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By D. Earley

High metal prices and new world trade standards and accounting for environmental liability in financial disclosures are creating markets for metals commodities that are produced using ?green technologies?. A promising "green" gold leaching system uses a polysulfide based lixiviant which is non-toxic and non-polluting. Laboratory testing has demonstrated selective gold extraction rates comparable to those of cyanide. The polysulfide lixiviant is a dilute aqueous solution which can be inexpensively produced from readily available chemical reagents and even mining wastes. The reagent system is self-buffering and maintains the optimal chemical environment for leaching. Treatment of residual leach solutions is not necessary because the lixiviant itself is not toxic, and breaks down as the system equilibrates. Simple closed system boiling is used to recover gold from process solutions. The polysulfide lixiviant can then be readily renewed and recycled back into the system, forming a closed loop system that conserves reagents and energy which minimizes operating costs. Economic projections have shown that the system can be used profitably for standard ore types and grades.

Jan 1, 2009

By P. D?Elia

Following a study by NIOSH on the availability of teams in the U.S. as well as existing training sites and their capabilities, the Penn State University, leaders of the Pittsburgh Section of SME, providers of mine rescue equipment, and industry sponsors united to establish and make fully functional a student mine rescue team at Penn State University. With the growth of MERD and mine rescue competitive events at Missouri S&T, the Mine Training and Technology Center in PA, and at Colorado School of Mines Edgar Mine, a critical mass of effective training venues were made available to help student teams progress and develop mine rescue skills. The challenges to be met in creating and developing a student mine rescue team will be discussed. The rewards from this type of effort will be the quick capability of graduates from mining engineering programs to be involved in not only mining operations, but industry mine rescue teams and other leadership roles as well.

Jan 1, 2012

By Garry Biles

The Eskay Creek Mine is a high-grade gold and silver underground mine in northwestern British Columbia. The mine started operations in late1994. For the first three years, ore was crushed to -50 mm(-2 in.), blended to satisfy smelter terms and shipped to smelters in Japan and Canada. Preliminary evaluations indicated that a complex metallurgical facility, requiring a large capital investment, would be required to recover the precious and other economic metals. So markets for raw ore were identified and underground mining and ore transportation operations began at a production rate of 300 t/d (330stpd).

Jan 1, 2000

By Richard H. De Voto

The McDonald gold project and two satellite gold deposits near Lincoln, MT were discovered in the early 1990s. They contain at least 307.9 t (9.9 million oz) of gold and 933 t (30 million oz)of silver. The McDonald gold deposit alone contains 223.9 t (7.2 million oz) of gold reserves that can be open-pit mined and processed by cyanide heap leaching at a projected cash operating cost of $6.10/g ($190/oz). The deposit is predominantly oxidized with no chance of acid production. It can be mined, operated and reclaimed with minimal permanent environmental disturbance other than the creation of an open-pit filled with a fresh-water lake that would support trout.

