Search Documents

By N. Sahay

Improvement in work place environment by conventional methods viz., installation of higher capacity fan, fans in parallel operation or booster fan is a risky proposition in many coal mines in India because of difficult geo-mining condition such as shallow depth, multi seam workings having thin parting and inter connected goaves one above the other. The situation is further worsened if the mines have fire affected sealed off area connected to different ventilation circuits. On many occasions circulation of more air quantity by increasing fan pressure have resulted in initiation of spontaneous heating. To address these problems, authors have made some improvement in conventional Dynamic Balancing of Pressure Technique and worked out few ventilation schemes which are aimed for neutralization of pressure differential across sealed off area at the same time having improvement in ventilation in the mine. The excess pressure differential across sealed off area is mainly caused by introduction of higher capacity fan. Similar situation prevailed in one of the mines of Jharia Coalfield, India. The problem was solved by application of the above technique. In this paper, brief description of the technique, the problem in the mine, results of investigation, computer simulation studies of various schemes and methodology adopted for implementation of the technique in the mine have been discussed in some detail. Keywords: Dynamic Balancing of Pressure Technique, Spontaneous heating, Work place environment.

Jan 1, 2003

By H. Netuka, J. V. Horak, A. W. Khair

"A general review of major problems concerning mathematical modelling of roof bolting problem is given. A mathematical model (MM) of interactive set Bolt - Resin - Rock and its discretization based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) is developed to calculate numerically course of displacement, stress and strain fields in this set. This new MM enables to get also course of the normal and tangential components of contact stress vector, normal displacement and then mutual tangential slip at the bolt - resin and resin - rock interfaces, respectively.Behavior of system on all interfaces is modelled in the MM as a ""unilateral contact"" governed by so called non-classical boundary condition of Signorini's type including Coulomb's law of friction between resin and rock, and ""a given friction"" law between bolt and resin (see Duvaut, Lions (1972) for mathematical formulation).Numerical example and some values of resulting stresses are shown and remarks on necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability of the problem are also given.IntroductionAs is well known roof bolting has become the primary support system in almost all underground coal mines. But the ""theoretical"" design criteria for roof bolt patterns are rather problematic because: "" ... real mechanisms by which the roof bolts reinforce the immediate roof of underground coal mine entry are still relatively unknown"", see Peng (1986).The aim of this contribution is to present brief description of fundamentals of mathematical theory (see Hlavacek et al., 1988) which could be, according to our opinion and knowledge, very helpful for numerical modelling of a such type of problems. For the sake of brevity we restrict ourselves here to just one of the simplest possible problem: analysis of the behavior of interactive set composed by only single full - length - grouted bolt, resin (or cement) and suitable part of domain of a ""immediate"" neighborhood of bolt which should represent physical action of real rock material."

Dec 1, 1995

By D. T. Randall

Several years ago investigations were begun by the United States Government to determine the most efficient methods of utilizing the coals of the United States. These investigations, which were continued along several different lines, are now being carried on by the Bureau of Mines, in accordance with the provisions of the act creating this bureau . . It was because of the need for more complete information concerning the conditions under which coal could be economically burned in boiler furnaces without objectionable smoke that tests were made at the Government fuel-testing plants at St. Louis, Mo., and Norfolk, Va. In addition to this experimental work a number of commercial plants in the larger cities were inspected to ascertain what were the best methods then in use for abating smoke. The results of these investigations were reported in Bulletins 334 and 373 of the United States Geological Survey. Because of the continued demand for the information contained in these bulletins, the original editions of which are exhausted, they are reprinted by the Bureau of Mines. The text of this bulletin, particularly the information relating to smoke ordinances, was revised in the latter part of 1910 and the early part of 1911 by S. B. Flagg, engineer, who has charge of the steaming tests being conducted by this bureau.

