Search Documents

By C. W. Schultz

The vapor pressure of manganese in equilibrium with a series of liquid iron-manganese alloys was determined by the carrier gas method over a broad range of alloy composition. From these data the activities of manganese in the iron-manganese system were calculated. The system appears to be ideal.

Jan 1, 1966

By R. Jedrzejczak

Endako Mine is an open pit molybdenum mine located in the north central region of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 160 km. west of Prince George. Production for the latter part of 1992 is expected to average at 63,500 tonnes per day of which 27,000 tpd constitute the mill feed. This production is achieved with five 15 to 19 cu. yd. electric shovels, six Euclid R190 and two Unit Rig M120 diesel-electric haul trucks, and three 121;.1 inch electric rotary drills. There are three ore zones delineated into pit areas called the Endako, Denak East and Denak West. Present mill feed source is the South East stage of the Endako Pit while the stripping is carried out in the South Wall stage also of the Endako Pit. The mine high grade aggregate is reduced in the primary and secondary crushing circuits before processing in conventional RM/BM/flotation circuits. The majority of the Molybdenum Sulphide (MoS2) is roasted on site to produce technical grade Molybdenum Oxide (MoO3) while a portion is further refined and treated to yield a 99.9% pure Molybdenum Sulphide (MoS2) "Ultrapure" product.

Jan 1, 1993

By Alexandra Garcia

A measurement-based ground control management system, commonly employed in coal mines, has been successfully implemented in a UK potash mine operating at a depth of over 800 m. This system includes the routine deployment of telltales in roadways throughout the mine to mitigate against the risk of large-scale roof falls and the deployment of detailed ?design monitoring? instrumentation for ongoing design verification. The routine monitoring systems used in coal mines have not been, to date, commonly applied in potash mines, despite the similar, variable weak geology and associated ground control hazards. Monitoring information from the site indicates that telltales can be deployed to monitor roof conditions, with action levels based on differential rates of strain, as opposed to absolute movement.

Jan 1, 2014

In the pursuit of commercial solutions for environmental issues, individual problems are often identified, considered and resolved in isolation from other environmental matters and always at the end of the cycle û after the problem has been created. Inter-relationships are neglected if they are not seen to obviously impact on a specific problem and the issue at hand is plucked from the environmental landscape and dealt with in total isolation to all else. In a Zero Waste approach to environmental matters, all outputs are pursued as potential inputs. Industrial processes are viewed as a variation on natureÆs theme and opportunity pursued above all else. When viewed from this perspective, industry appears to have forgotten its origins. It has forgotten that it is principally about people. The juggernaut of global trade has forgotten that it is a small part of a big landscape and that its principal participants, people, cannot exist without healthy soil. Commercial activity in all parts of the world relies heavily on the ability of agriculture to produce the necessary inputs for industrial production. The care and nurturing of our soils is fundamental, not only to the survival of humanity, but also to the economic systems that support that humanity and to the industry which profits by it. Actual levels of domestic recycling in many countries around the world seldom reflect the 90 plus per cent desire to recycle recorded in surveys conducted by local authorities in almost every country. If the desire to recycle is far removed from the end result, why is it that the systems provided are so ineffective? It is obvious that what we do need is a recycling system that both engages and rewards the participant and stimulates the innate desire to support the environment. A recent trial in New South Wales, Australia, demonstrated that by giving individual households credits for recycling organic wastes, not only will contamination levels fall dramatically, but increased yields, improved soil structure, improved land values, reduced fertiliser costs and increased water use efficiency give the farmer good economic reasons for purchasing and applying quality composted product. By underpinning and securing the agricultural community, we secure the future of industry. The æCity to SoilÆ project linked the economic on-farm benefits of compost use with reduced contamination through the provision of rewards paid for by the purchase of product by the farmer.

