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By Walter Greaves

THIS paper describes a series of tests performed at the Hollinger mill during the past four years, in which both metal and rubber-lined pumps were used for pumping sand and slime. While conditions will not be the same at other mills, it is felt that the information gained from the tests should be of value to other operators and of assistance to them in selecting the most efficient size of pump and kind of lining for economical operation. For the successful operation of pumps with rubber linings there are certain conditions, which, if recognized at the outset, will save the operator a good deal of work and trouble. First is the necessity of keeping sharp pieces of steel, or anything that might cut the lining, out of the pumps. This can be effected by placing screens in the proper locations. Second is to recognize the fact that the rubber lining of the shell, and the rubber cover of the impeller, are subjected to very different conditions. The shell lining, :being at rest and well supported by the metal case, has a relatively easy job compared ? with the impeller covering, which is subjected to centrifugal force and has a tendency to tear itself away from the metal core. Also, the pulp travels through and past the impeller at a high velocity. These two factors, centrifugal force and velocity of the pulp, would appear to set a limit to the speed at which, for a given set of conditions, it is economical to run a rubber-covered impeller. Therefore, a pump should be large enough for the work to be done. To get the best mechanical efficiency, it must be operated somewhere near the limit of its capacity, but this may not give the best overall cost, because the saving in power, due to the high efficiency, may easily be lost through excessive wear on the lining. It would appear that this condition is more critical in a rubber-lined pump than in one lined with metal.

Jan 1, 1939

By Russell C. Frith

This paper examines the design of longwall shields, focusing on those aspects that are critical to either their successful application or contribution to failure during longwall extraction. In many instances, longwall shields are assessed and designed along lines similar to that of roadway ground support systems, namely according to typical or normal geotechnical conditions. However it will be contended that for longwall shields, this is inappropriate because unlike roadway ground support systems, longwall shields cannot be supplemented with additional or secondary support in localised areas of adverse geotechnical conditions. In other words, the longwall shield needs to be designed according to what are judged to be worst case or adverse geotechnical conditions?the outcome being that a well-designed shield will be significantly over-rated for the majority of its working life. Therefore, it will be argued that the additional capital cost of such shield design can be readily justified as a prudent riskbased outcome that is essential to minimising future business risks due to strata instability on the longwall face. Shield geometry will be discussed, including such relevant factors as leg angle, inclination of the top caving shield, canopy ratio, operating height range, and tip to face distance. These are all well-established longwall shield design considerations and, most importantly, areas whereby inadequate design can render a longwall shield as highly ineffective. The issue of tip to face distance will be considered in detail, in particular, the extent by which it is an important geotechnical design consideration, the conclusion being reached that, in fact, it is not. The critical importance of maximising set to yield ratio within practical operating limits will be justified, the wisdom of this having been subject to questioning in more recent technical literature. Overall, the aim is to provide the industry with a set of suggested guidelines for future use when designing longwall shields and, hopefully, to initiate discussion on a subject that, unlike roadway ground support design, is not well covered in its entirety in the published technical literature.

Jan 1, 2013

By B. W. Williams

The crack propagation behaviour of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube material was studied through comparison of the measured behaviour with the predicted response from finite element analysis. Three-dimensional finite element simulations of compact tension specimens were performed using the crack tip opening angle as a fracture criterion to allow for crack propagation. To obtain reasonable agreement with the measured behaviour, it was important to capture both the anisotropic plastic deformation behaviour of the Zr-2.5Nb material through use of the Hill-48 yield criterion and damage due to void growth, nucleation, and coalescence through the use of a Gurson-based constitutive model in the simulations.

Jan 1, 2010

By G. H. Khoe

Neutralisation of acid uranium mill tailings with lime or other alkaline materials is usually practised to reduce the dissolved concentration of heavy metals and radio nuclides. Computer modelling of this process was carried out using the geochemical equilibrium code MINTEQA2. Computed dissolved metal and sulfate concentrations were compared with laboratory-based experimental data. It was found necessary to include the modelling of adsorption of trace metals (such as uranium and lead) by the precipitated ferric hydroxide in order to obtain acceptable concentrations in the neutralised liquors. There were limitations of the modelling exercise due to important aspects which were not addressed or properly accounted for such as chemical reaction kinetics and the effect of high ionic strength. These are discussed in the paper.

Jan 1, 1991

By C. Bryce

Rhenium is primarily recovered as a by-product from molybdenum roasting circuits. However, rhenium is also present in copper heap leach solutions at very low concentrations and represents a potential new rhenium source. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold has developed a new process using carbon adsorption followed by ion exchange or solvent extraction to concentrate rhenium from less than 1 ppm to 15 g/L. The product is compatible as a feed to an existing rhenium processing plant. A pilot plant operated at Freeport-McMoRan?s Sierrita mine has demonstrated the technical and financial feasibility of this new process.

