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By R. Zivojinovic, S. Vujic

The structural age of the capital mining machinery, representing a part of the system of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia, has been dictated by the initiation and development of open pit coal mines. For example, the oldest bucket wheel excavators were installed some thirty-four years ago, and the average life of the relevant machinery exceeds twenty-two years. Operation of both capital equipment and machinery has direct effects on economic and business activities of open pit mines, and consequently forced us to make a decision and study thoroughly the problem of establishing the optimum exploitation life of capital mining equipment at the open pit coal mines of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia. The aim of this paper is to define and discuss the relative problems as well as to find out the possible solutions and establish the methodology for estimating the optimum exploitation life of machinery. The study was successfully carried out by a team of scientists engaged from and coordinated by the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade. This paper presents the key observations covering the subject problem. Keywords: Mining, Opencast exploitation, Coal, Optimization, Exploitation life, Capital machinery, Electric power industry, Dynamic programming.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. Engelbrecht

South Africa?s re-entry into the fast moving and competitive global economy calls for some careful strategic planning and a good deal of co-operation between suppliers and end-users. The issues that need addressing are generally well known and include: ?South Africa was ranked 45th out of 46 i.r.o. productivity ?SMMEs contribute 1% to exports compared to 40-60% for the ?tigers? ?High unemployment ?Limited skills of the majority of workers ?Slow growth rate of the economy ?The vast majority of suppliers are not world-class ?The vast majority of suppliers are not export or marketing orientated. In order to survive, all parties, i.e. government, labour and business, will have to play their part.

Jan 1, 1999

By R. Strydom, J. H. Selby

Published information is available on the radiological impacts of disposing of zircon sand in a landfill. Zircon flour by virtue of its finer particle size presents a different set of issues during disposal. This paper describes two options for disposal of such fine grained materials – namely incorporation into concrete aggregates and agglomeration by addition of cement. The study considers the radiological exposure of the public from such disposal methods and concludes that these options are viable alternatives for the safe disposal of waste zircon flour. The disposal of zircon into concrete aggregates at a rate of 10 per cent produces a sufficiently low effect to allow such aggregates to be used in building foundations or other such mass concrete applications. The use of cement agglomeration methods will also provide a safe method of landfill disposal provided at least 20 cm of soil cover is included.

Jan 1, 2003

The following letter has been received from Professor P. A. Young, Head of the Department of Mining and Mineral Engineering at The University of Leeds, England. Extractive and process metallurgy The first annual TMS-AIME Extractive and Process Metallurgy Fall Meeting:1983 International Sulfide Smelting Symposium, will be held from 6th to 9th November, 1983, in San Francisco.

Jan 1, 1982

Mineral sand beneficiation plants comprise a complex combination of electrostatic, magnetic and gravity based separation techniques. These are combined and replicated in ways that provide the most efficient and cost effective separation of the valuable components. On line instrumentation has been developed at the JKMRC (eg. conductor/non-conductor(CNC) ) to measure the properties of the dry plant process streams. This paper provides results from the recent development of a novel low cost mass flow meter and discusses their combined use with the CNC instrumentation for the control of dry separation circuits.

Jan 1, 2003

By M. L. Baharani

Looking for an idyllic paradise that has investment and business potential as spectacular as the stunning views of mountains, the rich Ganesh Himal zinc-lead deposit exposed between 4,050 m and 5,000 m is the answer. Arising from the sea floor in a span of 55 million years, the enchanting Himalayas had remained one of the most potent factors influencing the Asian region. The challenges of the mighty Himalayas notwithstanding, it continues to provide opportunities for the humankind in optimum usage of the natural resources and sustainable development. Optimal management of natural resources in mountain areas through decision support tools offered by remote sensing will go a long way in realization of the Ganesh Himal Zinc-Lead Project. The authors have a real life endeavor spanning over 37 years in developing a mining industry in a mountainous region of Nepal and an attempt to integrate with the development of other natural attributes of the region. With rapid acceleration of science and technology, humankind has acquired power to transform his environment countless ways and on an unprecedented scale. While mineral resources are the pillars on which we have built industry and infrastructure, industrial countries in the North have been in the forefront of technological advancements, the developed countries of the South have been at the receiving end of exploitation of mineral resources worldwide. A relationship with natural environment, re-crafted by the civilizing impulse, to meet human demands are upcoming challenges for management of natural resource in sustainable manner for a livable world.

