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By Felicia F. Peng

The plant data were collected from three streams around a dense medium drum for coarse coal cleaning operated at various volumetric ratio of medium-to-feed. The effect of the volumetric ratio of medium-to-feed (MF) and particle sizes on the performance criteria, g50 and Ep, of the dense medium drum. These measured data were adjusted and calculated for the yields and balanced relative density distributions by mass balanced method based on the statistic principle. These balanced data were then used to formulate the mathematical models of the separation distribution curves for the various feed size intervals. The correlation equations for the g50 and Ep as the function of inverse of the feed size, and MF and total throughput were established. A numerical algorithm utilizing the Secant method, based on the root searching principle, was developed for yield optimization and simulation of dense medium drum separation to improve the separation efficiency and hence the product yield. The relationships between the direct ash content and relative density of the particles in feed and the products were established and incorporated into the numerical algorithm for predicting the product quality.

Jan 1, 1996

By Fernando Hernández Polanco

Transportation and handling metals and alloys from mills to consumption factories as well as dosing in conventional processes with ingots and scrap has always been considered a complicated activity with high operating costs. Several manufacturers of ferroalloys willing to solve these problems have chosen an alternative for their products that can be used to secure, during transport and dosage in the processes to making special steels, with more efficient consumption of ferroalloys. The trend for the production and sale of ferroalloys is to provide the product in the form of granules packed in bags or in bulk. In this paper we will show you how the granulation process was developed and rapidly adopted the ferroalloys industry as an effective solution to reduce operating costs, create cleaner and safer working environments.

Oct 30, 2017

By William Gleason

"More than 6,300 people converged on the Colorado Convention Center for the 2017 SME Annual Conference and Expo and 119th National Western Mining Conference in Denver, CO on Feb. 19-22. Many of them crammed in to hear Douglas Silver deliver the keynote address to the conference.Silver is a portfolio manager for Orion Mine Finance, a private-equity fund focused on providing funding to advanced-stage base and precious metal projects and is one of the most respected voices in the field of mineral economics. Prior to joining Orion, he served as chief executive officer and chairman of International Royalty Corp., a global mineral royalty company, which he founded in 2003 and sold in 2011.Those who were hoping that Silver would deliver at least a bit of optimism during his 90-minute presentation got what they came for from the talk titled, “When are commodity prices going to rebound?”It marked the second time Silver has presented the keynote address to SME, the first was in 2008 and was delivered during the height of mining’s super cycle (ME, June 2008). In his 2017 address, Silver looked back on the previous 10 years and the massive contraction of the global economy that resulted from the great recession that began near the end of 2008.It has been a challenging time for the mining industry. About US$1.4 trillion was lost in the global mining stocks from 2011 to Jan. 6, 2016. Major mining companies exceeded $60 billion in write downs between 2012 and 2013 and investors lost confidence in the sector, putting the global mining industry into a bear market that has taken mining equities to historic lows.However, that was then and this is now.Using numerous examples, including rising commodity prices, a steady decline in the U.S. unemployment rate, increases in discretionary income and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which topped the 20,000 mark for the first time ever in February, Silver theorized the current down cycle is near its end and the demand for metals and other commodities will see a sharp increase by 2025. He also noted that investors are beginning to rotate back into mining equities."

Apr 1, 2017

By A. J. Basu

An overview of the evolution of computerized mine planning and design has been given, emphasizing the need for a knowledge-based system for planning and design of underground coal mines. An outline for the development methodology and procedure has been provided. Problem structuring guidelines have been used to incorporate intelligence and integration to the design modules. A skeletal model for a mine planning and design expert system has been prescribed, and the development process has been documented in detail. A feasibility prototype has been developed to test the structure of the skeletal model and to ensure completeness of the design process. The feasibility prototype development and its contribution toward proto typing has been addressed in this paper. At present, prototype development is underway. The prototype is expected to be avail-able for testing and implementation in early 1991.

Jan 1, 1991

By Brian Lightfoot

Ausmelt technology is a versatile bath smelting technology with application in many waste treatment fields at low capital and operating cost. Heavy metals extracted from wastes may be recycled to mainstream use and the slags produced will be inert and suitable for use as aggregate, shotblasting grit or other applications.

