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By NEWTON B. KNOX

THE war has forced the principal industrial nations of the' world into the strait jacket of a closely controlled economy; taxes have been heaped upon all enterprises in order to maintain the armed forces and to deprive the people of the ability to bid for goods now unavailable. These restrictions, controls, and taxes are unlikely to disappear entirely after the war has been won, for debts will remain to be paid with a long period of difficult readjustment. Although the new economy will doubtless offer plentiful opportunities for the advantageous use of capital, no investor can ignore the favorable conditions offered by industry in Latin America, where taxes are relatively low and the restrictions on free enterprise comparatively mild. In mining in South America, the great international corporations have

Jan 1, 1944

By L. Tong, D. Robinson

"The stirred milling of nickel laterites offers possibilities for improving liberation and selective size reduction of soft nickel-bearing minerals in laterites. Batch grinding tests were performed in a netzsch™ lME4 stirred mill on siliceous goethitic, goethitic, and saprolitic nickel laterites. Tests on the -2,000 µm sample displayed the effects of selective comminution. The -38 µm product of grinding the -2,000/+38 µm feed confirmed the effects of selective grinding and nickel upgrading. Size classification followed by stirred milling is recommended for nickel upgrading. The energy requirement in the stirred milling was also investigated.RÉSUMÉ le broyage par billes de latérites comportant du nickel offre des possibilités d’amélioration de la libération et de la réduction sélective de la taille des minéraux nickélifères tendres dans les latérites. Des essais de broyage en vrac ont été effectués dans un broyeur à billes netzschMD lME4 sur des latérites nickélifères à goethite siliceuse, à goethite et saprolitiques. Des essais sur l’échantillon -2000 µm présentaient des effets d’une comminution sélective. le produit -38 µm de l’alimentation -2000/+38 µm confirme les effets d’un broyage sélectif et du rehaussement de la teneur en nickel. Pour améliorer la teneur en nickel, il est recommandé de classifier le minerai en fonction de sa granulométrie, puis d’effectuer un broyage à billes. l’énergie requise pour le broyage à billes a aussi été étudié."

Jan 1, 2015

By Nadia C. Miller

In situ metals research to characterize the hydrology of a fractured crystalline rock mass in under-ground mine stopes is discussed. The objective of this study was to find the potential direction, velocity, and concentrations of a lixiviant plume, should leaching solvents (lixiviants) escape from a test stope. The study was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines at the Colorado School of Mines Experimental Mine in Idaho Springs, CO. Since this was a method evaluation site, the lixiviant was simulated using water and acceptable tracers. The site is located in moderately fractured Precambrian migmatite-biotite gneisses of the Idaho Springs Formation. The data required for the characterization were obtained from geologic maps and reports, core logs, and air and water permeability tests. The acquired data were analyzed and applied to a computer model that calculated' the characteristics of a lixiviant plume originating at the stope. A sensitivity analysis showed that dispersivity, ground water velocity, fracture porosity, and fracture spacing had notable effects on the concentration of the plume. Assuming a saturated rock mass, the lixiviant plume would disperse to undetectable levels in a very short time because of a high fracture density at the mine site.

Jan 1, 2010

By C. G. Hunkin

In situ, or in-place leaching is concerned with the extraction of metals from natural mineral disseminations without removal from their geologic location which, in many cases, amounts to the reversal of the deposition process accompanied by a presumed increase in velocity of the processes, if the project is to be profitable. Solution mining processes involve removal of minerals such as sulfur, common salt, and potash, generally leaving cavernous voids, in contrast to in situ leaching which term is applied to the selective dissolution of a mineral from its gangue without sensible disturbance of the formation. Where such a process can be operated, the advantages are manifold and have been so recognized by miners from the earliest days of mining. Recent technological developments have encouraged a reassessment of the status of in situ leaching, and it now appears possible to extend the application of the method from a few isolated special situations to many uranium and copper deposits. Anaconda's interest in the techniques stems from long experience with vat and heap leaching, 'dump leaching, and natural leach activities associated with several established mines. Increasing activity through-out the industry has been noted, particularly in leaching low grade pillars and the peripheral zones of operating mines, often by the introduction of leach solutions via boreholes drilled from surface. Reactivation of dormant mines] using similar techniques has been successful. Over the long term, environmental improvement activity will lead to excess sulfuric acid production, even to a disposal problem. The cost of leach solutions and reagents must be reexamined in this light. The mineral industry now classifies as uneconomic deposits of readily soluole minerals whose potential value, on a per acre basis, may De several times that of many currently profitable oil field reser-

