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By R. E. Phillips, L. A. Cramer, R. T. Jones

Atomaer (Pty) Ltd is a technology-driven company with interests in Western Australian nickel. Atomaer (RSA) Pty Ltd is a process technology company operating in Southern Africa. It is a subsidiary of Atomaer Holdings Pty Limited (Atomaer), which has operating companies in Australia, Africa, South America, and Europe. In addition, Atomaer has substantial shareholdings in Braemore Resources Plc, a nickel company with interests in sulphide nickel projects in Western Australia and Southern Africa listed on the Alternative Investment Market of London Stock Exchange (AIM); Mintails Limited, a gold company with interests in gold operations in South Africa listed on the Australia Stock Exchange; and Brinkley Mining Plc, a uranium company with interests in Southern Africa listed on the AIM. Independence Platinum Limited (IPt) has been formed by Atomaer to undertake the commercial development and exploitation of Mintek's ConRoast technology with the strategic objective of providing independent smelting and refining facilities with lower capital and operating costs for the treatment and processing of platinum concentrates, including those with high chrome and/or nickel and/or low platinum group metal values, for the development of platinum projects by junior resource companies in South Africa. The platinum mines of South Africa have traditionally exploited the Merensky Reef of the Bushveld Complex for platinum production. However, the mining of this reef is reaching depths that require significant vertical shaft systems and costly refrigeration for access to the ore bodies at deeper levels. In the past decade, all of the platinum producers have begun to mine the UG2 reef because of its cheaper mining costs. UG2 ore usually has lower platinum group metal contents and higher chrome values. The new junior resource companies have gained access primarily to UG2 reefs. Consequently, platinum mining is becoming more UG2-based and the resulting concentrates contain high levels of chromitite. UG2 concentrates are difficult to smelt in the current six-in-line submerged arc furnaces, and this leads to increased capital and operating costs for those smelting operations. The platinum mines of South Africa produce the majority of the world's platinum metal used in automotive catalysts and jewellery. As the platinum market is forecast to grow at a healthy rate into the future, the SA producers Anglo Platinum, Impala, Lonmin, and Northam are planning to expand mining operations in the next decade. Furthermore, a number of smaller new producers who are accessing other mineral resources are entering the buoyant market and will produce platinum concentrates for purchase or toll treatment. Hence, a shortage in both smelting and refining capacities is anticipated. Further smelting and refining facilities independent of the major platinum producers will be required in South Africa by 2010. Mintek's ConRoast technology is best suited to fill the need to treat a high proportion of UG2 concentrates in a cost-effective and technically efficient manner. Atomaer base metals technology has been developed for rapid leaching of nickel and other base metals from alloy. Significant reductions in capital and operating costs are expected from the combination of the two advances in process technology compared with that installed at the existing smelters and refineries that were established over 20 years ago. Independence Platinum will be listed on AIM and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2007, and developed as an independent, vertically-integrated platinum company using its independent smelting and base metals refining facilities as a strategic platform to promote the development and mining of platinum projects by junior resource companies in South Africa through technical co-operation, strategic alliances, joint ventures, off-take, toll-refining, and marketing agreements.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. Åstrand, M. Johansson

"Advanced planning and automation are increasingly important in modern mines. Sophisticated methods for long-term mine planning are often used, and the advent of autonomous machines makes the actual operation more predictable. However, the interface between these two timescales, i.e. the scheduling of the mobile production fleet, often limits the ability to operate mines at maximum profitability. We show how scheduling the production fleet in an underground mine can be modelled as a flow shop. A flow shop is a general abstract process formulation that captures the key properties of a scheduling problem without going into specific details. Thus, the flow shop enables mine scheduling to reap the benefits of scheduling research from other industries. We review recent results from the mining community and the flow shop community, and introduce scheduling methods used in these two fields. This work aims at providing value to researchers from the mining community who want to leverage their skill set, as well as to theoretical researchers by presenting the mining process as a potential application area. Lastly, we discuss the results, and outline some future challenges and opportunities facing the industry. IntroductionThe margins in underground mining are constantly under pressure since costs increase as the mine becomes deeper. One major component influencing the operational performance, and thus the profitability of an underground mine, is how the mobile machinery and staff are coordinated. Today, the coordination of the underground fleet, i.e. scheduling of the machines, is mostly done manually, with methods that are stretched to their limit and with no guarantees on performance. According to a survey of more than 200 high-level executives in mining companies around the world (Mincom, 2011), the top challenge for modern mines is to maximize production effectiveness, rather than improving the reliability of individual items of equipment. This highlights the importance of coordination on a system level.The effectiveness of mine production can be increased by introducing supportive algorithms in the scheduling process. These algorithms enable mines to construct optimized schedules with respect to custom metrics. Additionally, manual scheduling is a tedious and error-prone task where the performance is heavily dependent on the scheduler. To reduce the staff dependency, supportive algorithms can help to achieve more uniform outcomes, resulting in a more predictable process. In turn, this increases the transparency of the mining process through the entire production chain. It is worth noting that automatic scheduling has proved beneficial in many other industries, such as chemicals and metals (Floudas and Lin, 2004; Tang et al., 2001)."