Jan 1, 1994

By Nicole de Jager, Michael J. Nicol

"In order to liberate gold from refractory gold ores and concentrates it is generally necessary to oxidise the surrounding sulphide minerals, typically pyrite and arsenopyrite. Traditional methods of oxidation include pressure leaching, roasting and bacterial oxidation. In recent years, bacterial and pressure oxidation have found increasing favour, although these methods are by no means completely satisfactory and each is subject to particular disadvantages.A novel process has been developed as an alternative to the traditional methods whereby electro-generated ferrate(VI) ions in alkaline solution are used to oxidise a pyrite concentrate. This process has been observed to proceed fairly rapidly and could prove to be a more economically viable process, as well as being more environmentally acceptable. As an added benefit, operating in an alkaline environment is advantageous for downstream cyanidation processes.Ferrate(VI) is a relatively unknown species, due mainly to its instability in acidic solutions. However, in alkaline solution it has been observed to be sufficiently stable for use as an oxidant when used under favourable conditions. Ferrate(VI) is most conveniently manufactured electrolytically via the dissolution of high-carbon anodes in strongly alkaline solutions. Some literature has been published on the electrolytic generation of ferrate(VI) and relatively high efficiencies have been observed by both the authors and other researchers.This study utilises both electrochemical techniques and leaching experiments to examine the kinetics of the oxidation of pyrite by ferrate(VI), which is produced electrolytically. Cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk voltammetry and potential step experiments have been used to investigate the kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation process."

Jan 1, 1997

By Levent Ozdemir

An extensive study involving laboratory testing and computer modeling has been performed to assess the technical and economic feasibility of utilizing the recently developed minidisc cutters on roadheaders for hard rock mining. The results show that heavy duty roadheaders fitted with minidiscs can excavate hard rock formations at acceptable production rates and cutter costs. This paper presents and discusses the results of this study together with the ongoing developmental efforts of this technology, which include laboratory testing of a roadheader cutting drum with minidiscs and full scale field testing of a machine in hard rock

Jan 1, 1995

By C. Melvin Lepper

The Bureau of Mines has developed an improved earth resistivity field system which employs a novel technique for obtaining null measurements. The instrument is designed to operate reliably in high-noise environments such as those found in the vicinity of operating mines. The system consists of a low-frequency transmitter, a sensitive receiver and an external battery pack, each in its own case to provide protection from the elements. The receiver and transmitter units have self-contained recharge-able batteries to supply power to the circuitry and separate built-in battery chargers that operate on standard 115 Vac power. The system is portable and simple to operate. Measurement accuracy, reliability, and dynamic range are superior to most commercially available equipment even though less time and effort is required to make null readings. Unlike some commercial systems, long integration times are not required to enhance signal-to-noise ratio in areas of high background noise.

Jan 1, 1974

By M. Sharafodin, A. A. Hassanipak

Abstract - The essential aims of additional borehole drilling are to improve the reliability of grade and tonnage estimates in each reserve class and to increase ore tonnages. The "GET" function presented in this paper considers strategies for achieving both of these goals simultaneously, and therefore is advantageous for selecting sites for additional boreholes. The "GET" function is either a linear or a non-linear product of three variables G, E, and T: f(G,E,T,) = G??E??T??where the values of any or all of the exponents ?, ?, and ??may differ from unity at the discretion of the user. G and E are the average estimated block grade and the average estimation error for ore blocks in one vertical column, and T is the compounded ore thickness within the column. To illustrate its utility, the GET function has been used for determination of the most advantageous sites for additional drilling in the Shah-Kuh Pb-Zn deposit in west central Iran.

