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By Luis Valentim, Terry Cousins

The goal of a mine is to produce ore at the lowest possible cost with due regard to safety of pemonnel and equipment. The mining process consists of a number of discrete operations such as planning, drilling, blasting,excavation, transportation and crushing. These processes are interrelated and cannot be considered as separate activities when optimising output and minimising cost. In order to optimise the global costs it may therefore be necessary to increase cost in one area such as blasting design and management beyond the norm.

Jan 1, 1998

By J B. Collier, R M. Fraser, O Dahl, I M. Platten

Grade control is a process of maximising value and reducing risk, through the delivery of quality tonnes to the mill via the accurate definition of ore and waste. It essentially comprises data collection, integration and interpretation; local resource estimation; stope design; supervision of mining and stockpile management. The foundation of all grade control programs should be that of geological understanding led by high-quality mapping and sampling to drive appropriate estimation strategies and mining. Gold veins show various complex features relating to erratic grade distribution (nugget effect), variable geometry and internal architecture. These include variations in dip, strike and width, late-stage faulting/shearing effects and geometallurgy. Such variations generally require close geological understanding to ensure optimum grade, minimal dilution and maximum mining recovery. A well designed grade control program will prove to management and stakeholders that by applying geological knowledge, the mining process can be more efficient and cost effective. This paper reviews the issues of grade control in underground gold mines and focuses on integrated mapping and sampling through three case studies.

Jan 1, 2009

By Claudia Castillo, Katja Freitag, Jan Cilliers, Diana Drinkwater, Robert Seitz

The talent gap in mining is not a new challenge. Mining companies continue to seek innovative ways to attract, develop and retain talent, and younger workers are looking for opportunities to develop their professional careers. Training provides a key value proposition for both employees and employers as it helps build a talent pipeline while offering opportunities for learning and growth and value creation. In 2020, Metcelerate launched its 20-month program for early career mineral processing engineers. The program helps develop critical technical skills in the workplace and is a tool to identify motivated engineers and change culture within teams. Learners cap their skills development by executing a technical investigation. This generates immediate value—a win-win outcome for learner and company.

Feb 1, 2025

By Harry Perry, Mary S. Esfandiary

This is a revision of a directory of coal research organizations throughout the world that was first published in 1961 as Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8008. Because of the wide acceptance of the first edition , a revision which would supply up- to - date information on coal research and which would facilitate communication among organizations of similar interest seemed important . This compilation includes the names and activities of organizations of various types -government , university , private , and industry . The areas of investigation that each organization is engaged in are indicated in broad terms : Analysis and constitution , mining and geology , preparation , briquetting , combustion , high- and low-temperature carbonization , gasification , conversion to solid and liquid fuels , and health and safety . Publications issued by and describing the work of each organization are cited ; almost all of the organizations also publish results of their investigations in the technical press . Selected technical and trade publications that publish information on the science and technology of coal and are not published directly by any of the organizations listed are cited in the pages following the list of organizations in each country . Information that would improve coverage and accuracy of the next revision of the publication will be welcomed by the Bureau of Mines .

Jan 1, 1966

By T. Xue

429 As part of Inco's S02 abatement project for its Sudbury operations, a weak acid treatment plant (W ATP) was commissioned at the Copper Cliff smelter in August of 2004 to treat the weak acid streams generated by the flash furnaces, the MK reactor and the fluidized bed roaster (FBR) gas cleaning plants. The W ATP process was developed by Inco Technical Services Limited (ITSL) by means of laboratory and mini-pilot plant programs. In the W ATP process, the feed solution containing arsenic, sulphur dioxide, iron and other impurities is treated by oxidation and neutralization to form a stable precipitate for disposal in Inco's tailings impoundment area. During the commissioning of the WATP, a team of operations, maintenance, engineering, project and R&D personnel was formed, and the designed capacity was achieved in less than a month. Since then, the W A TP has been operating smoothly and the impurities, specifically arsenic, in the Copper Cliff smelting process have been effectively removed.