Jan 1, 2008

By N. A. Barcza

This publication records the proceedings of the Tenth International Ferroalloys Congress, INFACON X, and the third INFACON hosted in South Africa. The Proceedings of the previous two South African congresses in 1974 and 1992 serve, as this volume does, as a valuable record of the papers presented at these important events. This publication comes at a time in South Africa?s democratic development where the theme ?Transformation Through Technology? is very appropriate. The ferroalloy industry has played an increasingly significant role in transformation and black economic empowerment in South Africa, particularly through the advancement and sharing of technology. INFACON X plays an important role in this process, and the stakeholders and organisers of this Congress are thankful for the opportunity to hold this event at this time of transformation in our country. The world of ferroalloys, as well as that of the steel and stainless steel industries, has continued to change rapidly. Recent innovations, better use of resources, increased awareness of environmental issues and ongoing efforts to improve occupational health and safety are among the topics addressed at INFACON X and in these Proceedings. The theme of ?Transformation Through Technology? has been chosen to reflect the regional and global developments in the ferroalloy industry, and the crucial role that technology plays. The Proceedings of INFACON X, the first Congress in Southern Africa of the new millenium, represent a milestone in the technical developments in this major global industry. It contains almost eighty papers in twenty Sessions, from authors in twenty countries, covering raw materials, reductants, energy, electrodes, refractories, furnace design, post taphole services, modelling, simulation, control, sensors, fundamental issues and the applications of ferroalloys as related topics. The major ferroalloys, namely ferrochromium and ferromanganese, are covered extensively in many interesting papers. This comes as no surprise, since South Africa is the leading producer of ferrochromium and also plays a major role in the supply of manganese ore and alloys. Papers on ferronickel, silicon and ferrosilicon ensure that all the large-volume ferroalloys are addressed. These Proceedings of refereed papers of high quality will serve the ferroalloy industry for many years to come, as has been the case with previous INFACON events. For the first time in the history of INFACON, the Proceedings will be available both in bound and in a searchable electronic CD-ROM format. We appreciate the time and effort that the authors and referees have devoted to making this publication a really valuable document. Their contributions are recorded for posterity and reflect the advancements they and their colleagues have made to benefit the ferroalloy industry. Without these ongoing improvements, the industry would stagnate and not fulfil its role in the advancement of mankind. All papers included in these Proceedings were peer-reviewed by at least two referees. About 130 referees were sourced internationally to fulfill this function, and their valuable technical and editing inputs are gratefully acknowledged. Finally, I would like to thank the Technical Programme and Publication committees, led by Dr. Lloyd Nelson and Dr. Noël Machingawuta respectively. Without the tireless efforts of these individuals and their Committee members, the technical programme and these Proceedings would not have been the success they certainly are.

Jan 1, 2004

This publication is provided on an "as is" basis without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied including, but not limited to warranties of title or implied warranties of merchantability of fitness for a particular purpose. The information contained in this publication is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute professional, technical, financial or other advice to the user of this publication and must not be relied upon as such by any person whatsoever. The use of this publication is at the users own risk. The authors/creators of the information contained in this publication have tried to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, but errors or inaccuracies may exist or the information may be incomplete, unreliable or no longer up to date. Therefore, no warranties of any nature whatsoever are given and any liability to any person in respect of anything and in respect of the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done, wholly or partly in reliance upon the whole or any part hereof, are disclaimed, including and without limitation any contractual, dialectal, direct, consequential or financial damages or losses. On no account will Organisers and/or any of the contributors or any person or entity involved in creating, producing or distributing the information and or software available in this publication be liable for any such damages arising out of the use of or inability to use this publication. Copyright Reserved The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy P O Box 61127, Marshalltown 2107, South Africa www.saimm.co.za All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright owner. Although the greatest care has been taken in the compilation of the entire contents, the editors and publishers do not accept responsibility for errors or omissions. First Edition Copyright February 2004 Proceedings ISBN: 0-9584663-5-1 (1 volume and CD-ROM)