Dec 1, 2018

By C. Liu, F. Ye

"To extend the variety of lump ores that are used in the COREX shaft furnace and to optimize iron ore blending, the original evaluation method for iron ores that was proposed by Voestalpine AG has been improved. Physicochemical and metallurgical properties of iron ores, including Sishen lump ore and CVRD pellets, which are currently used in the COREX process, and three other lump ores, were assessed and compared. Ore matching principles were proposed and five optimized iron ore blending schemes designed and verified by laboratory experiments to prove the effectiveness of the improved evaluation method. The replacement of Sishen lump ore by the alternative L2 and L3 lump ores without varying the proportion of CVRD pellets could improve the degree of reduction and rate of metallization, and decrease the bonding index. Based on the results of laboratory test work and industrial- trials, an ore blending scheme of 60% CVRD, 20% L2, and 20% L3 is recommended for use in the COREX process. IntroductionIn recent years, problems such as environmental pollution and a shortage of coke and coal resources for blast-furnace ironmaking have become increasingly apparent. Based on sustainable developments in the iron- and steelmaking industries, the environmentally friendly COREX smelting-reduction process with low energy consumption was developed and introduced (Zhou and Du, 2013; Song, Lv, and Yin, 2015; Xu et al., 2016; Kurunov, 2010). The evaluation system for lump ore that was proposed by Voestalpine AG recommends that only Sishen lump ore from South Africa be used in the COREX process, because of the stringent physicochemical and metallurgical property requirements. This situation significantly hampers improvements to the technical and economic aspects of the COREX ironmaking process, especially in China (Eberle, Siuka, and Bohm, 2006). No theoretical or technical basis has been provided for the evaluation system, and the assessment approach for iron ores also presents problems that need to be discussed and resolved.The COREX process consists of two reactors: the prereduction shaft furnace and the melting gasifier as shown in Figure 1 (Wu et al., 2017). Pellets and lump ores which are charged to the prereduction shaft should have a good reducibility and metallization with a low degradation index (Li et al., 2016; Wu et al., 2011; Kumar et al., 2009; Kang, Gupta, and Sahajwalla, 2007). The properties and microstructure of the iron ore pellets which are required to achieve a high productivity and a lower fuel rate in the COREX process have been investigated (Umadevi et al., 2011). Some efforts have also been made to investigate the behaviour of lump ores in the COREX shaft furnace, including the disintegration characteristics and the reduction degradation (Umadevi et al., 2011; Zhou et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2013; Li, Feng, and Zou, 2013; Hou et al., 2014). However, few studies have focused on the optimization of ore blending for partial or total substitution of the expensive Sishen lump ore by other, cheaper lump ores to reduce the production cost. The technology for the utilization of blended lump ores in the COREX process is still in its early development stages (Zhou et al., 2017; You et al., 2017)."

