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In the last two decades, equipment used in the coal mining operations has become much more sophisticated. The way that work is organised and performed in the industry has also changed significantly. Changes in equipment specification or procedures inevitably means that the risk associated with that equipment or procedure also changes. In an attempt to address this the Joint Coal Board Occupational Health and Safety Trust (JCB) commissioned the University of New South Wales Mining Research Centre and Mine Site Technologies to perform a feasibility study into the development and deployment of Virtual Reality (VR) based training simulators in the New South Wales coal industry. The main aims of the study were to identify, the key providers of VR Technology, the VR options available to the JCB and the information that would need to be included in any simulator. It was anticipated that a critical assessment of these components would produce a format for a cost effective, state of the art simulator that could be readily accessed by all mines. The expectations of the feasibility study were that VR should offer three-dimensional (3D) simulations that are interactive, high-resolution models of real environments based on best practice Safety Management Plans. It was anticipated that the simulations would allow trainees to experience the consequences of poor decision-making and allow them to learn from their mistakes in a safe and forgiving environment. It was envisaged that such simulators would become an addition to the existing training methods used in the industry.

Jan 1, 2003

By S Cossfo Torres

Minera PenmontÆs gold mine, La Herradura, is located at the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora and consists of an open pit mine and heap leaching facility for the recovery of gold. The production began in July 1998, and today La Herradura produces about 200 000 oz of gold per year. Standard sampling and assaying protocols were established during exploration based on heterogeneity tests. However, at deeper zones of the pit, coarse gold became evident and it was necessary to develop a new sampling protocol in order to minimise the fundamental error and improve the metallurgical accounting. This new sampling protocol requires cyanide leaching the whole pulverised sample from the blasthole, assaying pregnant solution and fire assaying 50 g of tailings. A sampling study was performed on 195 blasthole samples analysing gold under the standard and new protocols. The new protocol demonstrated that the original one underestimated gold grade by approximately 27 per cent, with impacts on ore misclassification and metallurgical accounting. According to the ore grade control system, mineral with gold grade above 0.35 g/t was sent to the leach pad and mineral with lower grade was classified as waste. Based on the sampling study, it was decided to classify a low-grade ore with gold assay between 0.20 and 0.35 g/t which was stored for future treatment under better gold prices or should mine production decrease. These two conditions were present during 2005 and 2006, when about 3.5 Mt of low-grade ore were leached.

Jan 1, 2008

The Archean Gossan Hill Group at Golden Grove, Western Australia, hosts two potentially economic volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits. The volcanic-sedimentary succession hosting this mineralisation is composed of a facies association which includes the products of rhyodacitic to,andesitic effusive volcanism, mass-flow sedimentation and concentrated hydrothermal fluid discharge, in a deep subaqueous setting. The Tertiary Kuroko deposits of Japan are widely compared to Archean volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits and a comparison of the facies associations hosting this style of mineralisation, in these two successions separated widely in time, allows a refinement of facies models suitable for exploration in ancient successions. The required deep subaqueous environment for the formation of volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits places constraints on the physical processes that can operate during accumulation of the host stratigraphy. Limitations on the operation of physical processes is reflected by the resultant facies association which can be used to characterize suitable volcanic-sedimentary successions in which volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation may be present. The facies association includes: (1) proximal effusive volcanic products - lavas and associated autoclastic breccias (2) distal volcanic products - mass-flow resedimented pyroclastic debris (3) background sedimentation - reworked volcanogenic and terrigenous mass-flow sediments and (4) chemical sediments - exhalites including cherts, sulphides and oxides, with perhaps various carbonates and sulphates. Primary pyroclastic deposits are not expected to be present, other than distal water-lain air-fall deposits, derived from shallow to emergent basin margin explosive volcanic centres, which also provide a source for the resedimented pyroclastic debris.

