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By Zhi-yong Liu

A novel process, which includes hydrochloric acid leaching, iron powder cementation, sulphide precipitation and spray pyrolysis, was proposed to treat iron concentrate recovered from zinc kiln slag for comprehensive utilization. Treated by two-stage hydrochloric acid leaching, the leaching extents of Ag, Pb, Cu, Fe and Zn are 96.78%, 95.14%, 97.72%, 94.51% and 87.74%, respectively. More than 99% Cu and Ag are recovered from the leach liquor when iron powder is 25% higher than the stoichiometric requirement. More than 96% Pb and Zn is removed with three times of theoretical consumption of FeS, and the concentration of impurities of the final solution is less than 500 mg/L. Fe2O3 powder, which is spherical with a mean size of 12 μm and purity of 99%, is prepared with final solution at 700 °C. In this process, not only the metal values can be recovered effectively, but also the iron resources of zinc kiln slag can be converted into high purity Fe2O3, thus, the comprehensive utilization of iron concentrate recovered from zinc kiln slag can be realized.

By Yuanbo Zhang, Zhixiong You, Daoxian Duan, Guanghui Li, Tao Jiang

"Manganese is mainly consumed by steel and battery industries. In recent years, it is essential to utilize the low-grade manganese oxide ores with total manganese grade below 25%, as the high quality manganese ore resources are becoming scarce with the rapid development of the steel industry. Conventional pyro-metallurgical processes for utilizing manganese oxide ores are characterized by high production cost and energy consumption, low productivity, serious environmental pollution, etc. In this study, reduction thermodynamic of MnO2 reduced by sulfur was firstly carried out. Then, a novel process of reduction roasting with sulfur followed by acid leaching was developed to recover manganese from the very low-grade manganese oxide ores. Effects of main factors, including temperature, reduction time and S/Mn mole ratio, were investigated, and a high leaching efficiency of Mn above 95% was obtained under optimal conditions.IntroductionHigh/middle-grade manganese oxide ores are generally used in the metallurgical industries, particularly in steel plants and ferro-alloy units. The consumption of metal manganese in the ferro-alloy industry accounts for 85- 90% of the total Mn demanded [1]. Therefore, high quality manganese ore resources are becoming scarce with the rapid development of steel industry. It is essential to make good use of large quantity of low-grade manganese ores (TMn < 25%) presently available."

Jan 1, 2012

By X. S. Yuan

With the production increase of Oil Sand in Fort McMurray Alberta, more efficient tailings disposal has become a priority for Syncrude Canada Ltd. A lot of work on tailings research and development has been compiled to determine the most effective deposition to increase reclamation options, water re-use and thermal energy recovery. Efficient flocculation of fine oil sand tailings is the key technology for thickening. It was identified that flocculation of fine transition/marine ore tailings using a single flocculant was not effective. The thickener overflow contains 1-4% solids content compared with the target solids content of <0.5% obtained with Estuarine ore. As a result, novel processes for treatment of fine transition/marine ore tailings have been developed at Syncrude Bitumen Production Development since June 2004. While the conventional processes using a single flocculant, a single coagulation, or a coagulant-flocculant combination was ineffective for transition and marine ore tailings, the new processes including Coagulation-Flocculation-Coagulation (CFC), Flocculation-Coagulation (FC) and Flocculation-Coagulation-Flocculation (FCF) were acceptable options. The key components of these technologies consist of the recipe of chemicals and their adding sequence. With these technologies, almost all sub-micron clay minerals are aggregated together and settle as a whole, resulting in a clear supernatant of less than 0.1% solids.

