity quartz.

Jun 22, 2020

By James W. Estep

The sulphur shortage that has occurred in the past two years has directed attention more and more toward sour natural gas reserves, Wellhead values of sour gas vary widely depending upon the acid gas composition, location, market conditions, and necessary processing charges. Preparation of a saleable residue gas is considerably more involved and expensive than that normally encountered in treating a sweet gas. Recent revisions in sales gas specifications have increased capital costs and processing charges. The presence of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide in a natural gas contributes to shrinkage factors that may approach 50%. Fuel required by the gas sweetening process and sulphur slant tail gas incineration also contributes to a further reduction in the volume of residue gas available for sale. The additional processing facilities involving gas sweetening, mercaptan removal, expanded utilities, sulphur recovery and sulphur handling, all demand additional operating and maintenance staff. A favorable sulphur market under certain conditions may justify the processing of sour gas whereby sulphur is either a by-product or a co-product, Five typical cases involving different compositions of sour gas are presented for evaluation. Capital costs, operating problems, and operating costs are presented in detail for full economic evaluation

Jan 1, 1967

Integrated mining information and process control systems can reduce information delays, enhance decision making and improve the responsiveness of mining operations to, for example, variations in market conditions, mineral grades and ground conditions. This paper examines developments in the areas of: monitoring, data analysis and diagnosis,' communications systems; integrated mining support system;, and process and machine control. It concludes that the development of a comprehensive information technology plan is fundamental to the phased implementation of these technologies. In addition, hardware and software standards and concurrent digital design and simulation practices in selected manufacturing industries are examined and concluded to have relevance to the mining industry. Integrated information and process control systems will lead to emergence of the "digital mine". Such advances in mining information infrastructure as well as mining equipment will enable mining operations to shift from mass production methods to leaner production techniques. "Lean mining" aims to enhance and accelerate cash flow over the life of a mine by focusing on reduction of' throughput times; stockpiles for volume and quality control; and wastage and rework.

Jan 1, 1995

By Lukas Walder, Roland Arnold, Raphael Zuber, Richard Gradnik

This paper presents the construction of the ventilation shaft for the single-tube, doublelane Kramer tunnel. The project is located in the Federal State of Bavaria, Germany. This road tunnel, which has been under construction since December 2019, is the key component of the western bypass of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Once completed, it will relieve the town’s central district from enormous volumes of traffic. The contractor is the joint venture named ARGE Kramertunnel consisting of BeMo Tunnelling and Subterra. The whole project will be completed and handed over to the project owner, Staatliches Bauamt Weilheim, in 2023. The opening of the entire bypass section including the tunnel to traffic is planned for 2024. The tunnel, with a total length of 3,609 m (2.24 miles) and an estimated cost of EUR 178 million incl. VAT (US-Dollar 201 million), is designed as a single-tube, double-lane structure with one traffic lane for each direction of travel. The safety issue that exists for singletube tunnels is solved by a parallel escape tunnel passable for vehicles. For tunnel ventilation, an intermediate shaft has been designed with a depth of approximately 90 m (295 feet) and an inner diameter of 4.5 m (14.8 feet). All tunnels and ducts are excavated according to the principles of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The geological and hydrogeological conditions, the change in the profile (from round to square geometry), and also the shaft being located at a high elevation presented a demanding technical and logistical challenge. The site arrangement with the pit bank was located in a cut, the slopes of which had to be stabilized with shotcrete and soil nails. This excavation was carried out from the fall of 2020 to the beginning of 2021 because construction operations had to be completed outside the nesting period of protected birds.

Jun 13, 2023

By David R. Maneval

In 1956 the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania created a "Coal Research Board" in the Department of Mines and Mineral Industries. Over the years through amendments to the original legislation, the scope of authority for research has been expanded from the narrow area of improving and increasing the utilization of coal to covering all aspects of coal technology and any other area of interest which would be of value to the coal industry. In January of 1964, the Board commenced a vigorous program using appropriated funds and funds donated by the coal industry to finance a research program devoted to seeking solutions to the mine drainage problem. A review of published literature on the treatment of mine drainage indicated that much work done up to that point in time concerned only the mechanism of mine drainage formation and theoretical chemistry. Very few applied, developmental, or engineering studies had been devoted to finding practical solutions to the problem of polluted waters being discharged from active or abandoned mines. Projects were therefore undertaken on a wide variety of more utilitarian approaches. This paper will discuss briefly some of the pollution abatement approaches which have been funded by the Coal Research Board of this State, and will describe in some detail a multistage flash evaporator treatment plant now under construction.

