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By Ward S. C, Gardner J. H

In 1990, Alcoa of Australia Limited was elected to the Global 500 Roll of Honour of the United Nations Environment Program for the environmental management and rehabilitation of the bauxite mines in Western Australia. This award placed Alcoa in the international best practice category. The story of constant improvement spans more than 20 years from a 'trial and error' start to a strategically focussed and research driven program today. The main driving force has come from within the company, against a set of strong corporate values and a well publicised Vision based on 'excellence through quality'. Along the way public opinion, action group protests, increased legislative controls together with the professional competence of internal and external environmental resources have all played a part in arriving at the level of current environmental management and mine rehabilitation performance. There were numerous lessons learned here during the evolution and maintenance of best practice. These included: I . To work diligently in obtaining a vision or strategic intent on mine site rehabilitation and environmental management - don't be easily dissuaded.

Jan 1, 1995

By S Mitra, D O’Dea, N Barrett, T Honeyands, P Zulli

The steel industry continues to explore and demonstrate technologies that decrease its greenhouse gas emissions, especially in blast furnace ironmaking where alternate operating conditions will be required. As the furnace has been optimised over many years, it is approaching the minimum fuel rate possible with coke and Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI). Alternative operating conditions are therefore required to further decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Because of this, hydrogen has been proposed as a reducing agent in the blast furnace. Injection of hydrogen through the tuyeres was assessed using a comprehensive 2D blast furnace global model. The model was calibrated to a blast furnace operating with PCI as a base case and various approaches to hydrogen injection assessed, with a particular focus on displacing PCI. The maximum hydrogen injection rate of 19.5 kg H2 per tonne of hot metal was predicted, limited by decreases in the raceway adiabatic flame temperature and top gas temperature. Internal blast furnace conditions, such as gas composition and reduction degree were also predicted. Holistic analysis was performed to estimate the effectiveness of hydrogen injection on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on these results, the changes in blast furnace operation and emissions under hydrogen injection are discussed.

Nov 8, 2021

By K. Knuutila

The behaviour of thiourea, animal glue and chloride ions in the electro¬lysis of copper has been investigated by various different electrochemical experiments, i.e. polarization curves with stationary copper electrodes, long-time galvanostatic electrolyses and Hull cell experiments. Polarization curves with stationary copper electrodes show that animal glue has a polarizative effect on the deposition potential. Small thiourea contents affect depolarizatively when high concentrations retard the copper deposition. The microstructures of the deposited copper after the long-time electrolyses show that animal glue favours a basis oriented deposition structure. With thiourea the field orientated structure was evident. It was also observed that the deposited structure depended much on the grain structure of the starter sheet. The chloride ion concentration has a drastic effect on. the crystal size of the deposited copper as it was found out in Hull cell tests. Chloride ions flattened the the crystals and the deposition became smoother when the chloride ions were added. The cathode copper quality is discussed according to the literature. Special attention is paid on the codeposition of thiourea and the origin of sulphur impurities in copper cathodes.

Jan 1, 1987

More than in any other way, the community judges the minerals industry by its environmental performance. Minerals Council of Australia web site www.minerals.org.au/media/code Time is overtaking us. What was good enough yesterday is not good enough today. What may be acceptable today wonÆt be tomorrow. So we need to leap forward. We need to begin to move towards sustainability. Dick Zandee, Managing Director, Placer Dome Asia Pacific The competition for access to exploration and mining opportunities is intense. So is competition for the best people, capital and community support. Poor environmental performance damages a companyÆs ability to attract these. Quite simply, good environmental management is good business. Hugh M Morgan AO,Chief Executive Officer,WMC Limited. Decisions made by private industry and international corporations are increasingly determining the fate of the environment. ...Nothing could be more shortsighted than for todayÆs conservationists to neglect cooperation with business and industry as a means of moving company philosophy and public accountability ahead in favour of the environment. Dr Claude Martin,Director General,WWF International The four quotes above well illustrate the challenges faced by companies and conservationists in attempting to achieve the societal goal of sustainable development. That this aspirational goal itself is far from clearly defined, although it has been widely accepted and endorsed by governments, business and civil society, exacerbates the challenges. Sustainable development has as its central thesis the integration of environmental, social and economic policy. Its attainment by business has been described John Elkington (1998) as the pursuit of the ætriple bottom lineÆ - the achievement of social and environmental targets, in addition to the traditional economic bottom line. It is self-evident that business is both competent and comfortable defining and measuring economic performance and reporting that performance to internal and external audiences. As long as information has been prepared according to the established standards of measurement and reporting of economic performance, all audiences can have confidence in its accuracy. Business does not enjoy the same competence and comfort with regard to social and environmental performance. This is no startling condemnation of business, any more than it is a criticism of governments, non-government organisations (NGOs) or academia. It is a statement of fact that the tools to allow for credible definition and reporting against the other two components of the ætriple bottom lineÆ have yet to be fully developed and are, therefore, far from being widely accepted. Crucial to achieving sustainability is the ability to measure progress toward the goal. The task is to develop means to define appropriate performance standards and to credibly measure and report company environmental and social performance against those standards.