Jan 1, 2004

By A. O. Dufresne

WITHOUT transportation, mining would be quite impossible. Any person familiar with the operation of a mine knows full well that from the minute ore is blasted, it is kept moving until it reaches the treatment plant. In the mill, by means of conveyors and elevators, the ore is brought from receiving bins to one machine after another until finally its valuable mineral is separated from the gangue. The finished product must then be shipped -either by boat, rail, or motor trucks to industrial centres, where it undergoes further treatment and transformation into finished commercial goods. Everybody appreciates that the winning of an or-e includes, amongst various operations, the moving of large quantities of material of generally low value. Transportation, therefore, must be considered One of the most important factors in the economics of mining. My assignment, this afternoon, is not to treat of that phase of transportation as it directly affects mining operations, but rather to consider some of the aspects of overland transportation and its influence in bringing about the development of mining camps in Canada. I shall take the liberty of rapidly surveying conditions facing prospectors, mine developers and operators from the time a region is still in a pre-pioneering stage until such time as a mine starts shipping its concentrates.

Jan 1, 1956

By Kuzugundenli OE, Nagaraj DR

Organic complexing agents have received special attention over the past few decades in the search for reagents for improved flotation separation of minerals, especially non-sulphides. The majority of such reagents that have been proposed over the past few decades have remained largely a laboratory curiosity, except perhaps alkyl hydroxamates, because their selection is seldom based on commercial viability. In this regard, the choice of complexing agents such as oximes may be more realistic because of their widespread use in solvent extraction of copper. Our earlier studies have confirmed that they are also effective as collectors for copper oxide minerals, including chrysocolla which is the most difficult copper mineral to beneficiate. The flotation behaviour of chrysocolla for several structurally-related hydroxyoximes were studied as a function of pH and oxime concentration and the role of structural features examined. The structural changes studied included substitutions in both chelating and non-chelating parts of the molecule. The results indicated that, contrary to expectations, many of the structural changes in the basic molecule, salicylaldoxime, do not have a positive effect on collector efficiency. The reduction in collector efficiency is rationalised on the basis of possible steric factors affecting complexation and packing of the collector species on the mineral surface as well as effects due to changes in electron density brought about by substituents. Introduction of alkyl substituents on the oximic carbon of salicylaldoxime yielded the highest collector efficiency.

Jan 1, 1993

By Burk, Hugh A.

AT THE inception of the cyanide process and its adaptation to the practice of gold and silver metallurgy much difficulty was experienced in applying it to auro-cupriferous ores, both in economy of treatment and recovery of the gold from solution. The presence of copper in the ore effected a high chemical consumption of cyanide during treatment, and in the solvent solution, it retarded the precipitation of the gold on zinc shavings. The coating of the copper on the zinc shavings presented even worse difficulties than the increased cyanide consumption as most ores contain a small amount of copper. This interference of copper led to the use of other precipitating methods and attempts to recover the cyanide which was consumed during ore treatment. Of the other methods used, electrolytic precipitation was the most practical until a better understanding of the application of zinc shavings and zinc dust developed. In September, 1905, a patent entitled, "Method for Recovering Precious Metals from Solution," was granted to Isaac Anderson and Michael Scanton. This method is adaptable to precious metal ores containing a small percentage of copper but has never been extensively used or perfected. The process has

