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By N. Mashaba, D. Botha

The aims of this study were to investigate the factors that influence women’s engagement in technical positions in the South African mining sector and to determine what could be done to promote their successful participation. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was used to ascertain the factors that facilitate, inhibit, and influence engagement. In the quantitative phase of the study, questionnaires were circulated to women employeees; and in the qualitative phase, semistructured interviews were conducted with employer representatives, most of whom were human resource personnel. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor structure (vigour, dedication, and absorption) of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale fit the sample data reasonably well. Although there is room for improvement, respondents demonstrated acceptable levels of engagement in their work. On the other hand, the qualitative findings showed that employee engagement is impacted by unfavourable working conditions, work–life balance, and the mining industry’s male-dominated work culture. The findings showed that employee engagement should be elevated to a core human resource function. To increase the participation of women in mining, human resource professionals are encouraged to collaborate with mine supervisors, managers, and employees to develop programmes that promote employees’ absorption in and dedication to their work.

Nov 6, 2023

By Neil T. Davie, Thomas K. Blanchat, Thomas C. Togami, Joe R. Weatherby, Dale S. Preece, Robert A. Benham, James J. Calderone

"Geotechnical structures ,such as underground bunkers, tunnels, and building foundations aresubjected to stress fields produced by..the gravity load on the structure and/or any overlyingstrata. These stress fields may be.. reproduced on a scaled model of the structure byproportionally increasing the gravity field through the use of a centrifuge. This technology canthen be used to assess the vulnerability of various geotechnical structures to explosive loading.Applications of this technology include assessing the effectiveness of earth penetrating weapons,evaluating the vulnerability of various structures, counter-terrorism, and model validation. Thisdocument describes the development of expertise in scale model explosive testing ongeotechnical structures using Sandia’s large scale centrifuge facility. This study focused onburied structures such as hardened storage bunkers or tunnels. Data from this study was used toevaluate the predictive capabilities oft existing hydrocodes and structural dynamics codesdeveloped at Sandia National Laboratories (such as Pronto/SPH, Pronto/CTH, and ALEGRA)."

Jan 1, 1998

By James A. Whelan

The Bureau of Mines sponsored research studies of variables in rotary drilling, done in the Department of Mineral Engineering, University of Minnesota. By studying carefully controlled drilling with good instrumentation, it was hoped to obtain a better understanding of rock failure during drilling and of the stresses in drill bits during drilling. Experimental procedures and equipment are described. From these studies it was concluded that 1. Thrust requirements, other things being equal, are proportional to the total length of cutting edge in the bit. 2. Data from penetrating a wedge into rock under thrust only are not directly applicable to rotary drilling. 3, In rotary drilling the initial wear on a bit greatly decreases penetration rate under any given set of conditions; however, after initial wear the effect of wear on penetration rate is reduced. 4. An increase in rotary speed increases the overall penetration rate but decreases the penetration per revolution. 5. An increase in thrust increases the overall penetration rate and the penetration per revolution. 6, Torque on a drill bit is proportional to both penetration rate and bit diameter. 7. For small-diameter holes full-hole drilling will save both drilling time and energy compared with pilot drilling followed by reaming; for large-diameter holes pilot drilling-reaming is advantageous in both respects,

Jan 1, 1962

By W. M. Deaton

The Keyes Helium Plant of the Federal Bureau of Mines was constructed under an expedited schedule, to supply the urgent and growing demand for helium in atomic energy, missiles, aerology, space exploration, shielded-arc welding, and low-temperature research. Construction began in December 1958 and ended in August 1959. The plant, near Keyes, Okla., processes 2 percent helium-bearing natural gas from the Keyes gasfield. In 1960 the plant produced and shipped 263 million cubic feet of helium (equivalent to an annual rate of 290 million cubic feet). Production cost was $9.11 a thousand cubic feet of helium. A low-temperature process involving two steps is used; the first separates a crude-helium product from the natural gas at about -250° F. and 225 pounds per square inch gage (p.s.i.g.); and the second purifies the crude helium to a high-purity product (Grade-A helium, 99.995 percent helium) at about -320° F. and 2,750 p.s.i.g.

Jan 1, 1961

By D. W. Fuerstenau

Understanding how cationic surfactants affect the interfacial behavior of quartz is important in mineral processing and environmental engineering. This paper presents the results of a study of the effect of the molecular structure of cationic surfactants on the interfacial behavior of finely ground natural quartz. Most of the experimental work involved the determination of zeta potentials and the stability of quartz suspensions. Some measurements of induction times and the flotation response of coarser particles are also included. How these surfactants affect interfacial behavior is discussed in terms of adsorption mechanisms. The molecular structure (number of hydrocarbon chains, type of ionic head group, number of ionic head groups on the molecule) of these reagents was found to significantly affect their surface activity.