Jan 1, 2000

By W. Hustrulid

In the mid-to-late 1800’s the U.S. mining industry was on the threshold of nearly a century of golden times. Nearly every state had a prosperous and growing mining sector. The importance of the industry was reflected in the creation of the state school of mines. Today, with the depletion of readily available mineral reserves, much of the U.S. metals mining industry is considered to be in a sunset phase. The same is true with the mining schools that serve the industry. However, the United States is still a major consumer of the world’s minerals and requires a dependable supply of both minerals and minerals professionals. In his 2002 Jackling Lecture “You Can’t Make a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear” the author presented a list of concerns, propositions and recommendations. In this follow-up paper, the author further explores the subject through the presentation of a detailed case example focusing on the iron mining industry of Minnesota and minerals education at the University of Minnesota.

Jan 1, 2004

By Lyle Dennis

Emphasis on increased production while maintaining rigid quality standards has necessitated a change in blasting technology at Dacotah Cement's limestone and gypsum quarries. The following three methods implemented during the past three years have yielded an increase in production through improved fragmentation.

Jan 1, 1996

By A. Dahi Taleghani, Amir Shojaei

A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based constitutive model has been developed to describe elastic, plastic and damage behavior of rock during drilling. In addition to inelastic deformations, this model incorporates rock anisotropies like toughness anisotropy due to the bedding planes orientation that is a common observation in soft Shales. The pressure sensitive inelastic deformation of porous rocks together with their damage mechanisms are studied for drained and undrained conditions. Fracture mechanics of microcrack and micro-void nucleation and their coalescence are incorporated into the formulation of the CDM models to accurately capture different rock failure modes. The performance of the developed elastoplastic and CDM models are compared with the available single cutter test data of a specific shale play and then the models are introduced into a commercial finite element package through user-defined subroutines. A workflow to derive the required model parameters is presented through inverse modelling of the single cutter test data. The developed CDM model outperforms the traditional discrete element and fracture mechanics approaches by removing stress singularities at the fracture tips and simulation of progressive fractures like formation of the cuttings ribbon without any essential need for remeshing. This model would provide a robust tool for modeling bit performance and rate of penetration using conventional elements of FEA with a reliable results and a computational cost less than similar computational techniques like discrete element methods.