Jan 1, 2006

By Z. Zhang, D. Bouchard, H. Blanchette, A. Lemieux

This paper describes quality control methodologies for the production of semisolid A356 aluminum slugs with the SEED process. A methodology based on destructive tests carried out with an apparatus measuring the force to slice the slugs is presented. The force measurements were correlated with the solid phase morphologies of the slugs and were validated against a non destructive methodology that consisted in monitoring the temperature evolution of crucibles to produce the slugs and the drained metal. Results from the destructive and non destructive methodologies are compared and discussed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Prakash Venkatesan, Yongxiang Yang, Seshadri Seetharaman, Aida Abbasalizadeh, Jilt Sietsma

Electrolytic production of metallic neodymium is carried out in fused fluoride salts containing neodymium oxide. Two major challenges pertaining to neodymium production are (a) low oxide solubility and (b) possible fluorine gas evolution. A novel iron-based reactive anode is proposed and tested to overcome fluorine gas evolution during electrolysis of neodymium oxide in molten fluoride salts.

Mar 1, 2017

By Muhammad I. Kabir

The streamline method of recovery prediction reduces a two-dimensional problem to a bundle of one-dimensional ones. This paper presents the development and application of a novel scaling technique which, when used with a streamline model, causes s bundle of one-dimensional problems to further reduce to a single one-dimensional calculation. The one-dimensional calculation accounts for chemical-rock interactions and the streamline model for areal sweep. The scaling technique significantly reduces computation time, is readily modified to desk-top calculations, and can be applied to both absorbing and reacting species. The work was sponsored by the Interior Department&apos;s Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1984

By M. I. Kabir, R. S. Schechter, L. W. Lake

This paper presents the development and application of a novel scaling technique that, when used with a streamline model, causes a "bundle" of one-dimensional (1-D) problems to reduce to a single 1-D calculation. The 1-D bundle is the streamline representation of a two-dimensional (2-D) problem. The 1-D calculation accounts for chemical-rock interactions and the streamline model for areal sweep. The scaling technique significantly reduces computation time, is readily modified to desktop calculations, and can be applied to both absorbing and reacting species. The work was sponsored by the US Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1986

By Raymond F. Dalton

Despite the ready availability of numerous zinc sources, the process of solvent extraction- electrowinning (SX-EW) has as yet found little favour in the zinc industry. It is suggested that this is largely due to the previous lack of availability of suitable selective reagents having the particular features required to enable them to fit in to a solvent extraction-electrowinning based process for zinc, particularly with regard to strength and selectivity for zinc over iron. This paper describes work on the development of new selective extractants for the recovery of zinc from both sulfate and chloride aqueous solutions and suggests how they might be integrated into new zinc processes.

Jan 1, 1994

By R. H. Grau

Improving the air quality in metal/nonmetal mines is important in protecting the health of miners. Air quality can be improved in metal/nonmetal mines by developing proper ventilation techniques. Mine ventilation systems require stoppings to direct the airflow and establish pressure differentials throughout the mine. Due to their large size, stoppings in large-opening mines are cumbersome and costly to construct and maintain. As part of its mining health and safety program, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) designed and tested two novel stoppings (Super Stopping and the EZ-Up Curtain Stopping) at its Lake Lynn Laboratory (LLL). The Super Stopping is designed as a long-term permanent stopping for use in the main entries of the mine, while the EZ-Up Curtain Stopping, although very durable, is designed more for portability and ease of installation. This paper describes the design, materials, and construction methods used for these stoppings as well as their performance and durability when subjected to tests simulating actual production face blast pressures.

Jan 1, 2006

By Suman Giri

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a method of extracting appliance-level power consumption information from aggregate circuit-level data with the goal of giving users feedback regarding their energy consumption so they can take control of their consumption habits. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for classification of on and off states of appliances. We compare the performance of our algorithm in on state detection with a pervious paper that evaluated the same dataset and show that it performs up to 13% better. We also present the results of a case study where we collected data for different modes of a cooktop, microwave and dishwasher and used our algorithms to perform power estimation. The error on ten different setups in the test bed ranges from 1% to 32%. We discuss our results and lay out ideas for future work.