May 1, 2019

From its early beginnings, shortly after the Witwatersrand gold rush of 1886, Randfontein Estates was planned as a heavyweight operation. The venture was capitalized by J .B. Robinson to the tune of £2 million at time when syndicates were loath to invest £50000 in ventures in and around the new metropolis, Johannesburg, which had sprung up midway along the Witwatersrand. But by then Robinson was a colossus among his contemporaries. Operating as a loner as he had done on the Kimberley diamond fields, where he created his own individual fortune and commanded the sort of respect which, early in his career, led to his election as Mayor of Kimberley. When news of a third gold discovery in the Transvaal (the first two had been in the Pilgrim's Rest and Barberton areas) reached Kimberley, Robinson's pioneering spirit was further stired and he hastened to the new goldfield to stake his claims before his business adversaries- Rhodes, John X. Meriman, Hans Sauer, and Caldecot-could entrench themselves. Once the new Witwatersrand goldfields had been proclaimed, claimpegging started in earnest. But the question was: where to start? Diamond men al, not one of the financiers had any knowledge of the geology of the gold-bearing formations.

Jan 1, 1989

By N. Naude, L. S. Leal Filho, M. P. Tshazi

In this paper, the authors performed experiments in the Denver and Leeds laboratory flotation devices at the University of Pretoria at various particle sizes to evaluate the performance of the devices. Quartz was used in a single mineral system at discrete sizes fractions, -25 μm, +25- 45 μm, +45-75 μm, and +75-106 μm. Hydrodynamic analysis, based on dimensionless power and Reynolds numbers, indicated that the Leeds cell required higher power input to achieve comparable flow conditions. Specifically, the Leeds cell exhibited an average power number of 1.03, whereas the Denver cell averaged 0.77 within the same impeller speed range of 1000 rpm–1500 rpm. For comparative flotation performance, impeller speeds were calibrated, resulting in operating speeds of 1200 rpm for the Denver cell and 1400 rpm for the Leeds cell. The cells performed similarly at two coarser-sized fractions. However, some deviations were observed in the finer particle size range. The -25 μm (fine) fraction initially achieved a recovery of only 15%. An additional reagent dosage was required to enhance the recovery of this fraction significantly. These findings highlighted the influence of particle size on flotation recovery. For all experiments, the Denver laboratory flotation cell outperformed (defined by higher recovery) the Leeds device, while still operating at a lower impeller speed. This advantage can be attributed to its impeller-stator design and air dispersion features, effectively overcoming slurry resistance and resulting in superior flotation performance compared to the Leeds cell.

May 27, 2025

By M. David

This paper addresses the problem of technological transfer in geostatistics. Expert systems have become popular in certain fields because the needs of the industry are not provided for by traditional concepts and systems of education. The explicit knowledge approach in developing expert systems is presented through two experiments. The first describes a dedicated system written in GOLDEN LISP and the second a shell, using INSIGHT2, which has more general applications. Using expert systems forces on the user a new approach to parameter definition, and as an example an original method for the research of any anisotropy axes is developed which might well be useful in traditional programming. Two examples of application to a coal and a gold deposit are given.

Jan 1, 1987

The following is available free of charge from the Bismuth Institute, rue Brederode 9, B-I000 Brussels, Belgium: The chemical analysis of bismuth. Automatic methods of guiding welding heads along butt joints. Investigations into lamellar tearing. A technical survey of seam tracking methods in welding. Review - Seawater corrosion handbook, by M. Schumacher (editor). New Jersey, Noyes Data Corporation, 1979. New journal February 1979 marked the appearance of a new monthly journal, Lloyd's Shipping Economist. New edition Gasification of coal, a basic study of existing processes and new developments, by H. D. Schilling, B. Bonn, and U. Krauss (edited by W. Peters). Essen (West Germany), Verlag Gltickauf GMBH, 1979. 2nd revised edition. 336 pp. 68DM (approximately R32). In German. South African technikons The six autonomous colleges for advanced technical education in South Africa were established in terms of the Advanced Technical Education Act (Act 40 of 1967). However, since the inception of these colleges, it has become clear that members of the public find the name difficult to use and to remember. Consequently, these colleges, which play such an important role in the community, were not always correctly identified. Die forging The 9th International Conference on Die Forging will be held from Monday, 4th to Saturday 9th May, 1981, in Diisseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany. It is being organized jointly by the Forging Committee of the Verein Deutscher Eisenhiittenleute and the Vereinigung Deutscher Freiformschmieden. High-temperature alloys An International Conference on the Behaviour of High Temperature Alloys in Aggressive Environments will be held in Petten (North-Holland) from 15th to 18th October, 1979. Strategic minerals The National symposium on the availability of strategic minerals, which is being organized by the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy in collaboration with the Fellowship of Engineering, will be held at the London Press Centre, New Street Square, London EC4, on 20th and 21st November, 1979. The symposium has as its main objective consideration of those minerals that may pose problems of availability in the United Kingdom. Underwater mining The 10th Annual Underwater Mining Institute is scheduled for 1st to 3rd October, 1979, at Galveston, Texas. The Institute will be cosponsored by the Sea Grant College Programs of the University of Wisconsin and Texas A & M University and by the Marine Science Institute of the University of Texas it is being held in co-operation with the Association for Marine Mining. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut Vir Mynbou En Metallurgie - Inligting Oor Lidmaatskap.