Jan 1, 2004

The 101 st Annual General Meeting of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held in the Gold Room, Transvaal Automobile Club, 60 5th Street, Lower Houghton, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 12th August, 1998. Obituaries The President announced the death, during the year, of the following members: Honorary Life Fellows and Past Presidents H.E. Cross, D.G. Malan, P.W.J. van Rensburg Life Fellows J.B. Rolfes, W.C. Walmsley Fellows H.F. Boshoff, M.L.A. Fitzgerald, J. Humphriss Retired Fellows H.S. Botha, E.Collier, J.L. Curtis, A.H.H. Davison, D.I. Legge, B.D. McNeice, J.A. Northcott, D. de V. Oxford, S.S.K. Penney, P.C. Pirow, J. Pope, A.J. Rossouw, A.N. Shand, E.P. Smit, H.V. Solomon, S.G. Taussig

Jan 1, 1998

By M. Hermanus

1. INTRODUCTION It gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 30th International Conference of Safety in Mines Research Institutes. I would also like to bid a special welcome to all of the international delegates who have travelled to Johannesburg to take part in what surely be a most rewarding session of deliberations. As you come together over next four days, you will have a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and information on strategies and practices for the implementation of sustainable patterns of development. The objectives of this meeting are both timely and far-reaching, as countries around the globe work towards the sustainable use of the world resources. Each of you brings a high level of expertise to these deliberations. I know that you will make the most of this opportunity to address the challenges and opportunities to highlight the most innovative and technologically efficient methods of social protection in order to ensure an increase in the quality of life, health, safety and living environment for the peoples of the Africa. Our country, although endowed with an immense and diverse array of mineral deposits, is perhaps best known in the mining industry for the fact that it is the world’s biggest producer of gold. Although South African gold production has declined over the past years and the industry faces serious problems, it is a myth that the South African industry is moribund. There is a new energy coursing through the South African producers which will ensure their powerful presence for many years to come, based not only on their domestic production but also and probably increasingly on their external operations. Africa features prominently in the latter category.

Jan 1, 2003

By G Njowa

Mineral resource evaluation and estimation process is not an exact science; however it depends on the knowledge and experience of the competent person and his ability to apply his mind, make reasonable assumptions, interpretations and exercise sound judgment in the mineral resource estimation process. The mineral resource evaluation results in a mineral resource statement are disclosed to investors. The minerals industry is presently undergoing rapid changes in legislation governing the public reporting of mineral assets. It has gone through different phases of development with respect to the reporting of mineral resources and mineral reserves (mineral assets). In the past no reporting was done and currently mineral assets are reported as a supplementary section that briefly describes the mineral asset termed ?the mineral reserve and mineral resource statement?. The current industry trend appears to be going towards recognition and disclosure of the mineral assets on to the balance sheet. This paper explores the salient issues behind the mineral resources and mineral reserve statement of vein and reef deposits published in the public domain. It also highlights the potential misleading consequences of these issues and which filter through to the valuation of these particular mineral assets. The creation of reporting standards in the minerals industry has made significant inroads in standardizing and consolidating the interpretation and understanding of the different classification categories in the industry in an effort to promote common interpretation towards these salient issues.

Jan 1, 2008

By F. Bonnet, J. Lehmann, H. Gaye

A review of thermodynamic information and models of slags, including associated software when available, is presented. The pertinence and accuracy of these models is discussed by comparison of their predictions for various slag thermodynamic properties with the available experimental data. Practical industrial applications will be illustrated by a literature review of the dephosphorization process of ferromanganese alloys and by the description of Ti behavior during silico-manganese alloys production. This latter example will show how the thermodynamic models have been used to propose a flotation treatment at low temperature to enhance TiC removal.