Jan 1, 2014

By J-P Franzidis

Hydrodynamic conditions such as gas dispersion, mixing intensity and solids suspension are known to govern the metallurgical performance of the flotation process. Understanding flotation cell hydrodynamics is therefore important for the optimisation of existing cells and for the design of the larger and more efficient cells which are needed to handle the finer, lower grade ores currently being mined. This paper presents the results of numerous studies that have been carried out to characterise the hydrodynamic conditions in a number of different types of flotation machines both in Australia and South Africa. Measurement techniques that have been developed to determine gas dispersion and other hydrodynamic properties in industrial flotation cells are described along with applications for their use. The results show distinct differences between the way flotation cells are operated in the two countries.

Jan 1, 2000

By Michaela Böberl

State of the art sinter coolers are working based on the cross flow cooling principle. Thus, only a part of the thermal energy can be used for heat recovery application. The other part of the cooling air is brought unused to the environment. Furthermore, environmental regulation regarding dust emission and intelligent usage of exergy are getting stronger. Therefore, Primetals Technologies developed sinter coolers based on the counter flow principle. The cooling air passes the sinter bed in counter-flow direction enabling a direct heat transfer from the hot sinter to the air. The exhaust gas temperature can be maximized by using the total heat of the hot sinter. Due to the possible usage of the total exhaust gas amount, diffusive dust emission is reduced to zero. Two types of counter flow coolers are in the portfolio of Primetals Technologies. One type is based on a stationary shaft, in which the hot sinter is charged. The flow of the hot sinter is in vertical direction from top to bottom, in counter direction than the cooling air. The second type is a circular hopper cooler. The hot sinter is charged on top of a moving bed. At the bottom of the bed the sinter is discharged. The cooling air flows also from the bottom to the top, following the counter flow principle. Depending on the requirements, one of the two counter flow cooler types can be chosen for optimized and efficient cooling of hot sinter..

Oct 30, 2017

In general, it cannot be assumed that the strength of coal pillars remains constant over long periods of time. Field observations indicate that a coal seam, especially when it contains a parting layer, deteriorates over time, reducing the load-bearing capacity of the pillars. This paper discusses a unique approach to determining the time-dependent strength of coal pillars in the field. Three coal pillars that were developed 5, 15, and 50 years ago were chosen for the study. Holes were drilled in coal and parting layers in each pillar, and the strength profiles were determined for each hole using a borehole penetrometer. The strength data were treated statistically to establish time-dependent strength equations for different layers. The results can be used to help estimate the loss of pillar capacity over time.

Jan 1, 2012

By Karin Bäppler

Lyon with half a million inhabitants is the third largest city in France. Urban agglomerations such as Greater Lyon demand intelligent underground solutions for the freedom of mobility of its inhabitants. The city and metropolitan area of Lyon provide an example of a city strategy adapted to the changing needs due to demographic and living standard trends. The Lyon Metro Line B with a length of 2.4 km is one of the strategic projects with regard to city planning and future mobility. The paper will highlight on this special area of application in singular diverse geology with sophisticated mechanized tunnelling technology.

Jun 13, 2021

By G Chen

Magnesite and dolomite are two salt-type minerals. The surface characteristics of these two minerals are almost the same. It is very difficult to remove dolomite from magnesite ores by flotation process. The present study was performed to develop a new collector and a better flotation scheme for magnesite from dolomite. The flotation tests show that there exists a significant difference in flotability between magnesite and dolomite when dodecyl phosphate synthesised with dodecanol, phosphorus oxychloride and other chemicals is used as collector. Sodium silicate was used as the modifier to improve flotation selectivity. It was found that sodium silicate selectively depressed magnesite at pH 4.5 - 7.5. The separation of magnesite from dolomite was achieved in a reverse flotation which resulted in a 76.1 per cent yield of magnesite with a grade of 47.3 per cent at 100 ppm dodecyl phosphate and 75 ppm sodium silicate. The flotation mechanism was investigated by characterising surface electrical properties and measuring the adsorption density of the reagents on magnesite and dolomite.

Jan 1, 2005

By D. K. Uko

In the stretch-bend or bending-under-tension test, a strip is rigidly clamped and restrained at each end and bent by central transverse loading using a radiused punch: The strip deflection at failure has been used as a measure of formability for high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels by other investigators. In this work, a detailed study is made of strains developing during stretch bending of an 80,000-lbf/ in 2 (552 MPa) yield stress steel using different punch radii. It is shown that toward the end of the process, the bending strains at both the inner and outer surfaces are tensile and suddenly increase at a rapid and approximately equal rate. The strain ratio in the failure region departs significantly from plane strain , even using a large width-to-thickness ratio of about 10. The effective fracture strains appear to be independent of bend ratio (punch radius/thickness) and significantly below the fracture s train in simple tension. Metallographic and tensile data were obtained for the subject material and, for one bend ratio, the effects on stretch-bend parameters of annealing both on this material and a. carbon steel were compared.

