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By B. Boutilier, R. Mendoza

"First Majestic Silver Corp. (FMS) is a silver mining company founded in 2002 that operates exclusively in Mexico. It has six producing silver mines, one of which is the La Encantada silver mine (La Encantada) located in the state Coahuila. La Encantada is located near the southern United States border and 708 km (440 miles) north of the city Torreon.La Encantada is located in the Sierra Madre Oriental and is a high-temperature carbonate replacement deposit. Mineralization in La Encantada occurs in many different forms such as veins, chimneys, breccia pipes and reefs (mantos). Mineralization is mainly oxides of iron, zinc, lead and manganese, with high concentrations of sulfides at depth relating to two main intrusive events: the Milagros Intrusive and the La Prieta Skarn.Mining began in La Encantada during the 1950s with small vertical shafts, drifts and raises. It focuses on the high-grade silver zones using traditional hoists and extraction methods, before branching into two main separate mining camps: El Plomo and Penoles camp. Penoles, the previous owner, focused mainly on large ore bodies using post pillar cut-and-fill mining method to extract the higher-grade material. Due to the type of ground, irregularity of pillars, and rock conditions, large amounts of high-grade pillars had to be left in situ to ensure the stability of the excavations. The mined-out areas would then be filled with lower-grade material to assist in the stability of the secondary level. These room-and-pillar development entries were 2.5 m x 2.5 m (8.2 ft x 8.2 ft) and spaced every 10 m (32 ft), leaving a vertical pillar of 7.5 m (25 ft). First Majestic acquired La Encantada in 2006. After the acquisition of the mine, the company began the conversion of the surveying reference system from a local grid (Maria Isabel Shaft as 0,0) to the Nav27 coordinate system, and subsequently converted to the WGS84 coordinate system in 2015. Due to the extensive history of the mine, different areas were surveyed with different systems, causing significant challenges when designing the principal extraction levels, pillar heights and ramp locations. To overcome this difficulty, the entire mine was resurveyed and the old workings transposed to the new coordinate system, except for some inaccessible areas due to poor ground conditions or ground collapses. To further ensure pillar height and the safety of the mine workers, probe holes were drilled during the development process."

Sep 1, 2019

By Phil Rice, Mohammed Nasim, Richard Flanagan

"The Gateway Trans-Hudson Partnership (GTHP), a joint venture of WSP USA, Inc., AECOM USA, Inc, and STV Incorporated, is providing preliminary engineering services to Amtrak for the Hudson Tunnel project as well as supporting the NEPA process for getting the record of decision (ROD). This preliminary engineering design effort by GTHP includes geotechnical exploration and laboratory testing, design of structures, tunnel contract packaging and procurement planning.The Hudson Tunnel Project includes the construction of a new Hudson River Tunnel system and rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnel. The new tunnel system will be constructed south of the existing North River Tunnel, from North Bergen under the Palisades to Hoboken in New Jersey, below the Hudson River, and connecting directly to Penn Station in New York (Fig. 1). The tunnel system is configured as two single-track tubes, intermediate ventilation shafts and cross passages in compliance with NFPA- 130 requirements. The adjacent surface alignment west of the Palisades will be constructed on viaducts, embankment and retained fills. The existing North River Tunnel (Fig. 2) consists of two single-track, electrified rail tunnels extending from tunnel portals in North Bergen, New Jersey to Penn Station in New York. Completed in 1910 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the tunnel opened at the same time as Penn Station and the four, single-track, East River tunnels that connect Penn Station to Queens and onto Long Island and New England, respectively. Both tunnels in the existing North River Tunnel were inundated with brackish river water during Superstorm Sandy (Fig. 3), resulting in the cancellation of all Amtrak and NJ Transit service into New York City for five days. After the brackish water was removed from the tunnels, the residual chlorides and sulfates have had on-going detrimental impacts on the interior concrete and rail systems."

