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By J Seccatore, G Sadao, M Cardu, G De Tomi, L Finoti, F Galvão, J Romero Huerta, A Rezende, J Bettencourt

In the mining industry, rock blasting can be considered as the first phase of comminution. The downstream phases of comminution are mechanical, and consist in consecutive stages of crushing and milling for grain size reduction. The total energy of mechanical comminution depends on grain size and on the resistance of the material to grindability. Usually, the first is quantified by the grain size distribution or one of its KPIs (such as the diameters X50 or X80), while the latter by the working index (WI), representing the amount of energy necessary to reduce the size of grains of a determined amount of material to the desired equivalent diameter (usually expressed in kilowatt hours per tonne – kWh/t). It is widely recognised that it is possible to manage the output of a blast in terms of grain size distribution varying specific charge (powder factor – PF) and charge distribution; specific algorithms such as the KUZ-RAM or the SWEBREC have been created to predict such output. It has also been demonstrated how higher PFs weaken the blasted material by creating micro-fractures that reduce its WI. This paper focuses on a related aspect: the influence of charge distribution on the specific comminution energy in crushing and milling. Small-scale blasts have been performed on 14 marble blocks with different PFs and charge distribution. For every PF, charges have been designed to simulate concentrated and distributed geometries. Concentrated charges simulate opencast blasts with large-diameter holes, with large burdens and spacings. Distributed charges simulate bench blasts with small-diameter holes and reduced burden and spacing. Three control blocks have been fragmented by mechanical means for comparison. For every sample the grain size distribution and the WI in ball mill has been determined. Results show the correlations between charge distributions and the specific energy of mechanical comminution in milling. Finally, the opportunity of adjusting charge diameters and distributions in opencast blasts to improve the output of the comminution circuits is discussed.CITATION:Seccatore, J, Romero Huerta, J, Sadao, G, Cardu, M, Galvão, F, Finoti, L, Rezende, A, Bettencourt, J and De Tomi, G, 2015. The influence of charge distribution on the grindability of the blasted material, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 749–754 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By T. Wettainen

Malmberget town is located in northern Sweden, approximately 70 km north of the Arctic Circle. Parts of the town overlie more than 20 iron orebodies, consisting mainly of magnetite with smaller quantities of haematite. The mine is operated by the mining company LKAB. Mining started in the 17th century, but not until the railway to the coastal city of Luleå was completed in 1888 did large-scale production commence. Around 1920, mining proceeded underground and today sublevel caving is the only mining method used. Sublevel caving causes subsidence of the ground surface, and buildings and residential areas have been relocated due to the mining activities for more than 50 years. The number of seismic events accompanied by strong ground vibrations is now increasing. In 2008 the mine received a permit from the Environmental Court of Sweden to increase production to 20 Mt of crude ore per year. A prerequisite for the permit was that the mine conducts a number of investigations regarding the environmental impact on the residents of Malmberget. One of these investigations concerned how seismicity will change as production increases and what measures could be taken to reduce inconvenience to the town residents. Today the mine possesses an extensive seismic monitoring system with more than 180 underground and surface geophones. For this study, eleven seismically active volumes in Malmberget mine were identified, and for each of them, a yearly future maximum magnitude interval was estimated based on the current production plan. Relationships between historical seismic events and measured ground vibrations in the town of Malmberget were established, and future ground vibrations caused by expected seismic events were estimated using a probabilistic approach. The outcome was the number of intervals of expected ground vibration per year and per monitoring point. Possible measures to reduce inconvenience for the town residents include blast restrictions, sequencing, and possibly preconditioning. The ultimate long-term solution is an almost complete relocation of Malmberget town. This process has recently been formalized and LKAB is taking an active part in realizing this goal.

Jan 1, 2014

By H. Bradley Johnson

A number of Federal laws affecting safety and health in the mining industry has been enacted and revised over a period of many years. We have tended to classify these laws and their applicability into three categories: 1) coal mines, 2) metal and nonmetallic mines, and 3) mines with Federal supply contracts. With the growing attention which is being given to mine safety by the Federal government, the entire mining industry should keep aware of all developments in the administration of each of these laws.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. K. Stanley