Jan 1, 1977

By A J. Moore

Blasting operations in open cut mines results in airblast, ground vibration and rock movement with the potential for wild flyrock. In some mines there is a trend towards blasting closer to established infrastructure as extraction boundaries alter with increased resource prices and changed economic circumstances. Mine infrastructure in close proximity to blasting has the potential to be damaged by ground vibration and wild flyrock especially. To provide guidance for the determination of appropriate buffer distances and blast specifications, this paper describes methodologies that may be used to determine the potential for damage to infrastructure by predicting:dynamic blast;near field ground vibration levels;dynamic blast strains induced in infrastructure by consideration of ground vibration,ground strain and response amplification;potential for damage by comparing induced strains with allowable working strainsfrom structure design codes and serviceability requirements; andflyrock throw distances based on models developed from flyrock investigations.This report demonstrates the use of strain prediction methodologies developed during Australian Coal Association Research Programme (ACARP) Project C14057 for infrastructure such as conveyor belts, transmission poles and towers, buildings and bridges.

Nov 8, 2011

By David E. Nicholas

Design of underground openings is becoming more critical as the mine deposits become lower in grade, initial investments increase, ore depth increases, additional safety regulations come into law, and increased ore recovery is required for conservation of minerals. Stability of these openings is dependent on the strength of the rock mass and the pre-mine stress field. The rock mass is composed of solid blocks of rock (rock sub- stance) and structural features (faults, joints, bedding, etc.). Methods of testing the rock mass strength are improving and be- coming more common, however it is difficult to justify the high cost of large scale testing for an initial mine design. An alternative to testing the rock mass is to measure the rock substance and the structural features separately, and then combine them to estimate the rock mass strength. The rock mass strength will vary depending on the orientation of the opening with respect to the structural features. The other factor affecting the stability of underground open- ings is the pre-mine stress field. Methods are available to measure "directly" the pre-mine stress in competent and relatively massive rock. These methods are costly to employ, therefore, they may not be justified in an initial study. The pre-mine stress field can be estimated based on the structural relationships formed from past tectonic events.

Jan 1, 1976

By B. Rezai

Impeller speed and air flow rate are two influence parameters on coarse particles flotation and collision and attachment angles. So, in this research recovery of quartz particles at four diameter classes carried out and collision and attachment angles investigated. It is found that maximum flotation response was observed at Impeller speed of 1100 rpm and 15 L/h air flow rate. For either more quiescent (Impeller speed<1100 rpm) or more turbulent conditions, flotation recovery decreased steadily. Furthermore, amount of attachment probabilities is calculated using suitable equation. According to this study, with decreasing particle size, air flow rate and impeller speed, probability of attachment increased and with increasing contact angle, probability of attachment increased. For various air flow rates, impeller speed and particle size, collision angle has been calculated. Maximum collision angle obtained at with 15 L/h air flow rate, particle size of 256 µm and impeller speed of 700 rpm and minimum collision angle obtained at with 45 L/h air flow rate, particle size of 545µm and impeller speed of 1300 rpm. In this study, maximum attachment angle, , was around 75 L/h air flow rate, particle size of 256 µm, contact angle of and impeller speed of 1300 rpm and minimum attachment angle was with 15 L/h air flow rate, particle size of 545 µm, contact angle of and impeller speed of 1300 rpm. ?82.72 ?64 cr??33.39 ?90 ?13.0 ?60

Jan 1, 2014

By Y. Oka, H. Majima

When a rock particle is subjected to an external force, internal stresses and deformations are experienced by the particle. Assuming that the breakage of a rock is mainly due to tensile stresses generated by the action of a pair of concentrated loads, F, directed in compression towards the loading points at the shortest distance, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the stress and deformation experienced by a particle of irregular shape can be determined with the aid of the theory of elasticity. According to the photoelastic experiments made by one of the present authors,&apos; the stress states in a rock particle of irregular shape are quite similar to that of an inscribed sphere of diameter x, as indicated in Fig. 1, but accompanied by the faint stresses, in the vicinity of the particle outside of the inscribed sphere. Therefore, the stress components in an irregularly shaped particle can be estimated by referring to stress components in a sphere. Applying polar spherical coordinates to an elastic spherical body, as shown in Fig. 1, the stress components are all expressed as multiples of F /x2 and more or less influenced by the loading angle and Poisson&apos;s number m. In general, the energy w, acting on a rock particle is defined as the product of loading compression F