Jan 1, 1970

The Environmental Session will consist of five papers dealing with various aspects of trace elements associated with coal. Analytical procedures to determine the amounts of trace elements will be discussed. Other papers will deal with trace elements in streams downstream from coal mines, potential pollution from wastes from coal preparation plants, potential recovery of trace elements, and potential pollution from trace elements as a result of the combustion of coal.

Jan 1, 1979

By Joe Hachey, Jerry Dorn, Jeff Schutt, Derek Penrice

"Sound Transit’s East Link Project, a $3.7 billion (2015 $), 14-mile light rail extension, will connect downtown Seattle with the rapidly developing east side cities of Bellevue and Redmond. Among the most technically challenging aspects of the Project is the 2,435 foot long Downtown Bellevue Tunnel (DBT), which will be constructed through the central core of Bellevue underneath 110th Avenue NE using a combination of Sequential Excavation Methods (SEM) and cut and cover tunneling. The 1,980 foot long central SEM component of the DBT will be mined at shallow depth through challenging and complex geology, comprised of glacially overconsolidated soils, containing both regional and perched groundwater conditions and in close proximity to existing high rise buildings. The paper shares lessons learned from the planning decisions and risk based approach to the investigation, design and procurement processes which shaped the DBT configuration and enabled a successful transition to the project’s construction stage. INTRODUCTION The East Link Project is a voter-approved $3.7 billion (2015 $), 14-mile extension of the existing Sound Transit (ST) light rail transit (LRT) system from downtown Seattle, across Lake Washington via I-90, to the cities of Bellevue and Redmond on the east side of Lake Washington. With targeted completion in 2023, East Link will provide riders with an efficient and reliable connection between the largest population and employment centers on the east side and downtown Seattle. The project alignment is indicated in Figure 1 below.ST completed the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the East Link project in late 2011. Subsequently the final design contract for the easternmost seven miles of the project was awarded to the H-J-H Team, a joint venture comprised of HNTB, Jacobs Engineering and Hatch Mott MacDonald in February 2012. H-J-H’s final design scope includes approximately 7 miles of double-track LRT between the east end of the I-90 East Channel Bridge and the Overlake Transit Center Station. While the project scope is extensive and diverse, the focus of this paper is the DBT. The DBT is located immediately north of the East Main Station, and travels approximately one half mile through downtown Bellevue under 110th Avenue NE between Main Street and NE 6th Street; terminating at the Downtown Bellevue Transit Center (BTC) Station. The location and extent of the DBT is indicated in Figure 2."

Jan 1, 2016

By John D. Price

In the constant search for ways and means of improving the quality of coke and thus making its use at the blast-fornace more satisfactory and economical, it has become increasingly evident that the present laboratory tests do not show the full picture of a coke's value as a blast-furnace fuel. This fact was recognized by Dr. A. C. Pieldner thirty-five years ago: (Ref. 1) here is perhaps no phase of fuel technicology which has aroused more discussion or regarding which there is more difference of opinion than the properties of coke which make it most suitable for blast-furnaces and other uses." Dr. Fieldner followed this assertion with a statement to the effect that men who write on this subject today (1923) have, because of conflicting experimental evidence brought forth in recent years, far less positive opinions on the matter than did writers of some years past. One is led to wonder if these statements are not just as true now as they were when first made.

Jan 1, 1959

By V. R. Burkhart

Pennsylvania Power & Light Company is an investor-owned public utility which was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on June 4, 1920, with general offices at 901 Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the present time PP&L is operating five coal-fired steam electric stations, two hydroelectric stations and one steam heat plant which is being converted from anthracite to oil fired. In addition, PP&L is a partner in both the Keystone and Conemaugh mine mouth bituminous coal-fired steam electric stations in Central Pennsylvania and also part owner of a company which operates another hydroelectric station. PP&L plants, other than the two mine mouth stations, are located in Central Eastern Pennsylvania. (Figure 1) The company derives about 99% of its operating revenues from supplying electric service, while the balance is from the one steam heat plant serving the city of Harrisburg. The entire service area covering 10,000 square miles in 29 counties, has a population of approximately 2,300,000 people. The area served is mostly suburban. It includes 109 communities each having a population in excess of 5,000 people. The largest cities served are Allentown, Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Lancaster, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport which range from 50,000 - 120,000 in population. So you see our service area does not include any major cities. The area has industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural and recreational activities that are linked with the Eastern Megalopolis by an extensive interstate limited-access highway system and railroad networks. We consider this Central Eastern Pennsylvania area we serve as the "heart of the market" -- an area with great growth potential.