Aug 1, 2013

By Frederick W. DeVries

Since we first agreed to present this talk we have learned that some of you may have been covering ground we intend to discuss: Bob Schechter, Daryl Tweeton, Don Seidel, Herb Burgman; however, the ideas were original when we began, "novel" as in the title of the talk, and whether our results are news or merely corroborative, we feel they point a direction that could be valuable to all. We worked with many of you in the past on using hydrogen peroxide in in-situ uranium leaching. Our talk today is not directly related to peroxide; it is, I hope, illustrative of Du Pont&apos;s interest in providing service to this industry in any way we can. The scouting work we are presenting was stimulated by field inputs: First, ammonium carbonate leaches cause restoration problems, primarily because ammonium ions exchange on clays with calcium. Second, sodium carbonate solutions, especially in South Texas deposits, can cause intolerable swelling of clays. From discussions with Dr. van Olphen, who wrote the book on clay chemistry, we inferred by comparison of the radii of the hydrated ions of the elements in these clay systems, that since potassium had about the same radius as ammonium, and sodium was much larger, potassium occupied a unique position to solve both problems. We have shown: FIGURE 1 Potassium bicarbonate systems leach uranium without loss of permeability found with sodium Potassium salts are very effective in restoring ammonia-leached sites Before reviewing the details of our work, which was performed by Hazen Research, Inc., I should like to stress its scouting nature. We are trying to assist the in-situ industry by pointing out new, potentially important directions. But, as with our previous work on sodium silicate to restore permeability, we feel the development phases can generally best be carried out in cooperative programs with companies directly involved with operations. DISCUSSION Test Parameters Now for the details: Our leaching tests were designed to note pressure-drop changes across the ore sample as the uranium was leached. Figure 2 shows the apparatus. The [ ] packed length was 20.5 inches (52 cm) with fifteen hundred grams of ore in the two-inch (5 cm)-diameter bed. Pressure drop was measured by manometer and feed rates were maintained constant with a tubing pump. The samples, from a South Texas leach site, were sealed in "Zip Loc" bags, frozen with "dry ice", crushed (still frozen) through six mesh, and blended before placement into the columns. The ores analyzed as shown here: FIGURE 3 Ore Analyses [Sample A Sample B U308 015% 0122% Mo 0004% 0086% Se0012% <0001% Fe3,078%076% Fee- 098% 044%]

Jan 1, 1979

By Chai Liyuan

Chromium-containing slag was detoxified by the method of microbial treatment using Ch-1bacteria isolated from nature by our research group, belonging to achromobacter sp. and with the characteristic of reducing high concentration of Cr(VI) in alkaline solution. The detoxifying process of Ch-1 to chromium-containing slag was studied by column-leaching techniques respectively. The results indicate that Cr(VI) in leachate can not be detected when chromium-containing slag has been column-leached for 7 days, and Cr(OH)3 content in precipitate is up to 32.8% with great value of resource recycling. Flowchart of engineering experimentation was ascertained based on the parameters of column-leaching experiments. Using the technique of pelletization of chromium-containing slag heap-leaching by Ch-1,the leaching rate of water-soluble Cr(VI) existing in chromium-containing slag reaches up to 100%, while the leaching rate of full chromium is up to 90%, when the process has been operated for 7-10 days under the conditions of 25-40C and consecutive spray by circular leachate. The content of Cr(VI) in chromium-containing slag after detoxified meet the national identification standard for extraction procedure inxicity for hazardous wastes(GB5085-1996) in China, moreover approximately 90% of Cr(VI) existing in chromium-containing slag has been recycled.