Feb 23, 2014

By D. W. Fuerstenau

One of the more energy-efficient methods for size reduction, namely particle-bed comminution under high compressive loads, was employed to grind eight minerals and ores, using up to 250 MPa pressure. A new approach based on the self-preserving character of the ground product size distributions and a linear energy-reduction ratio relationship is proposed for analyzing this mode of size reduction. The grind ability of the material when comminuted in a particle bed is about one-half that of the single-particle crushing mode, which is in agreement with previous estimates of the relative efficiencies of energy utilization based on direct measurements of surface area produced. The loss of efficiency may be attributed to energy dissipation by particle interaction phenomena in compressed beds.

Jan 1, 1993

By T. Wajima

We tried to convert paper sludge ash (PSA) into zeolitic product with high cation exchange capacity (CEC) through acid leaching. Typically, PSA from incineration of paper sludge contains a high percentage of calcium in the form of anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) and gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7). It is difficult to convert the ash with a high Ca content into zeolites, or at least into more desirable zeolite phases. Acid leaching with HCl was applied to reduce the Ca content to synthesize zeolitic product with high CEC. The raw ash was treated with 1 M, 3 M, and 5 M HCl solution for 0.5~24 hours (the ratio of the ash to volume of HCl solution was 1/4), and then zeolitic product was synthesized from leached ash through the reaction with 2.5 M NaOH solution at 80 oC for 24 hours. During acid leaching, gehlenite is readily dissolved in a lower HCl concentration solution than anorthite. With increasing HCl concentration, the amounts of Ca, Mg, Si, Al, Fe and Ti extracted from the ash increased. Ca and Mg contents were easily extracted from ash than other elements. The contents of Ca and Mg extracted rapidly at initial stage, and then levelled off. The saturation times of Mg and Ca are almost 0.5 h using all concentrations of HCl solutions. After the synthesis from leached ashes, zeolite-A and -P were synthesized from ash leached in 1 M HCl solution, and 3 M and 5 M HCl solutions, respectively, regardless of leaching time. With in-creasing HCl concentration, the Ca content eluted from the product decreased, due to the removal of Ca via acid leaching before the synthesis, while the Na content eluted from the product increased to 3 M HCl and then decreased, which was almost similar to the CEC of the product, due to the ion exchange of Na-type zeolitic phase in the product. The change of zeolite phases in the product and the CEC of the product depend on the concentrations of Si and Al in the solution during the synthesis. The highest CEC of the product is about 220 cmol/ kg, which was synthesized from the ash leached in 3 M HCl solution.

Jan 1, 2014

By R. A. Isberg, D. A. Parrish, H. Kramer

This report describes the design and implementation of UHF radio and closed-circuit television systems in the Black River room and pillar limestone mine near Butler, Pendleton County, Kentucky. Prior to designing the radio system, measurements of signal attenuation on 812 and 466 mHz were made in the slope tunnel and in the straight and level crosscuts in the mine. Two distributed antenna systems fed by two sets of base stations provide approximately 75% coverage of the mine. Passive reflectors are used for extending signals into intersecting crosscuts and two-way signal boosters will be used to extend signals to the perimeter and obstructed areas of the mine. Fourteen mine vehicles were equipped with mobile radios equipped with digital identification, alarm and status encoders. Fifteen portable transceivers also were used. Six closed-circuit television cameras provide surveillance of critical transfer points of the belt conveyor system, and the loading dock at the base of the slope and an ash disposal area in the mine. Two-way radio communication and closed-circuit television have saved considerable man. hours, increased production, reduced maintenance costs and enhanced safety. Innovative developments were the use of passive reflectors and two-way signal boosters for extending signals into intersecting crosscuts, development of lightweight signal margin measuring equipment, modifications of mobile digital encoders to automatically send status information from mine vehicles such as numbers of loads of ore delivered, hot engine, etc., and the use of CATV technology for multiplexing audio, digital and video signals onto coaxial cables from the surface to the mine.

Jan 3, 1981

By Paul C. Turner

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, through an Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM), has successfully developed a steel expendable pattern casting process (EPC) for the manufacture of armorplate. The new armor is lighter and more ballistically effective than conventional rolled homogeneous armor (RHA), and costs less. An applique armor spinoff from the program was field-tested during the Gulf War. The applique armor withstood direct impacts from enemy munitions without failure.

