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By Ü. Atalay, G. Alaeddinoglu, G. Özcengiz, G. Özbayoglu, Z. Özdemir

In this study, bacterial pre-treatment was applied before cyanidation in order to enhance the solubilization of silver from Artvin-Kafkasör ore Direct cyanidation process was found inefficient to recover silver from the ore. Only 40.36% silver recovery was obtained with direct cyanidation while silver recoveries of above 60% were obtained after bacterial treatment. Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was used as the microorganism in pretreatment tests. Effects of various parameters such as pulp density, duration, inoculum size and particle size on silver recovery have been investigated in this study.

Jan 1, 2001

By G. Mahieu, L. Perez-Barnuevo, P. Barbeau-Verreault, O. Gravel

Raglan mine is a copper-nickel mining operation, part of Glencore, and located at the northern border of the province of Quebec, in Canada. The concentrator is fed by a mix of four different underground mines, thus it must accommodate periodic variations in run-of-mine mineralisation and composition. In order to concentrate nickel and copper sulphides, the flotation circuit also includes a regrind step at the cleaner stage. This leads to challenges in maintaining optimal recoveries and in diagnosing potential disturbances. This paper advocates for the combination of automated mineralogical analyses, reconciliated mass balances from diagnostic sampling campaigns and innovative multidimensional visualisation to assist in tackling these challenges. Through this approach, it has been possible to quantify the regrind step influence on the liberation of valuable mineral particles in the final flotation concentrate. The methodology also allows for virtual sieving of the products in order to track unit loss in the flotation process. The proposed analysis scheme presents an opportunity to easily diagnose flotation circuit performance based on mineralogical information. Keywords: Flotation diagnostics, multi-dimensional visualisation, mineral liberation analysis

Jan 1, 2020

By Robert K. Jonas

Mining companies can improve production and reduce costs by using the best available technology to control their operations. Many mines are challenged to use multivariable predictive control due to limited experience or staffing, as well as being concerned over the robustness and sustainability of predictive controls. As a result many mines are not realizing optimal performance from their assets, and thusly are not realizing the production increases or cost reductions that this technology can deliver. Over the past few years, the application of multivariable model-based predictive control has gained acceptance in many mining processes and has proven to be robust and sustainable for some of the most challenging mining processes. New automated modeling and performance monitoring software have greatly simplified the effort to implement and maintain these solutions. In addition, many progressive companies have chosen to co-source the implementation and service of these solutions to assure project success and continued benefits stream. This technology has been successfully applied to a wide variety of processes; grinding mills, alumina digestion, CCD washer and thickeners, kilns, calciners, roasters, flash smelters, heat exchangers, evaporators, and most recently in the demanding process of flotation. This paper discusses the state-of-the art in advance control technologies in the mining industry, including the impact of these technologies on maximizing benefits, and implementing best practices for long term sustainability. Benefits from recent multivariable predictive control applications in copper mining will be reviewed, and the use of the latest predictive control technologies and practices in mining will be discussed.

Oct 1, 2009

By A. M. Hearn, J. G. Roos

Energy consumption, being a large proportion of the input of the ferroalloy production process, can be measured in terms of the efficiency with which the energy is utilized and the effectiveness with which it is used. The efficiency of the usage of energy revolves around the specific consumption of the energy for the production of the alloy, which encompasses the thermodynamic aspects of the process and is more of a metallurgical function that will not be addressed further in this paper. The effectiveness with which the energy is utilized is determined by the optimisation of the electricity supply from the utility (in this case Eskom). The South African electricity supply industry is on the brink of considerable restructuring, implying changes in ownership, structure and regulation. In other countries, however, restructuring has often seen higher prices. Owing to the diversity of growth prospects in South African markets, Eskom is turning to new market management and generation strategies. In future, Eskom will develop pricing strategies to increase demand from attractive customer segments such as paper & pulp, iron & steel, aluminium, and other metallurgical industries. There will be a broader spectrum of product offerings, including dynamic pricing options and demand-side management incentives. In a future electricity market that will become more dynamic and demanding, it will become increasingly important for electricity consumers to optimise their electricity supply. There are many facets in optimising the electricity supply, which include optimal utilisation of the tariff, integrating energy cost management into the production planning process, implementation of demand-side management actions, modelling, scenario planning (.what-ifs?.), optimisation, maintenance scheduling coordinated with the tariff periods, etc. This paper gives consideration to the status of the development of technology at the manganese alloy works of Samancor at Meyerton, South Africa in order to increase the effectiveness with which energy is utilized.