Sep 1, 2019

By Gleason

"From June 16 to 19, more than 1,400 tunneling and underground construction professionals gathered in Chicago, IL for the bienial Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC). There, they were greeted by a full technical program and an exciting exhibit hall that provided a comprehensive look at the world’s bustling tunneling and underground construction industry.The successful conference was a reflection of the industry itself, which is to say, busy. As much of the world has begun to focus on creating a cleaner and greener environment, the global tunneling industry has seen an uptick in infrastructure projects move from design-build to construction phase. With a global shift away from the use of fossil fuels, major cities around the world are looking to increase public transportation options, which leads to the need for more transportation tunnels. And as urban populations continue to grow, the need for clean water calls for more tunnels, and as urban footprints continue to expand, the need to increase and update combined sewage overflow tunnel grows with them.During two and a half days, more than 20 sessions covering all of these topics were presented at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, many to packed rooms in which every seat was taken and people were standing along the side and back walls.RETC is a biennial conference and one of the largest in the North America for the tunneling and underground construction industries. As such, it hosts a robust exhibit floor. This year 172 vendors occupied 205 booth spaces. The exhibit included everything from tunnel boring machine manufacturers, like Robbins and Herrenknecht, to the companies that supply all kinds of parts and services to the industry."

Sep 1, 2019

By Wilder Sánchez

Yanacocha —mina donde por primera vez se desarrolló el uso de la tecnología de membranas (ósmosis inversa) para el tratamiento de efluentes mineros— se constituye en el marco de este estudio sobre tecnologías para tratamiento del agua, en el que se muestra la evolución asociada al proceso de separación sólido/líquido de ultrafiltración y tratamiento de cianuro por el proceso de SO2/aire; y se aborda también la importancia de implementar raincoats y de organizar un proceso de cosecha de agua a través de sistemas de almacenamiento, como reservorios y diques, para asegurar una descarga permanente. Adicionalmente, el estudio observa que los volúmenes de tratamiento y los costos asociados a los permisos de descarga se han visto reducidos porque existe un 100% de recirculación del recurso y todas las tecnologías implementadas están alineadas con los actuales Estándares de Calidad Ambiental (ECA).

Aug 31, 2019

By Ronald Mamani, Russel Allidren, Diego Llanchipa

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar la eficiencia del Sistema Tohá —conocido como Lombrifiltro o Biofiltro Dinámico y Aeróbico— para el mejoramiento de la calidad de aguas residuales domésticas. Para evaluar los parámetros DBO5 y DQO se tomaron como puntos de referencia aspectos biológicos del agua a tratar, que pasó a través de un biofiltro compuesto de 4 estratos (aserrín, grava, arena y carbón), el primero de los cuales incluyó lombrices rojas (Eissenia Foetida). Antes y después de realizar el filtrado se realizaron análisis de laboratorio. Como resultado respecto de remoción de contaminantes, se obtuvieron cifras que implicaban reducciones superiores al 50%.

Aug 31, 2019

By William Gleason

"Modern society demands much more from the mining industry than just the raw materials it produces. In addition to providing copper, gold, coal and other minerals that make society function, the industry must conduct its operations in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner. This includes the equipment used and the engines that power the machines.In the United States, Tier 4 diesel engine standards that were set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the strictest emissions requirement for off-highway diesel engines. This requirement regulates the amount of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can be emitted from an off-highway diesel engine. In Europe, the Euro V standards are driving technology advancement in the sector.The European Euro V standards are required for new equipment manufactured beginning in January 2019. U.S. Tier 4 standards for heavy-duty off-road engines came into effect with model-year 2014 vehicles and equipment. China 6 standards come into effect in July 2020. India’s Bharat Stage VI standards will take full effect in 2020, and the phase-in of BSVIcompliant clean fuels began in April 2018.Caterpillar, Cummins and MTU are three of the leading manufacturers of engines for the mining sector. Each company is working toward creating efficient engines that can function in the often harsh environments found at openpit and underground mines around the world. In short, society is placing demands that are challenging engine manufacturers to deliver a product that can do more work while consuming less fuel and emitting fewer emissions.Technologies range from selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel particulate filters (DPFs) to other engine strategies and emissions control technologies, which deliver near-zero black carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Caterpillar’s investmentCaterpillar, the world’s largest producer of mining equipment and mining engines, has been at the forefront of the changing demands placed on the industry and has remained on the cutting edge of engine development over the years, thanks to its investments in the sector.“Caterpillar made the choice to fund major engine and machine development work — even during a deep trough in the mining industry — so that Cat machines would meet Tier 4/EU Stage 5 mandated compliance dates of Jan. 1, 2018 / Jan. 1, 2019, respectively. For Caterpillar, these efforts enabled our mining trucks to provide improved engine component life to help our customers’ total cost of ownership (TCO) and produce a neutral TCO compared to our Tier 2 products,” said Jeff Castleman, new product introduction manager, large mining trucks for Caterpillar."