Jan 1, 2010

By Paola Campana, Maurizio Lenzi

"In the paper a non linear model for the analysis of the pile response to the axial loads is presented. The study aims to find a general analytical solution concerning the pile-soil interaction modeled by means of the method of the load transfer curves. It makes use of a criterion based on the plastic and on the hardening work locally done by the shear stresses and due to the current elastic shortening of the shaft. Then a specific solution, denoted fractal model, is found applying recurrent relations that link the shaft shear stresses and the tip normal stresses to the pile settlements. These relations are based on that one proposed by Kondner in modeling the soil samples response in the triaxial tests and then used by Chin in the inverse slope method in estimating the pile capacity by the load test results. The comparison between the model predictions and the load tests measures validate the fractal model.INTRODUCTIONThe behavior of the axially loaded piles is known to be characterized by a highly non linear trend caused by the onset of plastic and irreversible deformations in the soil starting just from the first load levels. With the purpose to reach a deeper understanding of the pile-soil interaction, the influence of the soil inelastic properties on the distribution of the axial loads and of the vertical displacements is investigated. The research starts analyzing the behavior of an infinitesimal length of a pile embedded in a non linear homogeneous soil. That initial study leads to a criterion based on the plastic and on the hardening work locally done by the shear stresses and that allows to find the axial loads as a function of the elastic shortenings of the shaft. The relation that links the pile axial load to the elastic strain of the pile material is then used. That allows to find the vertical displacements and the axial loads as function of the depth in a parametric form in which the tip settlement acts as an independent parameter. The method of the load transfer curves is used and the effects of the pile technology are included in the soil constitutive relations. The analysis is then extended to the non-homogenous soils in a very effective way. The solution is applied taking as constitutive relations of the pile-soil interface the one proposed by Kondner to analyze the soil triaxial tests and by Chin to interpolate the pile response measured in the load tests."

Jan 1, 2017

By Tuncel M. Yegulalp

This article summarizes some of the results of the continuing research activity at the Henry Krumb School of Mines, Columbia University, directed towards a better understanding of the stochastic behavior of slurry flows in underground coal-slurry pipeline systems. The slurry system under consideration here replaces all conventional haulage systems between the coal face and the coal preparation plant on the surface. At the beginning of the pipeline system, flow rate and frequency of coal slurry is very closely related to the activities of production equipment at the coal face. Due to several scheduled and unscheduled interruptions in continuous miner's coal mining activity, resulting slurry flows possess stochastic characteristics. Proper understanding of these characteristics is believed to lead to a more realissic and economic design of slurry handling equipment. Fundamental ideas supported by field observations are presented and a Semi-Markov model of the slurry flows is developed. As a result of this formulation, behavior of combined slurry flows from N independent coal faces can be expressed in analytical form. The contents of a slurry surge tank receiving slurry flows with certain stochastic characteristics is investigated as a function of discharge pump characteristics and time.

Jan 1, 1981

By S. J. Hogan, T. William

"By the year 2000, the steel industry, not only in the United States but in the rest of the world, will undergo significant changes. On the other hand, there will be a number of areas in which change will be minimal.The current capacity of the industry worldwide is approximately 800-810 million metric tons. This may grow to some extent, as Third World countries install capacity. However, much of it will be neutralized as the industrialized countries shrink their current capacities.There will be several breakthroughs in terms of technology, some of which deal with the production of iron outside of the blast furnace. However, these processes will not be far enough advanced by that time to replace the blast furnace, rather they will supplement it.In terms of steelmaking and the subsequent rolling process, there should be a number of basic improvements. The strip mills will roll sheets with a very slight variance in gauge, which will give the customers a better product for automatic stamping machines. Ordinary carbon steel, in a number of instances, will be replaced by high-strength, low-alloy steel, which will reduce the tonnage necessary for present-day applications, such as construction.The corporate organization will be significantly changed as joint ventures and mergers will reduce the number of companies, as well as facilities in operation. This will enable the industry to reduce its capital investment and improve operating costs, so that it will be able more effectively to compete with other materials, such as plastics, cement, aluminum, etc."

Jan 1, 1988

By Will B. Jamison

An ignition detection and suppression system was developed under the scope of this contract. The objective of this machine mounted system was to detect flames caused by frictional sparking from the cutting bits of a continuous mining machine and to suppress it with sufficient speed to prevent the development of an explosion, and to keep the flame from harming the machine operator.

Jan 1, 1976

Discussion of the paper presented at the North Staffordshire Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers' general meeting held in Stoke-on-Trent, March 27th 1916, with Mr. John Gregory, President, in the chair, included contributions by Gregory J., Cadman J., Hartley J.W., Wain E.B. and Henshaw A.M., followed by the author's reply

Dec 1, 1916

By W. R. Reed, J. A. Organiscak

Haul trucks have the potential to generate large amounts of respirable dust. This respirable dust has been shown to be a health hazard to personnel, especially if it has a high silica content. Lack of dust sampling data from haul trucks prompted the completion of a study to quantify respirable dust concentrations. These field studies were conducted measuring instantaneous respirable dust at stationary locations from passing haul trucks at a stone quarry and at a coal mine site. Fugitive dust levels from haul trucks were analyzed to characterize dust dispersion. This analysis indicates safe following distances for haul trucks and other heavy equipment to avoid overexposure of respirable dust from the lead haul truck.