Jan 1, 1987

By M I. Pownceby, M A. Rhamdhani, S Purohit, G Brooks

The use of concentrated solar flux for high temperature metallurgical applications is a wellresearched area with several reported literatures on solar calcination and metal oxide reduction. This paper presents two such processes with potential to reduce the carbon footprint from ironmaking through using concentrated solar flux. The first process involves solar flux incorporation to the recently developed lime-magnetite pellet (LMP) route of magnetite ore agglomeration. The second process is a hybrid solar-smelting route for iron ore-coal composite pellets that utilises solar flux to provide process heat. Both the concepts of solar agglomeration and solar smelting process were investigated using a solar simulator-hybrid reactor set-up at Swinburne University of Technology. Results from solar agglomeration experiments at 950°C suggested no change in the reaction mechanism of the LMPs under solar irradiation compared to electrical heating. The percentage and morphology of the primary phases (mainly CaFe3O5) appeared similar for both solar and electric heated LMPs. The solar-smelting of magnetite concentrate-lignite coal composite pellets at 1130°C showed a maximum metallisation of 55 per cent after 1.5 hrs of reaction. The solar-smelt process has about 25 to 35 per cent lower CO2 emission compared to the blast furnace ironmaking. Technoeconomic analysis of implementing a CST facility in an existing composite pellet process suggested a payback period of about ten years at a heliostat cost of $A100/m2 and natural gas cost of A$10/GJ. The economics of CST implementation can be further enhanced by decreasing the thermal losses from the heliostat field and reactor.

Nov 8, 2021

By A McRae

Much of western New South Wales is characterised by an extensive regolith formed during more than 60 million years of exposure, weathering and erosion. This cover includes intensely weathered in situ regolith and superimposed transported materials of variable thickness, commonly in complex palaeochannel systems. Mineral exploration in this region has been considerably hampered by the cover, which can complicate or maskgeochemical anomalies and also obscure geophysical signatures. A detailed multi-disciplinary study of part of this region, centred on the Cobar-Girilambone area has demonstrated a methodology for exploring through this regolith. The approach involves regolith-landform mapping to establish the main landscape and palaeolandscape elements and to determine the nature and spatial occurrence of different regolith materials. By combining knowledge of the surface distribution of different regolith-landform units with available 3D information on the regolith and geophysical data it is possible to construct simplified derivative maps or exploration ægoÆ maps, which can be used to advise appropriate exploration strategies or help interpret acquired exploration data. This study has also established the major regolith controls on geochemical dispersion and determined key background element associations. These regolith-related element associations can result in highly variable background levels for many trace elements and need to be understood and factored into the analysis of geochemical data for different regolith sampling media. With better knowledge of the regolith it is possible to select the most appropriate exploration techniques and sampling media for a given area, as well as apply appropriate normalisation procedures to the acquired data. Exploration success can be greatly improved by using many existing techniques in æregolith smartÆways.

Jan 1, 2004

The ore deposits investigated are composed primarily of hcmatite and can be grouped into three categories depending on the amount of leaching of silica and carbonate which has occurred from the original iron formation, and on the amount of recrystallization of the hematite. Minor constituents are magnetite. goethite, and quartz.Texturally. there are five different types of hematite, formed at different stages during the genesis of the ores.These are1. anhedral hematite grains formed by recrystallization of hematite already present in the original iron formation.2. hematite formed by martitization of euhedral magnetite, 3. massive aggregates of fine- to medium-grain hematite formed by recrystallization of (l) and (2).4. tabular or prismatic hematite grains occurring around the boundaries of the massive aggregates or martite euhedra. and in fractures and5. specular hematite. which is present in fractures in ore types (l) to (4).Minor and trace-element analyses, determined using an electron-probe microanalyser. indicated that only silica (less than 0·01 per cent) and cobalt (less than 0·002 per cent) were present in the magnetite and hematite from unaltered iron formation and in the hematite from the ores. Low concentrations of trace elements are typical of magnetite in ores formed as marine precipitates. On the basis of the analyses alone. it proved impossible to distinguish between the five hematite types. A determination of the variation in rare-earth trace element contents between iron oxides in the iron formation and iron oxides in the ores indicates that the rare earths were depleted during ore formation. A possible explanation is that they were removed in solution with silica as it was leached from the iron formation.