Jan 1, 2006

By Aimee A. Woolsey

Enterprise Unmanned Traffic Management is a holistic system concept evolving from technological developments in radio frequency where dynamic tracking can be added into current and emerging platforms. This is done through inexpensive RF sensors capable of real-time and cooperative, non-GPS tracking enabling digital visualization of assets, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The RF sensors are low size, weight, and power (SWaP), creating efficiencies in energy and material consumption while transmitting positions in real-time and at long ranges. Multiple UAS and other unmanned vehicles can be visualized for risk mitigation in operations,

Oct 17, 2022

By Aimee A. Woolsey

Enterprise unmanned traffic management (E-UTM) is a holistic system concept evolving from technological developments in radio frequency (RF), where dynamic tracking can be added into current and emerging platforms. This is done through inexpensive RF sensors capable of real-time and cooperative, non-GPS tracking enabling digital visualization of assets, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The RF sensors are low in size, weight and power (SWaP), creating efficiencies in energy and material consumption while transmitting positions in real time and at long ranges. Multiple UAS and other unmanned vehicles can be visualized for risk mitigation in operations, thus enabling mine management to have better decision-making capabilities in the current and future mosaic of mine operations.

May 1, 2023

By P. Coulombe, J-F. Riverin, A. Gaboury

Cavity cleaning during anode change generates a material that consists of anode cover material and cryolite melts. This material is scooped and placed in bins for transport and further processing and recycling as fresh anode cover material. Typical processing methods in use involve cooling of the hot cavity bath in bins, with or without emission treatment systems, until it is adequate to be processed and grinded to the required particle size distribution. Handling of the hot and cooled cavity bath material can be labour intensive. It also generates significant air emissions which contain particulate and gaseous fluorides. With the advent of the Aluminerie Alouette smelter Phase II expansion, the hot cavity bath tonnage to be processed increased to 700 t/day and maintaining existing practices was not satisfactory. This article presents a novel process implemented at the Alouette smelter where cavity bath is processed as a hot material directly from the potlines ( 600-800°C range), sized, cooled and then processed in the existing cold bath treatment plant. The system is designed to process 36 t/h, is fully automated and requires limited monitoring from operations. Implementing this new system in a Browrifield environment imposed numerous constraints for space, interfaces with existing operations, commissioning and ramp-up. It is presently operating at approximately 80% availability and is easily meeting the requirements of the potlines. This system has significantly improved the workplace environment in the bath treatment area and reduced the overall particulate and gaseous fluorides emissions at Alouette. Aluminium 2006 45th Annual Conference of Metallurgists ofCIM Montreal, Quebec, Canada Edited by

Jan 1, 2006

By Richard J. Abitz

Thennodynamic geochemical models have been applied to assess the relative effectiveness of a variety of reagents added to aqueous waste streams for the removal of radioactive elements. Two aqueous waste streams were examined: effluent derived from the processing of uranium ore and irradiated uranium fuel rods. Simulations of the treatment train were performed to estimate the mass of reagents needed per kilogram of solution, identify pH regions corresponding to solubility minimums, and predict the identity and quantity of precipitated solids. Results generated by the simulations include figures that chart the chemical evolution of the waste stream as reagents are added and summary tables that list mass balances for all reagents and radioactive elements of concern. Model results were used to set initial reagent levels for the treatment trains, minimizing the number of bench-scale tests required to bring the treatment train up to full-scale operation. Additionally, presentation of modeling results at public meetings helps to establish good faith between the federal government, industry, concerned citizens, and media groups.

Jan 1, 1996

By R W. Wilson, A R. Branch, T S. Pooe

The original bulk air cooling system at this particular mine made use of two water chilling refrigeration machines to produce peak cooling of approximately 12 MWR with a downcast air temperature of about 7&#176;C; however, as the shaft is not used for transporting personnel, the opportunity existed to supply more cooling to the mine by lowering the downcast air temperature. An ice storage facility has been constructed and provides a range of opportunities in operating the system: colder air temperature sent to the shaft, enabled by using near-zero degree water produced by melting ice to cool the air; electricity time-of-use management, by shifting electricity usage out of peak tariff periods; and increased peak cooling capacity, by melting ice while chilling water. Ice is created in the storage facility at night while the ambient air temperature is low and then melted to produce cold water when required by the cooling process. An ice dam was constructed and serpentine stainless steel coils installed where the ice is produced; one of the refrigeration machines was converted to chill a glycol solution to subzero temperatures to create the ice on the coils; a plate heat exchanger was installed to allow the glycol chiller to act as a water chiller as well; and a third spray stage was added to the bulk air cooler to utilise the near-zero water. This paper describes the thermodynamic design, construction and performance assessment of the new system, which is unique, novel and represents the state-of-the-art of this type of cooling system and energy management.CITATION:Branch, A R, Wilson, R W and Pooe, T S, 2015. Novel use of ice thermal storage for energy management on a mine refrigeration plant, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference, pp 185–192 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 31, 2015