Jan 1, 2006

By C Sylvestre

Leaders have invested heavily in traditional safety management to improve safety performance over the years. This primarily involved: • fixing the environment (eliminating the hazard) • improving the system (more/less rules, procedures etc) • making safety more conscious (more/better interactions about the importance of safety). These approaches have helped improve safety performance significantly during the last 50 years and will continue to play a role in the future. Although these approaches may be part of an overall solution, they are not enough to prevent many incidents. Today, these three approaches are used more than before, and are used better than ever before. Yet, workplace fatalities in Australia have stagnated from 2013 to 2019, as have the number of incidents, even serious ones. In the USA, workplace fatalities have increased by 15 per cent in the same period.

May 5, 2022

By Gordon R. Luster

Mineral-processing plants commonly rely on homogenization and proportioning facilities to reduce the variability of incoming raw materials and to blend different materials together to satisfy quality specifications. To determine appropriate designs for these facilities, plant designers need information about the variability of the mined materials, measured as the materials enter the plant. But if the materials to be mined in the future differ greatly from those used in the past, only information extracted from exploratory drilling of the materials in the around may be available. Fortunately, useful information for plant design may still be obtained by combining simulated mineral deposits with simulations of likely mining procedures. The output of a mining simulation is a time series of simulated raw-material characteristics that should mimic the behavior of the real materials to be delivered to the plant in the future. This paper shows how conditional simulations of coregionalized ore grades can furnish information useful in the design of homogenization and proportioning systems.

Jan 1, 1986

By Geo S. Rice

"Three men lost their lives in the Black Diamond Coal Mine near Seattle, Wash., recently while wearing oxygen breathing apparatus. The press dispatches stated that these men lost their lives while practicing with the apparatus. Later reports stated that the men died while attempting to make a trip 1200 feet down a 25 degree slope which was filled with black damp, in order to measure the amount of water that had accumulated at the bottom of the mine, and the trip was attempted with oxygen in the tanks of the apparatus with dials indicating only 45 minutes supply. The oxygen in the tank was used up and the men therefore lost their lives from a deficiency of air to breathe.In spite of all the education and training done by the Government to prevent accidents, men are prone occasionally to take unnecessary chances. Every piece of apparatus, no matter how perfect, has its limitations. The Government, through the agency of the Bureau of Mines, has trained many thousands of miners in the use of mine rescue apparatus. The training has been given to all miners who requested it, and the Bureau has gone to the extreme of urging miners to join the rescue and first-aid classes. In spite of all the efforts of the Government, men occasionally attempt the impossible."

Jul 1, 1920

By Felix E. Wormser

REGISTRATION started bright and early Monday morning in the Silver Corridor at the Waldorf-Astoria with Mrs. W. H. Bassett as chairman. What a registration-over 200 ladies! Several joined us from as far away as California and Washington State. Apparently they enjoy our meetings so much that present travel inconveniences didn't discourage their coming. At noon the ladies joined the men at the All-Institute Luncheon and Monday evening we had our informal dance, which is separately reported. Tuesday morning was devoted to our annual meeting at which all Section annual reports were read. At noon we were all the guests of the W.A.A.I.M.E. at a luncheon at the Port Arthur Restaurant on Mott St. in Chinatown. Many of us rode down on the old 3d Ave. elevated railway-the last of four. It, too, is soon to be torn down. The luncheon was delightfully unusual, with huge dishes of delicious Chinese food on each table. Our chairman, Mrs. Read, who lived in China in her youth chose our menu, and she chose it well, for most of us indulged so heartily that as we arose from the table we felt we couldn't eat again for 24 hours. Someone donated sherry wine, and boxes of Chinese pencils as favors. We wonder who? All owe a big vote of thanks for this lovely party to Mrs. T. T. Read and Mrs. H. A. Prosser, chairmen, and Mrs. H. W. Hardinge, Mrs. R. Hursh, and Mrs. R. L. Lloyd, vice-chairmen.