Jan 1, 1971

By P Gnnther, A M. van Niekerk

Coal mining operations in the Upper Olifants River Catchment in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa are challenged with the increasing production of excess mine water that cannot be fully managed by existing practices of pollution control at source, recycling, and reuse on mining sites, storage and limited release to the natural water course. In contrast to this, the Olifants River Catchment is experiencing water stress and insufficient water is available to satisfy all water quantity and quality requirements for future industrial and municipal growth. It is estimated that the catchment has a deficit of 192 million m3 per annum if the reserve water requirements are taken into account. The future increased water requirements can be met by water transferred to the Olifants River Catchment from adjacent catchments. The cost of transferred water is likely to be substantially higher than the current cost of water supplied to local municipalities, commerce and industry. BHP Billiton and Anglo Coal Corporation are working together to jointly implement water management strategies that will contribute to the achievement of in-stream and dam water quality and aquatic objectives for the catchment. Consideration is now being given to the treatment and beneficial use of excess mine water. This will inaugurate a new era for the coal mining industry in South Africa, in which a pollution threat to the water resources in the Upper Olifants River Catchment is converted into a water source for beneficial use. Three potential mine water reclamation and reuse schemes have been identified and this paper details the technical, institutional, legal and financial considerations in the implementation of these schemes.

Jan 1, 2006

By d&apos, Alton AJ, Rigden DT

Modern petroleum refining offers a complexity of environments, each requiring different metals for the satisfactory performance of-the various sections of the refinery, and this paper first outlines the varied enva.x¦on-ments thus met.It follows that the metal types in use will also vary to suit each particular environment, and the paper' consequently covers the use of ferrous-metals, ranging from plan carbon steels to the high alloy types and the non-ferrous metals, particularly copper and its alloys.The failures of some,of these metals and alloys are then illustrated by experiences it Kwinana. These failures are duo to (a) corrosion, (b) erosion, (c) faulty welding, and (d) mechanical defects,' of which the first is by far the most prevalent. The protective measures taken to prevent subsequent failures are then given under one or other of the following headings :(1) alterations in process conditions, (2) the use of alternative ,alloys,(3) suitable heat treatment, (4) redesign of the failed section, (5) cathodic protection, and (6) use of corrosion inhibitors.Reference is then made to the use of specialised metals and alloys.Metals, generally in the form of oxides or salts, are also used as catalysts in refining processes. Activated alumina is used, combined with silica .forScracking' of heavy oils, and as a support -for platinum, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and similar metals, which catalyse hydro-genation and dehydrogenation-processes. .In the final formulation of petroleum products metallic compounds may be added. Reference is made to the large quantities of lead used by the petroleum industry and to the use of metallic soaps and detergents in the formulation of lubricating oils and greases.

Jan 1, 1962

By Binns MJ

Gold/silver orebodies of the Golden Plateau deposit, Cracow, Central Queensland, are currently being exploited by the Cracow Mining Venture. A geostatistical block model has been prepared to assist with long term mine planning. The Golden Plateau orebody, of inferred epithermal origin, is a multiply brecciated, silicified fault complex containing irregular, tabular and pipe- like oreshoots. Historically the lode has been stoped and open cut over a strike length of 750 metres at widths of up to 15 metres and to a depth of 250 metres. The Golden Plateau mine produced 1.55 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 12 g/t Au and 13.5 g/t Ag over a 42 year period. In the preparation of the reserve model much reliance has been placed on recent diamond and reverse circulation drilling (71 holes in total). However a significant volume of data has been derived from historical level assays and underground diamond drilling. Over 3,000 level assays and 50 underground drill holes contributed to the database. Similar lognormal populations were observed for 1 metre composite grades from each major drilling campaign once corrections were made for core loss. Cumulative frequency plots revealed only one outlier which was cut to the population line. The population statistics from the historical level assays showed a significant difference from those derived from the drill hole composites. Level assay populations were cut to local drill hole populations before incorporation into the ore reserve model. The resulting data has yielded interpretable variograms, the parameters of which have been applied to the preparation of a kriged block model of the deposit.

