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The paper outlines the development of a solvent extraction process for the recovery of scandium, yttrium, thorium, and heavy lanthanides from waste sulphate liquor at the Port Pirie uranium treatment plant. A summary is given of known solvents for these elements, including the recently developed alkyl-phosphoric acid esters which are applicable to sulphate solutions.A kerosene solution of di- (2'-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (EHPA) has been suggested by some workers as a suitable solvent for fractionation of the lanthanides. Experimental work with this solvent showed that it could be used for initial recovery of the above elements from low concentrations in the complex sulphate liquor. In particular, scandium could be recovered as a high grade product by extraction with 0·lM EHPA, followed by a purification strip with 9N sulphuric acid, and final stripping of scandium with sodium hydroxide solution.To enable alkaline stripping to be used successfully, the kerosene solution of the reagent was modified by the addition of a small proportion of nonanol. Experimental work included laboratory scale batch tests and small pilot scale continuous tests.A proposed extension of the process for the separate recovery of individual heavy lanthanides, yttrium, and thorium is described.INTRODUCTIONAt the Port Pirie uranium treatment plant of the South Australian Government, large volumes of "barren liquor", free from 'uranium, are at present run to waste. This "barren liquor" results from sulphuric acid leaching of Radium,Hill uranium concentrate, followed by separation of solid residues and removal of uranium from the clear solution by ion exchange. The mineral davidite, from which the uranium is derived, contains other potentially valuable components, notably vanadium, chromium, thorium, yttrium, scandium, and the lanthanides. These constituents are...

Jan 1, 1961

By M. Rahmanpour

"Mine planning is a multidisciplinary procedure that aims to guarantee the profitability of a mining operation in changing and uncertain conditions. Mine plans are normally classified as long-term, intermediate-term, and short-term plans, and many factors affect the preciseness of these plans and cause deviations in reaching the objectives. Commodity price is the heart of mine planning, but it has a changing and uncertain nature. Therefore, the determination of mine plans in the presence of uncertain mineral price is a challenge. A robust mine plan reduces the risk of early mine closure. A procedure is presented to determine the value at risk (VaR) in any possible mine planning alternative. VaR is considered together with downside risk and upside potential in order to select the most profitable and least risky plan. The model is tested on a small iron ore deposit. IntroductionMining projects are normally evaluated with the objective of maximizing economic value, as measured by the net present value (NPV). The aim of mine planning is to develop a yearly extraction plan that guides the mining operation to the highest NPV (Dagdelen, 2007; Yarmuch and Ortiz, 2011). This plan considers the technical constraints such as blending requirements, block sequencing, and pit slope (Caccetta and Hill 2003). Thus, the mine plan affects the economics and the payback period of mining operations.Mine planning is a procedure based on which the profitability of the mining operation is guaranteed in changing and uncertain conditions (McCarter, 1992). However, conventional mine planning ignores the volatility and uncertainty of future commodity prices and does not allow for managerial flexibility. It is common practice to assume a deterministic and constant commodity price through the mine life. The problem with this approach is that the commodity price is the heart of the mine planning procedure and governs the profitability and feasibility of the operation; thus ignoring price volatility will result in a sub-optimal mine plan."

Jan 1, 2016

By Lawrence P. Goldfarb

The City of Alexandria, Virginia, Public Safety Center (PSC) is a 64,000 square foot facility that houses the Police Department, Office of Sheriff and the Office of Magistrate. In addition, the center includes a detention facility for local and federal inmates, operated by the Sheriff. The PSC is composed of a 3-story building to the west and a 6-story building to the east constructed on a landfill in a wetland area in the flood plains of hunting Creek. The existing ground floor of the 3-story building is a floating slab-on-grade, with the interior and exterior columns, exterior walls and upper floors all supported on belled, drilled shafts. Portions of the floating first floor slab have undergone excessive settlement due to the apparent consolidation of the underlying organic soils. The magnitude of the settlements of the floating first floor slab is sufficient to require replacement of the slab and relocation of a portion of the facility. The rehabilitation was complex and required staged construction, consisting of constructing Auger Pressure Grouted (APG) Piles in low overhead conditions. This paper summarizes the geotechnical conditions that lead to the excessive settlement of the floor slab, the construction of the (APG) Pile foundations in low overhead conditions and the evaluation of potential future settlements.