Jan 1, 1971

By P Holtham, K Duffy, B, W Valery, E Tabosa, rade

Pre-concentration has potential to significantly improve Mineral Resource efficiency by removing gangue early in the process, before energy intensive and expensive comminution and fine processing. However, there are numerous options for pre-concentration and the performance and benefits of these are very case specific. To determine the best option for a particular deposit and to successfully integrate it into the overall mining and processing operations requires comprehensive evaluation. This needs to consider orebody suitability, technology capability and economic viability. The in-situ variability of a deposit and how it is influenced by mining methods and the liberation size of gangue are key factors which are generally not well understood. Geostatistical methods provide an insight into orebody variability, and the overall selection of any pre-concentration solution must be an integrated approach between geology, mining and processing. Many pre-concentration evaluations investigate the potential of just one option. Technology selection should start wide and may include: selective mining, pre-screening (with or without selective blasting), sorting (bulk and or particle), coarse gravity separation (e.g. jigging, DMS), coarse particle flotation, magnetic separation, etc. The upgrade performance of these processes is very ore specific and should be determined from testing, with detailed multi-component modelling used to determine the overall process performance. Many of these pre-concentration processes require significant ancillary equipment, feed preparation and materials handling. It is important to realistically estimate all costs to understand overall economics and select the best option. Some examples showing evaluation and comparison of pre-concentration options are presented in this paper. These include assessments of in-situ variability using geostatistical tools, process modelling of pre-concentration options and overall performance, preliminary layouts and cost estimates, and economic evaluations.

Nov 10, 2020

By C. Zuniga, S. Combrinck, C. Peters

Agnico Eagle Gold have partnered with Enaex Australia at their Fosterville gold mine to leverage a combination of drill and blast technologies to optimise underground development mining. The mine is the first site globally to collaboratively develop and trial Enaex SWIFT electronic development detonators, which utilise a novel approach to the user interface, simplifying implementation and enabling the benefits of electronic initiation without the complexity of a conventional system. This has been combined with the use of a Sandvik 422i smart jumbo, and the Enaex underground emulsion charging unit with the capability to tailor the delivery of explosives as required and report on a hole-by-hole basis. The combination of these technologies enables full engineering oversight of the development cycle, in turn enabling optimisation of this process in a historically conservative application. The methodology for leveraging these technologies is to bore a controlled and defined blast pattern through using a smart jumbo, load the blast holes utilising lace loading to deliver a desired quantity of ammonium nitrate emulsion per hole, with the ability to reduce chargeweight for perimeter control, and utilising Enaex SWIFT electronic detonators with flexible template type pre-defined delays to initiate the blast holes. Subsequent to firing and excavation the performance of the blast in fragmentation, advance efficiency, and overbreak and underbreak is measured and reviewed. This is then used to optimise the development cycle and apply to other parts of the mine.

Feb 6, 2023

By C. M. F. Vieira

Crushed fired brick waste, known as grog, screened at two different particle size, 840 (20 mesh) and 180 µm (80 mesh), was used in mixtures with clayey body to make typical red ceramics for bricks. The effect of the grog addition up to 20 wt.% on the properties of bricks fired at 700oC was evaluated. The results indicated that both the particle size and the amount of grog addition changed the fired properties of the clayey body. Additions above 5 wt.% of grog, with a coarser particle size, decreased the mechanical strength of both the dry body and the fired ceramic pieces. By contrast, grog with a finer particle size may be used up to 10% wt. without deteriorate the properties and corresponding microstructure of the clayey body.