Jan 1, 1987

The purpose of this paper is to present a detailed account of the development of the Blasthole Diamond Drilling method of stoping now used at the property of Big Bell Mines Limited, in Western Australia.The ore body is one of the large low grade gold deposits of this State, being a continuous lens 1,850 ft. long and ranging in width from 15 ft. at the ends to 120 ft. at the widest part, the average width being 59 ft. It was first worked in 1913 by a local syndicate, and up to 1924, when operations ceased, 64,448 tons of 3.4 dwt. ore were mined from a shallow open cut. Between 1928 and 1932, 15 deep diamond drill holes were put down to test the ore body at vertical depths ranging from 100 to 700 ft. On the information gained from these drill holes, Premier Gold Mining Co. Ltd. began underground explQration. A level was driven at a depth of 253 ft. and crosscuts put out to the full width of the, orebody at intervals of 100 ft. along the strike, all ore broken being put through a sampling plant. On completion of this sampling,' Big Bell Mines Limited was formed as the operating company, and a plant with a capacity of 1,000 long tons per day was erected and mining and milling operations were commenced in 1937. Ore was first mined from glory hole stopes, 65 ft. long, separated by 35 ft. pillars, by benching using conventional steel with changes up to 20 ft., all broken ore being hauled to the main shaft on the...

Jan 1, 1948

The Quioma Mine is located along the axis of the Cordillera Oriental, 130 km southeast of Cochabamba, South Central Bolivia. Silver, lead, zinc, antimony, and gold have been intermittently produced from veins in the Quioma area since Colonial times. Mineralization occurs within steeply dipping fissure veins transecting moderately folded Lower Ordovician sediments. Tectonic activity is early to mid-Tertiary and the vein system parallels the fold axis of a major northwest-southeast striking, doubly plunging anticline. Vein sets occur within a 2 km wide band over a strike distance of 13 km along the northeast limb of the anticline. Economic mineralization occupies syntectonic pre-mineral fault zones developed in more competent stratigraphis units of Lower Ordovician clastic sediments. Veins average 55 cm in width, although mineralized structures up to 3 m wide with a known strike length of several hundred meters have been mined. Mineralization consists of siderite, argentifferous galena, sphalerite, and quartz, with minor amounts of chalcopyrite, barite, and bournonite. Pyrite is rare except at the Boston vein where it occurs with stibnite that contains trace amounts of gold. A marked characteristic of veins in the district is evidence of repeated stages of movement during mineralization. Intrusive rocks are rare in the Quioma area. Narrow porphyritic dikes of Andesitic composition averaging 1 m in thickness have been observed. These dikes occasionally show a close spatial relationship to the veins and are often kaolinized and carbonitized. Vein and dike contacts are sharp and alteration does not appear to extend into the wall rock. Mineral zoning is suggested by antimony mineralization observed in peripheral areas of the anticline.

Jan 1, 1987

By Gibson G, Jaques L

The Broken Hill Exploration Initiative (BHEI) is a collaborative venture between the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), Mines and Energy South Australia (MESA) and the New South Wales Department of Mineral Resources (NSWDMR) to provide a new generation of geoscientific information to promote and enhance the exploration for, and discovery of, new deposits in the Broken Hill region. The area under investigation (Figure 1) exceeds 150 000 square kilometres on either side of the NSW-SA border and is centred on the city of Broken Hill. N.T. I I OL n. WA 8A I Maw. AC,7 !ii oFCU vlc~ ~T. Fia I - Nlap showing the 150 000 square kilometre regwa,. i.i lcr investigation by the Broken HiII Exploration Initiauvr highlighted on the map of Australia. A major impediment to the exploration for, and to the understanding of, the genesis of the world-class Broken Hill Pb-Ag-Zn deposit is the structural and metamorphic complexit\ of the region. Important objectives of the BHEI are therefore: I. the definition of the three-dimensional structure of the province, 2. the deformation history, and 3. the stratigraphic and age relationships of the rock units. Early discussions between the BHEI partners and industry scientists revealed that new geophysical surveys would be a key requirement to help advance the understanding of the province, especially a contiguous high resolution airborne geophysical dataset covering both outcrop and areas of shallow surficial cover. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the new high resolution airborne geophysical data and to discuss their interpretation and potential for enhancing the knowledge of the Willyama Supergroup geology.

