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By D. B. Dreisinger, H. J. Sohn, J. S. Sohn, G. A. Kordosky

The transport of lithium through a supported liquid membrane was studied with a mixture of D2EHPA and TBP in kerosene as a mobile carrier. In the flat- sheet supported liquid membrane(SLM) system, experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of concentration of mobile carriers in the membrane solution, hydrogen ion in the feed solution, and temperature on the transport of lithium. Experimental results agreed well with a transport model for permeating lithium across the liquid membrane. The permeation rates of lithium can be explained in terms of diffusion of a Li-complex through the membrane phase. For a practical application of an SLM method, a hollow fiber module has been used and lithium can be concentrated more than three times in 24 hours.

Jan 1, 1993

By J. S. Long

A finite-difference model using a digital computer was constructed to assist in the water management of a proposed oil-shale mining operation in the Piceance Basin in Colorado. The presence of ground water is both a detriment and a benefit for development of the resource. On one hand, dewatering is required because permeable zones are present in and above the oil-shale sequence, and rich oil shale at the proposed mine is as much as 457 m (1500 ft) below the water table. On the other hand, ground water is the most feasible source of water for processing the oil shale. A ground- water model was constructed to simulate the development of an environmentally acceptable water-management system that will satisfy both the mine-dewatering requirements and the water-supply requirements for processing. The ground-water model discussed in this chapter was constructed for the Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co. (RBOSC) by International Engineering Co., Inc., a subsidiary of Morrison-Knudsen Co. The model was applied to evaluate dewatering and water control systems for several open-pit mining plans initially investigated to develop Federal Lease Tract C-a. A collateral application of the model analyses was to project effects of the proposed dewatering operation on the regional ground-water regime in connection with a permit acquisition program by RBOSC. Subsequently, RBOSC has completely changed its mine development plan and has adopted modeling and related techniques more suitable for study of that plan and dewatering operation. The authors of this chapter are solely responsible for the contents and conclusions.

Jan 1, 1979

By Hassan El-Shall

The results of laboratory and pilot plant testing of a newly developed process to dewater waste slurries from different industries are presented. Data indicate that an increase in solid contents from 6% to over 30% can be obtained in few minutes retention time in comparison to several years as required by currently used technologies. The economical as well as the environmental impacts of such process are discussed.

Jan 1, 1992

By Felipe Calizaya, Sekhar Bhattacharyya

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is prevalent in mechanized underground mines. Federal regulations are often not complied with effectively. Miners are also prone to ignoring administrative guidelines and/or personal protective equipment for hearing conservation. As a result, quality of life among experienced miners plummets while occupational risks increase at workplaces. This research focused on auxiliary fans used in underground mines. These fans work at high rotational speed and generate extremely high levels of noise in close proximity to miners. Silencers used are often of little effect due to poor maintenance. A new silencer is tried in the laboratory with the objective of easy maintenance and resulting reduction of noise exposure for miners.

By Ümit Yasar Onder, Tevfik Prof. Dr. Güyagüler

This paper describes the results of an investigation done to determine thermal properties and heat emission of coal measure rocks in Karadon district of Zonguldak Coal Colliery. In Karadon District, depth of working level is about -600 m where the heat problem arises. In the near future, workings will be at deeper levels and working conditions will be more difficult due to high heat emission. At the beginning of the paper the importance of wall rock heat emission in underground mine have been explained and then the amount of heat emission to the ventilating air has been calculated. It has been found out that the strata is the main source of heat in the mine. Therefore, geothermal gradient of the region has also been determined simply by measuring the virgin rock temperatures in different levels of the mine. All other data directly related with heat emission from different sources has been collected and has been analyzed by using a special computer package. As a conclusion, total heat and moisture content in ventilating air and heat balance has been determined for Karadon Coal Mine. In addition, some recommendations and suggestions have been made for the future works when the mine workings go to the deeper levels.