Jan 1, 1979

By M. M. Masood, G. Y. Raju, T. Verma

The inverse velocity method has proven to be an effective approach for predicting slope failures in surface mines by analysing displacement monitoring data. However, the accuracy of inverse velocity method predictions is significantly affected by instrumental noise and natural environmental variations, which influence the identification of different deformation stages. To enhance predictive accuracy, this study applies and evaluates three filtering techniques to velocity time series data: Exponential smoothing filter, short-term smoothing filter, long-term smoothing filter and also compares it to raw data (no filtering). A refined prediction framework, that is, filtered inverse velocity method analyser, is proposed to improve slope failure forecasting in surface mining operations. The results demonstrate that filter selection plays a crucial role in optimising failure time predictions, offering valuable insights for geotechnical monitoring and early warning systems in surface mines.

Sep 1, 2025

By H. J. Swanepoel, N. B. Strydom

Groups of up to twelve new recruits to the industry were subjected to climatic room acclimatization for either five, seven, eight or nine days prior to being tested for the degree to which they had been acclimatized. These tests were done at 32,2 0C (wet bulb) at a wind velocity of about 0,4 m/sec and the men worked for four hours at a rate of 215,6 kg m/min on one day and at a rate of 431,2 kg m/min on the second day. The results indicated that there is no significant difference between the degrees of acclimatization obtained by the eight- and nineday procedures which confirms the conculsions drawn in a previous report1. The eight-day procedure can thus be claimed to be perfectly adequate and safe. Decreasing the period of exposure to five or seven days would however, not be justified because of the significant differences in physiological responses that were observed on both test days between men acclimatized for these periods and those acclimatized for nine days. It is concluded that it would be unsafe to employ these shorter periods of acclimatization when underground environmental temperatures at which the men are to work, exceed 31 0C (wet bulb).

By K. C. Corin, M. Tadie, R. M. Manenzhe

The near depletion of high-grade ores, among other factors, has necessitated the consideration of alternative PGM sources. Various factors in the metallurgical processing of ores result in valuable minerals being lost to the tailings, and hence, PGM tailings are a possible alternative PGM source. However, as the value residing in PGM tailings remains unquantified and uncharacterised, there is a challenge in knowing the recoverable fraction of value contained in PGM wastes. This paper outlines the in-situ techniques of oxygen uptake and EDTA extraction for their possible use for determining the recoverable value in PGM tailings. Both methods have shown efficiency in determining the weathering of sulphide minerals and sulphide-bearing ores. Keywords: PGM tailings, tailing retreatment, oxidation, oxygen decay, EDTA

Jan 1, 2020

By E. Arghavani, S. H. Amiri, S. Zare, F. Sepehri, M. Ramezanizadeh

Mineral processing plants include different stages like crushing, grinding, classification and concentration, all of which have partially affect the final product. To identify and solve the related problems of each stage, process audition should be carried out continuously to find the major solutions of improving product and decreasing the maintenance and operating costs. The Iranian Gohar-Zamin iron ore beneficiation plant consists of equipment such as gyratory and cone crushers, high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), ball mill, dry and wet double-deck vibrating screens, hydrocyclones cluster, magnetic drum separators, thickener and horizontal vacuum belt filters. The defects of initial design as well as current non-standard operating conditions of equipment were monitored and detected and the opportunities for process optimisation were presented as follows: establishing the control loop of power draw for cone crushers, the modification of feeding chute in cone crushers to minimise the non-uniform wear of parts, removing segregation in the fresh feed bin and screen’s circulating load chute in order to provide the proper feed to HPGR, reducing wear rate on HPGR rolls surfaces, decreasing the amount of rejected materials in screen, equalising the solid content and particle size distribution (PSD) of feed in all magnetic drum separators and equalising the PSD of hydrocyclones overflow. This paper provides a guideline for the mineral processing industry to focus its efforts on process design to deliver the efficiency with minimum capital costs. Keywords: Process audition, gyratory crusher, cone crusher, HPGR, screening, hydrocyclones, magnetic drum separators