Jan 1, 1970

By Ralph B. J, Sadler W. R

Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was shown to catalyse biodegradation of chalcopyrite concentrates. The process was growth associated at normal temperatures (30&#176;C) in dilute acid solution (pH2, H2SO4) in submerged cultures. Approximately 20% of the copper dissolved in 22 days in the presence of T ferrooxidans while less than 0.6% was released when bacteria were absent. In ore column leachates, the iron and sulphur oxidizing species T ferrooxidans, ranged from I04 to I06 cells/ml while exdusively sulphur oxidizing species ranged from I02 to 104 cells/ml. T ferrooxidans predominated below pH 3 while other sulphur oxidizing bacteria favoured higher pH. Organisms were distributed vertically in ore columns according to pH differences, resulting from gradual acid consumption by gangue, during trickle irrigation.There was a sequential development of bacteria in leachates from fresh ore irrigated with water only. High pH sulphur oxidizers were always present, low pH sulphur oxidizers appeared within a week while T ferrooxidans took 50 days to show up. Routine monitoring of bacteria in dump leachates provided a qualitative indication of events in otherwise inaccessible ore bodies.

Jan 1, 1981

By Dan W. Bench

PCBs are hazardous not only to human health and the environment but also to the mining industry because of potential worker exposure and improper disposal liabilities. In this sense, the paper point out the identification, management, and proper disposal of pcb-containing electrical equipment used in mines. Also it point out alternatives to PCB dielectrics, storage, and disposal. The use of PCBs in mines has been documented during U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 mine inspections and it used as dielectrics in transformers, capacitors, and fluorescent light ballasts are common throughout industry worldwide.

Sep 14, 2009

By M Chaudhari, G Manekar, D Shome

MOIL Limited is operating 7 underground and 3 opencast mines in central India and producing annually more than 1.2 million tonnes of various grades of manganese ore. The underground mines are operating at shallow - 90 m at Munsar mine to moderate - 353 m at Balaghat mine below the surface with horizontal cut and fill (HCF) or its variant method of stoping with post filling by hydraulic sand stowing. The Munsar mine is being worked underground since 1903. The opencast mining is presently stopped. The ore body below the opencast quarry is geological continuity of the area excavated in past by opencast method of mining. The underground mining is done through the adit in three levels i.e. 270’L, 220’L, 170’L and by incline in western part of the property at 70’L. The horizontal drift development has been developed in the manganese ore body with sill drive of 5 m above the sill pillar in lower level at 70’L and barrier pillar of 5 m thickness is left for protection of upper level at 170’L. Valuable mineral has been locked in sill pillar and therefore rock mechanics investigations have been carried out. On the basis of study now the drift development has been carried out in footwall rock at 70’L, (-) 30’L and below levels and it has improved the mineable manganese ore by about 20%. In this modified HCF stope design, an alternative fill material in place of sand, which has been developed in house by use of overburden (OB) material after treatment, has been used for hydraulic stowing. The experimental trials find out that the alternative fill material of OB is more compact and forming a non expansion floor for the men and machines in the stope. This will certainly help in the introduction of mobile underground mining equipment for drilling in the stopes and mechanical mucking, transportation and loading of the ROM. The paper presents rock mechanics investigations and future use of alternative fill material of OB for better safety and productivity at Munsar Mine of MOIL. CITATION:Manekar, G, Shome, D and Chaudhari, M, 2018. Modified ground support with alternative fill material for ground control at Munsar underground manganese mine of MOIL Limited, India, in Proceedings The Fourth Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference (AusRock), pp 58–65 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 30, 2018

By John R. Hugens

Modifications in the ALSCAN method of measuring hydrogen dissolved in liquid aluminum have made it possible to monitor the level of hydrogen dissolved in liquid copper. Measurements from the tundish show a correlation with eddy current readings from the continuously cast and rolled copper rod from the continuous casting and rolling system at Amarillo. The measurements also indicate that the copper in the tundish is supersaturated with hydrogen.

Jan 1, 1994

By Young-Chul Kang

The Onsan Copper Smelter of LG-Nikko Copper Inc. is a unique plant, which has been operating two smelting processes since 1998. The operation of the first one was started in 1979 with a capacity of 80,000tpy of copper in concentrates utilizing Outokumpu flash-smelting technology. The other one was started in 1998 based on Mitsubishi continuous process with a capacity of 160,000 tpy of copper in concentrates. Through several expansion projects, the total smelting capacity of both processes is expected to reach 430,00Otpy of copper in concentrates towards the end of 2002. This article describes operation advantages of having two different processes at one plant and comparative operation results in terms of productivity, impurity distribution, energy consumption and environment issues and etc.

Jan 1, 2003