Aug 1, 2019

By T. M. “Mike” Gurr

"U. S. marketable phosphate rock production for the 2018 crop year (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018) showed an increase to 27.7 Mt (30.5 million st) from the 2017 crop year production of 27.1 Mt (29.8 million st), as reported to the U. S. Department of the Interior by the mining companies operating in the United States during crop year 2018 (Table 1). Domestic consumption decreased in the 2018 crop year to 23.9 Mt (26.3 million st), as compared to the 27.2 Mt (30 million st) consumed in crop year 2017. U.S. imports of phosphate rock increased to 3 Mt (3.3 million st) for the 2018 crop year from the 1.81 Mt (1.9 million st) for crop year 2017. Imports of phosphate rock were from Peru and Morocco. There was an increase of 2.85 Mt (3.1 million st) in producers’ stocks from 7.45 Mt (8.2 million st) in crop year 2017 to 10.3 Mt (11.3 million st) in crop year 2018 (Table I).For calendar year 2018, Florida and North Carolina phosphate rock production accounted for 75 percent of the total U.S. production, with the balance being produced in Idaho and Utah. The Florida and North Carolina percent of U.S. production is declining. U.S. production of 25.7 Mt (28.3 million st) in calendar year 2018 was produced by five companies at 10 mines in four states and accounted for approximately 9.6 percent of the world production of 267.7 Mt (295 million st) for calendar year 2018 (Table 2).In calendar year 2018, U.S. phosphate production decreased by 2.2 Mt (2.4 million st), while companies increased stocks of phosphate rock by 1.7 Mt (1.9 million st). The domestic production for calendar year 2018 of 25.7 Mt (28.3 million st) represents 78.4 percent of the domestic production capacity of 32.8 Mt (36.1 million st).At present, China reportedly produces more than 50 percent of the world’s phosphate rock. As a result of planned expansions, Morocco production has increased from 27 Mt (30 million st) in 2017 to 33 Mt/a (36 million stpy), which is approximately 12.3 percent of the world’s production, moving ahead of the U.S. production. In calendar year 2018, the U.S. phosphate rock production was 25.7 Mt (28.3 million st), which is less than 10 percent of the world’s production of phosphate rock (Fig. 1)."

Aug 1, 2019

"The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (NMHFM) announced the class of 2019 National Mining Hall of Fame inductees. This year’s inductees, selected by the National Mining Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors, represent exceptional financial acumen in assembling several operations that formed the basis of a successful American mining company; conception and development of equipment which contributed to improved efficiency and mine safety; and unrelenting advocacy for the U.S. mining industry and its workers. These individuals, selected for being determined, forward-thinking innovators, doers and leaders have propelled the industry toward vastly improved safety and social responsibility.The Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award, named for renowned mining artist Gary Prazen, will also be presented at the ceremony. This award recognizes an individual or organization for significant and sustained commitment to educating the public about the relationship of mining to our everyday lives through educational materials, programming, and outreach.2019 National Mining Hall of Fame inducteesFrank Calandra, Jr. has devoted more than 50 years to the mining industry and he is an icon in ground control technology for the mining, tunneling and civil construction industries.From the ground up, his passion, sweat equity and shrewd business acumen have grown Frank Calandra, Inc. (FCI) and Jennmar from a single plant in Pennsylvania to a world-class enterprise with 25 plants employing thousands globally. As evidenced by Calandra’s more than 20 patents on ground control devices (not to mention the additional 80 patents his companies hold), his innovation and commitment to safety have made underground mining safer and more efficient. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Calandra was instrumental in upgrading American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards in roof control for both state and federal regulations. Through his work with industry associations such as the National Mining Association, National Coal Council and Center for Energy and Economic Development, among others, Calandra has contributed his time, expertise and financial support to ensure a balanced political and regulatory climate for mining. Calandra is an inductee of the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame."