Jan 1, 2009

By D. Ksinsik, R. Boisvert, D. Leblanc

Casting, cooling and crushing/sieving of ferroalloys has followed a well-established pattern in the whole ferroalloys industry for many years. Usually liquid metal or alloys are cast into flat open moulds of various shapes and forms, and after solidification the product is removed from such mould to further cool down to a temperature where subsequent handling steps are feasible. Common to all mechanical product fractioning is the generation of dust and fine size material with lower product value. For almost 10 years, Bécancour Silicon has investigated alternative roads to improve technology and/or reduce or solve problems related to those disadvantages. Since 1995 Bécancour Silicon operates a special silicon granulation plant targeted to product for the chemical treatment/conversion of silicon for silicones production. Prior to the development of the granulation process, various systems had been evaluated, among others the vibrating casting bed, now in operation elsewhere but judged inappropriate because of the tapping volumes to be handled at Bécancour Silicon and other disadvantages. After evaluation of all aspects of heat transfer, radiation, and conductivity in relation to transfer media and within the product, a novel system was designed and built.

Jan 1, 2004

By Slechta J. J

An evaluation of a pilot scale Delkor horizontal belt filter at Bellambi's South Bulli Colliery showed high productivities and low moisture contents for a range of feed slurries. When treating flotation concentrate, a productivity in excess of 1000 kg/m2/hr (dry) at a moisture content of less than 22 per cent was obtained. The results indicated the belt filter had a capacity twice that of conventional drum or disc filters, and was capable of dewatering a very fine, thickened, classifying cyclone overflow slurry to an acceptable moisture content. The superior performance of this filter is discussed in terms of the factors influencing cake formation and the stratification of solids in the filter bowl of a conventional rotary vacuum drum filter.

Jan 1, 1986

The fundamental features of the Cable Belt Conveyor are described. It consists of independent wire ropes which take the transmission load, and a special reinforced rubber belt which acts 'only as carrier of material. The first cable belt installation in Scotland is described briefly.A general description of this type of conveyor is followed by details of the rubber belt construction and the method of joining sections of belt. The drive unit, the tensioning arrangements and the power requirements are outlined.Applications of the cable belt conveyor are 'dealt with and its advantages summarized.INTRODUCTIONThe cable belt conveyor, as its name implies is a conveyor composed of steel wire ropes and a rubber belt, in which the ropes serve as transmission members, and the belt merely as a carrier of materials.Over the years it has been the ambition of engineers connected with the belt conveyor industry to develop a conveyor that would use the high tensile strength of wire ropes to transmit the stresses involved in the driving of large capacity belt conveyors. Different lines of approach have been adopted in the United States of America and in Britain. In the United States the method adopted was to introduce a large number of flexible steel cables into the rubber belt itself, in the form of a closely packed layer arranged across the full width of the belt. These small cables are packed in a nylon filled duck envelope which is incorporated in the rubber belt. This is commonly known as the steel corded conveyor belt. In Britain, a Scottish firm developed a rubber belt conveyor in which full advantage was taken of the high tensile features of wire rope, without embodying or moulding the wire rope into the rubber belt, so that the two wire ropes and the rubber...

Jan 1, 1957

By Yoginder P. Chugh

Subsidence may be observed above partial extraction shallow room-and-pillar mines where the coal seam(s) is associated with weak and thick claystone in the floor. This paper presents results of subsidence studies at such a mine. During the 26-month study period, a time dependent subsidence causing a maximum vertical movement of 50 mn was observed. After a subsidence rate of 6.0-6.5 m/month for the first two months after development of mine workings, the rate decreased to 0.8-0.9 mm/month after 17 months. However, presumably due to settlement of barrier pillars, it increased therafter to 1.7 mm/month for the next 9 months. Angle of draw, based on zero subsidence, was calculated to be about 29 degrees. Maximum tensile strain and compressive strain values observed were 0.040 pct and 0.039 pct respectively. A hypothesis was fomlated to correlate surface subsidence movements with observed underground movments. The data collected to date fits reasonably well within the formulated hypothesis.