Jan 1, 2015

By S. A. Saki, J. F. Brune

"INTRODUCTION Longwall coal mining leaves large areas where the coal has been made removed and the roof rock strata collapse, forming a zone of broken rock rubble called the gob. Figure 1 shows a typical longwall gob area along with the gate roads. The ventilation pattern for progressively sealed longwall panels follows a simple “U” pattern where fresh air is coursed inby to the headgate, flows along the face and exhausts through the outby tailgate as shown in figure 1(a). An important variation of this pattern is the back return (BR) arrangement where the exhaust air from the face is drawn inby and around the nearest open cross cut before it turns in the outby direction towards the exhaust fan. Figure 1(b) illustrates the use of back return. This arrangement moves the point of low pressure from the tailgate corner up to 60 m inby and thus maintains fresh air in the tailgate region that could otherwise be contaminated with gob air.The gob area may contain remnants of unmined coal or parts of overlying coal beds that continue to release methane, eventually filling the gob area with methane in concentrations far above the explosive range of about 4.5 to 15%. Many gob areas must be equipped with gob ventilation boreholes (GVBs) to extract methane, and GVBs often exhaust methane at concentrations from 50% to 90% (Saki, 2016). Due to oxidation processes occurring in the gob, the oxygen content is reduced to a low level, with nitrogen and CO2 making up the major remaining components of the gob atmosphere. FORMATION OF EXPLOSIVE GAS ZONES IN GOBS Since the longwall face area is ventilated with fresh air below 1% methane and the face and gob areas are not separated, an explosive fringe will form where the methane content lies within the explosive range and oxygen content remains above 12%. Figure 2 shows a typical development of such an EGZ. This figure is based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model developed by CSM researchers to analyze gas concentrations and flow patterns in longwall mining. Figure 2(a) shows the formation of EGZ in the gob with a U type ventilation scheme, where EGZ lies right behind the shields in the tailgate corner. Figure 2(b) shows the formation of EGZ in the gob combining U type ventilation scheme with BR, where EGZ is pushed away from the face deep into the gob. The CFD modeling parameters and boundary conditions have been verified with field data from two cooperating, active longwall mines (see Worrall 2012, Marts 2015, Gilmore 2015 and Saki 2016). Other mine geometries, methane inflow rates and gob permeability distributions can be modeled to establish representative gob atmospheric conditions. Two GVBs were operating in the model, extracting 0.165 m3/sec each. The methane in the working areas and returns was kept below 1%. Methane flowing into the model from a rider coal bed above the mined seam was at the rate of 0.55 m3/sec."

Jan 1, 2017

The author presents various procedures for the choice of dri-ving systems for mining, including the method of indeterminate Lagrange factors and linear programming.The possible application of the points-awarding method is demonstrated.It allows for taking into account both surd and commensurable characteristics of a driving system for mining. Also, the method of economic efficiency factors is outlined.All these methods make possible the best choice of a driving system, from the as-pect of electric energy saving. Two examples are given.

Jan 1, 1985

By Qinbo Cao, Qianshan Peng, Heng Zou, Xingcai Yu

In this work, a new flotation strategy was proposed for the flotation of rutile. In this strategy, rutile was activated by Pb(NO3)2 and then floated with amyl xanthate (AX) as a collector at pH 8. Pb(OH)+ was the dominant lead species in the solution at pH 8 and is believed to be the major species reacting with the rutile surface. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) study revealed that the lead activation products were well distributed on the rutile surface, and AX− could further bind with the Pb atom on the Pb-activated rutile surface. In this regard, the Pb-activated rutile could be floated by AX. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that Pb(OH)2 was generated on the Pb-activated rutile surface. The electron transfer during the adsorption of the AX− on the Pb-activated rutile surface was also investigated by XPS analysis.

By Richard D. Hagni

Process mineralogy has not been given adequate attention in years past, because geologists have not been sufficiently interested in applying mineralogical techniques to industrial processes, and most process engineers are not adequately trained to use them. Although some individuals and institutions have made efforts to improve the situation, it is only in the last few years that the significance of applying the methods of mineralogy to a wide variety of industrial processes has been fully appreciated. Presently, the formation and organization of several groups devoted to applied mineralogy have created a more amenable climate for the development of process mineralogy. As a result, the presentation, discussion, and publication of the results and case histories of process mineralogy have become fairly common. Short courses affording hands-on experience with applied techniques are now available to the many geologists and process engineers engaged in industrial mineralogical processes. The future role of the process mineralogist is viewed as an expanded one, which will increase in value.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. I. Jaffee, F. C. Holden, H. R. Ogden