Jan 1, 1995

By Min Chen, Qinghua Liang, Weishan Yan, Yuan Feng, Shigang Wang

Various coal mine robots (CMRs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are implemented to explore unknown mines for improving the safety and efficiency of mining. It is challenging for CMRs and UAVs to achieve accurate positioning due to the absence of the Global Positioning System (GPS), poor lighting conditions, and similar geometric features in complex mine scenes. LiDAR-based localization and mapping methods are more accurate than others, while long-time running in large-scale scenarios will introduce nonnegligible cumulative errors. This study presents a semantic-aided Li- DAR simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) with loop closure, which leverages the uniqueness of mine intersection structure to establish stable semantic loop closure. Specifically, we propose a semantic intersection descriptor of translation and rotation invariance, which encodes 3D point clouds of the same intersection from different positions and viewpoints into a unified image. By using the semantic descriptor, we can construct a constant loop constraint when the same intersection is revisited from different directions to reduce cumulative drift. We provide experimental validation using large data sets collected in two large underground mines, namely, a simulated Edgar mine deployed in ROS Gazebo and a public underground mine data set provided by ETH. Experimental results show that the proposed method has higher localization accuracy and outperforms the existing LiDAR-based SLAM strategies.

Feb 1, 2024

By A. G. Wylie

The dimensions and shape both airborne and bulk amphibole-asbestos fibers are different from those of both airborne and bulk of cleavage fragments of the amphiboles. These differences are related to the mineralogical properties unique to the habit of asbestos, including the fibrillar structure, small fibril widths and distinctive crystal-lographic faces of fibrils. Criteria for distinguishing amphi-bole cleavage fragments from amphibole-asbestos include mineralogical properties observable in bulk samples and the dimensions of particles collected on air filters. It would be it very helpful to the mining and mineral industry lf these properties were recognized in the regulation of asbestos.

Jan 1, 1987

By John A. Breslin

Control of radiation hazards in mines is only one of many goals of the Bureau of Mines. Radiation research is only a small part of the Bureau's mine health and safety research program. In this paper I will describe the mission and programs of the entire Bureau of Mines, with emphasis on the mine health and safety program of which our radiation research is a part. The radiation program and its results will be described in detail by other speakers during this symposium. The Bureau of Mines was established in 1910 and is one of a number of agencies within the Department of Interior. Our mission is given by the Organic Act of the Bureau of Mines, last revised in 1913, which still accurately describes our work today. The amended Organic Act (Public Law 62-386) gives the Bureau authority "... to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining, and the preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances with a view to improving health conditions, and increasing safety, efficiency, economic development, and conserving resources through the prevention of waste in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mineral industries; to inquire into the economic conditions affecting these industries..." Since 1913 at least 52 public laws bearing on Bureau responsibilities have come into force. However, our basic role is still unchanged, i.e. improving health conditions, and increasing safety and efficiency in the mineral industries. The two principal activities of the Bureau are Minerals Information and Analysis and Minerals Research. The Minerals Information and Analysis programs provide the data base and the analytical capability to support the development of effective national mineral policies. Data on the availability, production, and utilization of minerals are collected, interpreted, and analyzed for some 100 commodities. Resources of the most important commodities are evaluated to support policymaking that influences utilization of the Nation's existing and potential mineral supplies. The President's budget for the Mineral Information and Analysis programs in fiscal year 1982 is $34 million. The largest activity of the Bureau is Minerals Research, which is divided into three major programs: Mineral Resources Technology, Minerals Environmental Technology, and Minerals Health and Safety Technology. The principal goal of the Mineral Resources Technology program is to help provide technology to maintain an adequate supply of minerals for the United States. The budget requested by the President for this program in fiscal year 1982 is $41 million. The goal of the Minerals Environmental Technology Program is to create mining and mineral processing operations that are more compatible with the environment. The budget for this program in fiscal year 1982 is $12 million. The largest program of the Bureau is Minerals Health and Safety Technology, which has the goal of providing the technology to protect the health and safety of mine workers. The budget for health and safety research for fiscal year 1982 is $55 million. Our radiation research is part of the health and safety research program. The Bureau of Mines has done research to improve health and safety conditions in mines since it was established in 1910. The research expanded greatly following the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-173) and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-164). These acts provided for increased health and safety regulatory activities, but they also significantly increased the funding available for mine health and safety research by the Bureau of Mines. Funding for the Bureau's health and safety research grew from $12 million in 1970 to $60 million in 1981. The funding in 1982 will be somewhat lower than that for 1981. However, the health and safety program funding is still approximately 40 percent of the total budget of the Bureau of Mines. Of the health and safety budget, 22 percent is spent on research to control health hazards in mines, including radiation hazards, which has a budget in 1982 of approximately $1.1 million. Other mine health hazards which the Bureau is doing research to control include respirable mine dusts which cause black lung and silicosis; excessive noise; toxic gases from explosives and diesel emissions; and excessive heat in deep hot mines. The other 78 percent of the budget is spent on safety research to prevent death and injury to miners from such causes as roof falls, fires, explosions, and accidents involving mining equipment. Over the past decade the majority of the Bureau's health and safety research has been done through outside contracts with private industry and universities. Our policy has been to do some research inhouse to maintain the expertise of Bureau personnel. Contractors are used to do research for which the Bureau does not have the necessary personnel available. The percentage of the program being done by contract has been gradually declining for the past few years, and in 1982 the program will be divided evenly between inhouse and contract research. The inhouse research of the Bureau is done at the 10 research centers located throughout the country. Our radiation research is done at three research centers, Denver, Spokane and Pittsburgh, and by contractors whose work is monitored by project officers at these centers. There are three Federal agencies involved in mine health and safety. These are the Bureau of Mines, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Jan 1, 1981