Jan 1, 2006

By Igor Kuzymin, Isaak Maximov, Iuriy Akkerman, Galina Aksenova, Valentina Sentemova, Nataliya Trubechkova

"The Russian Federation possesses large reserves of oxidized ferruginous quartzites. These ores are currently mined together with magnetite ores and are stockpiled on account of unavailability of an efficient processing technology. This paper presents the results of investigations performed on the ores from the largest oxidized ferruginous quartzite deposit located in the Kursk Region iron-ore basin of Russia. The objective is to produce concentrate with iron content at least 66% and silica content within 5%. A processing technology was, developed under laboratory conditions, which included ore preparation, wet magnetic separation in weak and strong fields and reverse cationic flotation with addition of caustic soda, dextrin and Lilaflot 811M (alkoxy propylamine) collector from Akzo Nobel. The developed technology produced iron recovery concentrate with iron content of nearly 67%, and that of silica - 4.1%, iron recovery into concentrate being 72.6%."

Jan 1, 2014

By Robert Hopler

GEO. M. MOWBRAY’S REFRIGERATOR CAR FOR THE SAFE CONVEYANCE OF EXPLOSIVES. It is a fact well known to all miners who have used nitro-glycerin, or any of its adulterations, commonly known as dynamite, rendrock, Hercules’ powder, dualin, vigorite, etc., that when congealed, these compounds cannot be exploded, and in this congealed state — say at temperatures below 40° F. — they can be handled with no more danger than a box of soap or a can of lard. If, then, the atmosphere by which this class of explosives is surrounded, during transportation, be maintained below 40° F., explosion is practically annihilated. Therefore, I constructed a refrigerator car, with cells for every box of the explosive; and two years of railroad transportation confirms our ten years’ experience in teaming in wagons, that this class of explosives can be transported in perfect safety, as above described.

Jan 1, 2011

By Kenneth K. Landes

So far my consulting in industrial minerals has been confined principally to carbonate rocks,-salt, coking coal, and glass sand. Much of this work has been for companies either too small for a full-time geological staff or unaware of the value of employing one or more qualified geologists permanently. It gave me considerable personal satisfaction to see several of the latter companies employ one or two full-time geologists after the completion of a consulting contract with them. One possible reason why some companies lack the wisdom to hire geologists is that they are dominated by engineers who still subscribe to the old idea that engineers are self-sufficient in all fields. They could have learned this from their professors. I once knew a Dean of Engineering who got purple in the face when a faculty committee was discussing the financing of a broad gauged engineering project and suggestions were made that assistance be obtained from the Schools of Business and Law and from some of the science departments tie pounded the table and shouted "Engineers are trained to handle all this!" In teaching engineering geology some years ago I used to tell the class repeatedly that the course would not make them geologists, that the purpose was to teach them

Jan 1, 1972

By Willie van Niekerk

As mining projects get larger and more complex there is a need to examine the use of project management techniques developed for large construction projects in order to ensure completion of the project on time and budget. In recent years the construction/civil industry has sought new methods to ensure that multimillion dollar projects involving multiple contractors, working in an increasingly legislated work environment, are delivered to the clients satisfaction. The paper describes these methods, which range from program management to systems and tools to gather all project information such as schedule and cost, and relates how these can be applied to large international mining projects. The paper also describes the benefits that an independent project manager can bring to a client or owner?s team by setting up the relevant organization and controls together with the appropriate contract and procurement strategy.

May 1, 2009

By Bryan Ulrich

On March 15, 2012, about 24 attendees from several western states attended Roundtable 2012, hosted by Knight Piésold and Co. at the Red Lion Hotel and Casino in Elko, NV. The focus of this year?s discussion was ?Acid Rock Drainage for Engineers and Environmental Scientists.? Other names may have been more suitable for the event, perhaps combining geochemistry, with air and water quality and their long-term effects on soil and rock mechanics. Bryan Ulrich (senior vice president, Knight Piésold?s Nevada operations) and Steve Lange (senior geochemist, Knight Piésold, Denver, CO), helped facilitate the discussion. Attendees included personnel from a dozen mining properties, various corporate offices and academia. There were also attendees from a geochemical testing laboratory to help respond to specific questions pertaining to testing protocol and procedures.