Jan 1, 2009

"Metallurgical process development in greenfield projects must define the comminution flowsheet and establish the equipment sizes that are required to deliver the project design criteria. These are critical steps that heavily influence the financial performance of the project, requiring a detailed understanding of the ore properties of the project resources and the best practice methods to size comminution machines. This paper reviews current practices for determining the ore characteristics relevant to comminution circuit design. Particular attention is given to the design of sampling and testing programs, and the methods commonly applied to size crushers and mills for conventional size reduction applications in mineral processing. IntroductionMetallurgical process development in greenfield projects requires the selection of a comminution flow sheet and must establish the equipment sizes required to deliver the project design criteria. This necessitates a detailed understanding of the ore properties that define the project resource. For brownfield projects the same objectives may apply for plant expansions, or the project objective may be simply to define the capacity and operating cost of an existing facility for a new ore source. The process development phase in either instance will typically comprise the following key activities:• Geometallurgical classification and sampling of the ore deposit or deposits.• Determination of comminution energy requirements.• Benchmarking similar projects.• Identification of flow sheet options.• Equipment selection and sizing.This paper is concerned specifically with process development testing and will as such focus on the first two activities on the list: sampling and testing of the deposit. The discussion will focus on testwork programs to support the design of comminution circuits commonly in use in mineral processing today, specifically crusher, tumbling mill and stirred mill technologies.It is important that any testwork program is designed giving consideration to the types of flow sheets that are viable for the project, and the data that will need to be generated to support the final equipment sizing. Designing a testwork program to only provide information about one particular type of flow sheet will not allow sufficient information to be generated for a rigorous trade-off analysis of options, and may therefore preclude financial optimization of the project. Testing programs should be designed to collect sufficient data to ensure that any backtracking at a later stage to fill in missing information is minimal."

Jan 1, 2016

By W. Standifird

"Cohesive fracture is a mechanical model widely used for modeling quasi-brittle fracture in rocklike materials. This work discusses use of this model to simulate quasi-brittle fractures generated by injection stimulation during the process of cuttings reinjection in West Africa. Cuttings reinjection is an engineering practice used for disposal of drilling waste. During this process, hydraulic fractures are created at the target formation and milled cuttings are injected with fluid. In practice, this process must remain in compliance with environmental regulations and zero-discharge policies. The purpose of this study is to determine the following factors of injection design for a field in West Africa: (1) pumping pressure capacity required to successfully perform the injection and (2) the injection rate for injection performance and the value of fracture width under injection.A simplified three-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) was built. A poroelastic plastic damage model was used for simulation of the cohesive crack prorogation within the target formation. For simplicity, fracture development in both horizontal and vertical directions was simulated separately. In this way, the computational burden for one calculation was reduced to a reasonably low level, without losing accuracy of the model. Loads of the model include fluid injection and gravity, which balances the initial geostress field. Various values of injection rate were used in these calculations to determine the most reasonable value of injection pressure. The capacity of pressure of a pumping device was determined using this optimized value of injection pressure.Results in values of width and length of fractures created by the injection are presented. Injection pressures at bottom-hole (BHP) corresponding to each value of injection rate are also given. Numerical results for fracture generation and propagation in a horizontal direction were visualized. The pumping pressure capacity required to fulfill the cuttings reinjection work was determined based on the numerical results of optimized injection rates and pressure. The fracture width was determined using the given pumping pressure. The length and height of the fractures was determined using pumping pressure along with the required volume of cuttings waste to be disposed of into the formation.This work presents a case study of 3D finite element modeling of hydraulic fracturing generated by cuttings reinjection. The results of the optimized injection rate and pressure provide a best practice and a useful reference for cuttings reinjection analyses in this region."

Jan 1, 2015

By M I. Pownceby, M A. Rhamdhani, S Palanisamy, D Fellicia, B Satritama, G A. Brooks, A Ang