It has been known for many years that the magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic material are very sensitive to internal strain. Any structure-sensitive property such as ferromagnetism, which is a function of the regularity of the atomic arrangement, and discontinuities such as grain boundaries must show deviations from an equilibrium state when the regularity of the lattice is disturbed. Experience has shown that such distortions have a marked effect on the magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic material. The purpose of this paper is to show the feasibility of using magnetic methods in detecting internal strains. More specifically, it will be shown how such properties as permeability, rema-nence, and coercive force change on cold-working of aluminum iron and how these magnetic properties change during the annealing below the recrystallization temperatures. This work was conducted for two reasons. One was the desire to see in what manner strains are relieved in aluminum iron at low temperatures—a subject of practical importance in soft magnetic materials—and the other was the feeling that a study of cold-working and strain relief might shed some light onour understandingof what takes place in the deformation of metals. Definition of Terms It is necessary to define the terminology used in this Paper because magnetic nomenclature is usually unfamiliar to the metallurgist, and certain other terms, such as recovery, have been used ambiguously by metallurgists and others. Magnetic terms are best explained by reference to the common hysteresis loop of ferromagnetic materials (Fig. I). In Fig. 1 the coordinates are magnetic induction, B, (ordinate) and magnetizing force, H. (abscissa). The c.g.s. unit for the magnetic induction is the gauss, the number of flux lines per square centimeter, and the unit for the magnetizing force is the oersted, the number of lines of force per centimeter in air or vacuum. If one starts with a completely demagnetized specimen and magnetizes it, a typical virgin magnetization curve beginning at the origin is obtained. This curve is also the locus of tips of a family of smaller hysteresis loops. From this curve it is to be noted that the induction is not proportional to the magnetizing force, and that it appears to approach a limiting induction called the saturation value, and does so for values of H of 1000 oersteds. The ratio of the magnetic induction (gauss) to the magnetizing force (oersteds) is called permeability, . Thus u= B/H and if the magnetizing force H (oersteds) is specified as ro or 100 oersteds, the permeability is written as or l00 This is the accepted notation, and will be used in this paper. The values of permeability for H = 10 or I00 are chosen as indices for 106

Jan 1, 1945

By James J. Fallen

In this paper we are going to look at some things that may happen to the industrial minerals industry in the next decade. First, some concepts and definitions. What are industrial minerals? Not everyone agrees on an answer to this. So let's look at some of the opinions. Some say that industrial minerals are non-metallic minerals. As you well know, metallic minerals are used as a source material for metals. Copper, lead, and zinc are extracted from metallic minerals. But, some metallic minerals are also used for other reasons. Bauxite is used as a source of alumina and aluminum. It is also used as proppant in well drilling, as an abrasive, as a refractory material, and as a source of aluminum-based chemicals. So bauxite is both metallic and nonmetallic. There are other examples, too. Bastnasite is a source of rare earth metals and alloys but its concentrate is used in fluid cracking catalysts. Phosphate rock is an industrial mineral when used for fertilizer, but it is also the source of phosphorus. Ilmenite and rutile are sources for titanium dioxide pigments as well as titanium. So the nonmetallic designation is not adequate to define industrial minerals. Some say industrial minerals are called such because they are consumed in industry. How about your cat's litter box? Is that industry? Huge amounts of montmorillonite, attapulgite and other sorbtive minerals are pelletized and calcined to make animal litter. Doctors are trying to get people to cut down on their salt consumption. They are against people eating industrial minerals. When diamonds are a girl's best friend, they are not industrial minerals; when they are grinding and polishing media, they are. These examples show that industrial minerals are not exclusive to industry. Regardless, here is my list of industrial minerals: Abrasive Materials - Bentonite Antimony (Oxide) - Borates Asbestos - Calcium Carbonate Attapulgite - Diatomite Ball Clay - Dolomite Barite - Feldspar Bauxite (and Alumina) - Fire Clay Fluorspar - Pyrophyllite Fuller's Earth - Rare Earths Graphite - Salt Gypsum - Sand and Gravel Kaolin - Silica Sand Kyanite - Soda Ash Limestone - Sodium Sulfate Magnesite - Spodumene (Lithium) Magnetite - Sulfur Mica - Talc Nepheline Syenite - Titanium Dioxide Perlite - Vermiculite Phosphates - Wollastonite Potash - Zeolites Pumice There is some overlapping. Fuller's Earth takes in some attapulgite, bentonite, and other minerals, depending on the market. Some would like to distinguish industrial minerals by the market emphasis they receive compared to fuels, metallics, and precious metals. But even there, strict logic fails. Some industrial minerals are commodities. They are sold on a price basis against industry product specs, usually in large volumes. Phosphate rock, potash, sulfur, salt, soda ash, and other materials fit this category. Some are almost custom-designed for end-use and meet performance specs. These are sometimes called functional or specialty industrial minerals. Examples of these are ground calcium carbonate, water-washed kaolin, cosmetic grade talc, filtration grades of diatomite, perlite, and vermiculite. To determine prospects for the decade ahead, regardless of our