Jan 1, 2012

By E. A. Domínguez

Kaolin deposits of Patagonia (Argentina) were formed by ?in situ? alteration of volcaniclastic rocks or by erosion, transportation, and deposition of residual clays in small basins. The mineralogy, geochemistry, grain size distribution, and specific surface area of natural and washed kaolins were studied in order to point out the relationships with the ceramic process. Primary kaolins are coarse-grained, kaolinite+quartz±halloysite, with a very low specific surface area. Sedimentary clays are either kaolinitic?smectitic and very fine-grained or kaolinitic with a coarser particle size distribution. An interdependence between mineralogy, chemistry, particle size distribution, texture, surface activity and ceramic behavior was found. Plasticity is strictly dependent on surface activity and expandable clay minerals. Slip rheology is affected by soluble salts, smectite, and tubular halloysite. Kaolinite-halloysite play an opposite role versus smectite-I/S in slip casting and tile pressing. Kaolinite and quartz are beneficial for drying behavior while expandable clay minerals increase drying sensitivity. Firing behaviour is mainly affected by minor components supplying fluxing oxides.

Jan 1, 2010

By J. A. Arias

The oxidation kinetics of pyrite and refractory gold concentrates in acidified ferrous sulfate solutions in the presence of oxygen-sulfur dioxide gas mixtures has been studied. The effect of temperature, pulp density and gas composition were determined. The optimum oxidation rate was obtained at 80°C and 2 percent sulfur dioxide in the gas mixture. The oxidation of the sulfide minerals is attributed to the presence of ferric ions, which are continuously regenerated by the gas mixture. The objective of this study is to find a new hydrometallurgical method to render sulfidic refractory gold ores amenable to cyanization.

Jan 1, 1993

By F. A. Auld

"Traditionally deep shaft sinking from the ground surface was carried out using drill and blast methods. Although large diameter blind shaft drilling has been carried out successfully on numerous occasions previously, including as early as 1852 in Germany (Auld, 1995), little attempt has been made until more recently to mechanise the shaft sinking excavation process using down-the-hole machines. This paper reviews the development of deep shaft sinking machines from the early 1970’s up to the present day. INTRODUCTION Mechanical excavation methods can significantly improve excavation performance, in order to access natural resources faster, and labour safety is increased compared to drill and blast operations. However, shaft sinking machines need to be capable of accommodating all the basic requirements for deep shaft sinking, namely: 1. Excavation and muck removal 2. Ground stability control 3. Groundwater ingress control 4. Temporary lining installation 5. Permanent lining installation and watertight sealing 6. Ventilation 7. Secondary means of egress for personnel In addition, how the machine operates in the shaft is an important factor, either slung on ropes from a surface headgear or on its own in the bottom of the shaft. An all-embracing machine which can deal with all of the above conditions is impossible but many of these requirements can be incorporated into a single machine. Deep shaft sinking also differs greatly from normal tunnel construction which employs the use of either a roadheader arm installed within a shield or a full-face tunnelling machine for excavation. Hydrostatic pressure and ground stability problems increase with depth, whereas in tunnelling the depth is normally relatively shallow and the aforementioned factors remain approximately constant along the tunnel length. DEEP SHAFT SINKING MACHINES All the shaft sinking carried out previously in the UK was by the traditional method of drill and blast. Elsewhere, in other parts of the world, attempts have been made to mechanise the process."

Jan 1, 2019

By Kilian Neubert, Hermann Wotruba, Henning Knapp

Sensor-based sorting has been integrated into more and more applications in mineral processing over the past decades. Various sensor types, such as line scan cameras, near infrared sensors and X-ray transmission sensors, allow the separation of a vast variety of raw materials. Sensor-based sorting has several economic benefits which can make the difference between an uneconomic operation and a profitable mine. Sensor-based sorters can be applied to fulfill various sorting tasks, such as waste rejection, product quality improvement and ore type diversion, and have a significant impact on the layout of the processing plant. Therefore, it is important to include sensor-based sorting into the planning of a processing plant at an early stage. To evaluate the applicability of sensor-based sorting for any specific ore type, it is currently necessary to provide several hundred kilograms of material for subsequent bulk tests. In exploration, ore samples are usually rare and only available in form of drill cores. The acquisition of drill cores is time-consuming and expensive especially for deposits in great depth. Hence, it is unfavorable to spoil valuable drill cores for bulk tests. This paper describes a methodology to evaluate the applicability of sensor-based sorting based on drill core analysis. That methodology offers the possibility to calculate the achievable performances of different sensor types for various grain sizes without comminution of drill cores. The general methodology is shown on basis of an exemplary test work on drill cores from a currently conducted exploration.