Jan 1, 1973

By Giorgio De Tomi, Ricardo Tichauer

Mineral exploration is a critical step for success in mining. However, small-scale mining often ignores exploration best practices. This paper introduces the Tichauer-DeTomi Matrix, a tool for assessment of geological uncertainty in small-scale mining. This matrix, which measures the level of compliance of exploration programs in small deposits with industry best practices, has been applied to three small mining projects in Brazil: an artisanal gold mine in the Amazon, a small-scale manganese mining venture in the Northeast, and a small manganese deposit in the Southeast. The application of the matrix resulted in indexes that reflect the actual level of maturity of the mineral exploration program in each project. Therefore, the matrix has shown potential to be an effective tool for assessment of the geological uncertainty remaining in small-scale mineral projects, as well as to identify priority exploration activities for reduction of risks associated with the geological uncertainty. As a risk assessment tool, the TichauerDeTomi Matrix may be helpful in promoting investment and sustained development in and around small mines.

By Smart Chika Obiora, Anthony Chukwu

Mining and processing of raw materials is one of the earliest activities of man for survival and development. The products are used for making jewelleries, metal tools, and for exchange of goods and services. However, despite the benefits of mine recoveries, it’s negative and long term effects on the environment and lives remain the point of discussion throughout the world. This study summarizes findings of researches in active/abandoned lead–zinc mines in Enyigba and Ishiagu mining districts including social surveys in the localities surrounding the mines in order to ascertain the effects on the inhabitants. Lead–zinc mining in Enyigba and Ishiagu, southeastern Nigeria has lasted for decades and has affected the socio-economic well-being of the host communities. There are evidences of soil, water, and plants contamination by Pb, Zn, Cd, and Mn in these mining communities. The mining activities also affect the overall social development of the host communities. These effects include retardation in educational development, health care provision, unemployment, and access to potable water supply. Others are rise in poverty level, social amenities, sanitary/hygiene level, high cost of living, and fertility rate. Possible mitigation strategies such as to liaising with relevant government agencies in collaboration with mine owner, mine workers, and host communities can ameliorate these negative effects and promote environmental sustainability.

Feb 24, 2023

By E. Jong, E. Watkins

"The application of passive tracer gas sources in underground mines is particularly useful for long-term tracer studies as well as for studies conducted in permissible areas of underground coal mines. The use of passive perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) sources has been previously demonstrated in underground mines, but this new work details the testing of multiple, distinct tracer compounds compatible with passive sources. A description of their potential application in mine ventilation systems is also provided. Three tracer compounds are detailed: (1) PMCH, (2) perfluoroethylcyclohexane (PECH) and perfluoromethylcyclopentane (PMCP). The release rates of these tracers were examined over a 180-day period at multiple temperatures. The advantages and disadvantages of these sources are presented, along with potential applications in characterizing ventilation circuits, flow through gob and leakage. IntroductionThe use of tracer gases for ventilation applications is an established practice, with various past research projects conducted using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Tracer gas techniques have been applied to assess flow rates, dilutions rates and auxiliary ventilation system efficiencies with quick, reliable and accurate results (Suglo and Frimpong, 2002). Perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) compounds are a new introduction to ventilation and air modeling applications in terms of ventilation flow characterization (Watson et al., 2007).PFTs are liquids that are characterized by low background presence in air, low reactivity, high detectability and low toxicity. A design was proposed, called a permeation plug release vessel (PPRV), to convert PFTs from a liquid to a gas and then release the gaseous tracer in a controlled manner. The initial concept was originally introduced by Brookhaven National Laboratory and refined later to become the PPRV. The PPRV functions by allowing the volatile PFT liquid to become a vapor in a controlled manner. The vapor diffuses through a permeable silicone stopper at a predictable rate proportional to temperature (Zhang and Cloud, 2006)."

Jan 2, 2018