Jan 1, 1997

By Juniper LA

ERM Consultants Pty Ltd was established in 1980 for the purpose of introducing a disciplined coal technology and power station planning service, to support Australia's efforts in establishing a major export steaming coal industry. At that time, major coal exploration programs were mounted on more than 50 potential export coal deposits with proven open-cut reserves to export 200 Mt/a of coal. The fact that Australia achieved an export trade of only 30 Mt/a, equivalent to the energy requirements for a population of around 5 million people, illustrates the very small achievement to date. The main reasons for this small export steaming coal growth have been: 1. Failure to convince potential overseas coal buyers of the benefits of coal-fired power generation, and the ability of proper power station design to overcome environmental problems, and achieve reliable operation and long life when burning Australian coals. 2. Failure to promote Australian power engineers to advise on the use of Australian coals, resulting in Northern Hemisphere power station experience dominating in market countries. 3. Failure of governments to draw on privately practising Australian power engineers and coal technologists in technical workshops, presentations and assistance to overseas countries, to ensure that personnel whose business it was to serve the follow-on needs of countries were readily available. The result of these failures has been that: 1. Only a fraction of prospective overseas coal-fired power projects have proceeded. 2. Australia has had no influence in the design of overseas power stations to ensure that potential customers would be confident that Australian coals could be reliably burnt in their boilers.

Jan 1, 1987

By Wright D. J

Successful heap leaching depends on three major factors: 1. Chemical conditions appropriate for the dissolution of the valuable metal; 2. Contact between the leach solution and the valuable metal particles; and 3. Movement of the leach solution through, and out of, the heap. Given that appropriate chemical conditions can be provided, and the individual particles have sufficient permeability to allow solute/solvent contact, the problem of getting the solution to and from the particles remains. Non-uniform percolation of solution throughout the heap, caused by the presence of fines, is a common problem which occurs, to some extent, with all heap leachable ore. The conventional solution to this problem is agglomeration, which involves the attachment of fine particles to larger particles, effectively modifying the size distribution by preventing the fine particles from acting on their own. While agglomeration must be considered as an extremely effective technique with virtually no limit to its application from a technical point of view, its application is limited by economic considerations. A new technique has been developed which is not only a low cost alternative to agglomeration, but also has the potential for enabling the application of low cost heap and vat leach techniques to a significantly wider range of ores than current practice would suggest. The new technique, known as Electrokinetic Leaching, utilises electro-osmotic flow to enhance percolation through the heap. This paper describes and presents results of the laboratory testing, pilot heap operation and commercial application of Electrokinetic Leaching of a low grade gold ore and a tailings deposit. Comparative cost analyses between conventional and the alternative processing techniques are presented.

