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By Chinmoy Sarkar

Mining organizations have been trying to employ best practices at exploration, exploitation and processing level to increase productivity in the supply chain. Traditional techniques of cost control can no longer meet the ambitious target of mine managers. An integrated perspective of Mining Value Chain with enterprise-wide application of information technology (IT) ensures the ability of every mining processes to improve energy, land, capital and labour resource performance while continuing to cut costs and achieve profitability. IT offers enormous potential in mining industry at shaping entirely new opportunities to create value. This paper characterizes important entities of Mining Value Chain and attempts to provide a vision on how IT can transform the mindsets of industry managers addressing the needs of the customers.

Jan 1, 2002

By J. A. Dille, J. P. Hand, J. D. Brown

The purpose of this paper is to inform members of the coal producing and consuming community about techniques used by The Carter Mining Co. to control product quality at a large surface coal mining operation. During the early years of mining operations, coal quality received adequate attention but the company's main emphasis was to build up its production rate and minimize mining costs. While these goals are still of prime importance, coal quality has received additional attention in recent years. An objective that no coal shipment should exceed any contract or company-imposed coal quality specification has been successfully met. To implement this guideline, geology and coal quality modeling procedures were improved, in-pit drilling and blending programs were refined, and detailed shipment procedures were developed.

Jan 1, 1987

By Kennedy B. J

The 1100 Orebody is the main copper production area of Isa Mine with an output of 390 000 tonnes per four week period and a work force of approximately 260 men per shift. Currently a total of 56 nippers work a three shift, five day week roster to-service crews spread over a strike length of 1000 m and a vertical height of 220 in. A variety of rail and diesel equipment provides shaftto cribroom and cribroomto sublevel work place transport of men and materials. Overall eficiency and safety has been improved with a selected group performing supply, storage, clean-up and "bus runs" throughout the orebody - activities which are further co-ordinated by an FM radio system linking units with a control clerk.

Jan 1, 1977

By Armstrong RW, Middlin B

The development, design, construction and operation of the new Solvent Extraction/BCA process plant at Copper Refineries Pty. Ltd., Townsville is described.The process offers substantial savings in electrical power costs, improvements in plant hygiene, and a lowering of materials handling costs compared with conventional electrowinning technology.The solvent extraction process extracts arsenic from copper Tank House electrolyte using a tributyl phosphate (TBP) - kerosene solvent. The plant incorporates fourextraction stages, two scrub stages, and three stripping stages to produce an arsenic-bearing low-acid strip liquor. This strip liquor is mixed with copper sulphate, and neutralized with ammonia to form a copper (II) arsenic (V) crystalline product, bicupric arsenate (BCA). This product is then used in the manufacture of chromated copper arsenate timber preservatives (Royston 1982).

Jan 1, 1985

By J. K. Gerlach, E. D. Gock, S. K. Ghosh

Previous experience in leaching chalcopyrite with dilute sulfuric acid has generally resulted in rather poor extraction. However, the reaction rate of the leaching process can be significantly improved by an increase of the crystal lattice defects of the chalcopyrite. It was found that subjecting chalcopyrite to a milling action involving a strong impact, permits 99 percent of the copper to be extracted in a subsequent single leaching stage with at least stoichiometric quantities of sulfuric acid in the presence of oxygen at 100°C. Simultaneously, about 80 to 85 percent of the sulfide sulfur content is converted to elemental sulfur. The dependence of the reaction rate of chalcopyrite on the pretreatment, temperature, oxygen pressure and acid content will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1973

By B. Bringhurst, J. J. McClelland

A filter consisting of a synthetic fibrous material has been determined to be a viable alternative to the wire mesh panels currently used in irrigated filter dust collection systems. An extensive laboratory investigation of the material showed that it removed a higher percentage of both respirable coal and quartz dust from the air entering a collector than did the flat and pleated wire mesh panel designs. This improvement in dust collection efficiency reduced the amount of coal and quartz dust discharged from the collector exhaust by approximately 44%. Since continued exposure to excessive levels (>5%) of respirable quartz dust presents a severe health hazard, this alternative filter medium could be of use to those mines required to comply with more stringent dust standards due to quartz.

Jan 1, 1992

By Cooper P. G

I he Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Company (ER&S) has oper- ated a copper smelter at Port Kembla, NSW since 1908. The feasibility of modernising the smelter was recently studied and external influences were shown to have a substantial impact on the project economics. Profita- bility is determined by the relative magnitudes of treatment charge income earned from processing raw materials and the operating costs incurred. Treatment charges are usually denominated in U.S. dollars and are deter- mined by market forces in the world copper industry. ER&S is no different from other Australian manufacturing industries in that it must maintain its competitive position by controlling costs. The modernisation project seeks to achieve this through new technology and improved labour Productivity.