By Carrie Smith

The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration’s annual conference and expo, MINEXCHANGE 2026, will take place Feb. 22–25, 2026, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The event will foster a hub for innovation, technical exchange and policy discussion for the global mining industry. Over four days, attendees will take part in short courses, technical sessions, field trips and networking events that highlight the advancement of the mining industry. The conference’s keynote session, titled “Regaining America’s Mineral Dominance,” will start at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 in the Grand Ballroom E–J. The speaker will address the sweeping policy actions now shaping the nation’s mineral future, following a series of executive orders issued by the Trump administration designed to bolster domestic mineral production and energy security. These directives, including Immediate Measures to Increase Domestic Mineral Production (EO 14241) and Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council (EO 14213), have set in motion a coordinated effort across the Departments of Interior, Energy, Defense and Commerce to enhance the United States’ position as a global leader in critical minerals. The invited speakers include Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox and Nate Foster, managing director of Rio Tinto Kennecott, who will examine how policy and industry are converging to meet surging demand for minerals essential to modern technology. Governor Cox is expected to highlight Utah’s long-standing role in American mining, from the early development of Kennecott Copper to its current position as a producer of 40 of the nation’s 50 identified critical minerals. Foster, meanwhile, will offer insights into Rio Tinto’s extensive operations in Utah, including the Kennecott Copper Mine — one of only two operating copper smelters in the United States — and the company’s ongoing efforts to build more resilient, sustainable supply chains. Rio Tinto’s work in critical mineral production, from copper and tellurium in Utah to new operations in Arizona, has made it a fundamental figure in the U.S. mineral economy. Projects such as the Resolution Copper development and the revival of Gunnison Copper using Rio Tinto’s innovative Nuton technology illustrate how private-sector leadership is driving sustainability in domestic mining. These advancements come at a critical moment for the industry, as copper prices remain near historic highs. The keynote session will emphasize that meeting future mineral demand will require a concerted effort between government, industry and technology partners to secure responsible, domestic production. Immediately following the keynote, the Robert E. Murray Innovation Award Lecture will start at 10 a.m. as part of the same session. Lucy England, managing director at FLSmidth, will present on “Sustainable Copper Mining Flowsheets and the MissionZero Mine.” England, who has spent more than 25 years in mineral processing and innovation, will discuss how FLSmidth’s MissionZero initiative aims to develop the world’s most efficient