Jan 1, 1912

By N. B. Aughenbaugh, W. C. Patrick

The availability of a thorough, simple-to-use roof fall classification system is desirable for several reasons. First, such a system would expedite the reporting of falls for the purposes of estimating material removal costs, analyzing damage levels, and complying with federal regulations to report falls in certain areas of the mine. Second, the classification system would allow the mining engineer to record falls routinely with little time and effort expended. This would encourage him to make observations concerning what type of roof support would work best in a given situation. Third, and probably most important, an

Jan 3, 1979

By Robert L. Lagace

The purpose of the work reported herein was to investigate whether available telephone multiplexing equipment offered a means to rapidly upgrade the traffic-handling capacity of present mine telephone systems and provide for selective calling for safer and more efficient mine operation. Common sense was used to decide whether or not an item could be termed "available." Since conventional telephone gear is not designed to interface pager phones for example, existing shelf items would require adapters to compatibly interface these two types of gear for independent operation over the present single twisted pair used in mines. These and similar small items were allowed, but if a system required any extensive design work to adapt it for the mines, we ruled it "not available."

Jan 1, 1975

By Bengt T. Andersson

Outokumpu Consulting Engineers, Outokumpu Oy SF-02200 Espoo 20, Finland This paper describes experiences from some operating non-ferrous flash -smelters and focuses on the advances in smelter byproduct and gas treatment engineering design. In this context a summary is given of the specific technical and economic benefits achieved-by flash -smelting technology and oxygen enrichment. The paper will also briefly outline a few new process and equipment developments.

Jan 1, 1983

By J Kwak

Driving sustainability concepts and practices into the heart of the design process is the key to achieving a successful, sustainable plant design. Engineering design practices, tools, systems and methodologies should be prepared around true eco-efficiency parameters, adopt wholesystems-thinking and consider life-cycle impacts for the design task. Experience dictates that the application of sustainable plant design practices is most likely to succeed if: The principles are well documented and explained. All stakeholders agree on what sustainability means. Sustainable plant design is treated as a core process. The principals of sustainable plant design are equally applicable in brownfield and Greenfield environments. Although brownfield situations provide the designer with less latitude for change, these types of projects do allow easier measurement and demonstration of relative impacts. This paper further develops the above points by drawing on case studies from HatchÆs repertoire.

Jan 1, 2004

By J. Janeson

Wall control at the Pipe Open Pit is of primary importance in ensuring the long-term stability of the operation, while keeping costs to a minimum. Blasting techniques have been adapted to the variations in competence and structure of the wall rocks. A portion of the perimeter wall is being developed in incompetent peridotite . A recent change in pit slope design provides a wide safety berm on alternate benches. A support program which consists of pinning the crests of wide berms with vertical reinforced concrete dowels and horizontal bolting of walls shows evidence of increasing the stability of the pit walls. This paper describes the blasting and support techniques which are contributing to successful wall control in the Pipe operation.

Jan 1, 1979

By Lewis M. McNay

The Bureau of Mines located and examined 292 burning coal refuse banks throughout the Nation's coal-producing regions in 1968. These coal waste fires, extending over 3,200 acres, produce poisonous, acrid gases and particulate matter that pose a threat to health and safety in the surrounding areas, damage vegetation, and cause the deterioration of nearby structures and buildings. Methods of extinguishing coal refuse fires are discussed, and an approach to eliminating future occurrences of these fires is presented.

Jan 1, 1971

By S. H. Chauvenet

Jan 1, 1882

By Michael F. Jeglic

Dust control methods are practiced throughout the mining industry in order to protect the health and safety of its workers, the integrity of the environment, and to guard against the loss of valuable product. The use of water is often the best and most economical method of controlling dust. Increasingly, chemical agents are being chosen over more traditional mechanical means of controlling dust. Some chemicals are used alone, and many are used to enhance the dust controlling properties of water. This paper describes the various types of chemicals available and their applicability to specific problems encountered by industry.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. Festa

Secondary crushing often gets good press for its increases in energy efficiency and SAG milling rates but for a project considering this option the proposed benefits soon get overshadowed by implementation concerns. Reverse engineering from the published case studies is risky unless the reader understands the drivers impacting stability and operability of the circuit. This paper discusses the features of secondary crushing for Greenfield and Brownfield SAG mill grinding circuits. It is the author?s view that secondary crushing rarely adds value to a Greenfield project and restricts future expansion. Its application is best retro fitted to Brownfield operations where the benefit gained for capital expended is excellent. Two case studies are presented to reaffirm these statements. The first case study shows that the implementation of partial and total secondary crushing increases SAG mill power efficiency and it offers substantial incremental increases in milling throughput with staged capital investments for the crushing and grinding circuits respectively. The paper provides a critical analysis of process conditions for secondary-crushed grinding circuits, with particular emphasis on Brownfield circuit retrofits. Furthermore, the second case study quantifies the economic impact of secondary crushing on circuit design for plant start up and it illustrates the limit imposed on plant expansion.