Metal production have long been using carbon sources as both reducing agents and energy sources. Consequently, the global extractive metal sector contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 9.5 per cent. Hydrogen gas offers as a promising ecofriendly alternative to carbon in metallurgical processes, serving as both a reductant and energy supplier with a by-product being only water vapour. However, the implementation of molecular hydrogen faces certain challenges related to the thermodynamics and kinetics of metal oxide reduction. In addressing these challenges, researchers have explored the application of hydrogen plasma, generated by subjecting molecular hydrogen to high energy to produce atomic, ionic and excited hydrogen species. Hydrogen plasma offers thermodynamic and kinetic advantages over molecular hydrogen and carbon-based reductants, exhibiting lower standard Gibbs free energy of reaction and activation energy. Therefore, hydrogen plasma can produce metal in fewer steps, process any oxide feed and feed size and even be used to refine metals. Despite these advantages, challenges exist in utilising hydrogen plasma in extractive metallurgy, including electricity costs, potential reverse reactions and industrial-scale implementation. This study provides a mini review of prior research on hydrogen plasma for metal oxides reduction, particularly iron oxide, as well as state-of-the-art techniques for its use in extractive metallurgy applications by mentioning several reactor types. Future prospects and scale-up possibilities of the hydrogen plasma in extractive metallurgy will also be presented.

Aug 21, 2024

By B. J. Moore

This publication contains analyses and related source data for 191 natural gas samples from 22 states and 1 foreign country. Of the total samples, 182 were collected during calendar year 1987. The remainder were collected earlier, but releases granting permission to publish were not received before 1987. All samples were obtained and analyzed as part of Bureau of Mines investigations of the occurrences of helium in natural gases of countries with free market economies. This survey has been conducted since 1917. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and chromatograph.

Jan 1, 1988

By Lixue Wen, Jun Xiao, Dongping Shi, Yan Xue, Jinmiao Wang

Mine ventilation energy consumption is one of the main sources of energy consumption in mining production, accounting for about one-third to one-half of the total energy consumption. Therefore, reducing the energy consumption of the mine ventilation system is crucial for mining production. With the premise of meeting the airflow requirements of the underground work areas and achieving sustainable development of mining production, this paper establishes a nonlinear optimization mathematical model for the mine ventilation network with the objective of minimizing the total power. Regarding the model, optimization of the decision variables was carried out using the method of minimum spanning tree. The constraints for air flow balance, wind pressure balance, and fan operating conditions were optimized using the exterior penalty function method, thereby transforming the model into a nonlinear unconstrained model. Based on this model, a modified sooty tern optimization algorithm (mSTOA) was proposed to achieve optimization. Improved the sooty tern optimization algorithm (STOA) by using the uniform reverse strategy, fitness value-distance balance selection strategy, and mutation strategy. The STOA, mSTOA, and three other classical optimization algorithms were applied to the optimization of a ventilation system of an actual mine. The experimental results show that after using mSTOA to optimize the ventilation network airflow distribution in the mine, the total energy consumption can be reduced by about 35.06% while meeting the constraints and demands of the ventilation network regulation and usage. This is of great value to mine roadway operation environment safety and clean production.

Dec 20, 2023

By WALTON H. HAMILTON

THE demand for "production control" has, like the poor, been with us always. With the development of the nation, the accumulation of business experience, and a maturing understanding of how our many and varied industries work, it is increasingly evident that an uncontrolled output is a source of great mischief and that order and performance demand a control of production. To see clearly the demand for "production control" we must look in detail at the ways in which industries operate. General pictures, grand aggregates, situations as "wholes," and smoothed curves are likely to be deceptive. An industry may seem to keep the even tenor of its ways, and yet the establishments which made it up may experience a great range of fortunes. A nice bundle of statistics may show in the aggregate a lovely regularity which is not shared by the firms which make up a trade. An industry may appear to be reasonably profitable, and yet the profits may be very unevenly distributed. The people in an industry, and dependent on it, are managers, laborers, stockholders, creatures of flesh and blood, such as you and I. General pictures and abstract statements must not blind us to what is happening to firms, corporations and individuals.

Jan 1, 1929

By Timothy M. Barton

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research to assess the effectiveness of different chain pillar designs in maintaining gate entry stability. A particular concern is ground control for deep-cover 1ongwalls located at depths in excess of 1,000 ft. The study described in this report was performed in two experimental sections in one longwall headgate section which contained three different pillar designs. Two of the designs used conventional abutment pillars, while the third was a total-yielding pillar system. Both of the test areas were located under 1,800 ft of cover. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of these three pillar designs for gate road stability. As the longwall mined passed the test areas, Bureau engineers monitored entry convergence, roof sag, and changes in roof quality. The study indicated that the all-yield system performed nearly as well as the better of the two abutment pillar systems; but all of the three designs would have failed to provide acceptable stability for second panel mining without considerable artificial support.