Jan 1, 2004

By L. K. Smith

The position of Australia as a continuing long-term supplier of mineral sands, and their upgraded products, has been reinforced with the discovery of the extensive mineral reserves in the Murray Basin, an area covering parts of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. A major impurity in the Murray Basin is chromium, mainly present in ilmenite concentrates as individual chrome spinel grains. Magnetizing roast treatments are being evaluated as a means of removing the chrome spinel impurity from the ilmenite and as a result of the roast and magnetic separation treatments, the chrome spinels can be expected to be concentrated in the non-magnetic reject fractions. It is from these fractions that attempts were made in this study to recover a chromium-rich product by magnetic fractionation and by application of flotation. The high gauss non-magnetic rejects from the roasting of a primary and a secondary ilmenite fraction were magnetically fractionated to obtain a product with 40.5 and 28.7 per cent Cr2O3,respectively. From the high gauss non-magnetic reject from the roasting of a primary ilmenite, flotation produced a chromium-rich product assaying 29.5 wt per cent Cr2O3at 69.0 per cent recovery. In another test a magnetic fraction assaying 32.9 wt per cent Cr2O3was floated to yield a chromium-rich product with 39.7 wt per cent Cr2O3at 96.4 per cent recovery. X-ray diffraction patterns of all the products indicated that the spinel concentrated was a ferroan magnesiochromite with rutile, ilmenite and hematite as impurities. Since all products were from a single pass, further processing can be expected to remove the impurity minerals and yield higher grade products. The material produced from the Murray Basin ilmenites in this study had similar compositions to commercial chromite ores, except for titania levels that were much higher. The high titania levels were due to residual rutile in the products, but it is expected that this can be removed with further processing. The mineral sand deposits in the Murray Basin are scattered over a wide area and the amount of chromite that may be produced from each of these deposits is unlikely to be sufficient to support an export market. Consequently, any chromite produced in the Murray Basin will most likely need to be processed locally to value added products for a niche market such as chemicals production. Keywords: Murray Basin, ilmenite, chrome spinel, roasting, magnetic separation, chromite ore

Jan 1, 2003

OPENING SESSION Session Chairpersons: Dr. P.P. Jourdan & Dr. L.A. Cramer Transformation to Tackle the Challenges Facing the Ferro Alloy Industry in the Next Decade R.J. Linnell Electricity Supply in SA ? A 10-Year View T.S. Gcabashe IDC as the Catalyst for Growth in the South African Ferroalloys Industry J. Kriek Development in the Global Stainless Steel Industry V. Muñoz CLOSING SESSION Session Chairpersons: Mr. R.J. Linnell & Dr. O.F.R.A. Damm The Health of Vanadium T.E. Jones Steel Raw Materials - Nickel, Chrome, Stainless Steel Scrap and Manganese H.H. Pariser

Jan 1, 2004

By A. Aitio

Sustainable development is one of the central themes of the work of the World Health Organization; chemical safety is one of its important components. For more than 25 years, WHO has had specialized units for assisting member countries in dealing with their problems in chemical safety. For one of the units involved, International Programme on Chemical Safety, a reorientation is in progress to make best use of existing resources, and to prioritise the work to optimally correspond to the needs of the member countries. The risk assessment work of IPCS, and specifically, the work on chromium and chromium compounds, are discussed.

Jan 1, 2004

By P. S. Pashkovsky, S. N. Smolanov

The essence of the method consists in creation of drop of opposite sign at the isolating stoppings, by which air losses through the accident district change direction of their motion. The period of reversal is selected in that way so that air may not find itself in the zone of burning. The method of fighting the fire considered was repeatedly used in the coal mines of the Ukraine. The theoretical basis of efficiency and two examples of use of this method by fighting the underground fires are adduced in the paper.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. Lux, B. Clermont

Magotteaux, with the co-operation of Anglo Platinum, has erected a fully instrumented pilot plant at Frank concentrator, which is being used to study the influence of a variety of grinding parameters. This paper will discuss only the influence of mill speed and pulp density on secondary stage grinding. A Ø0.82 x1 m open circuit mill was used with reclaimed Merensky tailings as feed. The conclusions apply to this pilot plant but further investigation needs to be done to verify whether the same trends will be applicable to a large industrial-scale mill.