Jan 1, 2004

By R Symes

The Fosterville Goldmine in Victoria Australia employs the BIOX« Process to liberate gold from its sulfidic flotation concentrate through bacterial oxidation. Gold occurrence is primarily as submicron particles in pyrite and arsenopyrite and has been described as being in æsolid solutionÆ and therefore not amenable to direct cyanidation. Once liberated by the oxidation process, the gold is then available for cyanide leaching. During the oxidation process it has been found that a portion of the liberated gold becomes suspended in the liquid phase in what appears to be a colloidal state. This liquid becomes a waste stream during washing of the oxidised solids and the suspended gold is therefore lost. A method was previously developed using an addition of quebracho tannin to significantly reduce this loss by formation of an iron-tannin precipitate which captures the gold which then reports to the cyanide leach circuit with the oxidised concentrate solids onto which it is adsorbed.This paper discusses the development and plant trial of a second processing step to further enhance gold recovery by use of flotation tailings essentially as a source of extra surface area to capture residual tannin-iron precipitate and its associated gold not recovered in the first step.CITATION:Symes, R, 2012. Recovery of colloidal gold from oxidised concentrate wash liquor - Further improvement, in Proceedings 11th AusIMM Mill OperatorsÆ Conference, pp 383-388 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 29, 2012

By F. W. Davis

SOME idea may be gained of the tremendous consumption of refractories by the open-hearth steel manufacturers from a statement made by A. T. Green at a meeting reported by T11.e Industrial Chemist of London, as follows: "At a very progressive steel plant in the Midlands, with a battery of five open-hearth furnaces working. twelve months and making 3000 tons of steel per week, the cost of refractories per ton of steel produced averages about $0.50 for the actual open- hearth casting and $0.12 for those operations incidental to the rolling of the metal." .These figures, when translated into the annual tonnage of steel, represent a very considerable expenditure.

Jan 1, 1930

By T. J. A. Smith

This paper provides an overview of some of the key issues in design of smelter gas handling systems, with particular reference to sulphide smelting plants. In both primary smelting and converting. gas handling and treatment systems often represent the major capital cost component. There is also ample evidence that poor system design can be a major cause of smelter down time, lost production and unforeseen high maintenance costs. The paper discusses these issues and offers guidance for improved design.