Jan 1, 1988

By Alan Campoli

The Eclipse System was developed by Minova USA Inc. formerly Fosroc Inc. to improve the performance of 5/8-inch deformed rebar fully grouted into a one inch borehole. An 1/8-inch offset bolt head combined with specially formulated Eclipse Lokset resin cartridge results in reduced gloving and increased mixing efficiency. The benefits of the Eclipse System have been demonstrated, under the supervision of MSHA, in Kentucky, West Virginia and Illinois coal mines in partnership with Excel Mining Systems, a leading roof bolt manufacturer. Over 100,000 units have been installed to date. Eclipse system bolts exposed during overcast construction at the Panther Mine of Cumberland Resources displayed an extremely well mixed, uniform resin anchorage over the entire bolt length.

Jan 1, 2003

By Allan T. Fisk, Carl R. Peterson, Richard E. Brooks, James J. Olson

Development of a continuous drill-and-blast excavation capability in mining and high-speed tunneling has been a long recognized goal. Ideally, a machine to meet the challenge should simultaneously perform drilling, explosive loading, initiation, mucking, ventilation, and other functions while remaining at the face, since the elimination or modification of the cyclic nature of the system would significantly improve the advance rate and economy of drill-and-blast tunneling. The Rapidex continuous spiral drill-and-blast concept, one of the continuous excavation schemes presently under evaluation in the US Bureau of Mines' Bedded Deposits subprogram, utilizes an unusual blasting pattern that provides effective fragmentation and involves a partially self-shielding geometry that permits a lightly shielded machine to remain at the face during blasting.

Jan 6, 1977

By Louis L. Sirois, Kwang S. Moon

The flotation mechanisms of various flotation machines are briefly reviewed. The counter current column flotation mechanism is described in more detail. The merits of counter current column flotation include; improved metallurgical performance in terms of grade and recovery, effective cleaning action in the long cleaning zone with a blanket of fresh water, smaller floor space required due to the vertical configuration of a flotation column, low capital, operational, and maintenance costs due to the absence of moving parts and finally, easier flotation control due to the simplified circuit. The results of column flotation studies on various minerals and coal at CANMET are discussed. Some of the industrial experiences with the Canadian flotation column on various sulphides, oxides and coal are also presented.

Jan 1, 1988

By Tom Shumka

INTRODUCTION ?This bull gear inspection technique was developed to provide more accurate data and faster inspection times than current techniques used today. ?Eddy Current Array (ECA) is a non-destructive testing technique that provides the ability to electronically drive multiple eddy current coils, which are placed side by side in the same probe assembly. Each individual eddy current coil in the probe produces a signal relative to the phase and amplitude of the structure below it. ?This data is referenced to an encoded position and time and represented graphically as a C-scan image. Most conventional eddy current flaw detection techniques can be reproduced with ECA inspections; however, the remarkable advantages of ECA technology allow improved inspection capabilities and significant time-savings.

Oct 1, 2010

Explosive manufacture, handling and transportation is hazardous and special precautions should be taken while manufacture, handling and transportation. Various regulations and rules defined in explosive act and factories act of India are discussed in this communication. General process control measures during the manufacturing of different types of explosives are also dealt in detail. Various processes hazardous in manufacture of various explosives like slurry explosives, PETN, detonators, styphnic acid, lead azide and lead styphnate and special precautions to be taken during the manufacture of the above explosives are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2007

Utah Development Company operates a mine at Blackwater with a present annual production of 4 000 000 tonnes of coking coal. Mineable seams outcropping on the company's lease are part of the Permian Mammoth Rangal Coal Measures. Current operations are based pre- dominantly on the Main Lower seam. Coal quality variations occur along the seam strike, in the direction of seam dip, within the seam plies and in isolated anomalous areas. Raw coal of non-specification quality is washed to reduce ash and sulphur and to improve the free swelling index. Raw coal meeting specification quality is sent directly to product, by-passing the washplant. Careful attention to mining, coal preparation and product blending is necessary to ensure that the combined product meets specifications.

Jan 1, 1974

With the sinking of the new No. 3 Shaft and the increasing depth and northward movement of the mining operations, improved ventilation of the mine workings became necessary and it was decided to sink a new upcast ventilation shaft midway between No. 2 Shaft and No. 3 Shaft.The shaft is finished to 16 ft. internal diameter and connects with the mine workings at the 2,600-ft. level. It is lined with unreinforced Concrete approximately 12 in. thick. The shaft sinking routine was drilling, blasting and mucking by hand using a 27-cub. ft. capacity bucket. The concrete lining was poured in conjunction with the sinking and was normally finished within 30 to 50 ft. of the shaft bottom.