Jan 1, 1994

In order to meet the increasing demand for coal for their Newcastle Steel Works, the Broken Hill Pty. Co. Ltd., on June 5, 1937, approved of a scheme to sink a tunnel to the Victoria Seam at their Burwood Colliery. This seam was virgin at this locality and lay nominally horizontal at a depth of 320ft. vertical from the surface.For the purpose of despatch of the coal produced it was decided that the tunnel be equipped with a rubber belt conveyor system.This was a comparatively new departure in Australia, and, indeed, was one of the first installations of its kind in the world, designed to raise coal from considerable depth by this means. Later the tunnel was extended to the Borehole Seam, which lay nominally horizontal at a vertical depth of 600ft. from the surface. The whole installation is the subject of this paper.In planning a project of this kind, consideration had to be given to the following:-1. Location of tunnel with regard to existing surface railway sidings and shafts.2. Ultimate tonnage required.3. Width and construction of belt.4. Speed of belt.5. Inclination of belts.6. Number of belts and design of equipment.7. Cross-sectional area of tunnel.8. Inclination of tunnel.9. Surface drainage.10. Type of equipment for drifting the tunnel.11. Method of ventilating the tunnel during sinking.After the general layout and design of the scheme had been prepared it was decided that tunnel drifting would begin immediately and that the belt installation, together with the feeder plant, would be detailed and manufactured by the time the drift...

Jan 1, 1947

By M Rankin, F Medina, R Verburg

We conducted a preliminary assessment of an extensive deposit of historic tailings discharged over a period of 40 years to the shoreline along a Southern Peruvian coastline. The tailings formed an extensive beach approximately 2.4 km long and 300 m wide. The tailings consist principally of pyrite (37 to 59 per cent), hematite (nine to 20 per cent), magnetite (three to 13 per cent) and quartz (11 to 36 per cent). The present operating company was required to evaluate the feasibility of capping the ocean side tailings deposit, however, given the size of the undertaking and the potential to reclaim residual minerals from the tailings, it was prudent to first evaluate whether capping would in fact reduce the impacts to the marine environment. Therefore this preliminary assessment examined: 1. metals contamination in tailings, shoreline porewater and marine sediments; 2. reactivity of tailings and acid generation potential; and 3. the potential for biological effects from metal contamination in the uplands tailings (solid phase) and beach porewater. Based on mineralogy, column leach studies and chemical results, the upland tailings have a high geochemical potential to acidify and release metals, especially copper, nickel and zinc, should they be subject to oxygenated and aqueous conditions. But, the extreme arid climate results in very low potential for precipitation and virtually precludes the transport of acid drainage reaction products from the upland tailings towards ocean. Wind erosion caused by offshore winds is likely a small source of tailing transport to the ocean. Since some potential exists to reprocess the tailings in the future, capping does not seem justified at present.

Jan 1, 2003

By A S. M A Haseeb

Zircon is the second in abundance among the heavy minerals occurring in the beach sand along the coastal belt of Bangladesh. In this study a detailed characterisation of Bangladesh zircon extracted at the pilot plant of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission at CoxÆs Bazar has been attempted using chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. From the chemical analysis it is found that Bangladesh zircon has a purity of 95.88 per cent. The main impurity in Bangladesh zircon is titanium oxide (3.01 per cent). This is followed by iron oxide (0.42 per cent). A number of other oxides are also found. Microscopic study revealed that Bangladesh zircon has an elongated, prismatic shape with pyramidal termination in about half of the grains while the rest are more or less rounded. Some fractured and irregular grains are also found. Bulk sample of Bangladesh zircon in the as-received condition shows a yellowish brown color. However, individual zircon grains are seen to be almost colourless and transparent under polarised light. XRD study confirmed good crystallinity in the sample. Under the microscope it is found that zircon grains constitute 94 per cent while total impurities amount to six per cent in Bangladesh zircon. This result agrees fairly well with the chemical analysis results. Microscopic study identifies oxides of titanium (both rutile and ilmenite) to be the main impurity, in conformity with the findings of chemical analysis. Further, monazite was also identified as an impurity under the microscope. An iron bearing coating is also found on a few zircon grains. Most of the impurities found in Bangladesh zircon exist as discrete minerals.