Reduce the respirable dust exposure of the roof-bolter operator when downwind of the continuous miner, particularly in mines where respirable dust standards are more stringent because of silica in the respirable dust. Dust Sources If roof-bolter dust levels are excessive, the bolter dust collector should first be checked to ensure that it is operating properly. (Technology News No. 219 provides information on how to spot and repair bolter dust collector problems). If the roof-bolter dust collector is operating properly and dust levels are still excessive, then the source is most likely a continuous mining machine operating upwind. In many sections, the roof-bolter operator must work on the return side of the continuous miner during part of the production cycle. In three-entry longwall developments with single split ventilation, this may happen as much as one-third of the time. Factors which pro-mote high quartz dust exposure are:

Jan 1, 1985

Improve the safety and comfort of operators of large mining equipment. Approach Develop an improved driver restraint system that is easy to use, reliable, and cost-effective, while providing increased protection in the event of a collision or rollover. The Novel Restraint System There are several problems associated with conventional lap-belt type restraint systems. Among these are: restriction of movement, lack of comfort, and fear of entrapment. Standard seatbelts become dirty and oily from lying on the vehicle cab floor and can ruin a driver&apos;s clothes. Some haulage equipment may not even have seatbelts available to drivers since they are sometimes removed during maintenance activities or as a result of vandalism. Recognizing a need to address such problems by providing a more acceptable means of driver restraint, the Bureau of Mines designed and fabricated a novel vest-type restraint system. The vest is designed to be worn during a driver&apos;s 8-hour shift and would be issued much like safety glasses, hard hats and safety shoes, thus becoming part of the operator&apos;s individual protective equipment and assuring that each vehicle has a restraint system when in operation. The vest-

Jan 1, 1985

By Thomas Palangio, Blessing Taiwo

Image-based fragmentation analysis is increasingly utilized in blasting operations to evaluate particle size distribution in a non-intrusive and efficient manner. However, the accuracy of optical granulometry systems can vary significantly with particle size. Higher precision is typically achieved for larger fragments, generally those greater than golf ball size when using drone-based orthomosaic analysis. In contrast, the detection and delineation of fine particles become less reliable due to constraints such as pixel resolution, particle overlap, and partial burial within the muck pile. This variability does not undermine the value of image analysis but rather highlights the need for a deeper understanding of its operational thresholds and the integration of complementary methods or calibration approaches to improve its reliability across the entire particle size distribution. Technologies such as WipFrag, originally developed in the 1980s, are designed to conduct in-situ fragmentation analysis within complex blast environments, where fines are often obscured by larger fragments. The challenge becomes more significant in blast rounds exhibiting wide gradation ranges and increased fines, particularly resulting from excessive energy concentration in high-pressure zones near the borehole. Previously, this issue was addressed through methods such as analytical correction, zoom-merge correction, and empirical calibration using Rosin-Rammler and Swebrec distribution models. However, these traditional empirical calibration approaches, particularly those tied to distribution functions like Rosin-Rammler have shown limitations, especially in accurately representing the fine region of the fragmentation curve. In contrast, the recently developed xP-fan model, which incorporates the relationship between powder factor and fragment size, introduces the fragmentation energy fan principle which Kuz-Ram model does not entail. This paper presents a study on the application of the novel xP-fan calibration to enhance the accuracy of optical granulometry systems. The findings demonstrate how xP-fan help calibrate the fine region of the PSD without deflecting the maximum size.

Jan 26, 2026