Jan 1, 2020

By J. O. Roux

The Impala Platinum Limited Base Metals Refinery in Springs, South Africa, refines convertor matte containing base metals and PGM?s (platinum group metals) using a hydrometallurgical process. In addition to a PGM-rich concentrate that is further refined, the Base Metals Refinery produces nickel (in powder or briquette form), copper cathodes and cobalt powder. Five leaching stages are utilized to remove the base metals and impurities from the PGM concentrate. The project described in this paper involves a radical redesign of the second stage leach autoclave with the aim of reducing maintenance costs and downtime, increasing throughput and ensuring a safer working environment. The second stage leach process at the Base Metals Refinery, produces a PGM-rich residue through the extraction of copper and any remaining base metals from the first stage leach solid residue material. Leaching is performed in an autoclave operating at a pressure of 600 kPaG and a temperature of 140°C to 150°C. Concentrated H2SO4 is added to the feed to produce a solution with a free acid content between 10 and 30 g/L and a pH of less than 2. Oxygen is passed into the 1st and 2nd compartments of the autoclave. As a result of the aggressive, highly oxidizing conditions within the autoclave, the original design utilized a heavy wall carbon steel shell with lead lining and two layers of acid bricks. The bricks acted as a wear resistant material and ensured a low surface temperature at the skin of the lead lining, whereas the lead lining acted as a corrosion barrier to protect the steel shell. These brick lined autoclaves were heavy, maintenance intensive and prone to catastrophic failure. A radical autoclave redesign was needed to reduce the high costs of manufacturing, installation and operation. Finite element modelling was used to optimize the design and various high alloy materials were investigated for the application. Based on extensive test work, the carbon steel shell was replaced with duplex SAF 2205 stainless steel in the new design. The use of this highly corrosion resistant material, eliminates the need for the lead and brick linings and reduces the wall thickness requirements substantially, resulting in an increase in the available volume for the same external shell dimensions. The vessel is welded in circular sections to form an elongated, impermeable, cylindrical body, with several agitator nozzles and compartments. The first new duplex stainless steel unit has been in continuous operation for more than 24 months and its performance has exceeded the highest expectations. The design was so successful that a patent has been registered. The major benefits of the new stainless steel design include increased throughput, improved performance, less downtime and a safer working environment. Lead has been eliminated and replaced with a more environmentally safe material, and the total lifespan of the vessel has been extended. In addition, the autoclave project has made significant developments in advancing the field of welding and optimizing the integrity of welding quality standards in South Africa.

Jan 1, 2009

By D. Bessinger, J. Rabe, J. Zietsman, C. Coetzee, P. H. Lamont, J. Muller

The UCAR® CHILL-KOTE? freeze lining concept combines wall cooling with carbon and graphite refractories of higher thermal conductivities to ?chill? the refractory lining by transferring heat from the refractory lining. Effective sidewall water cooling, together with the efficiency of the heat dissipating conductive refractories, lowers the temperature of the lining to below that of the molten process materials. This causes a layer of slag and process metal to solidify or ?freeze? and form a protective ?skull? which completely coats the refractory hot face. Once formed, the slag skull insulates the refractories, reducing heat loss and protect the lining from erosion, chemical attack, thermal shock, and other stresses. The result: extended life and greatly improved refractory performance. The Ilmenite smelting process depends on the presence of a solidified slag skull to protect sidewall refractory material from chemical attach by molten slag. No known refractory material is able to withstand this corrosive material. To date, UCAR has not applied their Chill Kote ? technology in the ilmenite smelting industry. This paper revolves around the results obtained from conducting an ilmenite smelting campaign on a 500kW DC open-arc furnace with a UCAR designed refractory system. The purpose of this test was to establish the effects such a lining has on refractory wear and the reduction-smelting process. Proper thermo-couple management enabled the authors to monitor lining wear for the duration of the campaign. Prior to the pilot-scale campaign, modeling work was completed to evaluate the feasibility of applying UCAR® CHILL-KOTE? technology to ilmenite smelting furnaces. The successful operation of a pilot-scale furnace equipped with the UCAR® CHILL-KOTE? lining as well as concise modeling suggest that it should be a viable option to consider for an industrial-scale furnace.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. Polansky, J. Kolacz