Aug 1, 2019

By Chee Theng

"What would you do if you are an industry leader and disruptive technology threatens to overturn your business model? Although bearings and seals are in little danger of being displaced in the near future, one company is taking no chances in an age of digital disruption.“For SKF, digital transformation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) make this time right now arguably the most exciting time in our 100-plus years of history,” John Schmidt, president of SKF USA Inc., said during the SKF Technical Press Day in Philadelphia, PA.The company is not merely integrating digital technologies into its products and services but is taking a forward-looking, strategic approach. “To be successful, legacy companies have to undertake a process called digital transformation. It’s not just an IT initiative but is really about upgrading the strategic thinking,” explained Michael D’Argenio, vice president of digital transformation and customer experience at SKF Americas.Learning from those who went beforeD’Argenio cited the examples of two companies that saw entirely different outcomes in the face of digital disruption. The well-known case is that of Kodak, one of the storied brands in history, whose business was disrupted by the advent of digital photography. Although it invented digital photography, Kodak decided to box it up and put it on the shelf because it was scared of disrupting its business in photographic fim. Instead, it was disastrously disrupted from the outside.Less well known is the case of Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc., publisher of the longest-running English-language, general-knowledge encyclopedia in the world. Sales peaked at 120,000 sets in 1990, plunging to 8,000 sets in 2012. In 20 short years, it saw not one but two massive digital disruptions. The first was in 1993, when Microsoft published the first digital interactive encyclopedia on a CD-ROM, called Encarta, priced at just $99. The second was in 2001, when a communitycurated, free website called Wikipedia launched. Taking the opposite approach from Kodak, Encyclopedia Brittanica looked at its industry, its company and its customers through the lens of the new technologies, made a prediction about the future and, based on that prediction, took a bold move. Having identified its core value proposition as the delivery of reliable, high-value, verifiable knowledge, Encyclopedia Brittanica replanned, restructured and rebuilt its company from the ground up to deliver that same value proposition, only in a different way. It stopped producing the only product that it had known for 244 years and began producing digital products that it sold to educational institutions.“There is a lot to learn from the Encyclopedia Brittanica case,” said D’Argenio. “The company embraced its market change, it embraced its customer change, and it rethought what it needed to do to be successful. Because it owned that disruption internally, it was never disrupted from the outside. It continues to operate today and is as profitable as it has ever been.”"

Aug 1, 2019

By Mike Moody

"No matter what type of ore is being extracted from a mine, mucking with front loaders can be accompanied by wet fines that cling to every surface. Once loaded into a hopper or conveyer transfer chute, viscous material can quickly build up on the walls to create bottlenecks, clogging the chute and causing expensive downtime.Clearing material from hoppers, chutes, bins and vessels can be done using manpower and tools on hand, but safety experts recommend considering a solution that prevents exposing workers to potential hazards. Operators at modern mining sites, such as the Eagle Mine, located in Western Marquette County of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, understand that using specialized equipment reduces worker exposure, offers the safest mode of production and provides the most cost-effective lasting results.“Safety is a top priority for us,” said Ted Lakomowski, lead reliability technician at the Eagle Mine. “When we experienced clogging and downtime at the processing mill, the crew naturally swung into action to resolve it, but we immediately sought a safer long-term solution.”Stope mining for nickel and copperOwned by Lundin Mining, a globally diversified base metals mining company headquartered in Toronto, ON, Canada, the Eagle Mine is the only primary nickel mine in the United States, producing 1.5 percent of the world’s total nickel production. The first operation permitted under Michigan’s Part 632 Non-Ferrous Mineral Mining Law, it opened in 2014 and is expected to produce 163 kt (360 million lbs) of nickel, 134 kt (295 million lbs) of copper and small amounts of other metals over its estimated nine-year lifespan.The company extracts approximately 2 kt/d (2,200 stpd) from the underground nickelcopper mine using a bench-and-fill stoping process. Accessed from the surface by specialized underground trucks, the vehicles carry about 45,400-kg (100,000-lb) loads through a 1.6-km (1- mile) long and 5.4-m (18-ft) diameter ramp shaft descending into the earth at a 13 percent grade. Stoping is a bottom-up method that involves systematically blasting columns of loosened ore that is then mucked by front loaders into trucks and backfilled using cemented and uncemented rockfill."