Jan 1, 1989

By M. I. Mabala, B. P. Watson, M. J. Kanda

A failed and stable Upper Group 2 chromitite pillar database was collected in 2007 as part of the PlatMine 1.2 pillar strength project. The database consisted of 177 pillars, of which 33 had failed. Most of the data were collected from various intermediate-depth mines near the town of Thabazimbi. Spans between rows of chain pillars were about 30 m. Pillar loads were estimated using pseudo-3D, elastic, boundary element modelling software. The pillar-load data were evaluated using a maximum likelihood regression analysis to determine strength parameters, following a similar approach to historically acceptable practice. The original formula was named the PlatMine Formula. This paper describes re-evaluations of the database, using a linear formula and several variations of the power formula. The formula providing the lowest standard deviation to the data in the database was considered the best representation of the pillars in the database. Through this rigorous process, a new formula for peak pillar strength was developed for Upper Group 2 chromitite pillars, which is unaffected by volume. The small standard deviation provided by this formula suggests a reliable relationship between strength and w/h ratio, in the w/h ratio range between 1.5 and 4.7. Accuracy, precision, and recall analysis confirmed the efficacy of this equation to the data in the database. Importantly, the new formula provided in the paper does not predict a significantly different strength to the current PlatMine formula, within the confines of the database.

Nov 27, 2024

By Subagyo

The condition of slag in a pyrometallurgical reactor is vital to ensuring control of the process. A new technique based on multivariate image analysis (MIA) of digital images has been developed to provide an online measurement of important slag characteristics, such as the presence of exposed metal, the presence of solid phases, and temperature. This paper shall describe the technique and provide some results from analysis using industrial plant data.

Jan 1, 2003

By G.A Subagyo

The condition of slag in a pyrometallurgical reactor is vital to ensuring control of the process. A new technique based on multivariate image analysis (MIA) of digital images has been developed to provide an online measurement of important slag characteristics, such as the presence of exposed metal, the presence of solid phases, and temperature. This paper shall describe the technique and provide some results from analysis using industrial plant data.

Jan 1, 2003

By Ycaro Jorge Maia da Costa

O desenvolvimento de estruturas com dimensionamento confiável requer o monitoramento de seus materiais, entretanto alguns processos de fabricação muitas vezes induzem modificações em seu comportamento mecânico. Isso faz com que as estruturas sejam menos confiáveis podendo causar redução da vida útil. Um dos processos onde isso acontece é a soldagem. Seu aporte térmico, modifica a microestrutura do material de tal forma a gerar três regiões mecanicamente distintas na junta soldada: Metal de Solda (MS), Zona Afetada pelo Calor (ZAC) e Metal de Base (MB), fazendo com que haja concentração de tensão na região afetada. Este trabalho se deteve em analisar o comportamento mecânico de uma junta soldada de aço inoxidável AISI 304 em comparação com o mesmo material não-soldado através da identificação dos gradientes de deformação, utilizando da Correlação Digital de Imagens (CDI) aplicada ao ensaio de tração. Os resultados provaram a capacidade da técnica de CDI em identificar campos de deformação mesmo em materiais anisotrópicos, como uma junta soldada.