The new sorting system has been developed to achieve efficient separation at low mineral content levels. The system employs high resolution X-ray sensors providing multi-energy analysis, thus giving maximal information about processed materials measurable by X-ray radiography. It makes it possible to analyse the internal structure of the particles and directly detect inclusion of minerals and metals like copper or gold. The paper describes sorting application examples for zinc, lead, copper and gold ore with low metal content below 0.1% of Cu. The sorting system still allows high efficiency analysis, quantification and removal of rock particles representing waste fraction with no metal or a negligible amount being uneconomic to process. This brings a huge advantage during pre-concentration, where almost no losses of valuable minerals in the waste fraction can be achieved. The presented sorting system has been developed by Comex and X-MINE EU Project Consortium. Keywords: X-ray sorting, ore sorting, XRF analysis, XRT analysis

Jan 1, 2020

By J. Rajala

The Kupol mill facility processed a high grade free milling gold/silver ore containing 28.2 g/t Au, 324.8 g/t Ag and approximately 0.5% pyrite during 2008 operation. Gold predominantly occurs a selectrum in the ore and silver is predominantly present in the forms of acanthite, stephanite, pyrargyrite and proustite. Mill start-up was in mid-May 2008 and the mill reached the design throughput of 3 000 tpd in October. The ore was ground to approximately 70%?53 microns. A Knelson Concentrator recovered 9.8% gold and 0.5% silver. The gravity tails reported to a cyanidation circuit that has 14 hours pretreatment and 116 hours leaching. The slurry from cyanidation was then processed by counter current decantation (CCD) thickening to wash and separate the leach residue from the pregnant leach solution. Precious metals are recovered fromthe pregnant solution using the Merrill-Crowe process. The washed CCD leach residue slurry is treated with calcium hypochlorite to destroy cyanide and then sent to the tailings impoundment. Leaching is performed with a new technology called ?CELP? (CANMET Enhanced Leach Process). The Kupol mill overall gold and silver recoveries for 2008 were 95.4% and 85.6% respectively, which were 2.8% and 7.5% higher than targets. Gold and silver extractions in the leach circuit were 94.2% and 84.5% respectively. Leach profiles indicated that gold extraction reached a plateau in the 4th tank while minor silver dissolution occurred in the 5th tank. With the CCD circuit included, total gold and silver extractions increased to 95.4% and 86.6%, respectively. Optimization of the leaching strategy made it possible to reduce sodium cyanide concentration to as low as 410 ppm without compromising precious metals extractions. Silver was effectively leached from the refractory silver minerals because CELP produced more oxidized mineral surface relative to the conventional cyanidation leached mineral surfaces. The average cyanide consumption for 2008 was 1.3 kg/t. The new leaching technology proved to be very robust and performed efficiently even with changes in feed grade and ore mineralogy. Laboratory experiments produced results that were indicative of plant performance. The robustness of the technology and the laboratory test work contributed to the success of the Kupol mill start-up.