Jan 1, 1944

By R. T. Hukki

THE accepted basis of comparisons between mills of different diameter is the percentage critical speed. [ ] In the following analysis capacity, T, is expressed in short tons per hour, tph, and power consumption, P, in kilowatts, kw. Accordingly power consumption per unit of capacity, Po, will be expressed in kilowatt hours per short ton, or kw-hr per ton. In all equations D refers to the inside diameter of the mill in feet and v to the peripheral speed of the mill in feet per minute inside the liners. Comparison between separate mills must be based on equivalent grinding conditions, i.e., same feed, same size distribution of feed, same size distribution of product, and same percentage of solids. In addition, comparisons between separate rod mills must be based on the same rods, same type of liners, and same percentage rod load. Comparisons between separate ball mills presuppose the same balls, similar liners, and same relative ball load. The practical np-range through which the equations apply varies, being narrower for fine grinding in ball mills and wider for coarse crushing in rod mills.

Jan 7, 1954

By S Bouzalakos, W Timms, H Malli

Combining ultramafic mine tailings and acidic mine drainage via mineral carbonation to sequester carbon dioxide, presents an opportunity to minimise waste on mine sites. Low pH mine water with trace element concentrations can be effectively treated by high magnesium mine tailings, a useful source of finely ground reactive matrix. By using milled tailings for mineral carbonation, there are negligible energy requirements for communition of ore rocks to reduce particle size. This study aimed to assess the technical applicability of reacting ultramafic tailings and acidic mine water through mineral carbonation technology in the mining industry. Dissolution has been identified as the rate limiting stage in mineral carbonation; hence the study focused on identifying optimal dissolution conditions. Ultramafic tailings (particle size <100 µm) derived from serpentinite ore, were reacted with a typical mine water that was synthesised in the laboratory. Through variances in the solid to liquid ratios and temperature of dissolution, a maximum five per cent magnesium dissolution efficiency was reached at 50 g/L and 100°C. The acidic mine water was neutralised (from pH <2 to pH ~6) and iron, copper and zinc ion concentrations reduced significantly during the formation of solid precipitates. Carbonation was undertaken by injecting carbon dioxide into the magnesium-rich solution to form stable carbonates. The experimental work demonstrated proof of concept; however, dissolution efficiency and carbon dioxide sequestration was low, indicating that further research would be required before larger scale implementation.CITATION:Malli, H, Bouzalakos, S and Timms, W, 2015. Ultramafic mine tailings to treat acidic mine water and lock away carbon through mineral carbonation, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 133–136 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By James A. Bloom

To operate the Morris Fork Preparation Plant with a closed water circuit has been an elusive goal for Union Carbide. The benefits of a closed circuit have never been questioned. The removal of fine solids from washery water makes possible the recirculation and reuse of the water. Heavy media drag tanks and other separating machines perform better and more consistently with washery essentially free of fine solids. Finally, the production of a clarified effluent makes unnecessary the sludge ponds usually associated with a coal preparation plant. Why then do I say elusive? Because, since plant design was completed in 1970 we have been in hot pursuit of an ever-growing fine solids problem. In four years the minus 28 mesh material in the plant feed has nearly doubled. The replacement of conventional sections with continuous mining machines has led to a lowering in size and quality of product from the mine. In addition, increasing emphasis underground on roadway clean-up has contributed to the fines problem.