By L. F. Delgado

Environmental and cost pressures sparked renewed interest in gravity separation. Industrial sands in Mexico are generally processed by screening, desliming, and flotation. Gravity separation with spirals was evaluated as an alternative to flotation in order to lower operating costs and decrease water pollution. Outstanding operating results are obtained in glass and foundry sand operations, plus a more competitive position for Mexican producers due to lower operating costs. Coal fines, generally recovered by flotation, have the same cost and environmental advantages when processed with spirals.

Jan 1, 1994

By Ross Nairn

"Tulawaka Mine is a joint venture between Pangea Minerals Limited 70% (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation) and Northern Mining 30%. Tulawaka Mine is located in North West of Tanzania in the Lake Victoria Goldfields. Tulawaka Mine is scheduled to process 360,000 tonnes per year at an average 11.5 g/t head grade over a 4 year mine life.The Tulawaka Process Plant uses single stage crushing, single stage SAG milling, gravity, intensive leach of gravity concentrates, CIL, Zadra desorption and cyanide detoxification to process the ore. Gold recovery exceeds (or is expected to) 95%.The Process Plant was designed and constructed under the supervision of Ausenco Engineering of Australia. Site works commenced in January 2004, Process Plant construction commenced in July 2004 and the first ore was presented to the Process Plant 26th February 2005. The first gold was poured on 15th March 2005. All construction contractors were demobilized from site 7th April 2005. Major achievements have been 3.4 million hrs LTI free during construction and operation to date, training of the Tanzanian workforce at Bulyanhulu Mine prior to commissioning, a succession plan to replace expatriate personnel with Tanzanian staff and significant over performance of the Process Plant against design.INTRODUCTIONTulawaka Mine is situated approximately 160 km south west of Mwanza in the western Lake Victoria Goldfields District of north western Tanzania. The property is held under a joint venture between Pangea Goldfields Inc (70%), a wholly owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, and Explorations Minieres Du Nord Ltée (30%). A location map showing the position of the operation in Tanzania is shown in Figure 1.Mine site staff at Tulawaka comprises a combination of Tanzanian and Expatriate personnel. All Pangea personnel live on site and commute to their place of residence for their R&R on a 9 weeks on 4 weeks off roster."

Jan 1, 2006

By Federica Paglietti

In this work is presented SEX (Structural & Elemental X-Ray Instrument), the first spectrometer completely portable which make non-destructive X-ray fluorescence and diffraction analysis, in contemporary and in real time. This instrument has been realized using miniaturized detectors, the same model installed on the mission Pathfinder NASA, and X-ray microtubes. SEX allows the chemical and mineplogical characterization of all kind of solid materials and allows to make chemical stratigraphy and liquids analysis.

Jan 1, 1998

By Evan Dressel, Mark S. Diederichs, Kathy Kalenchuk

As hard rock mining develops deeper over time, there is an increasing need to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of adverse seismogenic rockmass reaction to mining. Real-time monitoring and feedback of mine data are used to tactically manage risk associated with induced-seismicity; however, strategic risk management requires reliable tools for forward predictions of seismic hazard. The forward prediction of seismic hazard is strengthened by understanding of potential seismic intensity, which often relies on well calibrated mine-wide numerical models. This paper uses a case study to explore how future seismogenic potential and the nature of future seismicity can be domained according to numerically predicted stress-strain paths at past seismic event locations. Delineation of high confinement seismogenic volumes vs. lower-confinement, high-strain seismogenic volumes at the mine-scale can be achieved, based on a loading and unloading stress path analogue, to refine understanding of seismic intensity. Practical qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve this delineation will be demonstrated. Once seismogenic mode (high-stress vs. high-strain) is identified, detailed analyses of seismic source parameters demonstrates change in seismic hazard between the domained volumes.

Apr 26, 2022

By Hassan El-Shall

Treatment of plant effluent including waste water and associated soluble and insoluble substances, is of a primary concern of many process industries including mineral processing operations. The major objective of such treatment is the removal of such impurities which can interfere with the process through the use of recycled water, and/or to comply with environmental ordinances. For example, Ramirez and Clements (1978) state that molybdenum contents in the range of 19 mg/1 eventually poison ion exchange resigns used for the extraction of uranium. In addition, recent restrictions by the EPA on molybdenum discharge values for mining waste water necessitate removal of this metal to (0.5-1.0 mg/1).

Jan 1, 1984