Jan 1, 1957

By Allan J. Breitenbach

Heap leach operations provide a low-cost method for recovering gold, silver, and copper metals from low grade ore materials. The processed ore materials are stacked in controlled lifts on a lined pad facility for heap leaching. A controlled barren solution is applied to the heap ore surface by sprinkler or drip emitter irrigation, and ore metals are leached into the solution for collection and extraction in plant process facilities. The leach pad and solution collection facilities are lined with impervious materials for containment of all process solutions. The liner system typically includes a composite geomembrane and clayey soil liner with a protective drain cover fill to maximize solution recovery and protect the underlying groundwater conditions. This paper discusses the types of pad liner systems currently used by the mining industry and the "good, bad, and ugly" lessons learned in engineering practice over the last 10 years in the design and construction of heap leach pads.

Jan 1, 1999

By Diessel C. F K, Ng N

The commonly used Stopes-Heerlen coal petrographic classification and nomenclature has over the years been subject to variable interpretations. This paper discusses the problem with specific reference to the inertinite maceral group. The effect of various interpretations of the Stopes-Heerlen system on maceral analysis is discussed and illustrated by means of comparative analyses conducted by a number of laboratories in Australia. An attempt is made to define the reflectance thresholds used by the authors to subdivide the inertinite group; the genetic and technological significance of these thresholds are compared. The difficulties of distinguishing structured and non-structured macerals of the inertinite group is discussed in terms of possible improvements to the present Stopes-Heerlen system by extending the classification to include transitional maceral types.

Jan 1, 1969

By Alford R. A

The causes of the loss of heavy mineral from mineral sands wet concentrators were identified through detailed surveys of two such concentrators. It was found that tray and spiral sluices preferentially lost elongated panicles, but panicle size had little effect on loss. Recovery was shown to increase with panicle density. The major influences on the recovery efficiency of individual concentrating devices (stans) were feed rate and feed grade, recovery increasing with decreased feed rate and with increased grade. Uneven distribution of total solids and heavy mineral to individual stans contributed to losses through the corresponding effects in feed tonnage and grade. Computer simulation demonstrated that significant recovery improvements could be obtained by appropriate adjustment of splitters to optimise the characteristics of internal plant flows.

Jan 1, 1991

By A. Basçetin

Equipment selection in mining engineering is one of the most important decisions that affects the mine design, production planning and economic parameters in open pit and underground mining. Mine planning engineers generally use their intuition and experiences in decision making. Mostly, linguistic variables (the weather is raining, soil is wet, etc.) come into question and decision-makers may not know how these variables are computed. Since the advent of the fuzzy set theory, these uncertainties are easily interpreted in the decision-making process. The development of computer technology and programming of colloquial language with expert systems have considerably reduced decision-makers? burden. This paper reviews the development of a computer programme software called EQS (EQuipment Selection) that automates equipment selection in mining engineering using fuzzy set theory. The EQS with an introduction of the concepts and theories of multiple attribute decision-making, the fuzzy set theory, and EQS applications to mining industry problems with case studies are presented

Jan 1, 2006

By L. Kaufman

A range of processing conditions and compositions have been evaluated in order to optimize the properties of TiB2-(Ni,Cu) composites for application as a non-sparking tool material for use in coal mining operations. Fifty billets containing from 70 to 9S weight percent titanium diboride were hot pressed at 3000 psi between 2400°F and 2650°F. Samples which were cut from these billets were used to measure hardness, bend strength and impact strength so that composition/processing optimization could be effected. Eight compositions selected on this basis were evaluated by incendivity tests in order to choose the best composition. The best results were obtained for an 85 w/o TiB2-12 w/o Cu-3 w/o Ni composite hot pressed at 2650°F and 3000 psi. This material appears to be the best choice for fabrication of coal cutter bits to be evaluated in field tests.

Jan 1, 1973

[Pumps: oil-well: plunger: essential parts, G26, 130; 74, 828 improved type, 74, 846 leakage, 74, 837 operating cycle, 74, 833 Uren design, G26, 145 sucker-rod failures, G26, 136 sucker-rod stress, 74, 835 sucker rods, 74, 830, 832 tubing, 74, 833 tubing difficulties, G25, 138; 74, 836 Olivite, 73, 337 valve and seats, 74, 832 Punching: Monel metal, 78, 86 nickel, 78, 86 Punjab. See Indian Empire. PUPIN, M. L biography, M26, 113 John Fritz medalist, 1931, M81, 499 recipient of Washington Award, M28, 155 PURDY, R.: Discussions: on Relative Efficiencies of Domestic Fuels in Relation to Their Costs and Their Advantages 108, 353 on Uses on Coal in the Ceramic Industry, 108,389,398]

Jan 1, 1936