Jan 1, 1992

By M. T. Simnad, G. Derge, I. George

Measurements of current efficiency on iron-silicate slags in iron crucibles showed that conduction is about 10 pct ionic in slags with less than 10 pct silica and about 90 pct ionic in slags with more than 34 pct silica, increasing linearly in the intermediate range. The balance of the conduction is electronic in character. Silicate ions are discharged at the anode with the evolution of gaseous oxygen. Transport experiments show that the ionic current is carried almost entirely by ferrous ions, which may be assigned a transport number of one. THERE has been increased evidence in recent years that the constitution of liquid-oxide systems (slags) is ionic.1-3 The principal studies designed to establish the structure of liquid slags have been by electrochemical methods', " and conductivity measurements1,6,7 which also have indicated the presence of semiconduction in several silicate systems1,4-0 and in pure iron oxide.' It is well known that many slag-forming metallic oxides have an ionic lattice type in the solid state, and their properties are determined to a large extent by the lattice defects and ion sizes. As Richardson8 as pointed out, the detailed models of liquid slags cannot be found on thermodynamic data only but "must rest on a proper foundation of compatible structural and thermodynamic knowledge, combined by statistical mechanics." A careful thermodynamic study of the iron-silicate slags has been carried out by Schuhmann with Ensio9 and with Michal.10 They obtained experimental data relating equilibrium CO2: CO ratios to slag composition and made thermodynamic calculations of the activities of FeO and SiO, and of the partial molal heats of solution of FeO and SiO2 in the slags. It was found that the activity-composition relationships deviate considerably from those to be expected from an ideal binary solution of FeO and SiO2. However, the partial molal heat of solution of FeO into the slags was estimated to be zero. Their experimental results were correlated with the constitution diagram for FeO-SiO2 of Bowen and Schairer,11 with the results of Darken and Gurry" on the Fe-O system, and with the work of Darken"' on the Fe-Si-O system. All these studies were found to be consistent with one another. The variation of the mechanism of conduction with composition in the liquid iron-oxide-silica system in the range from pure iron oxide to silica saturation (42 pct SiO2) in iron crucibles was reported in a preliminary note." The current efficiency, or conformance to Faraday's law, showed some ionic conductance at all compositions, the proportion increasing with the concentration of silica. The current-efficiency experiments since have been extended. Furthermore, transport-number measurements have been completed in silica-saturated iron silicates to determine the nature of the conducting ions. Experimental Current Efficiency in Liquid Iron Oxide and Iron Silicates using Iron Anodes: This study was carried out by passing direct current through slags in the range from pure iron oxide to iron oxide saturated with silica (42 pct silica), using pure iron rods as anodes and the iron container as the cathode. A copper coulometer was included in the circuit to indicate the quantity of current passed during electrolysis. Assuming that the cation involved is Fe-+, the theoretical quantity of iron lost from the anode according to Faraday's law may be calculated and when compared with the actual loss observed, gives an indication of the extent to which Faraday's law has been obeyed. It also gives an indication of the presence and extent of ionic conduction in the melt. Preparation of the Slags: About 100 g of chemically pure Fe,O, powder is placed in an iron pot which is heated by induction until the contents liquefy. In this way, FeO is produced according to the reaction Fe2O3 + Fe = 3 FeO. More Fe2O3 or SiO, powder is added and, when a sufficient quantity of molten slag is obtained, the induction unit is turned off, the pot withdrawn, and the molten slag poured on to an iron plate. Homogenization and Electrolysis of the Slag: Apparatus—After considerable development, the setup illustrated in Fig. 1 proved to be quite satisfactory. A is an Armco iron cylinder, 1 in. ID and 1/8 in. wall, consisting of three sections placed one on top of the other. The bottom section is a pot about 5 in. long with a small hole drilled in its bottom to allow withdrawal of gases during evacuation of the apparatus. The middle section is 6 in. long and consists of a pot which serves as the slag container, while the top section is a hollow-cylinder continuation of the slag-container pot. The height of this latter section is about 5 in., giving an overall length of approximately 16 in. The iron cylinder is constructed in this way for ease of fabrication, the individual sections becoming welded together after the

Jan 1, 1955

The ability to optimise a concentrator from mill feed to final products requires a simulator which integrates comminution, classification and separation modelling. In order to model this range of processes, such a simulator must handle a variety of information about the ore. The AMIRA P9 project has developed a whole-of-concentrator simulation capability which brings together a texture-based model of mineral liberation, quantitative X-ray micro-tomography analysis to measure the inputs required by this model, and a multi-component simulator software framework. In the context of this approach, the term ?multi-component? implies the ability of the simulation to handle many particle properties simultaneously; for example size, composition, density, floatability etc. The simulation software framework provides the means to manage the flow of data around a circuit flowsheet, allowing each process model to access the information relevant to that particular model. A case study based on plant data from a gold-bearing pyrite concentrator is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the multi-component approach in simulating circuits which contain comminution and separation processes.

Feb 27, 2013

By J. C. Mertz

ACCURATE knowledge of the solid solubilities of the elements that dissolve in the important base metals is needed for guidance in the preparation and heat-treatment of the alloys derived from these compo-nents. While there is still difference of opinion concerning the merits of the X-ray and microscopic methods of determining such solubilities, it is certainly true that the recent extensive use of X-ray diffraction to review the existing constitutional data has revealed many glaring inaccu-racies and has brought about a much improved knowledge of phase-boundary locations, which will inevitably come to include all of the important alloy systems. When the work is done with all necessary precautions it appears that in the majority of cases where the solubilities extend beyond a few tenths of a per cent the X-ray back-reflection technique is capable of furnishing the best of information in this field. For the most prolonged and thorough studies it is obviously advisable to combine the results of several methods, in particular, to obtain an agreement between X-ray and microscopic data. This paper reviews the work previously done on the solubilities of phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth in copper and, in considera-tion of the uncertainties thus made apparent, presents, new X-ray data obtained with the first three members of this group.