Aug 1, 2019

By H. Gerry Stephenson, Devin Castendyk

"One of the most important environmental issues associated with contemporary openpit mining is the closure of mine pit lakes, and the perpetual legacy these lakes can potentially generate. Ideally, successful pit lake closure includes the following:• The water quality within the pit lake, plus surface water and ground water discharging from the pit lake, meets premining or other acceptable water quality conditions of the receiving environment. • The termination of all active treatment processes.• The return of the pit lake to the government for long-term care and maintenance.• The release of the mining company from all future liabilities associated with the pit lake.• The return of the environmental bond to the mining company.• The reuse of the pit lake for some post-closure, beneficial purpose.The achievement of these goals is known as walk away pit lake closure.Peer-reviewed publications of successful walk away, pit lake closure provide mining companies with the ability to address public concerns regarding the safety of pit lakes which commonly occur during the permitting, operations, and closure phases of mining. To date, most published work on walk away, pit lake closure work has occurred in the coal mining sector in Germany and Australia (McCullough et al., 2009; Jones and McCullough, 2011; Kumar et al., 2013; Schultz et al., 2013). In North America, examples of walk away, pit lake closure are not widely discussed in the literature despite there being excellent examples from the coal mining sector in Alberta, Canada (e.g. Pleasure Island, Black Diamond, East Pit, Sphynx, Robb, Lovette, Siltstone and Sterling), and from the iron mining sector in Minnesota in the United States (e.g. Portsmouth Lake, see MNDNR, 2018). Although seldom included in discussions of pit lakes from the metal and coal mining sectors, the aggregate and fabricated-stone mining sectors also produce pit lakes, and there are numerous examples throughout North America where these pit lakes have been successfully closed and transformed into post-mining resources (Vandenberg, 2018; Crossman, 2019). The difficulty of finding these good examples in the literature makes it challenging for companies to respond to public and regulatory questions regarding pit lake closure and reuse. As such, there is a pressing need to document the motivations and approaches used in examples of successful, walk away, pit lake closure in North America so that the mining industry, at large, can learn from these examples and can better address public concerns."

Aug 1, 2019

By Eduardo Hollanders de Moura, Carlo Tripoli, Paulo Santos Assis

Este artigo mostra como a utilização de um motor Stirling pode tornar o processo siderúrgico mais sustentável e rentável ao gerar energia elétrica com o resíduo térmico da escória de aciaria elétrica. Foi utilizado um modelo teórico para o desenvolvimento do motor, com considerações para aproximar o resultado da realidade. Pelos resultados obtidos, pode ser observado uma economia de quase 8 milhões de reais por ano na siderurgia nacional.

Aug 1, 2019

By Joaquim Luiz Monteiro de Barros, Fabiana Moreira Costa

Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal apresentar de forma didática e através de exemplo prático, os processos de limpeza de gases de exaustão durante a produção de ferro e aço para atendimento as normas ambientais e a possibilidade da recuperação de energia térmica desses gases captados para aumento da eficiência energética das plantas siderúrgicas.