Feb 23, 2014

By M. S. Frasad

The State of Minnesota is interested in stimulating the development of clay resources and recently supported a two year project to collect data on geological, mineralogical, processing, economic and environmental aspects of such potential developments. This paper presents the .various process options adopted on the bulk samples collected from the Minnesota River Valley area which is a primary deposit and contains a major silica fraction. A standard test flowsheet involving degritting, dispersion, HGMS, and cycloning was developed and for some samples yielded an acceptable filler grade product. Secondary streams containing relatively high grade kaolin but of coarse size were also obtained. Improvement in particle size distribution and in physical properties related to paper product specifications (brightness, viscosity) were obtained by size reduction processes. Market and economic considerations for kaolin consumption in the upper Midwest are analyzed. Current markets for paper grade kaolin in Minnesota were briefly discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

By Armine F. Banfield

The Purpose of the Paper It is fitting that the first paper of a session on the Financial Aspects of Mining should be on the basic data upon which any financial discussion of a mining project must be based. The history of a mining project starts with exploration in an area considered geologically favorable for mineralization and culminates in the discovery of a body of valuable mineral material commonly known as a mineral deposit. Subsequently more detailed exploration establishes the approximate size, shape, tonnage and average grade of the deposit by surface and/or underground drilling, -surface trenching and/or underground workings. Some preliminary metallurgical testing and other studies, as required, are made at this time. Development work is then carried out to provide representative samples for determining flowsheet and metallurgical balances, preparing the deposit for production and establishing more firmly the grade and mining characteristics of the deposit. A feasibility study is then made of the engineering aspects of the project including the estimation of operating coats, the capital required to place the deposit into production, profit and return on investment. A valuation of the deposit

Jan 1, 1972

By P. D. Morrell

Jetbelt is the trade name for the air supported belt conveyor. It does not use troughing rollers. Jetbelt conveyors support the conveyor belt on a thin film of air. The belt rides in a steel trough which has small holes equally spaced along the bottom of the trough. Air comes through the holes under the belt, thereby supporting the belt. The air pressure is provided by a single centrifugal blower that creates very low pressure, between 249 Pa and747 Pa [10" and 30" water column], depending upon the tonnage being conveyed. The volume of air required ranges between .001415 m3/S and .00283 m3/S [3 and 6 CFM] per lineal foot of conveyor. Therefore, depending on tonnage being conveyed, a 304.8m[1000'] conveyor might require as little as 1.415m3/S [3000 CFM] or as much as 2.83m3/S [6000 CFM.]. (See Figure 1) Horsepower requirements can be less than troughing idler conveyors and considerably less than some other forms of bulk conveying. Savings are most significant in horizontal and down hill (regenerative) conveyor designs. Horsepower to lift material, of course, does not change.