Jan 1, 1989

By F. F. Peng

The raw-coal feeding system and the upward medium current flow in a dense-medium vessel (DMV) are, in addition to the residence time of particles in the separator, important factors for efficient coarse particle separation. The feed material from a raw coal screen and/or pre-wet screen merge with the major volume of circulating medium as push medium, guided by an adjustable submergence baffle plate deep fed into the separator for effective separation. The remaining volume of the circulating medium enters from the purge and drain hoppers at the bottom of the DMV. This generates a gentle upward medium current flow in the separator, which prevents dense medium stratification/settling and merges as part of the push medium. A two-dimensional, two-phase model developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to describe the flow pattern and evaluate the function of the dip plate for understanding the mechanisms of particle separation in the separator. The particle movement in the DMV is also tracked to investigate the major operating parameters affecting the separation performance of the DMV. The simulation results of the DMV separation performance are validated by in-plant test data.

Jan 1, 2007

By Marc C. Bétournay

A mine production locomotive, the world?s first applied industrial fuelcell vehicle, has been designed and tested in the context of a number of proof-of-concept projects supported by the Fuelcell Propulsion Institute, an international consortium of stakeholders dedicated to facilitate the commercialization of fuelcell vehicles. The locomotive?s simple electric-powered motor and controller system was ideal to study a number of requirements related to fuelcell power application: hydrogen power plant operation, underground hydrogen use, risk and regulatory requirements, production performance versus the conventional battery-powered locomotive version under measured duty cycles and production requirements, power plant design improvements for other fuelcell vehicles, and cost-benefit aspects. This article will focus on the design and testing aspects of this project which has led to successful performance demonstrations of the vehicle under surface and underground conditions at two mines. It will also present information on the creation of a safe, reliable and efficient power plant which fulfilled its design objectives, including longer productivity time for a given vehicle fill-up.

May 1, 2003

By C. A. Ozturk

The compressive strength of rock (sc) has an important effect on design of structures in rock engineering. Compressive strength can be determined in the laboratory using the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test. Some other index tests, such as the point load test, are also used, particularly when suitable samples for UCS are not available. The quantification of rock texture has introduced a new method in rock engineering for estimating the mechanical and physical properties of rock materials from microscopic investigations. The aim of this study is to quantify rock texture to estimate rock strength from the texture coefficient (TC), which is determined from a statistical assessment of thin section images. Rock texture is quantified by twelve different images from a single thin section to increase the reliability of texture analysis. A data-set is prepared to investigate correlations between TC and sc. The statistical correlations are computed after classifying of the rock samples based on their lithology as well as grain features. Equations derived based on the results of this study are used to predict the approximate value of compressive strength from the texture coefficient. This method is particularly useful for preliminary studies in rock engineering projects prior to detailed site investigation.

Jan 1, 2014

By R. Jackman, D. Koningen, G. Wilcox

"Gowest Gold Ltd. is in the process of developing the Frankfield East gold deposit located along the largely undeveloped Pipestone fault northeast of Timmins, Ontario. In addition to resource development and environmental permitting work the company has had an ongoing program of metallurgical and engineering studies aimed at evaluating options for processing the Frankfield East ore. Mineralization at the Frankfield project contains arsenopyrite and pyrite as the major sulphide minerals. Bulk flotation of all sulphides results in extremely high gold recovery. However, the gold is almost entirely associated with the arsenopyrite fraction of the ore and is refractory in nature requiring preoxidation treatment. Selective flotation was investigated to recover a gold-arsenopyrite concentrate thereby reducing the mass which would be subjected to further gold processing. As part of this work, a pyrite concentrate low in arsenic content was also recovered that would be suitable as a source of sulphur for a smelter (or other pyrometallurgical facility). Production of separate arsenopyrite and pyrite concentrates is frequently examined but rarely adopted due to the distribution of gold between the two products or the inability to achieve adequate separation. Several flowsheet options were investigated in the study. The best results were achieved following a sequential flotation flowsheet. The flowsheet configuration was key to meeting the targets for the two products. In this paper, the various options investigated are reviewed and the results of the final flowsheet are presented. The overall plan by Gowest was to evaluate all process options to bring the Frankfield East deposit into production. The ability to effectively separate the arsenopyrite and pyrite components in the ore provides Gowest with added opportunities to pursue both short and long term production scenarios."