Aug 1, 2019

By Jocemir da Silva Santos, Alberto Vicente Belezia, Matheus Neves Lana

A regulação ambiental de processos industriais que geram efluentes contendo fluoretos é mundialmente restrita devido à alta toxicidade do íon. Na Ternium, a água de resfriamento recirculada no spray do Lingotamento Contínuo (WTP#2) dissolve parte do pó fluxante, resultando em concentrações de 20 a 30 mg/L de fluoreto. Para desenvolvimento do processo de tratamento de fluoreto que atendesse a legislação, mantendo no efluente tratado concentração de Fluoreto menor que 10mg/L e Alumínio menor que 3,0mg/L, foi realizada uma pesquisa utilizando um equipamento de Jar Teste convencional totalizando 165 ensaios. Os ensaios foram planejados segundo revisões bibliográficas descrevendo o método da precipitação química de fluoreto de cálcio, auxiliado por Cátions de Alumínio. Na conclusão da pesquisa, foi desenvolvida uma Rota Tecnológica para tratamento do efluente gerado na purga do sistema WTP#2 atendendo a legislação, atingindo uma remoção de 70% a 80% de Fluoreto. Ao final foi realizada uma etapa de otimização das dosagens, cujo resultado foi a redução do número de etapas de tratamento e uma redução na quantidade de produtos químicos utilizados, consequentemente reduzindo o custo de tratamento. A redução do custo de tratamento foi da ordem de 3 milhões de reais anuais, mantendo o efluente tratado com as concentrações dos contaminantes abaixo dos limites da regulação ambiental.

Aug 1, 2019

By Marcelo Marchesi Martinelli, Caio Henrique Vidigal

Gasômetros são equipamentos de grande valia para aumento da eficiência energética e ambiental de empresas siderúrgicas integradas, sendo estes equipamentos responsáveis pelo controle da pressão do gás resultante das transformações dos processos siderúrgicos, controle este realizado através das variações de volume abaixo dos pistões. Quando não há disponibilidade de operação dos gasômetros faz-se necessário o uso de torres de queima para controle das pressões das redes de gases. Em dezembro de dois mil e dezoito fora realizada a troca da selagem do gasômetro de gás de Coqueria da ArcelorMittal Tubarão, que utiliza a tecnologia M.A.N. (Selo a óleo). Utilizando técnicas da metodologia Lean, modificando o mindset e alterando antigos paradigmas foi possível realizar a manutenção, de forma eficaz, em 32 dias, 28 a menos que o último trabalho similar realizado e 13 dias a menos que a meta proposta para a parada, aumentando a recuperação de gás de Coqueria, maximizando ganhos de geração elétrica e minimizando a exposição a riscos ambientais associados a parada. As ideias apresentadas neste artigo são de grande valia para a evolução do pensamento crítico e sistêmico sobre a manutenção, não só em gasômetros, mas em todo o contexto de realização de atividades já consolidadas.

Aug 1, 2019

By Mauricio Monteiro Machado, Neyda de la Caridad Om Tapanes, Ana Isabel de Carvalho Santana, Rodolfo Salazar Perez, Rodrigo Ribeiro Soares, Roberta Gaidzinski

Vasos de pressão são equipamentos empregados nas mais variadas indústrias, sendo responsáveis por significativa parcela do orçamento. Os materiais mais utilizados para a construção de vasos de pressão para a indústria de óleo e gás são as ligas de aço carbono e em alguns casos se justifica o emprego de ligas de aços inoxidáveis. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar as características dos vasos de pressão, materiais de fabricação e o custo de aquisição de vasos de pressão por parte da Petrobras. Para o desenvolvimento foram utilizadas duas ferramentas de processamento de dados: a Lei de acesso à informação que permitiu a criação de uma base de dados, e o Planejamento de experimentos que possibilitou avaliar a influência do tipo de material e outras variáveis sobre o preço do vaso de pressão (variável de resposta). Os resultados estatísticos demonstram que, para as faixas analisadas o comprimento entre tangentes (CET) e o Diâmetro (D) possuem uma influência estatística direta sobre a variável de resposta Preço. Finalizando, o estudo conseguiu conciliar aspectos construtivos com os fatores financeiros, sendo de grande valia para os fabricantes de vasos de pressão.