Jan 1, 2000

The investigations of the Leningrad ruining lilstitute on this problem are carrying out in the following main directions: 1) The analysis and study of contaminants migration at particular sites of mining development; 2) The working out of theoretical and me- thodical basic principles of aquifers migration tests; 3) The work- ing out of methods of the forcasting of groundwater pollution pro- cesses; 4) The theoretical and uethodical substantiation of hydro- geological observations of groundwater pollution processes; 5) The wort ing out of the measures at the groundwater control and their rational use at the particular sites of mining development. The research that have been carried out by the present moment have covered the wide range of wining and geological conditions -- as from the point of view of specific genetic types of water-be- aring rocks (porous, fissured and fissured-porous), as well as from the point of view of pollution sources (surface waste water basins and underground basins of non-standard water) and the cha- racter of the latter's migration (tracers, physically neutral ef- fluents, heavy or light ones). The combination of specialized mi- gration tests and observations carryed out at uoayi, sites, as well as the following ar~,alysis o:i the data of field study allowed to get useful theoretical, methodical and practical results on the all directions above mentioned, ns the summing up of these results the author proposed the concept of controlled ground :ester polluti on. This conception is based on three whales" - groundwater self- purification, engineering prevention measures and ground-water monitoring correlated with each other by succes i.vely refined (ac- cording to the observation data) hydrogeologicZl forecasts.

Jan 1, 1988

By Manlapig EV, Lawson F, Clarkson CJ

A low grade middling sample from Mount Isa, Australia, assaying 31.7 per cent zinc, 12.9 per cent lead and 14.5 per cent iron was leached under atmospheric pressure in sulphate and sulphate-chloride solutions with ferric ions as oxidants. About 96 per cent of the contained zinc was dissolved into a 0.5 M H2SO4 - 0.5 M Fe2(SO4)3 solution at 90¦C within three hours from a five per cent by weight slurry density mixture. The leaching process is very temperature-dependent, suggesting a surface chemical control. In the latter stage, the leaching rates levelled off and the leaching was most probably controlled by both surface chemical reaction and diffusion processes. The addition of chloride ions in the leach solution resulted in an increase in the leaching rate. About 95 per cent of the lead sulphide contained was converted to lead sulphate which precipitated and remained in the residue. Essentially no lead remained in solution and the low chloride concentration did not affect the precipitation of lead sulphate. Half of the iron orginally present remained in the residue as pyrite although essentially all the cadmium and 90 per cent of the copper initially present were dissolved. Some three per cent of sulphide sulphur was oxidised through to sulphate, about 67 per cent was converted to elemental sulphur which can be recovered by solvent extraction, the rest remained in the residue mainly as pyrite. Ferric sulphate and sulphate-chloride solutions can be used to effectively leach finely ground lead-zinc middlings and other bulk sulphide concentrates. A complete separation of zinc from lead and silver has been demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1993

Aspects of the formation, decomposition and acid solubility of zinc ferrite were examined to find potential ways of increasing the recovery of zinc from a calcination process of mineral concentrates. Ferrite can begin to form within 2 hours at 450¦C. while complete reaction can occur after 35 minutes at 700¦C. The nature of the starting materials has a pronounced effect on the rate of formation and below 700¦C. ZnSO4 and Fe2O3 proved to be the least reactive of the materials investigated. It is possible that iron in a mineral admixed h sphalerite can be converted to a relatively inactive form, however, it does not seem possible to prevent zince f formation when iron is in the sphalerite lattice. At the two temperatures examined, 650¦C. and 700¦C, the presence of SO2 in the atmosphere accelerate .e formation of ferrite. Prolonged exposure to such atmospheres, however, caused the ferrite to decompose to ZnSO4 and Fe203. The optimum temperature for decomposition was 650¦C. and it was virtually complete within 2 hours in an atmosphere of 10% SO2 in air. Zinc ferrite was also decomposed by CO at low concentrations, and by heating with limestone at 1000¦C. for at least 2 hours. The solubility of zinc ferrite in acid was influenced by the starting materials used. As both the reaction temperature and the time at temperature increased the acid solubility decreased. The acid solubility was a minimum when the ___i_.. n - I -r~...................c -..... F, fe..i+e --A frn... A01- +^ Z(lo/

Jan 1, 1970