Jan 8, 1984

By K Young, M Martin, D Payne

This paper outlines the evolution of managing high consequence risk scenarios in BHP Coal, with particular focus on managing the stability of an endwall that is adjacent to a public infrastructure corridor running through a Central Queensland coalmine. BHP Coal developed a Geotechnical Consequence Register after industry failures identified shortcomings in traditional risk assessment practices. Traditional risk assessments consider the consequence and likelihood of a geotechnical event occurring under normal operational conditions. As such, the risk rating for a high consequence, low likelihood failure may fall within the acceptable range, even where a lack of meaningful geological data exists due to the area being off lease or outside of mining reserves. The Geotechnical Consequence Register lists all geotechnical failure scenarios of high consequence, identifies if current controls are adequate, and highlights if specific Geotechnical Management Plans are required. This case study reviews a failure scenario that was identified through the geotechnical consequence register. The scenario had previously been considered low likelihood and subsequently driving a low risk; however, the likelihood ranking was impacted by a lack of geological data outside of the mining lease and predominately informed by an acceptable historical slope behaviour. Additional exploration identified previously unmapped faulting which increased the risk rating. The requirement to develop a specific management plan resulted in an increase in the required factor of safety, design changes, the implementation of additional monitoring and a corresponding monitoring Trigger Action Response Plans (TARP). In the case study area, the initiation of a geotechnical instability was identified early through the increased monitoring program. The instability was successfully managed and any impact to the infrastructure corridor off lease was prevented. BHP Coal has used the Geotechnical Consequence Register for several years to identify and assess high consequence geotechnical failure scenarios. In some areas this has justified additional exploration, more stringent design acceptance criteria and an increased level of geotechnical monitoring. The process has been successful in ensuring that geotechnical risk is controlled in areas that often receive less attention than active production areas.

Nov 29, 2022

The different electrowinning cells presently developed for recovery of gold from CIP eluates are compared and contrasted. The efficiency of operation for each cell is,discussed in terms of the electrochemistry of (a) gold deposition, and (b) packed bed electrodes. The advantages and problems associated with each cell design are presented and recommendations are made as to the best method of gold recovery.

Jan 1, 1982

Mine design and selection of ore processing capacity depend upon a correct estimate of the grade-tonnage distribution. The estimate must reflect what can be recovered and processed. The McCoy/Cove operation in central Nevada, USA, is a gold and silver mine. Case studies of recoverable reserve estimation for gold and silver were made using multiple indicator kriging and the log-affine variance correction. From this model, the grade-tonnage distribution was constructed. Optimal pits were generated by utilizing the distribution, and the results were compared with the pit generated by ordinary kriging. Studies indicate that the proposed method for multi-metal recoverable reserve estimation is more accurate than ordinary kriging in terms of both tons and the grade. Using recoverable reserves for mine design will maximize global recovery of mineral resources.

Jan 1, 1997

By H. R. Butler

"The Ontario Division of Inca Metals Company, a Unit of Inca Limited, operates eleven mines, four mills, three refineries, one smelter and one iron ore recovery plant. All but one mine, mill and refinery are located within a fifty kilometer radius of Sudbury, Ontario. A mine-mill complex is located some 100 kilometers west of Thunder Bay on the shore of Lake Shebandowan and a nickel refinery at Port Colborne.During the past 10 years the use of recycled water in our milling operations has increased to more than 95% at each mill. This high degree of water reuse has reduced the (a) need for fresh water and (b) the contaminant level of the downstream aquatic environment. The aggregating of effluents in a common receptor provides a process water having a consistent quality thereby minimizing upsets in mill metallurgy while concurrently improving the operating economies and the downstream aquatic environment."

Jan 1, 1980

By J. P. Messervey

Dr. K. A. Clark: No one will doubt the statement of fact that, during drilling operations through the bituminous sand beds in the Mildred-Ruth Lakes area, the core-barrel was found to contain bitumen with minor amounts of sand instead of bituminous sand. But many will doubt the interpretation of this fact as meaning that beds of bitumen occur interstratified with the bituminous sand beds. They will prefer to hold faith in the laws of physics, which deny that sand will float on oil or that fluid under pressure will not flow away through a permeable medium, until it is proved that the appearance of the oil in the core-barrel was not due to circumstances surrounding the drilling of the bituminous sand beds. The implication of the interpretation that sand is floating on oil is clear and it is unacceptable. Bituminous sand is unconsolidated sand more' or less saturated with a viscous oil. It is as difficult to conceive of bituminous sand lying on top of a body of the viscous oil as it is to conceive of unconsolidated sand more or less saturated with water lying on top of a body of water. The only difference between the two concepts is that the oil is viscous whereas the water is fluid. Oil-soaked sand placed on viscous oil would, when released, sink through the oil slowly, whereas water-soaked sand would sink through the water quickly.