Jan 1, 2009

By D. Mesa, J. Karvonenb, A. López, P. R. Brito-Parada, R. Grau, D. Davoise

The froth zone in flotation cells plays an important role in determining metallurgical performance. This is even more critical as cell sizes increase, since larger bursting surface areas can easily result in poor froth transport and even stagnant froth zones, which are detrimental to recovery. Generating additional overflowing lip length by adding internal launders and reducing surface area (while also directing the froth to the overflow) by adding crowders are well established design strategies to enhance froth mobility. However, comparative experimental studies of froth zone design modifications at industrial scale are scarce and often lack detailed froth characterisation. In this work, we present the results of two experimental campaigns that were carried out at Atalaya’s Riotinto concentrator in order to determine the effect of a new froth zone design on the flotation performance of a TankCell® e300 cell that operates as the first cell of the rougher bank. These campaigns provided a unique opportunity to assess froth phase phenomena and metallurgical performance before and after changes in design. The original cell design had an internal peripherical launder and a froth cone, while the new concentrate launder technology adds a centre launder and an adjustable froth crowder to the existing launder design. The new concentrate launder arrangement reduces significantly the froth area as well as the froth transport requirements, aiming to improve froth recovery and, consequently, enhance flotation performance, allowing copper recoveries in the TankCell® e300 cell to increase dramatically. In addition, radial profiles of froth height and froth velocity at the surface were determined, which provide valuable insight into the effect of design changes on froth stability and mobility. Keywords: Flotation performance, enhanced recovery, launder, crowder, froth stability

Jan 1, 2020

By D. M. Poulter, J. N. Brooke, P. H. Williams

"The complexity of the mining and metallurgical operations of Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines, Limited, has made it necessary to use computer-assisted planning techniques in order to maximize copper production and marginal contribution to profit. The most successful of the Group Production Scheduling systems utilized linear programming to optimize the concentrate routing only. This third-generation system was commissioned in March, 1968.It bad become necessary by March, 1970, to expand the long-term planning activities and to take into account new mines and new concentrate treatment schemes. Technical difficulties and manpower limitations made it impossible to expand the third-generation system, and it was decided to construct a new Group Production Scheduling system using only linear programming.The plant models in the new fourth-generation system are based on data available from the monthly reports of the metallurgical plants. The models consist of mass balances and empirical relationships. Matrix coefficient assignment and management reports are produced using a Report Generator Language designed for linear programming data files. The development of this system is an example of a user application of a system package."

Jan 1, 2014

By T. P. Chidakwa, T. R. Stacey

This study investigated the corrosion rates of various steel types and coatings used for friction rock stabilisers in a deep-level gold mine under diverse underground environmental conditions. Testing was conducted in situ within ramps, intake airways, and exhaust airways, and through simulated laboratory experiments. Results revealed that environmental variations significantly influence the corrosion performance of different materials and coatings. Duplex coatings, made up of galvanised steel with an organic paint layer, demonstrated the highest corrosion resistance. Zinc-based coatings provided moderate protection, while 3CR12 stainless steel and uncoated S420 carbon steel exhibited comparatively poor resistance under both aqueous and atmospheric conditions.

Mar 4, 2025

By Q. Fu, Q. Wang, L. G. Wen, M. X. Jia, J. J. Zhao, J. W. Zhou

The BGRIMM process mineralogy analyser (BPMA) is a new automated mineralogy software platform developed in China. This system consists of the BPMA software platform, controlling a combination of commercially available scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive Xray spectrometry (EDS). The BPMA software controls SEM and EDS through their application programming interfaces, to form an auto-SEM and EDS system that automatically acquires BSE images and X-ray spectra, respectively, and classifies minerals by spectrum-matching. After automated measurement and mineral identification, various quantitative process mineralogical data (e.g., mineral composition, mineral abundance, mineral liberation and intergrowth relationships, mineral associations, particle and grain sizes, particle density distributions, calculated assay, elemental deportments, mineral grade recovery and elemental grade recovery, etc.) would be calculated quickly, accurately and automatically. The BPMA could be used for ore characterisation as a new advanced automated mineralogy technology. Keywords: BSE image; X-ray spectrum; automated mineral identification; quantitative mineralogical investigation; automated mineralogy

Jan 1, 2020

By S. F. Böde, K. Böde

This paper focuses on developing a comprehensive and pragmatic information technology (IT) strategy for low-margin construction activities. This forms part of the realignment of the general business strategy, and refocusing the operational model. The main elements of the IT strategy formation are analysis of the current IT environment in terms of software and hardware, carrying out a gap analysis, and developing individual functional digitalisation strategies in construction execution based on Building Information Modelling (BIM), business administration processes, communication, business intelligence (BI) and reporting, and data security. Further, substantial emphasis is given to the sustainable strategy implementation in terms of hardware and software readjustments, their integration, user training, and defining the way forward.

Sep 1, 2021