Ti-Mn alloys were studied in order to determine the factors affecting the mechanical properties of &stabilized titanium alloys. The principal compositional factors have been found to be solid-solution strengthening, the martensitic transformation, and instability of the P phase. Structural factors, such as grain size and shape, were found to have more influence on ductility and toughness than on strength. THE alloys of titanium with the &stabilizing elements offer the chief hope for developing useful heat treatments. Conversely, the heat-treatment response possible with the p-stabilizing elements causes difficulties such as weld embrittlement and thermal instability during service at elevated temperature. Therefore, it is of considerable technical importance to understand the factors that govern the heat-treatment responses in these alloys, so as to be able to soften the alloys if they are embrittled by an adventitious heat treatment, to render them stable in service, or to harden them while maintaining adequate ductility and toughness. The Ti-Mn system is a good example with which to demonstrate the factors that govern strength and heat-treatment response in. a P-stabilized system. The region of the a-j3 transformation, after the work of Maykuth, Ogden, and Jaffee,' is shown in Fig. 1. The a solubilities are low. This means that, in the two-phase a-p field, partition of manganese between the two phases occurs practically only to the P phase. The solid-solution effects are therefore chiefly the result of solution in the ,8 phase. The eutectoid occurs at 20 pct Mn and 550°C, and proceeds very sluggishly. It can be ignored in heat treatments in hypo-eutectoid alloys, except for long-time storage at low temperatures below the eutectoid temperature. Even here, there is some question that diffusion proceeds far enough to involve eutectoid decomposition. Three compositional factors bear on the mechanical properties and structure of titanium a-P alloys. These are: 1—solid-solution strengthening, 2—mar-tensite transformation, and 3—P instability. Combined with the purely structural factors of grain size and shape, these govern the properties of the alloys. Perhaps the most important factor is solid-solution strengthening. The facts that manganese dissolves in a titanium to a maximum of only 0.5 pct and most of the manganese partitions to the p phase dominate the structure and properties of the a-/3 alloys. Because of the overwhelming preference of manganese for the ,3 phase, the P phase is harder and the a phase is softer. The relative amounts of both phases may be modified by heat treatment in the a-P field as application of the lever rule in the two-phase field clearly shows. A critical temperature in the Ti-Mn diagram is 800°C. This is the P transus temperature of the 6.4 pct Mn alloy, which has the lowest manganese content which will form all retained-P phase on quenching to room temperature. Any quench performed from below 800°C will produce a structure consisting of only a, a plus retained P, or retained p, for alloys of the compositions used in this work. For alloys containing less than 6.4 pct Mn, any quench from above 800°C will always result in structures

Jan 1, 1955

By J. Stuart Warner

The reaction COSO4(c)?CoO(c) + So3(g)was investigated from 950° to 1170OK by two different methods. The sulfate was decomposed in a previously evacuated space and Pso3 calculated from the measured total pressure on the assumption that Pso2 = 2P02. The sulfate was also decomposed under conditions of controlled oxygen pressure. The difference in the results obtained by these experimental techniques is attributed to the effects of thermal diffusion. The standard free energy change for the reaction is given by ?F° = 66,292 + 17.273T log T — 102.57 T (±300 cal/mole). It was found by DTA and X-ray diffraction studies that CoS04 undergoes a transformation at 617°± 4°C. THE metal sulfates may decompose directly to the oxide or pass through one or more intermediate basic sulfates. Provided the oxidation state of the cation does not change in the course of the reaction, the decompositions may be described in general as follows: One of the major objectives of this work was to determine the validity of Eq. [3] as much of the existing sulfate data has been calculated from decomposition pressures by Eq. [5]. The type of apparatus generally used for these measurements consists of a reaction vessel at high temperature which communicates with a manometer at room temperature. A temperature gradient is thus imposed on the gas phase causing thermal diffusion which brings about a partial separation of the different gaseous species present in an initially uniform mixture. The basic theory and experimental facts associated with this phenomenon are summarized elsewhere1 and it will suffice to state here that the heavier gaseous species diffuses down the temperature gradient. Since thermal diffusion destroys the homogeneity of the gas phase, it is not necessarily true that Pso2 = 2Po2 in any particular volume element of the gas phase even though there are twice as many molecules of SO, as of 0, in the gas phase considered as a whole. Under these conditions, the decomposing sulfate gives off SO, which dissociates to SO, and 0, and all three species are distributed throughout the system by thermal diffusion. However, the sulfate will continue to dissociate until the equilibrium value of PSo3 is established on the hot zone. Thermal diffusion may distribute SO2 and O2 throughout the gas phase in any way so long as Eq. [2b] is satisfied in the hot zone; i.e. Pso2(Po2)1/2=K3pso3. When a steady state is reached, we can characterize Pso2 in that