Aug 1, 2019

By Thais Pereira Dias Gusmão, Sebastião Ribeiro, Fábio de Araujo

Estudo de viabilidade técnico-comercial de remediação de lagoa eutrofizada por cianobactérias e algas, reuso em sistema de Utildiades e melhoria operacional atravpes de controles analiticos e fisico-quimicos.

Aug 1, 2019

By Wanderson Endlich, Tarley Rezende Secchin, Ana Clara Bernabe, Jennifer Oliva Coronel, Danielle Duarte Bernardi

A ArcelorMittal Tubarão (AMT) possui desde o início de operação os recursos hídricos como uma das questões centrais na estratégia de sustentabilidade e estabilidade operacional para sua produção. A gestão hídrica na AMT, dentre outras ações, garante que 96,5% de toda a água captada na usina venha do mar. Além disso, possui investimento contínuo em reusos internos, busca de fontes alternativas de água e combate ao desperdício e vazamentos. A condução dessa gestão hídrica, contribuiu de forma significativa para atravessarmos em 2015, a pior seca que o estado do Estado do Espírito Santo atravessou nos últimos 40 anos. Todos esses esforços resultaram na redução expressiva do volume de água doce utilizado na AMT, reduzindo o consumo específico de 4,2 m³/t em 2014, para 2,5 m³/t em 2018. Como resultado de um plano robusto de gestão hídrica, um projeto arrojado e inovador, pioneiro no Brasil e primeiro do grupo no mundo será realizado na empresa, a planta de dessalinização de água do mar. Com investimentos da ordem de R$ 50 milhões, a unidade começará a ser construída em 2019, com prazo de conclusão em dois anos. Produzirá até 500 m³/h de água industrial para o sistema de água da usina, proporcionando uma importante fonte alternativa ao consumo de água doce.

Aug 1, 2019

By Emerson Lamartine Ferreira

Após a escassez hídrica de 2014, a Agência Nacional de Águas (ANA), objetivando preservar os estoques de água dos reservatórios da bacia do Paraíba do Sul, autorizou, em março de 2015, uma redução de 190 para 110 m³/h na vazão do Canal de São Francisco. A mudança ocasionou o agravamento dos efeitos de intrusão da cunha salina da Baía de Sepetiba no dito canal, elevando os valores de condutividade, que impactou nas operações do complexo siderúrgico da Ternium, pois a água do mar passou a entrar nos sistemas de captação de água bruta. Com o objetivo de contornar o problema, a empresa decidiu implantar uma planta de osmose reversa, a fim de adequar a condutividade da água industrial aos parâmetros das especificações técnicas da planta de água desmineralizada. O presente trabalho descreve a otimização da dita planta à produção de água desmineralizada, que decorreu ainda na redução do número de regenerações das resinas de troca iônica, do consumo de produtos químicos, bem como no reuso do rejeito salino gerado no processo de osmose (Projeto Reuso).

Aug 1, 2019

By LJ Aspinall, Paulo Sérgio Soares Santiago

Monitorar adequadamente a qualidade da água em sistemas de resfriamento é fundamental para assegurar um bom condicionamento de seus indicadores chave de desempenho: a corrosão, a incrustação, a formação de depósitos e a atividade microbiológica, de forma que as unidades operacionais possam atingir suas metas com relação aos seus respectivos índices chaves de performance do processo industrial. Enquanto a confiabilidade deste monitoramento em antever problemas assume, então, elevada importância, os métodos utilizados até o presente na indústria não têm efetivamente fornecido resultados realísticos pela ausência de troca térmica nos dispositivos usados. A Knew Value desenvolveu e patenteou uma nova tecnologia, o Sentinel, que permite aplicar métodos inovadores de monitoramento on-line, permitindo realizar simulações em condições críticas de velocidade de escoamento e temperatura de película e atingindo excelência em monitoramento de indicadores chaves de desempenho do tratamento químico aplicado em sistemas de resfriamento. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar esta tecnologia e casos históricos de desempenho.

Aug 1, 2019