Jan 1, 1984

By D Hunter, N Cusworth, J Miller

"Recent project failures have called into question the use and relevance of benchmarking and independent reviews, forcing a rethink of traditional processes and procedures.With cost estimates and schedules dramatically varying from lows seen around the global financial crisis to peaks experienced in the recent mining boom, benchmarking has ranged between essential and misleading.Profound shifts are now underway in future project delivery strategies as the market moves away from cost-plus engineering, procurement and construction management. The current trends in project implementation are to utilise more lump-sum design and construct or fixed-price supply and construct contracts. This trend will remove transparency in detailed cost information by reducing the sources and clarity of cost data.Independent peer reviews (IPRs) of studies and investment recommendations performed over the last decade have both failed to prevent flawed or deficient projects from proceeding to approval and funding, and been successful in ensuring that owners did not proceed with doomed investments.In recent times, it has been recognised by some owners, contractors and engineers that traditional benchmarking checks or IPRs, or a combination of both, will not necessarily produce reliable assessments of study conclusions and of the forecasts of project outcomes. To be of value, the benchmarking process now also needs to recognise the highly volatile responses from the engineering and construction industry to the current and future markets for their services.Similarly, reviewers who draw upon benchmarks of past project experiences on an understanding of the things that shaped and influenced their outcomes need to be more aware of how a future dynamic market may impact the outcome of the projects and raise warning flags accordingly.With the commodity cycle currently approaching what is hoped is its bottom, ensuring that benchmarking and independent reviews evolve into reliable, transparent and worthwhile processes becomes even more important. This can only be achieved with more transparent and analytical benchmarking and business-orientated reviews that both recognise and calculate the impacts of dynamic markets on project implementation.CITATION:Cusworth, N, Hunter, D and Miller, J, 2016. The role of benchmarking and independent reviews, in Proceedings Project Evaluation 2016, pp 249–259 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 8, 2016

By E. O. RHODES

This report is one of a series written by members of the Solid Fuels Mission to Germany describing wartime developments in the mining, prepara- tion, and utilization of coal. This mission was organized early in 1945 under the auspices of the Technical Industrial Intelligence Committee, which cooperated with a counterpart British Committee. In some instances; engi- neers from other allied countries cooperated. The Solid Fuels Mission operated under the direction of a steering committee headed by Dr. C. J. Potter, Deputy Solid Fuels Administrator. The personnel of the mission consisted of H. F. Yancey, in charge, J. W. Buch, Thomas Fraser, L. L. Newman, and L. D. Schmidt of the Bureau of Minos; H. H. Lowry, Director of the Coal Research Laboratory, Carnegie Institute of Technology; H. J. Rose, Vice-President and Director of Research, Bituminous Coal Research, Inc.; and F. H. Reed, Chief Chemist, Illinois Geological Survey. E. 0. Rhodes, Manager, Development Section, Tar Products Division, Koppers Co., Inc., served on the mission for the Chemical Subcommittee of 1.I.I.C. in Europe. His assignment was the investigation of the coal-tar industry. In this connection he prepared this report on the German Low- Temperature Tar Industry as a companion to his provious report on the German High-Temperature Tar Industry (Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7409). Because of Mr. Rhodes' extensive experience in these fields and the impor- tance of the subject material to the coal producers and those utilizing coal-tar products, both reports are issued by the Bureau of Mines. Over fifty reports were written by the members of the Solid Fuels Mis- elon. These, together with microfilms of supporting data obtained in the course of the investigations, are on file at the Foreign Documents Group, Technical Reports Section, Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pa., where they are available for examination. Copies of reports available in printed form may be ordered from the Department of Commerce, Office of Technical Services, Washington 25, D. C. Check or money order accompanying order for printed reports should be made payable to the Treasurer of the United States. A Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Reports, covering all ma- terials and subjects and giving instructions for obtaining the desired items, has been published weekly by the Office of Technical Services. Effective July 1, 1948, the Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Reports will be prepared monthly instead of weekly and on a more selective basis. issue, which will be the first monthly issue, will be available about July The July month thereafter through June 1949. Annual subscriptions and orders for individual copies starting with the July 1948 issue should be addressed to the Department of Commerce, Office of Technical Servicos, Washington 25, ur, and be accompanied by chock or money order made payable to the Troas- Bibliof the United States. Annual subscriptions for monthly issues of the Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Roports will be $10. Individual issues will cost $1 per copy. Foreign subscriptions will be $14 per year and $1.50 por copy. tions listed in the Bibliography of Scientific and Industrial Reports should All orders for reports in microfilm or photostatic type of reproduc- ורי