Jan 1, 2000

What is the preferred electrolytic cell design and why? Hall: Considerable research remains to be done on electrolytic cell design. Studies are presently being conducted to determine optimum voltage and amperage. Zadra cells, which were used in some of the first carbon plants, are efficient when properly installed. Gold and silver are deposited on large-capacity, cylindrical steel wool cathodes. At times high value sludge falls from the cathode to the bottom of the cell. Rectangular cells, which were developed at some smaller operations in Nevada, require less floor space and have some desirable features in that cathodes can be moved and sludge can be removed from cell bottoms without actually shutting down the circuit. In South Africa two types of cells using graphite and diaphragm configurations are being tested. Duncan: The rectangular cell has one problem it's easy for shortcircuiting to occur. If you don't have a good seal on the side of the tank and on the bottom, the solution is going to want to flow around the bottom and sides of the cathodes and you're going to get poor performance in the cell. That is the advantage the Zadra cell has over the rectangular cell. With good sealing, which is a must, you should be able to get a ratio of the value of the solution going in to the value of the solution coming out of 10 to 1. Ken, can you tell me what you're attaining on the Zadra? Hall: At the Homestake gold operation in Lead, the cathode in the No. 1 electrowinning cell is loaded to about 600 ounces when it is moved to the refinery. At this time the No. 2 cathode is moved to the No. 1 cell. The No. 3 cathode is moved to the No. 2 cell and a cathode with new steel wool is placed in the No. 3 cell. In rectangular cells this sometimes is not possible because the loading on the cathode in the last cell may be as high as that in the No. 1 cell. As Don has pointed out this can probably be prevented by good seal design between cathodes. Potter: At the risk of sounding as though I'm straddling the fence, I really believe that either the round cell, as developed by Jack Zadra, or the rectangular cell will do an acceptable job. The Zadra is a fine unit. Leaks are not unknown but there are not very many. However, the rectangular cell is very saving of floor space. Plastics have been greatly improved during the past year or two and there is a very efficient design for the rectangular cell. It would have six cathodes in it and contain about 25 ft of steel wool. The body of this rectangular cell would be reinforced fiberglass plastic but with an integral lining of a high temperature plastic. I think either cell is so efficient and reliable that I would almost be tempted to flip a coin depending on floor space requirements. Either cell can be used to pull a loaded cathode and to advance the lesser loaded cathodes. Don, what is the configuration of your cell? Duncan: The Pinson rectangular cell has dimensions 2 ft wide, 30 in deep, and 10 ft long-long enough to take a dozen cathodes and anodes. We are currently using six of each but are not up to full capacity as yet. It's a steel tank coated with rubber. We have copper bus bars, which brings to mind that the last cathode in the tank, in one instance, was loaded heavier than the first one. That was probably a function of poor contact between cathodes and the bus bar. You can have erosion of the bus bar and if you don't get current flowing into the anode and out of the cathode, the cells will not function properly. Kappes: Just a few comments on cell design. In an alcohol stripping circuit we are running in Beatty„ NV, we are using PVC pipes for all circuitry piping and a commercial polypropylene electrolytic cell. They seem to be working quite nicely. The cell itself has eight cathodes measuring 18 in2. At six gallons per minute flow into the cell, at an average gold content of about 500 ppm, we seem to get good loading on the first three to four cathodes and not much on the end cathodes. At 12 gallons a minute flow we seem to be seeing gold uniformly along all eight cathodes. We are running at quite a high amperage level, about 400 amps into that cell. Gene McClelland, US Bureau of Mines, Reno Research Center (from the floor): I was associated with a company where the packing density of their steel wool cathodes was much too high and created some short-circuiting problems in their electrowinning circuit. I would like to ask the panel if they can recommend a packing density for cathodes in pounds of steel wool per cubic foot. Hall: The weight of steel wool put on one of our cathodes is 10 lb and the dimensions of the cathode are such that density would be about 0.75 lb/ft3. Duncan: I made a rough calculation and I'm estimating about 2 lb/ft3. Potter: In checking over a number of electrowinning operations, I found apparently very satisfactory operation within the limits that have been mentioned. I have come to a figure of about 0.5-1.0 lb of medium grade steel wool per cubic foot packed as uniformly as possible, of course. One consideration in packing is the fact that there should be good contact between the steel wool and the conductor. Operators tend to compact the steel wool more than would be desirable just to try to maintain good contact.

Jan 10, 1981

By C. C. Clark

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Ground Control Engineering Branch is investigating the use of shotcrete in weak rock mass mines with the objective of reducing fatalities and injuries resulting from rock fall accidents. When shotcrete is used as part of a multi-element ground support system there is a need to know when the material has developed a threshold early compressive strength of approximately 1 MPa (145 psi) for safe re-entry of miner and machine into shotcreted mine workings. This equates to the material having developed enough strength to be self-supporting and allow for emplacement of the remaining support elements that require drilling of the shotcrete layer without degradation. NIOSH researchers have developed methods and portable test equipment to measure shotcrete strength on-site in the first six hours after application using the ASTM C 116-90 (1990) standard. These advances were demonstrated in tests on five commercially available shotcrete mixes, sprayed as dry shotcrete using the field expedient methods and equipment. The strength values from these tests allowed for real-time identification of the early strength threshold and were consistent with strengths reported using laboratory-type equipment. The findings of this NIOSH research for determining shotcrete early strength can improve mine safety by providing a method for determining initial site specific material property values to be used for design and as a means to conduct on-site quality control and monitoring during production.