Feb 1, 2026

By Stephen P. Harrison

The ventilation of coal mines has long been a major challenge for the mining industry. Prior to the 1969 Health and Safety Act, mine ventilation planning was almost entirely handled by individuals in mine operations and engineering who had extensive practical experience. Their background and expertise was sufficient to deal with existing ventilation problems and planning. A recent decline in the number of qualified individuals combined with more stringent state and federal regulations have necessitated a thorough engineering oriented approach to ventilation in mine planning design. To plan for an existing mine, a thorough ventilation survey must be conducted to determine the capabilities of the existing ventilation network. A ventilation survey also provides considerable useful data for long range planning. Essential information such as friction factors, entry resistance, and potential ventilation problem areas is gained from the survey data. With this information a comprehensive computer analysis can be conducted to evaluate alternative mine plans. This evaluation of mine plans is essential to minimize the number of shafts required while still maintaining the quality of mine ventilation. Using an existing mine as an example, this paper outlines a detailed procedure for organizing, con-ducting, and evaluating a ventilation survey. In addition, specific ventilation problem areas are isolated and alternative methods for their solution are considered. Furthermore, a long range mine plan is evaluated and the most feasible variation of the plan is selected.

Jan 1, 1980

By G. Q. Huang, Q. X. Yun, Z. Y. Gui

This paper provides a new approach to deal with control of ore-rock excavation by means of the optimal control theory-an important branch in cybernetics. In the optimal control theory, the elementary functions are state-transition function and objective function. According to the characteristics of mining planning and production, a set of formulation are established to cope with ore- rock excavation. The formulations include basic formula, anti-disturbance formula as well as other special formula. The new approach has been successfully used in several mines of China.

Jan 1, 1996

By R. F. Al-Fariss

The phosphoric acid industry is expected to develop in Saudi Arabia in the near future. There are three main reasons for expecting this: the discovery of phosphate deposits in the Sirhan-Turayf region, the construction of phosphate fertilizer facilities of the TSP, DAP and NPK plants on the east coast of the country, and the availability of an ample amount of sulfur As a by-product from the petrochemical industries. This study is a part of the research work performed in the chemical engineering department At King Saud University to evaluate the Saudi phosphate rocks for the wet process phosphoric Acid production and to test different flotation methods for the carbonate rich phosphate rock In a laboratory scale flotation cell. Experimental results for the above tests, as well as Beneficiation by calcination, are presented.

Jan 1, 1993

By H. V. S. Tingley

My topic today is future trends in compensation for the mining industry. I seldom get the chance to speak about a subject of such immediate interest to an audience, so I would like to make the most of this opportunity by telling you that everybody in this room will become rich beyond his wildest dreams in the next few years. I would like to open my talk that way, but in compensation, like everything else, there is a great gap between dreams and reality. Back to reality. When we talk about compensation, we?d better define our terms because the compensation is really an umbrella for five basic types of payment made to management personnel. Slide 1 identifies these elements of compensation.

Jan 1, 1980

By Jianliang Li, Jan M. Mutmansky

This study analyzed laboratory comminution techniques for respirable mine dust generation and the properties of the resulting dusts. It was the objective of the study to determine the suitability of the resulting dusts in reflecting the properties of natural airborne dust. This paper deals specifically with the amount of contamination introduced into the generated dust as a result of abrasion when using nine different grinding methods. The analysis was made by comparing the content of 25 chemical elements in the lab-generated dusts with the same elements in the airborne coal mine dusts. It was found that all the lab-generated dusts possessed contamination but that several methods produced smaller percentages of contamination and that the residence time in the grinding device was an important factor in the contamination levels.

Jan 1, 1992

By A. Arik

The accurate estimation of mining-block grades continues to be a challenging task for ore reserve practitioners. The estimation method used and the variability of the mineralization in the deposit are two factors that affect the accuracy of the estimates. The objectives of this study are to determine how different estimation methods perform on a given deposit and to determine the impact that the nature of the mineralization has on the results. A comparison of several estimation methods for prediction accuracy is performed based on conditional simulation results.