Feb 1, 1949

By T. Grammatikopoulos, C. Gibson, M. Aghamirian

"Lithium is a silver-white alkali metal that has recently become a target commodity for many junior mining companies. Lithium has a wide range of applications including ceramics and glass, lubricating greases, air treatment, continuous cast mold flux powders, polymer production, and primary aluminium production, but the current popularity of lithium can be attributed to an anticipated increase in demand for lithium ion batteries. The most common lithium-bearing minerals occur globally in pegmatites and granites. Spodumene [LiAl(Si2O6)] is the most desirable economic lithium-bearing mineral due to its high lithium content (theoretical Li2O content of about 8 wt%). However, lithium can also be hosted in petalite, micas, tourmaline, and phosphate minerals. In Canada there are a number of spodumene deposits in Ontario and Quebec at development stage that have the potential to help narrow the forecast lithium supply gap stemming from the widespread acceptance and use of electric vehicles. This paper discusses the beneficiation of hard rock lithium deposits, including an in depth review of the use of flotation to upgrade spodumene. A review of the use of dense media separation (DMS), magnetic separation, and roasting as means to process spodumene bearing ores is also discussed. INTRODUCTION Lithium is a soft, silver-white alkali metal with atomic number 3. As of 2015, the end use of lithium was estimated to be as follows: lithium-ion batteries (35%), ceramics and glass (32%), lubricating greases (9%), air treatment (5%), continuous casting mould flux powders (5%), polymer production (4%), primary aluminium production (1%) and other uses (9%) (Jaskula, 2014). Lithium is found in brine lake deposits containing lithium chloride and in hard rock pegmatite deposits. It can be sold in a range of product types; as mineral concentrate, brine, compound (lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide) and metal depending on its intended end use (Goonan, 2012; Jaskula 2014). In the 1990s the United States and Chile were the largest producers of lithium globally, primarily from brine operations (Ober, 1994). Most of the lithium compounds produced over this period were consumed in the glass, ceramics and aluminium industries. In the 1980s and 1990s there were two major lithium operations in the United States: brine operations at Silver Peak, Nevada, and a spodumene mine and lithium carbonate/lithium hydroxide plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The Kings Mountain operations ceased production in 1991 and were eventually dismantled in 1994. Brine operations were also active in Argentina and Chile, while the largest lithium ore deposit in the world was operated at Greenbushes, Western Australia. During this period it was predicted that major shifts in demand for lithium would come from the success and widespread use of electric vehicles (Ober, 1994)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Ali Jaberi Zamharir, Abolfazl Shoghian‐Alanaghi, Hossein Aghajani, Arvin Taghizadeh Tabrizi

In this study, the leaching rate of molybdenite concentrate was evaluated in sulfuric medium, and the influence of the diverse oxidants including hydrogen peroxide, manganese oxide, copper sulfate on the leaching rate was studied. Also, the effect of the addition of the ethylene glycol to the hydrogen peroxide was studied and results showed that with the addition of ethylene glycol, the leaching rate is increased 55% from 41% up to 80.3%. The optimum condition is achieved as 0.7 M of H2SO4, 4.4 M of H2O2, and 3.5 M of EG at 30 °C within 4 h of leaching time and 500 rpm. Also, inserting the oxygen with the pressure of 6 bar to the leaching autoclave, the leaching rate is increased more up to 86.4%. Finally, the leaching process was studied kinetically and the determined mode of controlling factor was specified based on the activation energy which equals 46.252 kJ/mole indicating the chemical reaction mode.

Jun 5, 2022

By W. G. Robinson

"MINING is one of Canada's most important industries and exploration is the life-blood of this dynamic and exciting business. The health and growth of the mining industry of tomorrow depends on the effort and thought that go into exploration today. The Members of the Geology Division of the C.I.M. are directly concerned with exploration, and it is fitting that this Division should periodically sponsor reviews of the thoughts and practices of the exploration com-munity. Accordingly, we have invited seven leading authorities to contribute papers dealing with specialized aspects of this field.Exploration is a science, or art if you will, that is constantly changing in keeping with our expanding knowledge of geology and technology. It started with the old-time prospectors who searched the wilds for exposures of ore, and made finds that developed into some of our most important mining camps. As more discoveries were made, they were able to relate certain types of deposits with particular geological conditions, laying the foundation for modern concepts of economic geology. The mapping by the early field parties lacked detail and usually served to outline the ""greenstone"" areas considered favourable for prospecting. More de-tailed studies through the years by government and company geologists led to new thoughts on the origin, emplacement and geological control of orebodies. The continuing diversity of opinion on these subjects indicates a need for further research, but each year sees an increase in our reserves of factual information."

Jan 1, 1967