Jan 1, 1936

By S. J. McCarroll

Fig. 1—The belt shown at right carries filter cake to mixing station over calciner. Crude ore conveyors appear in right background. THE Three Kids mine, some six miles east of Henderson, Nev., is in a typical southwest desert area, with high dry summer heat and cool to cold winter seasons. The manganese deposit was located during World War I.' During this period 15,000 to 20,000 tons of ore assaying up to 41 pct manganese were shipped. Interest in the deposit was not revived until the middle thirties, when experiments on the ore were initiated. Test work indicated possible recovery of only 70 pct by flotation, but in 1941 additional work was done at the Boulder City pilot plant of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and also by M. A. Hanna Co. As a result, the Manganese Ore Co. was formed and a plant utilizing the SO2 process was constructed. Numerous operation difficulties ensued, and the plant. was closed when the manganese situation in the country eased. In 1949 Hewitt S. West initiated negotiations to acquire the plant. In 1951 Manganese, Inc., was formed and contract entered into with the General Services Administration to supply 27 million units of metallurgical grade manganese in the form of nodules to the national stockpile. A second contract was made to upgrade 285,000 tons of stockpile ore. Test work was undertaken by the Southwestern Engineering Co. and likewise by the Boulder City pilot plant at the U. S. Bureau of Mines. Results obtained indicated the commercial feasibility of the flotation process. Construction of the plant, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, was started in June 1951, and operations on a break-in basis began in September 1952. Apart from the usual starting difficulties two major disasters caused serious setbacks, one a kiln failure in February 1953, and the other a fire that destroyed the flotation building in June of the same year. The nodulizing section of the plant resumed operation in November, and the flotation section in January 1954. The ore minerals are chiefly wad,* with minor amounts of psilomelane, and occur in sedimentary beds of volcanic tuff. The ore is overlain with beds of gypsum which outcrop or may be covered with surface gravel. Intermediate beds of red and white tuff occur frequently with lenses of red and green jasper and stringers of gypsum and calcite. Small amounts of iron are present; lead content averages about 1.0 pct and minute amounts of copper and zinc are found. Barite, celestite, and bentonite are present. Since these are made up of minute asicular crystals, moisture content is very high, averaging about 18 pct. Ore reserves have been estimated at 3 million tons averaging 18 pct Mn2 and up to 5 million tons after grade is dropped to 10 pct Mn. A good part of the orebody was stripped of overburden by the previous operating company . Approximately 50 pct of the ore, representing more than 60 pct of the manganese, can be mined by open-cut methods. A system for underground min- . ing has not yet been decided on. Open-cut mining with benches of 20 ft has proved satisfactory. Although the ore is soft and appears dry and dusty it has a certain resilience, probably due to the porosity and moisture which makes drilling and fragmentation difficult. Wagon drills have been abandoned in favor of the Joy 225-A rotary drill which will put down a 43/4 -in. hole at the rate of 2 ft per min. Holes are spaced in a pattern with 8 to 9-ft centers. Forty percent powder has been used, but better breaking to 2-ft size is obtained with low velocity bag powder of 30 pct strength. Loading is done with one 21/2-yd shovel, and cleanup follows with one D-7 bulldozer. The ore is hauled with Euclid trucks about 1000 ft from the pit to a blending pile, where the daily mine production is spread in layers by bulldozing until approximately one month's mill feed is accumulated. A new pile is then started and mill feed is drawn from the first pile by one 13/4-yd shovel and Euclid trucks, with a haul of approximately 500 ft. Mining is performed by an independent contractor with engineering and supervision by the company staff. Early test work indicated that the manganese could be floated with soap, a wetting agent, and fuel oil to give a recovery of better than 75 pct with a grade of 43 pct Mn. The concentrate when nodulized with coke would upgrade to 46 pct Mn or over, and the lead volatilized to 0.6 pct residual.