Jan 1, 2004

Alexander Sutulov. Mineria Ghilena 1545-1975 (Mining in Chile 1545-1975). Santiago, Centre of Investigation of Mining and Metallurgy, 260 pp. (In Spanish). G. B. Rothenburg. Speciality steels. D.S.A., Noyes Data Corp., 1977. 270 pp. Witbank Middelburg Branch A General Meeting was held at the Wit bank Golf Club on 20th April, 1977, at 17h30. Treatment of waste water An International Research Symposium on New Processes of Waste Water Treatment and Recovery is to be held in London from 6th to 8th September, 1977. It NIM reports Report no. 1708 An examination of the suitability of various reducing agents for the production of ferrochromium. (27th Feb., 1975; re-issued May 1977). Report no. 1724 The preparation and reduction of chrornite pellets containing a reducing agent. (14th Apr., 1975; re-issued Mar. 1977). Report no. 1854 The interaction of pyrite, oxygen, and xanthate. (8th Mar., 1977). Report no. 1876 The ultrasonic determination of the mud level in a thickener and the resin level in an ion-exchange column. (6th May, 1977). Report no. 1878 The electrochemical dissolution of galena in aqueous solutions. (5th May, 1977). Report no. 1881 n-Octylaniline, a new extractant for noble metals.(28th Mar., 1977). Report no. 1883 The determination of iron, chromium, titanium, and tungsten by X-ray-fluorescence spectrometry. (31st Mar., 1977). Report no. 1889 Entropy relations in the formation of complexes of silver (1), mercury (II), and cadmium (II) with llwnodentate liyaruls. (5th May, 1977). Mechanics of granular materials A conference on the above subject is to be held in London on 8th and 9th September, 1977, under the auspices of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. A. Brown

Major mining projects are developed with the assistance of lending institutions who provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding over several years, and of course expect those funds to be returned with interest. Two Australian banks have adopted the Equator Principles, an emerging financial industry benchmark for assessing and managing environmental and social risk in project financing. Project financiers have encountered environmental and social issues that are both complex and challenging, particularly with respect to projects in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific and elsewhere. There are many recent and historical examples of failures by resource companies to effectively manage their environmental, social, safety and security risks, some of which have caused the project to fail completely, and some of which have caused the temporary cessation of production. These events put the financial institutions' funds at risk through inadequate management capacity and non-compliance adversely affecting the ability of the borrowers to repay the loans. They can also reflect adversely on the reputation of the lending institutions. In assessing these risks, lenders are increasingly looking at the track record of the borrower in its country of origin and in other countries where it operates. Lenders are wary of companies that have one standard for operations in a developed country, where the regulatory environment may tightly control what they do, and another standard for operations in countries where the regulatory regime is perhaps less stringent. Lenders may require environmental and social reviews or audits to be conducted on their behalf by competent third parties prior to a loan being approved, and annually over the life of the relationship. The mining industry's concept of the unwritten `social licence to operate' is highly relevant in relation to the delivery of community benefits that are sustainable post-mine closure. This paper provides examples of recent practices that support financial viability and sustainable development, as well as examples of some failures that have put lenders at risk.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. Kuchta, A. Newman

LKAB’s Kiruna Mine, located above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, is the second-largest underground mine in the world today. The orebody is a world-class high-grade magnetite deposit, from which three raw ore products are extracted. We use mixed integer programming to determine a production schedule, i.e., which production blocks to mine, and when to start mining them, so as to minimize deviation from planned production quantities while adhering to the operational constraints of the mine. The resulting model contains thousands of binary variables and a commensurate number of constraints, precluding us from obtaining a schedule in a reasonable amount of time. We describe a method that builds on prior, related work, to expedite solution time. Keywords: underground mining, production planning, optimization, integer programming

Jan 1, 2003