Jan 1, 1925

By M Dusci, A Trueman, S Poos, R Baumgartner, M Brittan

The Canahuire epithermal Au-Cu-Ag deposit in southern Peru is a complex and challenging deposit for metallurgical studies. It has issues of gold locking in sulfides and non-sulfides, deleterious elements and acid rock drainage (ARD). From scoping study to feasibility study, there has been considerable improvement in the understanding of the important geometallurgical characteristics that need to be measured and modelled. This paper presents the current understanding and the requirements to continue to provide optimal models for mining studies.Significant effort has been put into understanding the genesis of the deposit. Improved spatial and temporal understanding of lithology, alteration, structure and mineralogy was used to build a geological and alteration model of the deposit.Early metallurgical programs quantified the effect of head grade on process plant recoveries, but the geometallurgical and statistical analyses did not identify other physical characteristics that influence these recoveries. The studies improved the understanding of the nature of locked gold which can occur as minute inclusions (< 5 ¦m) in sulfides (primarily pyrite with lesser arsenopyrite, pyrite being 100 times more abundant than arsenopyrite) and gangue minerals (quartz and carbonates) as well as solid solution in arsenopyrite and pyrite.The presence of pyrite and the limited buffering capacity of waste rocks increases the potential ARD, which will require mitigation costs before, during and after operations. Waste rock ARD potential has been classified and incorporated in the geometallurgical model. The current classification of waste rock at Canahuire, using international classification standards, is limited due to the complexity of the deposit.Complex deposit metallurgy necessitates a complex process flow sheet, including flotation and cyanidation. Economic recovery will be constrained by the relationships between economic variable grade, other elements and mineralogy. These constraints and inter-relationships are difficult to establish throughout the deposit with a single test. A follow-up geometallurgical program is under investigation and will attempt, with the help of additional test work, to map areas of higher and lower recoveries. It is hoped that metallurgical response can be linked to measurable parameters other than head grade. If this is possible, these factors can be incorporated into future geometallurgical models.CITATION:Baumgartner, R, Dusci, M, Trueman, A, Brittan, M and Poos, S, 2013. Building a geometallurgical model for the Canahuire Epithermal Au-Cu-Ag Deposit, Southern Peru - past, present and future, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013 , pp 51-58 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 29, 2013

By P D. Munro

On the occasion of the 14th Mill Operators’ Conference and marking 40 years since the first one was held in Mount Isa in 1978, it is fitting to review the history of the Conference and its development over that time.The first 10 Conferences were irregularly held at three to four year intervals, with 9 of these in regional centres of Australasia. It is only since 2012 that the Mill Operators’ Conference has become a regular biennial event, alternating with the MetPlant Conference.The number of people attending the Conference has more than doubled to 470 delegates at the 13th one in 2016. It has outgrown its regional beginnings.Papers presented to the previous Conferences have been analysed according to commodity, country of origin, technology and theme plus the affiliation of the authors to discern any trends that may assist in planning the future events.Suggestions are made as to how the AusIMM might wish to arrange its mineral processing/metallurgical conferences.Recent changes to the structure of the Conference providing a more meaningful experience for the delegates and increasing their interaction and involvement should be vigorously pursued.CITATION:Munro, P D, 2018. Mill Operators’ conferences – a 40-year retrospective and a vision for the future, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 5–14 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

By Huan-Qiang Zhang, Gang-Hai Huang, Yu-Yong Jiao, Fei Zheng, Zhang. Xiu-Li

An efficient and accurate three-dimensional (3-D) contact detection algorithm is of vital importance in large-scale computing of discontinuous deformation analysis. The contact detection algorithm takes up a large proportion of the whole calculation time because of the increasing calculation number in three-dimensional case. For block systems which consist of convex polyhedrons, the efficiency and accuracy of the contact detection algorithm is a great challenge. The presented contact detection algorithm in discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) method is carried out in three phases: the global neighbour searching, the local contact type searching and the contact transferring. A contact detection algorithm for 3-D DDA is presented with some improvements on the three phases. A grid-based global neighbour searching algorithm is used to eliminate unnecessary neighbour blocks to the exact number. The local contact type searching includes two steps. In the first step, the common plane method is used to determine the contact type between convex polyhedrons. In the second step, the contact pairs detected by the common plane method are divided into four basic types. In the third phase, the four contact types are transferred into two basic contact types, vertex-to-face contact type and edge-to-edge contact type, which are managed in a uniform procedure. Three verification examples are calculated, the results show that the proposed algorithm based on the three contact detection phases is robust and efficient.

Jan 1, 2015

By D. Harrington

In recent years over 100,000 persons have been killed annually in the United. States by accidents; about one-fifth of these have been workers in some of our industries; about one-third have been killed by motor vehicles; about another third have mot death in home accidents, chiefly falls, burns, scalds, explosions, poisons, asphyxiations, suffocations, cuts, scratches, and so forth; and the rest have been killed in public accidents, excluding those caused by vehicles but including accidents on railroads or electric cars, drowning, and deaths by firearms and. other means. Definite statistics on nonfatal accidents are not readily available, but at least 10,000,000 fairly serious accidents probably occur in the United States annually. The latest industrial-accident statistics are obtainable from 1935 National Safety Council publications, in which annual industrial fatalities are divided about as follows (in round numbers): Agriculture, 4,500; trade and service, 4,500; construction, 3,100; transportation and public utilities, 2,900; manufacturing, 2,600; mining, quarrying, petroleum, etc., 1,900.