Jan 1, 2002

By William M. Turner

Thermonics is a methodology of ground-water flow system analysis based upon the distribution of heat within the subsurface as influenced by moving ground water. Thermonics is based upon the Stallman Equation 1 (1) which describes the simultaneous transfer of heat through a porous medium which contains moving ground water. The Stallman Equation is:

Jan 1, 1980

By A. Chamaret

Minerals extraction is related to complex sustainable development issues that are subject to international and local controversies. Debates must be based on objective and comparative elements. Defining strong indicators for assessing impacts and performances of mining sites thus appears necessary to inform and support the decision-making process for stakeholders. Recently, many indicator sets have been developed on an international level based on top-down approaches, but they commonly lack legitimacy for stakeholders and adequacy to specific site issues. They thus need to be complemented by the consultation of local actors concerned by such mining activity, in order to define indicators that are closer to the needs and contexts of the specific sites. The question raised by this kind of top-down/bottom-up approach is how to organize and reveal the plurality of values and concerns associated with mining. Based on the principle of representative diversity, the approach undertaken at the Arlit uranium mines in Niger aimed at defining indicators that are understood and accepted by all actors. The aim was to measure the impacts and performances of mining sites in the four sustainable development dimensions, and at local, regional and national scales.

Jan 1, 2007

By L. Xiao, P. Somasundaran

Three major types of solution chemical equilibria-involving minerals, solution, and flotation reagents such as collectors, frothers and modifiers-play a crucial role in determining the behavior of complex flotation systems. Minerals of phosphates (apatite and francolite), tungsten (wolframite and scheelite) and associated carbonates (calcite and dolomite) are sparingly soluble in aqueous solution and form dissolved mineral species in bulk solution. Such dissolved species interact with mineral solids, often resulting in surface conversion of the minerals. In addition, they can interact with various floation reagents and lead to surface or bulk precipitation and loss of selectivity in the flotation. Relevant solution equilibria of such sparingly soluble minerals and their interactions with oleic acid and structurally modified reagents were determined in this study using a multi-pronged experimental approach. Methods to manipulate and control the solution chemical equilibria and thus achieve selectivity in flotation systems are discussed.

Jan 1, 1992

By E. O. Dearden

In the ten years since its discovery the Lac Tio ilmenite-hematite deposit has become one of the world's largest sources of titanium ore. The deposit lies 25 miles north Havre St, Pierre, a fishing village on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River some 400 miles northeast of Quebec City. In 1941, J, A, Retty made a reconnaissance survey of the region for the Quebec Department of Mines. His results, published in 1942 and 1944, described a number of small ilmenite occurrences on the shores of four lakes within the area. Several of these were staked by Montreal and Toronto interests, Two of the claim groups were later optioned by Kennco Explorations, (Canada) Ltd, and a third by the New Jersey Zinc Company, During a detailed exploration program in 1946, Kennco geologists discovered eight ilmenite deposits, one of which was Lac Tio, the largest known body of ilmenite-hematite ore in the world. Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation owned two-thirds by Kennecott and one-third by The New Jersey Zinc Company as organized in 1948 to equip and operate the new mining property. A railroad 27 miles in length was built (completed in 1950) to transport the ore to the St. Lawrence River at Havre St. Pierre, An electric furnace treatment plant, yielding a high purity iron and slag containing 70 m 75 percent Ti02, to process the ore was built at Sorel, Quebec, 550 miles up the river from Havre St. Pierre.

Jan 1, 1958

By G. A. Doyle

Until the suspension of conventional operations in 1996, the White Pine Mine was the second-largest active underground copper mine in the United States, underlying an area of approximately 30 km2 (13 sq. miles) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The mine operator intends to initiate in-stope solution copper mining by circulating a solution (lixiviant) of mine water, sulfuric acid and ferric iron through rubblized ore. As planned, the solution would be retired in the mined-out stopes following completion of the solution-mining activities. Investigations into the fate of the retired solution indicated that the solution, through time, would change from an acidic, metal-rich solution to a near-neutral, reducing solution containing much lower concentrations of metals. Investigations included reaction-path modeling (EQ3/6) and laboratory and in-mine tests. The combination of neutralization and reduction will result in precipitation of most metals, primarily as metallic sulfates, chlorides and sulfides.

Jan 1, 1997