Jan 1, 2012

By Brian Hart, Roger St. C. Smart, James Francis, Mark Biesinger

"There are a number of challenges involved with the surface analyses of different mineral phases from process streams in a flotation facility. The first of course is to collect samples that are representative of the process and to ensure that they remain in a pristine condition prior to introduction into the instrument. In mineral processing, sample collection from the different streams is done on site and preservation involves simply removing oxygen from the sample by bubbling nitrogen or argon gas through the sample and snap freezing with dry ice.The second challenge in studying the surface chemistry of specific minerals is to find reliable methods of mineral phase recognition. In surface analysis of mineral particles confident mineral selection can be difficult with many multi-metal minerals (e.g. chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite) and with precipitated, adsorbed, reacted and contaminant species in the outermost molecular layers.In this paper we show that principal components analysis (PCA) of ToF-SIMS data provides improvement in phase recognition, particle selection and associated variations in surface species. We will demonstrate, with specific examples, that this technique can be utilized to differentiate surface chemical factors promoting (hydrophobic species) or inhibiting (hydrophilic species) flotation.Species recognition based on the PCA method in a study of Cu transfer between chalcopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite mineral mixture clearly identified a statistical difference in copper intensities between the sphalerite and pyrite phases. A similar ToF-SIMS/PCA based study applied to concentrate and tails samples collected from the Inco Matte Concentrator demonstrated extensive CuOH and NiOH transfer between the chalcocite and heazlewoodite minerals. The statistical analysis has been able to confirm some mechanisms and deny others proposed to control recovery and selectivity giving more focus on the control factors.The ToF-SIMS PCA statistical analysis has elucidated differences in surface chemistries which illustrate the discriminating depressant action of adherent aluminosilicate (gangue) fine particles and adsorbed ions on the surface of sphalerite grains. In the flotation test concentrates, HIC conditioning resulted in the removal of these gangue fines thereby improving surface collector attachment efficiency, promoting a greater recovery of sphalerite."

Jan 1, 2007

The Effect of Mineral Liberation on the Floatabilities of Pyrite, Arsenopyrite and Arsenian Pyrite for Carlin Trend Ores

Sep 13, 2010

By Ian Holl, Adam Hempstock, Rickardo Welyhorsky, Niel Morrison

"The Victor Diamond Mine is located in the James Bay lowlands, 90 km west of the First Nations village of Attawapiskat. The project was the first of its kind in northern Ontario and was completed approximately 9 months ahead of schedule.The Victor Mine process plant flowsheet was designed to produce a 95 - 98% by weight diamond concentrate. Main processing steps include 3 stages of comminution, dense medium separation and proprietary x-ray technology for final recovery. Reagent consumption for this process is limited to flocculant, for thickening of fine processed kimberlite, and FeSi for the dense medium separation.The commissioning phase of the Victor Project was executed over a period of 6 months and commenced prior to substantial completion of construction. The approach used was to focus on and complete commissioning of the higher risk dense medium separation and recovery systems prior to construction completion of up stream systems.INTRODUCTIONThe development of the Victor Diamond Mine took place over a period of approximately 5 years and had a capital cost of CAD997 million. It was a greenfields project in an undeveloped region of northern Ontario, only accessible by winter road. Figure 1, below, displays the location of the project within Ontario.The main stages of the project included feasibility, environmental permitting, engineering, construction, and commissioning. At the onset of the engineering phase, the mine was scheduled to enter production in October 2008. Through a team effort between AMEC and DeBeers Canada, the schedule was advanced by 6 months towards the goal of project completion in April 2008. Production status was attained in January 2008, approximately 9 months ahead of the original schedule. This paper focuses on the commissioning aspects of the project and includes a less detailed discussion of the engineering stage."