Jan 1, 2014

By Vishal Shukla, Ashok Kumar, C. Raghu Kumar, D. P. Chakraborty

"Traditional iron ore beneficiation plants using washing, screening, and jigging processes require large volumes of process water. Generated slime during processing, its disposal and impact on water usage, is an important concern for any mining company. The challenge today, during extracting iron ore, is how to dispose of slime such that it is contained and stable, while maximizing water reuse and minimizing surface footprint. The slime disposal methods are sensitive to the environment. Two major technologies presently being practiced for disposing the slime across the world are pressure filtration and paste thickening. In this perspective an attempt has been made to do comparative study between paste thickening and pressure filtration for selection of suitable slime disposable technology for Noamundi processing plant, Tata Steel. From the studies, it is evident that by adopting pressure filtration technique it was possible to produce filtered slime, whereas filtration, rate reduces significantly with the presence of finer fraction. Further , the greatest advantage of paste thickening is volume reduction of slime. By considering the technology limitation and comparative lab test work result, it is opined that combination of filtration and paste thickening technology is favorable in terms of capital and operating cost and slime >45 µ should be filtered and < 45 µ slime should go for paste thickening. The study and the results are presented in details.INTRODUCTION The beneficiation processes always end up with an enriched portion of desired mineral - “Concentrate” and an enriched portion of undesired minerals - “Tailing”. The proportion and nature of tailings generated in every beneficiation process differ from ore to ore and reflects the characteristics of the feed processed. The traditional method of tailing disposal in many mineral processing industries has been to dispose them as thickener underflow at around 35% solids. Though, it had certain advantages of transportation with ease but contribute to a greater volume occupied in the tailing dam. This sustained practice and failure to utilize the space available in the tailing dam judiciously endangered the mining industry. The tailing management has become the toughest task to the mining industry and most of the mines are running out of space for disposing the fresh tailings as many of these are at the verge of getting filled."

Jan 1, 2018

By W. W. Beddow

TWENTY years or so ago I wrote an article on management which consisted mostly of a chart similar to thousands of others of that day showing line functions, staff functions, and the chain of command in a typical mining organization. Since hen we have been "bossing" from the faces to the swivel chair and we have made many errors of no little expense to our companies. We have kept the chart in mind but many times we have changed the functions to fit the people we have had to work with. Good management after all is getting results with the people, the equipment, the supplies, and the natural conditions of the coal seam or seams and adjacent strata present. We have made, with little effort, a good showing with average people and equipment in good natural conditions. We have made a miserable showing (although expending every personal effort) with better than aver- age people and equipment in bad natural conditions. In the latter case many of our stockholders felt that better management would have found some way to save their investment. Perhaps they were right.

Jan 1, 1944

By Albert L. Toenges

COAL mining technique progressed slowly until the advent of mechanized mining. The cutting machine was a forward step, but had only a limited effect upon improving the percentage of coal recovery. Previously, the physical fitness of the loaders and the total output of the miners fixed mine production. The miner was an independent contractor and supervision over his working place was superficial. Rising costs and the inroads of substitute fuels demanded increased output per man to lower the unit production cost. Therefore, the amount of coal loaded mechanically in underground bituminous mines has risen from 0.3 per-cent in 1923 to 7.4 in 1929, to 20.2 in 1937, and to 48.9 percent in 1943. When loading devices were introduced it became necessary to adapt them to existing systems of mining, or to alter the mining system to fit the machine. An increased amount of supervision was required as output depended upon proper operation of the machine rather than on the physical fitness of the individual.