Jan 1, 1975

By S N. Donaldson, B L. Hollis, K Wynn, L Potts, M Evans

A real-time load-haul-dump (LHD) dispatch optimisation tool has been deployed at Panel Cave 1 and Panel Cave 2 at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Operations. The tool, known as ORB, is the first known successful implementation of an optimisation-based, autonomous, real-time dispatch tool, custombuilt for underground mining operations. ORB can co-ordinate the optimal dispatch of LHD’s in a block cave to achieve a range of objectives while adhering to draw compliance and geotechnical constraints. It is an example of highly automated short-term interval control. This paper starts by outlining the pre-existing business planning process, detailing the simple logic that produced the daily draw order. Next, the motivations for a real-time dispatch tool are presented, drawing comparison to the limitations in existing planning processes and how these can be overcome through an optimisation-based, autonomous, real-time dispatch tool. Subsequently, the paper details the Ratio Bogging Draw Strategy, through which tonnes targets are expressed continuously on draw bells or draw points as a ratio of total cumulative cave draw. This signifies artificial planning boundaries are removed and that draw targets are linked within a cave; such that tonnes are unlocked by bogging other parts of the cave, instead of as a function of time. This creates incentive within the target mechanism for fixing and bogging struggling draw areas whilst allowing uncapped progress if all draw targets are progressing within compliance. Furthermore, the optimisation tool developed is outlined, including the data it uses and the objectives it optimises. Finally, detail on the improvements to operations the implementation of this tool has brought, and the business process change it has facilitated are presented using Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Operations as a case study.

Mar 15, 2021

By C. Allen, A. Roy, J. W. Evans

A spouted bed electrode (SBE) has been used, in laboratory experiments, to electrowin zinc from zinc chloride electrolytes with the objective of determining the suitability of this electrode for commercial application. Zinc was successfully electrowon at current densities ranging up to 4,38 lA/m2, which are an order of magnitude larger than those used at present in the zinc industry. Current efficiencies, for the cell with the SBE, have been as high as 90% and DC energy consumption as low as 2.8 kWh/kg zinc deposited. The performance of the cell has been measured as a function of current density, anode type, cell diaphragm, addition of tributyl ammonium chloride and purging of the electrolyte (to remove dissolved chlorine).

Jan 1, 2000

Circulating Air Classification of Manufactured Sand Due to environmental concerns, the supply and use of natural gravel has been limited by the Swedish government. The Swedish concrete industry is therefore examining manufactured sand as an alternative that has equal or better product quality, and which the Swedish quarry industry already has the ability to deliver. However, in order to comply with the specifications set by the concrete industry, a better means of classification is needed, as the proportion of fine particles (filler) smaller than 63 - 125 ¦m in size must be reduced. One classification technology that meets the requirements may be air classification. This paper examines the process of circulating air classification, which is not yet commonly used in the Swedish quarry industry; suggesting that a better understanding of the process is needed. The circulating air classifier in this study has two internal machine parameters that can affect the separation point; namely, the speeds of the circulating fan and the separator fan. We study their effect on the separation point as well as the interaction between these parameters. Full-scale parameter tests are also conducted, in which size distribution is measured before and after the circulating air classification. This study shows how the different parameters affect the separation point and that it is possible to produce manufactured sand according to specifications. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD, Fluent) is used to study the internal flow of the air circulating within the classifier. A single-phase study of the flow field is conducted to support and explain the findings from the full-scale tests.

Sep 13, 2010

By R. W. Utley

The purpose of this study was to seek and evaluate possible relationships between the composition of coal refuse, as expressed by washability data, and factors affecting the product ion of a lightweight aggregate from refuse by bloating. The study was related to an intense program in the Department of Mineral Preparation at the Pennsylvania State University to study the possible elimination of air pollution from coal refuse fires by producing a low- carbon secondary refuse. Another phase of this program is considering possible uses of such a secondary refuse. Thus one study was to determine if a lightweight aggregate could be produced from this new refuse material and what effect the nature of refuse beneficiation would have upon the characteristics of a commercial aggregate product.

Jan 1, 1965

By C. A. Crawford

NICKEL and the nickel-copper alloy, the latter generally referred to as morel metal, are available in a variety of wrought and fabricated forums, of which the following are regular commercial products: Form Monel Metal Pure Nickel Roc Hot-rolled; round, hexagon, Same as morel metal square, and flat shapes Cold drawn; round, hexagon, square, and flat shapes Hot-rolled wire rod Cold-drawn wire rod Plates Hot-rolled Same as morel metal Sheets Hot-rolled annealed Same as morel metal Hot-rolled annealed, pickled Full-finished Full-finished, No. 3 grind one side Full-finished, No. 4 grind one side Cold-rolled (annealed) Cold-rolled, No. 5 polished finish Strip Hot-rolled (flat rods) Same as morel metal Cold-rolled (annealed) Cold-rolled (unannealed) Tubes and pipe Gas-welded tube Seamless tube Seamless tube in I. P. S. Gas-welded tube Forgings Bolts, rivets Same as morel metal Nuts and washers Forging to order Castings Sand castings Same as morel metal Centrifugal castings Electrolytic Cathodes of high purity Anodes Cast anodes Rolled anodes Shot and block for 25 to 50-1b. pigs 5, 25 and 50-1b. pigs melting. Shot Shot