Jan 1, 2010

By R. Dahlke, J. A. Finch

A campaign was undertaken during the greater part of 2001 at Noranda’s Brunswick mine concentrator to investigate the role of gas (air) superficial rate (Jg) distribution to the cells in the final Zn cleaning stage (bank of seven cells), i.e. the Jg profile. Three profiles were tested: “balanced” (each cell with same Jg), “increasing” (from cell 1 to 7 proportionally), and “decreasing,” along with an “as found” profile in a parallel control bank. The experimental design allowed for two confounding factors, changes in ore type and circulating load. The increasing profile consistently gave the best metallurgy (down-the-bank grade / recovery). The reason for improved performance was the response of the first cells in the bank where the increasing profile gave the highest selectivity of sphalerite against nonsulphide gangue (NSG). The other profiles gave lower selectivity and higher zinc recovery in the first cells, which combined to reduce overall bank performance. The higher selectivity with the Increasing profile is attributed to the low gas rate in the first cells reducing water recovery and hence limiting entrainment of NSG. The increasing profile was subsequently configured for all four stages in the zinc cleaner circuit.

Jan 1, 2004

By N. S. Yet

This paper shall present the design and construction of bored pile and diaphragm wall for the proposed MHA complex in Singapore. The work was carried out by L&M Foundation Specialist Pte Ltd and PWD Consultants Pte Ltd was the consultant for this project. A brief description of the project is first presented to illustrate the scope and scale of the work involved, which includes the construction of bored piles and diaphragm walls and installation of steel stanchions in the bored piles. This is followed by a description of the methodology used to analyse and design the wall and bored piles. As both towers in this project are supported on bored piled foundation and are constructed by top down construction method, the analysis of the wall has taken into consideration the sequence of work phase by phase and this was carried out by means of a commercial finite element program called CRISP. Modelling of the problem will be briefly described and the findings from the numerical analysis will be presented. This is followed by a description of the structural and geotechnical design aspects of bored piles. The paper shall then describe the difficulties encountered for this project and solution used to solve the problem. The subsoil condition will be described with special mention on the encounter of very strong granitic rock at depth above the maximum excavation level of the basement at certain locations, hence necessitating the drilling of rock for a considerable depth for both bored piles and diaphragm wall. At this juncture, the construction method used to drill through the rock will be briefly described. For construction of bored piles, penetration of rock was carried out by chiselling or drilling using reverse circulation rigs. For construction of diaphragm wall, it requires the employment of Bauer hard rock cutter which uses cutting wheels fitted with roller bits and are capable of excavating into granitic rock of compressive strengths more than 100 MPa.

Jan 1, 2000

By J Graaf, R A. Murrell

Gold Fields Australia is constructing two major ventilation shafts at the Wallaby gold mine in Western Australia. The new ventilation shafts are required to facilitate the long term ventilation strategy for the mine, thereby allowing continued extraction of ore beyond 1000 m below the surface. The construction work has involved all of the challenges that shaft construction can throw up, including challenging geotechnical conditions, unexpected high water inflows and major circulation loss during pilot hole drilling for raise boring. An extensive geotechnical and hydrological investigation program was undertaken prior to awarding the shaft construction contracts. While most of the risks were identified, several proved to be much more challenging than expected. The shaft construction methods included conventional sinking into the fresh rock profile in each shaft, followed by raise bore pilot hole drilling and reaming. A headframe was constructed for the first shaft, which was sunk to 92 m with a stage suspended in the shaft to facilitate the concrete lining and provide rope guides for the kibble winding. Drawing from experience when sinking the first shaft, additional ground pre-conditioning was implemented for the second shaft, which was pre-supported with continuous piles to 28 m followed by sinking to 50 m using a crane instead of winders and a headframe. Following the conventional sinking through the weathered zone in each shaft, the shafts were completed using a raise bore. The first shaft utilised a riser pipe and rotary vertical drilling system (RVDS) with the second shaft having utilised a dual rotary rig for pilot hole drilling. This paper reviews the site investigations undertaken, construction methodologies applied, the results achieved and the lessons learnt.CITATION:Murrell, R A and Graaf, J, 2017. Shaft construction at the Gold Fields Wallaby mine, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 321–334 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 16, 2017