Jan 1, 1962

By Narasimhan K. S, Sastri S. R

A typical high silica low grade magnesite from the Salem area of Southern India, was used in studies to develop a suitable flotation system involving commercially inexpensive sodium oleate as the collector together with other reagents which can give a product of the required grade with an acceptable recovery. It was found that the presence of metallic ions such as Cu+, Fe+++ or Ca++ introduced by the addition of their salts, or by their formation with the addition of hydrochloric acid to react with magnesium and calcium carbonate in the me, can act as effective depressants for silica. The addition of 'hydrochloric acid' was found to give best results.

Jan 1, 1980

By A. D. S. Gillies

Inertisation is used to enhance the safety of underground mine areas either to avoid the potential for a combustion event or to stabilize a situation after an ignition, fire or heating. The primary objective of a recently completed Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) study was to review coal mine inertisation and in particular to focus on use of the Polish mine fire simulation software Ventgraph to gain better understanding of how various inertisation units interact with the complex ventilation behavior underground during a substantial fire. Critical aspects targeted for examination under the project grant included location of the unit for high priority fire positions, size of borehole or pipe range required, time required for inertisation output to interact with and extinguish a fire, effects of seam gases on fire behavior with inertisation present and main fan management. A major accomplishment of the project has been to take findings from the simulation exercises to develop inertisation related modifications to the Ventgraph fire simulation program in conjunction with the Polish program authors. Selected mines were ?evaluated or audited?as to the ability to deliver inert gases generated from GAG units to high priority underground fire locations .A coding system has been developed and many potential underground mine fire sources cannot be successfully inertized with the GAG docked at the current specified point; this is particularly so for fires in extended areas of workings or in panels. There is a limit to the ability of the GAG jet engine to deliver exhaust down smaller dimension borehole. There is a need to examine the use of the GAG for production or proactive uses in a wider application in Australian mines responding to recovering from mine fires, spontaneous combustion heating?s, elimination of the potential explosibility of newly sealed gobs or inert mines or mine sections on closure. Some of the current uses of low flow inertisation facilities could be more effectively undertaken with the GAG unit.

Jan 1, 2009

By Leonardo Martins da Silva

O minério de ferro quando encontrado contendo teores do elemento fósforo acima de 0,05% é considerado rejeito dada sua inutilização para o processamento de fabricação do aço. Tal fato ocorre devido a elevação da dureza do aço tornando-o quebradiço e com fratura. Sendo assim o presente trabalho tem como objetivo a avaliação do efeito do processo de lixiviação ácida como finalidade de redução do teor de fósforo no minério de ferro. Através da utilização do software Termocalc® foi possível analisar as diferentes estruturas formadas em diferentes teores do elemento fósforo. Através da técnica de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) foi possível analisar a estrutura do minério de ferro após seu tratamento com a energia de micro-ondas. Por meio da técnica de planejamento estatístico fatorial com pontos centrais e axiais foi possível determinar as condições ótimas de remoção de fósforo através da técnica de lixiviação ácida.

Aug 1, 2018

By Kent E. McElhattan

The selection of efficiency machinery for an underground mining system is a highly skilled art. Modern techniques of mining, based on sound engineering principles, increase the probability of success. These techniques alone, however, will not guarantee maximum productivity. Human judgement, based on experience with mineral seams and geological conditions, remains the single most important input of the decision-making techniques in selecting high production equipment. The myth of a "Scientific Selection Factor" is absurd. The belief that such a factor exists can waste the time and resources of mining management. Until now, mineral extraction from the original desposit has defied all attempts to systematize the knowledge. Computerized programs are excellent for solving underground transportation and ventilation problems. The variables can be defined by mathe¬matical techniques in this type of problem. By the same, token, "Trial and Error" is not an acceptable method in today's technology-minded world. The candid truth of the matter is that practically nothing is known of the phenomenon of extracting a mineral from the solid. Likewise, local conditions make it nearly impossible to predict accurately the reaction of surrounding strata after the mineral has been removed. The unpredictability of the environment resulting from extracting minerals underground will remain a challenge to mining engineers for many years. In fact, we are barely beyond the trial and error stage at this point in time.