Jan 1, 1955

By Rick Honaker

Rare earth elements (REEs) contained in coal and associated mineral matter exist in several forms including micro-dispersed minerals, ion adsorption onto clay surfaces, and chemically bound. Tests found that REEs can be effectively recovered from certain components of three coal sources by leaching under mild conditions followed by solvent extraction. A range of pH values were evaluated at solution temperatures of 25 and 75 °C. When using 1.2 M of sulfuric acid, nearly 85% recovery of the REEs was extracted from the middlings material collected from an operating plant. Acid leaching of a second middling source from another plant resulted in 60% of the total REEs being recovered under the same leaching conditions. Solvent extraction treatment of the leachate produced from six different coal sources resulted in products containing up to 50% total REEs from feedstocks starting with around 300 ppm.

By Mario Mauro

The article illustrates the Hydromill technology, as applied in urban sites, and its advantages in terms of quality of the end product, mitigation of the construction impact, and optimization of the logistics at the site. Also highlighted are the main features of the excavation equipment and slurry treatment plant. Two recent urban applications of this technology in Europe are briefly described, together with the forthcoming application to the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston. Introduction The Hydromill technology has been used extensively in Europe in the last decade for slurry wall construction in urban environments. In Italy, this technology has been applied by Ing. Giovanni Rodio & C., Impresa Costruzioni Speciali S.p.A. in two large projects. The first project is the construction of Stations Darsena and San Giorgio of the first metro line in Genova. The second project is the "Cut-and Cover" tunnel for the railway link in Torino. Hydromill technology will be used for the construction of the Soldier Pile Tremie Concrete walls of the Boston Central Artery Tunnel Project, contract C14C2, Utility Relocation at Fulton Street.

Jan 1, 1994

By E. Baliktsis

We have searched and analyzed several modern technologies aiming at the best applications of environmental management, the studying of quarrying ? mining as well as the excavation sites ? utilization ? rehabilitation. We have used long-range reflectorless laser surveying systems, so as to achieve the fastest and most accurate surveying of the extractive work sites. We also used them, in order to collect field data, measure distances, surveying monitoring stations and environmental parameters ? data. Furthermore these systems can make the field work quite faster, more reliable and credible and have low cost in collecting data even in dangerous and non-approachable areas. We have used and processed on the field data in G.I.S. applications, in order to create 2-D and 3-D digital ground models. These G.I.S. applications present the existing relief and the management of the final stage of the area. The suggested techniques and works needed, for reclamation and utilization of the areas, could be tried, evaluated and well presented. The evolution and utilization of these ?smart? modern tools for the effective environmental management of quarrying ? mining ? extractive activity sites, will be presented by using case histories from the Hellenic territory.

Jan 1, 2002

By Egnalda Pereira da Silva Pimenta

Os aços revestidos com zinco e suas ligas são muito utilizados em automóveis, em razão de sua excelente resistência à corrosão. Dependendo da severidade da conformação durante o processo de estampagem, pode ocorrer dano à camada de revestimento. Para contornar esse problema, vários métodos de tratamento da superfície do revestimento para lubrificação têm sido desenvolvidos, como, por exemplo, o Tratamento L, que é um filme a base de P-Mn patenteado pela Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation e disponibilizado no Brasil pela Unigal Usiminas. Como, após a estampagem, o aço é submetido a vários processos até a obtenção do produto final, além de apresentar uma boa lubricidade é essencial que o Tratamento L não interfira nessas etapas seqüentes. Nesse trabalho, foi avaliada a sua influência nos pré-tratamentos, na pintura e resistência à corrosão de um aço galvanizado a quente, com as ligas Zn-Fe (GA), cujas amostras foram pintadas em uma montadora após os pré-tratamentos de fosfatização e a base de óxido de zircônio e, em seguida, avaliadas por meio de testes acelerados cíclicos e não acelerados de corrosão. Foi verificado que o Tratamento L não interfere nas etapas de pré-tratamentos, pintura e nem na resistência à corrosão do aço, o que o habilita como um possível tratamento a ser utilizado com o intuito de melhorar a estampabilidade do aço.