Jan 1, 1927

By P. Holtzhausen, L. Auret, B. Lindner, A. Haasbroek

"Spiral concentrators offer a cost effective way to separate valuable minerals from gangue by displacing lighter materials to the outside, and heavier materials to the inside of the spiral. The separation can be seen as visible concentrate bands and splitters are set at the bottom of the spiral to effectively split the ore into various densities. As there are typically many spirals in a concentrator plant, it becomes ineffective to continually adjust the splitter positions manually. Vermaak et al. (2008) proposed to use image recognition to detect the concentrate bands, thereafter, creating a model predicting the positions under certain input conditions. This model could then be used for optimisation and/or control of splitter position or band position. In contrast an online concentrate band detection system would provide real time concentrate band positions without losing accuracy due to model generalisation. These systems are usually expensive and time consuming to develop, due to a lot of centralised features required (image capturing, image processing and/or feedback to a controller). This study took advantage of the recently developed Raspberry Pi minicomputer to perform rapid prototyping of an online image processing sensor. The Raspberry Pi, and accompanying camera module, offers a portable Linux environment which can natively run the required image processing algorithms. Furthermore, extensive use of OpenCV was made to reduce development time, by relying on existing and proven algorithms to detect the concentrate bands. The Raspberry Pi also incorporates generic input/output ports which can be used in future work to provide the signal to a controller. In conclusion, the Raspberry Pi was successfully used to perform real time concentrate band position detection on a spiral concentrator. This solution is more general than an experimentally identified input-output model and may be used for control or optimisation studies in a wide array of spiral concentrators."

Jan 1, 2014

By L. H. E. Weyher

As a result of past developments, mainly at universities, the coal industry has had access for a decade or more to a number of computer programs for coal mine planning. Using some of these programs Bethlehem Steel's Research Department in 1969 launched jointly with Bethlehem Mines Corporation an extensive research and development program aimed at: (1) testing the capabilities of these programs through trial applications as the need and opportunity existed, (2) defining what additional capabilities were required to make mine planning computer systems fully useful in the hands of Bethlehem's mine-planning engineers in the field, and (3) developing and implementing in the field the mine-planning systems agreed on. This program is now nearing completion, and several of Bethlehem's operations routinely use the planning tools that were developed. The progress of this research program is discussed in terms of our initial trial applications of computer methods to mine planning and the incorporation of several innovative features into our new set of computer programs, in particular, the use of time sharing, data base management systems, and general-purpose simulation languages.

Jan 1, 1977

By F. Z. Dong

The paper is mainly about a study on the techniques of separating iron from pyrite cinder of a certain sulfuric acid plant in Shandong province. The main components of the cinder are Fe2O3 and SiO2, and the degree of liberation of iron mineral and gangue is very high. So the iron concentrate with higher degree of iron and lower grade of silicon and sulfur can be achieved by reverse flotation. The iron grade of the concentrate reaches 63% and the recovery of iron is no less than 63%. And the most important influencing factor of the flotation is the temperature of the pulp. A better guideline can be achieved by magnetic separation. The cinder is magnetizing roasted for 15 minutes with temperature of 800?, and the concentrate with the iron grade 64%, sulfur grade 0.2% and iron recovery 85% can be obtained by two stage magnetic separation. A rotary kiln has been built to deal with the pyrite cinder, and the result of the industrial magnetizing experiment and magnetic separation is satisfying.

Jan 1, 2014