Jan 1, 1969

By D. H. Lynch

Prompted by the need to conserve energy and reduce operating costs, Agrico Mining Company has made two significant improvements in the transportation of phosphate ore from the mine to the beneficiation plant. One improvement involves a change in a slurry pipeline system which substantially reduced pumping energy, and the other improvement is a major innovation for the phosphate mining industry which involves the transportation of the ore by railroad. This paper briefly describes these two projects.

Jan 1, 1981

By Jim Wilcox

Introduction In 1979, rumors of a developing drug problem within IMC Fertilizer's Carlsbad, NM workforce began to surface. For the next two years, a management team contacted local, state, and federal regulatory agencies that had the potential resources to help combat this apparently escalating problem. These contacts included the local police department, the county sheriff's office, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). IMC approached each agency with two proposals. The first required the agency provide an undercover agent for placement in the company's underground facilities. The alternative required the company to provide the agent with the participating agency lending necessary legal expertise and guidance to accumulate the necessary data. MSHA regulations prohibit intoxicating beverages and narcotics on mining property. They also forbid persons under the influence of alcohol or narcotics from working in or around mines. The agency could not, however, help with this problem. The remaining agencies were sympathetic, but were unwilling to assist in implementing either program, citing legal implications. Without exception, these agencies not only refused to provide help, they discouraged any type of undercover operation, searches, drug screenings, or using dogs trained in narcotics detection. As law enforcement officials, they reasoned that any such program constitutes potential civil rights violations. An attorney advised IMC that it was not required to adhere to the same guidelines as law enforcement and regulatory agencies. It was his legal opinion that the company could conduct an undercover operation. But he recommended finding a private firm that specialized in this type of investigation. An experienced firm should have the expertise to conduct the operation and avoid the legal pitfalls that could be encountered. The management team agreed with the attorney and elected to hire a private firm. After extensive research and evaluation, three reputable companies were contacted, advised of the needs, and asked to submit a proposal. Their initial response was enthusiastic. None, however, submitted a proposal. Each was unable to locate a qualified agent willing to work in an underground environment. Privacy and civil rights At this point, it was apparent that an undercover operation was not feasible due to the lack of inhouse expertise and the lack of outside assistance. After more research, it was concluded that the only viable options left were the ones that the law enforcement community had earlier discouraged. These options included locker and personal searches, use of dogs trained in narcotics detection, and drug screening or testing. The management team evaluated the pros and cons of locker and personal searches. They concluded that if conducted properly, this approach could eliminate the problems. The potential legal liabilities, however, appeared to be tremendous. Strict guidelines would have to be adhered to in order to avoid invasion of privacy and civil rights violations. This meant announcing locker searches before conducting them and obtaining written permission from an individual before searching his person. Although the group was reluctant to lose yet another option, it was concluded that conducting searches under these conditions would be ineffective. It would also convey the message to the workforce that the substance abusers had the upper hand. This author was extremely critical of this legal opinion at the time. I have since concluded that the attorney was correct. This occurred in mid-1982. Court decisions of that era indicated the legal and political climate was sensitive to these issues. These activities would probably have been prohibited even if they were

Jan 11, 1987

By P Gilroy

In recent technical investigations that were triggered from ore for rail shortfalls at Yandi, BHP Iron ore has identified a gap in resource knowledge relating to geo-metallurgical characteristics that predict materials handling performance and throughput. Within these investigations BHP has learnt that this lack of resource knowledge has translated to a lack of predictability associated with mine planning inputs which has resulted in poor compliance to plan and deviation management practices. A business value chain was developed in an attempt to identify the best possible solution to unlock this resource knowledge in the short, medium and long term planning horizons. A fast fail approach was taken with the implementation of hyperspectral blasthole analysis, which was chosen to deliver the best possible value driver for the asset. This report will detail the Yandi journey in expanding the hyperspectral and geo-metallurgical value chain, unlocking resource knowledge along the way. CITATION: Gilroy, P, 2018. Development of an empirical geo-metallurgical model that unlocks value of the mineral resources at Yandi Mine, in Proceedings Complex Orebodies Conference 2018, pp 85–87 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 21, 2018