Jan 1, 1947

By R. Klimpel

Recent work has shown that the measurement of flotation kinetics in the laboratory is useful in providing guidelines on how operating sulfide flotation plant performance can be improved. This work outlines the influence of various factors on flotation kinetics such as collector/frother type and concentration, particle size, and frother blending.

Jan 1, 1981

By Cesar Guerra, Alejandro Rojas, Dr. Jhon Silva, Luis Velasquez

The ANN method is applied to predict the P_80 size in one open pit gold mine in Peru. The ANN was implemented in Matlab programming language, and the results from the ANN are compared with data obtained using photo-fragmentation analysis software.

Feb 1, 2020

By T. F. Mitchell, B. K. Shibler, J. V. Batty, W. G. Sandell, G. M. Potter

"INTRODUCTION The Park City district, situated 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Wasatch Mountains, Is a well-known producer of lead, zinc, and precious metals. Nearly continuous production has been maintained from the dis¬trict since its early discovery about 1870. For approximately 50 years, gravity milling methods were employed to beneficiate Park City ore, and during that time tailings from the mills were sluiced down Silver Creek and deposited on lands below the camp for 7 miles.Owing to the large tonnage of tailings deposited along Silver Creek, considerable work was done in the past in the attempt to develop a low-cost concentration method for re-treating this material, but no-method was found that was economically feasible. The Bureau of Mines was asked to conduct beneficiation tests on Park City tailings in November 1944, and metallurgical studies were initiated at that time. This report summarizes the results of laboratory ore-dressing studies made on samples from the Grasselli deposit."

Dec 1, 1947

By H. Gumede

The occurrence of fracturing due to high stress levels is a major factor in hangingwall stability in deep level gold mine stopes. However, rock falls cannot be the result of these fractures alone. Rock falls can result only from the occurrence of unstable rock blocks defined by the interaction of the stress induced fractures and naturally occurring geological planes of weakness. These planes include bedding planes and joint set planes. However, there is a general lack of information on the characteristics of these planes (orientations, spacings and lengths)?it does not appear that any such systematic and quantified information, if collected, has been published. To remedy this situation to some extent, joint mapping exercises have been carried out in several geological environments in two gold mines. The data collected on joint geometry included orientation, spacing and length, and this information is included in the paper. In addition, the paper describes the use of the data collected to evaluate the potential for rock falls and the probability of failure of stope support

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Taheri

Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) method is applied to select tailings site of the Gol-e-Gohar Iron Ore Processing Plant in the Kerman province, south-eastern of Iran. To select tailings site, screening is applied on eight location proposed by Binnie and Granges. Consequently three sites identified for further studies. Evaluation factors include only the most important factors such as efficiency ratio, elevation and distance to processing facilities, occurrence of faults and fractures. Crisp values such as efficiency ratio, elevation and distance can be determined by measurements and calculations, but some factors such as occurrence of faults and fractures are presented as linguistic values that can be described with triangular fuzzy numbers. Based on evaluation values obtained an optimal tailings site can be selected using a modified Technique of ranking Preferences by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) given crisp data and linguistic variables as the alternatives of attributes. Each attribute?s weight is assigned using the analytic hierarchy process. The final ranking order aids in the selection of tailings site. Finally, the stages of modified TOPSIS method were applied and site No.2 situated in 5400m to the mill was selected as the best alternative.

Jan 1, 2014

"The Tooele plant is situated at the mouth of Pine Canyon, five miles northeast of Tooele City. The site forms one terminus of the Tooele Valley railway, which runs southwest through Tooele City to Warner, a station on the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, thirty-five miles southwest of Salt Lake City.An aerial tramway, four miles in length, crosses the Oquirrh Mountains and connects the plant with the Bingham district.The plant consists of a lead-zinc flotation concentrator, lead smelter and copper smelter.SAMPLING MILL The mill is a standard Taylor and Brunton sampling mill, built in two sections, each with a capacity of 100 tons per hour. The building is of steel and concrete, 40x84 feet. A well-equipped pulping, sampling and drying room is attached.All ore is sampled here and then distributed by conveyors to cencentrator, lead smelter and copper smelter bins.CONCENTRATOR This flotation mill is arranged in two units of 500 tons capacity each, one equipped with Callow pneumatic flotation cells, the other with Mineral Separation sub-aeration machines.The feed is maintained as uniform as possible by bedding, after coarse crushing at the sampling mill. Standard practice of ball mill grinding and classification is followed."