Jan 1, 1946

By S. W. MEALS

TWENTY million people in this country and Canada in nearly four million homes can give thanks to our Creator for natural gas, that most wonderful natural fuel with which Dame Nature has so bountifully blessed us. It is a clean, healthy and cheerful fuel, made up almost entirely of carbon and hydrogen. There is no residue, no waste and there are no objectionable constituents; an ideal fuel for the home. It operates like magic, open the valve and it is there for your needs, winter or summer, night or day. You are not required to place your order 30 to 90 days in advance and you do not need to pay for your winter&apos;s supply in advance. No ashes to worry about, no flues or chimneys to clean, nor kindling wood to store or bother the housekeeper. We who have been so blessed do not realize what it would mean to be without it. If in place of opening a valve we had to go to the woodshed or coalhouse and then build our fire-carry out the ashes-well, some of us I am afraid would be late reaching our offices and perhaps would miss our hot cakes for breakfast. One cubic foot of gas produced from the White Sand formation contains 1130 B.t.u. and weighs 47/1000 lb.; there are about 24,000 B.t.u. in 1 lb. of gas. Temperatures of over 3400 deg. Fahr. have been obtained with natural gas. Not only is it a superior fuel for the home but it has no equal for use in many large manufacturing industries, especially with the making of glass, pottery and open-hearth steel. In an open-hearth furnace, properly constructed, 5000 cu. ft. will melt one ton of steel. It requires 1/3 ton of bituminous coal gasified in a producer to do the same work, or about 40 gal. of tar or fuel oil, or 11,000 cu. ft. of by-product gas.

Jan 1, 1926

By C. H. Mathewson

UNFORTUNATE evasions of metals specifications recently brought to public attention through news items and editorials have caused executives of at least two great corporations to set up defensive procedures and to re¬affirm the patriotic purpose and conscientious effort of their plants in this battle of production. Whatever the exact conditions affecting these cases, in which the public interest has been safe-guarded by vigorous action, my reaction to such offenses in general is a feeling that they arise from the pressure and limitations that afflict our overextended war effort and that inevitably there will be more of them, doubtless more and more expertly conceived and less and less subject to detection as simple faked, or substituted analyses or tests. To the ladies, who doubtless are already beginning to ac¬quire a sense of painful resignation to a dry technical talk, may I say that the cookbook is full of specifications which customarily are varied within rather wide limits but it is generally recognized that the proof of the pudding is in the eating without regard to its exact composition or some scientific evaluation of its texture.

Jan 1, 1943

By S Vink, A Wolhuter

Increasingly the community and government regulators are calling for æzero dischargeÆ mines. Some mining companies are beginning to explore ways in which they can transition to zero discharge. When striving to attain zero discharge, mines must consider multiple variables in addition to water quantity. These include climate regime, water quality and regional water budgets. This paper explores the drivers behind the concept of zero discharge mines and will use examples to illustrate the feasibility of attaining this goal.CITATION:Wolhuter, A and Vink, S, 2013. Is zero discharge a viable or useful concept in mine water management?, in Proceedings Water in Mining 2013 , pp 329-334 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 26, 2013

By C. E. Williams

THE Iron and Steel Division, A.I.M.E., is unique in this country in that it serves all phases of the iron and steel industries. Through its publications, its meetings, and its sponsorship of new technical developments in the industries, it has proved of great value. The various technical committees of the Division are the nucleus around which this service can be developed. The Blast Furnace and Raw Materials Committee has done excellent work. The need for beneficiation of iron ores is increasing and the economics of this operation are developing more and more in favor of increased activities. Ores that are slightly undergrade should be concentrated up to grade to supplant the present practice of mixing with higher-grade ores to bring up the average composition. Marginal ores that are not now being mined, or that are being mined and piled for future use, should be concentrated. The development of the use of sinter in the blast furnace, because of the elimination of fines, the advantage of better sizing of the charge, the resulting reduction of coke consumption, and increased output of pig iron per furnace, will make concentration and sintering become practical ahead of its natural time.

Jan 1, 1936