By Hamid Maleki

In this paper, the authors present a review of data gathering programs and stress analyses for improving mine layout designs at BRL mines located near Paonia, Colorado. BRL and other companies have used both longwall and continuous miner methods for the extraction of the Upper D, Upper B, Lower B and C seams from the multiple-seam reserves in the North Fork Valley. Historic mining in the B and C seams has created stress footprints in the neighboring unmined seams compounded by stress transfer from recent longwall extraction in the Upper D Seam. Thus optimum positioning of workings in the remaining reserves requires careful collection of pertinent data and consideration of load transfer from previous workings through remnant abutment pillars. Based on long-term subsidence monitoring, underground mapping and stress analyses, we have confirmed initial load transfer analyses finding mild interactions between the UD and LB workings, and the mining conditions have proven to be good and manageable during the development stage of the LB Seam. This has been achieved through prudent mine planning, prudent positioning of the gateroads in multiple seam workings and support allocations.

Jan 1, 2007

By Tsunenobu Nozaki

"AbstractThe PRESS-IN METHOD is widely recognised as “an environmentally friendly piling method”. However, this characteristic is only one of the fundamental advantages of the method and this paper presents the most up-to-date capabilities of the method. Due to the evolution in recent years, the Press-in Method is now applicable to 2.5m thick retaining walls, over 50m deep foundations, overcoming rock conditions and confined construction conditions.The Press-in PrinciplesThe basis of the Press-in Method is simple. The Silent Piler presses a pre-formed displacement pile into the ground by static jacking force. The reaction for the Press-in Force is generated by gripping previously installed piles. As a pile is pressed into the ground, “A Pressure Bulb” is formed around the pile toe. Accordingly, higher bearing capacity can be generated compared to driven piles without disturbing the ground and producing any vibration. (A comparison of jacked, driven and bored piles in sand (2005), Deeks et al.)Applicable Pile ProfileThe Press-in Method is applicable to most of the steel piles available on global market i.e. U sheet pile in single form and pair, Z sheet pile, also in single and pair and Tubular Pile as described in Figure 2. Wall thickness of those piles can be 0.3m to 2.5m and moment of inertia of the wall ranges up to about nine million biquadratic cm per meter, which can deliver similar elastic modulus EI (kNm2/m) to 2.0m thick diaphragm walls and can be utilised for extremely deep excavations required in today’s construction industry"

Jan 1, 2014

By F. Cihangir, A. Kesimal, K. Karaman, B. Ercikdi

Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and shear strength parameters(cohesion and angle of internal friction, Cand F) of rocks are important parameters needed for various engineering projects such as tunnelling and slope stability. However, direct determination of these parameters is difficult and requires high-quality core samples for tests. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the applicability of the Brazilian test (BT) - a simple, less sophisticated and inexpensive method for both specimen preparation and testing - to estimate the UCS and shear strength parameters of rocks. Thirty-seven rock types were sampled and tested, 24of which were volcanic, 8 were metamorphic, and 5 were sedimentary. Statistical equations were derived to estimate the UCS and shear strength parameters of rocks using the BT. The validity of the statistically derived equations was confirmed using predictive analytics software (PASW Statistics 18). A strong linear relation was found between BT and UCS values. BT and UCS values exhibited prominent linear correlations withthe cohesion values of rocks. The Mohr envelope was also used to determine the cohesion and friction angle of rocks using BT and UCS values. It is deduced from the current study that the BT values can be used to estimate the UCS and cohesion. However, no relation was observed between the angle of internal friction values and the UCS and BT for all rock types. Therefore, different approaches are suggested for the estimation of the internal angle of friction for application in the preliminary design of projects.

Jan 1, 2015