Jan 1, 1925

By T. A. Klinefelter

"INTRODUCTION During the development work on sponge iron by the Bureau of lines it was desired to produce a product of maximum density for the furnace. One means of doing this would be to make a plastic mixture of the ground ore and extrude as pellets or large slugs or brick shapes.If a pelletizing Process is employed, the pellets must be strong enough to resist breaking when rolled and tumbled in going through the rotary kiln. If a brick-making process is employed, the brick must be strong enough to withstand handling and considerable pressure when stacked in the kilns.The study had two objectives: first, to find a binder of sufficient strength throughout the early stages of curing and heat treating and, second, to determine the degree of curing and heat treatment necessary to prevent disintegration under normal working conditions.Although the investigation had as its primary objective the processing of sponge iron, the data should interest other industries in which non plastic or poor-bonding slimes are a problem."

Jan 1, 1946

By A. S. Robb

SAMPLING of an ore-body is one of the fundamentals in its exploration, development, and exploitation. It is carried out to determine the gold value per ton of an ore-shoot and the probable gold output of the refinery. Sampling also places any broken ground in one of two classes, ore or waste. The value and importance of correct sampling has been shown repeatedly in the past. On the other hand, instances could be given where those in charge of mines have not believed in sampling, and the result has been the same in every case-disaster. This has in all probability been due to assuming that good-looking, well-mineralized rock was ore. Sampling in some form might have averted this misfortune. In this essay, only the method of sampling and the estimation of ore reserves is treated. All titles, figures, and values are fictitious. None of the illustrations can be directly applied to any portion of the Hollinger mine, except Figures 1 and 2, which are included with the special permission of the Canadian Mining Journal. METHODS OF SAMPLING Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, has, from the very beginning of operations, carried out an extensive system of sampling, and the results of this sampling have completely governed the whole mining programme. The Hollinger discovery was made in 1909 and prospecting and exploration of 'the surface began at once. Four men were given jobs as samplers and they sampled thoroughly all the outcrops and all bed-rock which could be exposed to view by removing the overburden. When shaft sinking began, samples were taken at two-foot intervals. In 1912, an underground gang of six samplers was organized, and the number was increased at a rate of about two men per year as the size and extent of the workings grew. No permanent record of sampling was kept until 1919, in which year an average of 11.6 men took 28,458 samples, cutting 113,894 feet of sample. From that time until the end of 1934, the average number of samplers varied, but the total number of samples cut, and the total footage sampled, increased.

Jan 1, 1937

By A. L. W. Lips, B. P. J. Stevens, T. J. R. Barclay, E. Rothery, S. H. White

Discussion by B.P.J. Stevens of the paper, published in Trans. IMMA, vol.104, 1995, p.B1-B17, is presented together with the authors' response. Stevens questions the authors' radically different interpretation of the structural geology of the Broken Hill Block, considering that the descriptive part of the paper is a useful addition but that the conclusions are unwarranted on the basis of the data presented. A number of major points of disagreement are outlined and half a dozen additional minor points listed. In response, the authors admire Stevens's contribution to unravelling the geology of the area but defend their attempts to take the regional studies a step further, pointing out that he has misquoted what they wrote and arguing that because of the assumptions underpinning the derivation of the present stratigraphy it cannot be used to constrain structural models. With regard to shear zones, they cite the extensive earlier literature and refer to horizontal displacements shown on maps produced by Stevens et al. Detailed discussion follows of the stratigraphy and of the stratigraphic correlation problems resulting from failure to recognise the presence and significance of shears, particularly those parallel to stratigraphy. The remobilised position of the Pb mineralisation in the North Mine open cut is reiterated. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for systematic isotopic dating in the area to constrain the stratigraphy

Apr 1, 1996

By Jack G. Quade

During the summer and fall of 1973 a series of Skylab and high-altitude aircraft overflights provided excellent hard-copy photographs of the Great Basin. These photographs, with a wide range of ground resolution were used by the NASA Project of the University of Nevada, Reno, to conduct specific geologic studies. The principal objectives of these studies were to: select individual areas covered by Skylab photography for detailed studies, develop mapping techniques using varied film-filter products with a wide range of ground resolution, compare the results of the mapping techniques to existing geologic maps at comparable scales, verify the results wherever possible by direct field observations. These studies were conducted by Jack Quade and Dennis Trexler and by graduates and undergraduates of the Reno campus under a contract with the Manned Spacecraft Center Houston, Texas.

Jan 1, 1976