Aug 16, 2017

"Health standards in the U.S. are among the highest in the world. Achieving these standards have often had an impact on productivity, slowing output, and raising prices to levels that make it difficult to compete with many foreign industries. The answer to many of these problems lies in the development of new and advanced control techniques. This overview has identified some of the major respirable dust technological hurdles that have been overcome, and provided some insight into current and future approaches underway to remove these obstacles and to provide the United States with the most advanced state-of-the-art mining industry in the world from a respirable dust standpoint. The necessary developmental research is costly and time-consuming. The long-term, high-risk aspects of this effort are being addressed by the Bureau and the Generic Center on Respirable Dust, with support by industry. This should be recognized as one of the principal agents through which the great mineral potential of this Nation can be realized, and our international status as a mining power be assured without compromising the health and welfare of those who ensure it.The problem of more stringent dust standards will continue to grow. To date, approximately 40 pct of the coal mining industry has been placed on more stringent dust standards due to quartz. Control techniques must be improved if mandated levels are to be met. As longwall production increases, dust levels will also increase. In light of the industry trend toward longwall mining, if no new control technology is available, the Federal dust standard will act as a constraint on future output per hour. The Bureau has recently completed a survey of 18 coal preparation plants; 50 pct of these operate at dust levels which exceed 2.0 mg/m3; future work will be directed toward solutions in this area. The 2.0 mg standard for respirable dust is for dust particles which are below 10 pm in diameter. Recent studies have shown that dust in the range between 10 and 25 pm can cause obstructive airway disease. The Bureau is currently determining the extent of exposure to dust in this size range from various mining operations."

Nov 1, 1988

Diverse and considerable energies are associated with mobile equipment operated and maintained on mine sites. Loss of control of these energies is a common cause of injury on mine sites and this is well recognised by the mining industry. In 2006, 4 multi-national mining companies formed the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMERST), with the aim of engaging collectively with the manufacturers of equipment to accelerate improvements in mining equipment design. Originally focused on surface mining equipment, and particularly haul trucks, the focus of EMESRT widened to include underground and exploration equipment. Since 2006, EMESRT has maintained a program of regular visits and other engagements with a steadily increasing number of manufacturers. The membership of EMESRT has also increased, with 15 companies being members in 2012. An initial step undertaken by the EMESRT members was the development of ?Design Philosophies? which drew of the collective experience of mining companies to identify potential unwanted events which cause equipment related injuries and illness. A technique for analysing risks associated with operation and maintenance tasks, the Operability and Maintainability Analysis Technique (OMAT), was subsequently developed and trialled. In 2011, the EMERST members resolved to propose a common form of safe design information to be requested by all members companies during procurement, and the resulting EMERST Design Evaluation for Equipment Procurement (EDEEP) process was launched at MINExpo in Las Vegas in September 2012. The outcomes of OMAT risk assessment and control activities are integrated during this process into a common ?Safe Design Information? template for communication to prospective purchasers. The aims of requesting manufacturers to follow this process are to provide equipment purchasers with a common way of assessing how well the issues in the EMESRT Design Philosophies are addressed in the equipment design; and to provide manufacturers with additional information for use during equipment design. The process involves identifying priority tasks based on frequency and the severity of the consequences of potential unwanted events identified in the EMESRT Design Philosophies; undertaking a task-based risk assessment of priority tasks in conjunction with site-based personnel; evaluating the effectiveness of control measures; and providing information about safe design features in a standardised format.

Aug 1, 2013

By Sakellariou M., Ferentinou M.

Determination of the nonlinear behavior of multivariate dynamic systems often presents a challenging and demanding task. Therefore, complex geomechanics systems are an ideal area for the application of intelligent methods. Often the physical problem is controlled by nonlinear equations, conveying to the use of neural networks. Hudson, (1992a), aiming at efficient engineering modelling and design, introduced and developed Rock Engineering Systems (RES) approach, through the implementation of generic interaction matrix GIM. This approach has been used for a wide variety of rock engineering and other problems, resulting in many case studies available, which illustrate the application of RES to rock engineering problems. Considering the spectrum of the coding methods for the Generic Interaction Matrix, we suggest an objective coding approach. Among the five proposed coding GIM methods, the coding method according to the slope of Pi and Pj relation is relatively accurate, but it might be difficult or impossible to establish or estimate the exact relation of Pi vs Pj for most of the variables involved within a rock engineering system. Self organising maps, are a special type of unsupervised artificial neural networks, which can learn from complex, multidimensional data, and transform them to visually decipherable clusters. The proposed, coding of the GIM, is performed through the combined use of scatter plots produced through, (SOM), and the coding according Pi vs Pj slope. Naghadehi et al., (2013) constructed a database of worldwide experience, in open-pit mine slope stability, the selection of the principal factors was based on Hudson (1992a) who proposed an ‘atlas’ of factors affecting the stability of rock slopes. Slope classification was performed according to status of stability. The rating of the GIM matrix was completed, coupling scatter matrix produced by SOM training, and Pi vs Pj slope plot. Results refer to the identification of clusters, according to status of stability within the original multivariate data set, and the rating of the principal factors according to the dominance and interaction intensity within the open pit mines RES.