Jan 1, 1938

By M. Firdaus, M. A. H. Shuva, M. A. Rhamdhani, G. A. Brooks, S. Masood, M. A. Reuter

Declining grade of primary ores and resource efficiency have led us to process more alternative metal resources such as e-waste. One of the processing routes for extracting valuable metals from e-waste is through the black copper smelting. However, the underlying knowledge of the thermodynamics behaviour of the valuable metals contained in e-waste during smelting are limited which prevent us from developing an optimised process to recover all the metals. These different metals clearly will have different favourable conditions for their extraction. To illustrate this, the distribution behaviour of germanium (Ge) and palladium (Pd) between liquid copper and ferrous-calcium-silicate slag during black copper smelting was analysed. It was demonstrated that oxygen partial pressure and slag composition affect the partitioning of these metals to the copper phase and the favourable slag chemistry for recovering these metals is opposing. Considering the available thermodynamic data of these metals, an analysis for the optimum conditions is presented.

Mar 1, 2017

By David Maust, Rob Albinger, Mike Walling, Michael Rispin

The safeguarding of health and life is the number one priority for underground infrastructure projects. While culture and approach are critically important, the industry has also seen the development of innovative tools and technologies that assist in making the underground environment and working places more safe and secure, both on an everyday basis and in the event of an unexpected occurrence.

Dec 1, 2022

By BERND SCHÖNHERR, JÖRG DEHNERT, PETER WINDISCH, JENS STOPP

The Quick-Erect Stopping System (QESS) offers a new way of reducing the radon exposure of miners in Germany, especially during remediation work in old mines. The QESS is a lightweight, modular and reusable construction kit of interlocking telescopic aluminum tubes, radon-proof foil and expanding foam. It is designed to seal off radon-rich parts of galleries within minutes. Originally, the QESS was developed to protect miners against radon exposure. Then, the QESS found the attention of several mine rescue teams at a German mining conference. Some mine rescue drills by The Student Mine Rescue of the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Wismut Mine Rescue and Front Range Mine Rescue helped to improve the system and highlighted its potential for mine rescue operations. Now, the QESS is well-suited for small-scale mining. The QESS can be used to both protect miners from radon exposure and to support mine rescue operations. Moreover, the QESS was also successfully used in ventilation experiments.

By Paolo M. Brion, Z. Bade Sozer

"The Bypass Tunnel has high head conditions ranging from a minimum of 600 feet (183 m) under the Hudson River to a maximum of 875 feet (267 m) on the west side. The ground cover ranges from 425 feet to 900 feet (130 to 274 m). A two-pass lining is designed for the Bypass Tunnel. The bolted, gasketed precast segments carry the temporary hydrostatic and permanent ground loads. After the tunnel is put into service, the design assumes that the final lining, which varies from reinforced concrete to reinforced concrete with steel interliner, will carry the permanent hydrostatic loads. The design head for the segments is assumed at 775 feet (236 m), and the internal operating pressure head is around 1,200 feet (366 m). This paper discusses the design hydrostatic head and different load conditions considered for the segments, the load sharing between the segments and final lining, and the means employed to control water and hydrostatic pressure. PROJECT BACKGROUND The Rondout-West Branch Tunnel (RWBT), a segment of the Delaware Aqueduct, was built from 1937 to 1944 and provides about 50% of New York City’s total water supply. Monitoring and tunnel operations have shown that the RWBT is leaking up to 35 million gallons per day (MGD) (132.5 million L/day). In particular, two locations have been identified as areas of concern: Roseton and Wawarsing, as shown in Figure 1. The Wawarsing reach of the aqueduct will be repaired with an extensive grouting program when the RWBT is unwatered. However, because of the extensive nature of the leakage in the Roseton area, a Bypass Tunnel will be constructed to divert the flow around this area."

Jan 1, 2016