Aug 17, 2017

By A. Totani, S. Nakajima, H. Okazaki

The phase diagram for the SnTe-SnSe system has been studied in the temperature range from 300° to 900°C by differential thermal and quenching techniques. The X-ray measurements were made on quenched specimens. High-temperature diffraction was also made to study the phase transition in SnSe. The system is proved to be of a eutectic type in which no intermetallic compound exists. The eutectic point is at the composition SnTeo.55 Seo.45. the eutectic temperature being 755°C. Solid solubility limits are SnTeo.6Seo.r and SnT eo. 3s Seo.6s at the eutectic temperature, and change almost linearly to SnTeo.aaSeo.lz and SnTeo.18 Seo.az as temperature decreases to 300°C. It was shown that the SnSe phase has a phase transition of the second order at about 540°C and that the transition temperature decreases with increase of the SnTe content. THERMOELECTRIC properties of tin telluride (SnTe) and tin selenide (SnSe) have been studied extensively in recent years. The variation of physical properties with composition could be of interest if these compounds form an appreciable crystalline solution. The purpose of present investigation is to confirm the formation of crystalline solution or intermetallic compound, if any, and to establish the phase diagram for this system. The crystal structure of SnTe is NaCl type with a cubic unit cell1 (a = 6.313A). The crystal of SnSe having an orthorh2mbic unit cellz (a = 11.496, b = 4.1510, and c = 4.4437A) is isomorphous with tin sulfide (SnS) which has a distorted sodium chloride structure. It has been known that SnSe has a phase at at 540°C; the transition has been assumed to be of the second order. As far as we know, only two studies on the SnTe-SnSe pseudobinary system have been reported. The conclusion obtained in these papers is that, in the composition regions near SnTe and SnSe, the system forms a crystalline solution of the SnTe structure and the SnSe structure, respectively, and that, in the intermediate region, both phases coexist. However, neither the variation of the solid solubility vs the temperature nor the liquidus and solidus were investigated. Hence present writers have attempted to determine the phase diagram of the system by differential thermal analysis (D.T.A.) and X-ray diffraction. EXPERIMENTAL Sample Preparation. Starting materials, SnTe and SnSe, were prepared by the direct fusion of commercially available high-purity (99.999 pct) elements. Stoichiometric amounts of each couple Sn-Te or Sn-Se were weighed into a clear fused silica ampule. After evacuation to a pressure below 10-3 mm Hg, the am- pule was sealed, and annealed at 900°C for 5 hr. The melt was quenched in water. X-ray analysis confirmed the formation of a single phase of SnTe or SnSe. The other samples, SnTel-,Sex were synthesized from these SnTe and SnSe by mixing them in the required ratio, followed by annealing at 900°C and quenching. These samples were used directly for D.T.A. For X-ray measurements, samples were annealed at 700°, 600°, or 500°C for 100 hr or at 300°C for 150 hr, and then quenched in water. It was found that the lattice constants of the SnTe phase annealed for 150 hr at temperatures above 500°C did not differ from those annealed for 100 hr at the same temperatures. However the X-ray phase analysis showed that at 300°C the annealing for 150 hr was necessary to attain a true equilibrium state. D.T.A. The solid-liquid equilibrium temperature was determined from D.T.A. measurements. The sample was sealed in an evacuated silica tube and molybdenum powders sealed in an another tube were used as a reference material. The sample and the reference tube were placed in a nickel block and were heated from room temperature to 900°C at a rate of 3°C per min and then cooled down at the same rate to 600°C. Thermocouples for these measurements were Pt-Pt. Rh (10 pct) and the error of temperature measurements was within + l0C. D.T.A. curves were obtained on a two-pen recorder and an automatic controller (PID type) was used for the program of heating and cooling. When temperature reaches the solidus from the low-temperature side, there appears an endothermic peak. The solidus temperature was determined by extrapolation of the straight portion of the starting flank of this peak to the base line. In a similar way, the liquidus temperature was determined from an exothermic peak on D.T.A. cooling curve. In the case of supercooling, if any, its degree can be estimated from the magnitude of the abrupt temperature rise. X-Ray . X-ray powder patterns were taken by a diffractometer using CuK, radiation. Since the SnSe crystal is cleaved easily, the powders become flaky when SnSe-rich samples are ground in an agate

Jan 1, 1969

It is well known that the ability to influence project value reduces significantly as planning progresses and decisions regarding project parameters are made. However, at the prefeasibility stage in particular, where one of the main aims should be to evaluate a wide range of options in order to select the best for more detailed further study, there is often a reluctance to spend the time and money needed to do this rigorously. This paper demonstrates, by a number of case study examples, how significant increases in value may be obtained by fully evaluating the combinations of alternatives for various project design parameters, including (though not limited to) mining methods, haulage methods, mining rates, processing methods and rates, sequencing of mining, and cut-off grades, with changes and upgrades over time where applicable. The additional value unlocked is typically orders of magnitude greater than the additional cost of the more comprehensive study. The dangers of misuse of simplistic sensitivity analyses and failure to identify how strategies might change in response to changes in external factors are also illustrated, and the importance of selecting the best ægrade descriptorÆ is discussed.

Jan 1, 2007