Jan 1, 2015

By Bo-Hyun Kim, Mark K. Larson

"Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have advocated the use of instrumentation in underground mine ground control studies to aid in understanding failure mechanisms and to calibrate numerical models. The purpose of these efforts is to reduce accidents and fatalities in underground mines resulting from inadequate design of mining layout or supports. A recent examination of some results of stress change measurement raised some questions about the validity of elastic solutions in ground, such as coal. Particularly under deep cover as is prevalent in the western United States, the coal around a borehole would likely have yielded so that post-yield behavior would govern the response of the instrument.A numerical experiment was conducted by NIOSH researchers using the FLAC software (Itasca Consulting Group, 2016) to investigate the response of the borehole pressure cell (BPC) and the biaxial stressmeter to varying degrees of plastic behavior. The pre-encapsulated BPC cell pressure exhibits increasing departure from the elastic case with decreasing post-peak-strength slope of the stress-strain curve. On the other hand, because the BSM usually provides much more confinement to the surrounding rock than does the BPC, the measurements obtained from the BSM do not depart significantly from the changes in secondary principal stresses and directions as calculated by the elastic solution.INTRODUCTIONSeveral years ago, Larson et al. (2000) described several instruments that NIOSH had used in underground field studies and how to monitor them with dataloggers. This information is still relevant because of the need to understand how excavation affects the stability of mines and thus, the safety of mining personnel. One class of instruments described in that paper includes those instruments that measure change in rock stress. Although several such instruments might be used to measure stress change, the focus of this paper is on two instruments with which NIOSH has had more recent experience—the borehole pressure cell (BPC) (Geokon, 2018a; RST Instruments, 2018) and the biaxial stressmeter (BSM) (Geokon, 2018b). Other instruments, such as the CSIRO hollow inclusion stress cell (HICell) (Earth Sciences, 2019; Worotnicki and Walton, 1976) may be included in future studies.Early studies in the development of the BPC were those of Panek and Stock (USBM, 1964), Sellers (1970), Lu (1984), and Babcock (1986). Babcock’s work is particularly useful, but his setting and testing range was far below what we experienced in the NIOSH study, and it was Babcock’s data reduction scheme from his laboratory experiments that was used to calculate stress change in the NIOSH study (NIOSH, 2019a)."

Jan 1, 2019

By R. J. Brailey

"A USER'S VIEW OF CONVEYOR WEIGH SCALESThe Sudbury Operations of Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited includes seven mines, three concentrators and a smelter. The flow of ore, concentrates, fuel and fluxes between and within these plants requires measurement for accounting and control. The design, installation and maintenance .of weighing systems falls within the responsibility of the Instrumentation Department of Falconbridge Nickel Mines thus al lowing a common approach to conveyor weighing problems and the benefit of a common spares supply. This paper gives a brief overview of the recent experience with conveyor scales within the Sudbury Operations and discusses the problem areas.GeneralThe best way to establish the total amount of material going to or from a process is with a bucket and a stop watch. Unfortunately the flowrates involved in mining plants make the buckets very large, but wherever it is feasible static weighing is the preferred method of determining total quantity. This applies particularly to batch systems, where the material can be brought to rest long enough to allow a very accurate weight determination. Any form of weighing in motion is susceptible to variations in the forces of the transporting system. A belt scale is affected by its position on the belt, idler alignment, support stiffness, variations in belt tension, material spills and build-up, and a host of other factors all of which require careful consideration in any installation.As with instrumentation applied to any system the plant should be designed to ensure that the best results can be obtained from the equipment. This means getting the scale supplier together with the conveyor supplier as early as possible in the designing of a new plant. Any corners cut in scale installation will be paid for later in poor results and/or increased maintenance."

Jan 1, 1975