Jan 1, 2010

By Richard Hanke

Tunnel construction on the Brightwater Conveyance System?s East and Central contracts required ground modifications of the existing site soils, comprised of sandy alluvium to very dense glacial till, to assist with both hand-mined and TBM tunneling operations at vertical access shafts. The ground modification program was completed with a modified double fluid jet grouting system to construct continuous overlapping soilcrete columns to depths up to 94-ft below existing grade. This paper presents the sequence and methodology for the ground modification work and capabilities of jet grouting for structural support and groundwater control in the challenging soil profile present at the Brightwater Conveyance System Project.

Jan 1, 2008

By Lennart Mukka

The Kiruna Mine in Sweden currently has three ventilation systems. The first two (a new and old system) serve the production areas. The third system is used for the facilities on the former main haulage level 775. That area includes offices and workshops for load haul dumpers (LHD) and drill rigs. The third ventilation system also covers the crushing and haulage on level 1045. At the present time, the total airflow for the mine is 1,600 m3/sec(3.4 million cfm). The current system serves the levels above the 775 level. The new one is for the levels between 775 and 1,085 m (2,540 and 3,560 ft), which are needed for the new ore body. When all of the production is below level 775, the old ventilation system will be closed down.

Jan 1, 2002

By R. L. Hudak, R. F. Randolph, A. S. Azman

The mining workforce experiences high rates of hazardous noise exposure and hearing loss. However, previous studies have identified specific behavioral and attitudinal barriers that keep miners from effectively acting to prevent their own hearing loss. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed several new hearing loss prevention tools and interventions that specifically target these barriers to prevention. The NIOSH Hearing Loss Simulator addresses motivation to take action and knowledge about the consequences of noise exposure. The QuickFit earplug test device and QuickFitWeb online hearing protection tester address barriers to effective earplug and earmuff use by verifying at least 15 decibels of protection. The NIOSH Roll-Pull-Hold technique helps miners obtain better protection through an easy-to-remember set of steps that improves attenuation by nine decibels. The “Inquiring Ears Want to Know” fact sheet helps miners to understand audiograms and to use them to maintain their hearing health. Each of these interventions can be used within the context of a comprehensive hearing loss prevention program.

Jan 1, 2010

By David Crouthamel, Raymond Henn

"The need to fill the void space or annulus created between an excavated tunnel or shaft and the final lining system has long been a requirement in underground construction. Most of those types of voids are created as a result of employing the two pass tunneling lining method. Filling of this void is called backfilling. For many years the materials used as backfill were primarily reinforced and non-reinforced concrete, sanded grout, neat cement grout, or blown-in sand/pea gravel. However, in the past 20 years the use of cellular grouts/cellular concrete as the backfill material has greatly increased. Most cellular grout is made of a mixture of water, Portland cement (with or without the addition of fly ash), a foaming agent and admixtures such as a water-reducer or superplasticizer.It is the authors’ preference to use the term cellular grout as opposed to cellular concrete since by ACI Concrete Terminology an ACI Standard (ACI CT 13), concrete contains aggregates. Normally cellular grout does not contain sand (finite aggregate), but almost never contain course aggregates.The authors believe there are several reasons for this increased use of cellular grout as backfill, such as:• The increase utilization of the various trenchless tunneling methods. Tunnels constructed using trenchless method tend to be smaller in size, excavated diameter or cross sectional area. Making man-entry for placing backfill from inside the secondary liner, utilizing pre-installed grout posts, more difficult if not impossible. It is these workspace restrictions that are the drivers as to when to utilize grout ports installed during the pipe/liner fabrication versus grout delivery pipes installed within the void/annulus space.• The ability of cellular backfills to be pumped and flow longer distances.• The unit weight of cellular grouts can be controlled by mix design and generally can range from 560 Kg/m3 (35 lbs/CF) to 1040 Kg/m3 (65 lbs/CF)."

Jan 12, 2017

By M. Prasad, G. M. Rao, T. C. Rao, A. K. Majmudar

A two-step flotation scheme was employed to beneficiate a low-grade, cherty-calcareous rock phosphate ore from the Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, India. In the first stage, apatite and calcite ire floated together to remove silica, and, in the second stage, calcite is floated and apatite is depressed. The reagent scheme consists of sodium oleate, sodium silicate, orthophosphoric acid and sulfuric acid. The effect of reagent dosages on the efficiencies of separtition in each stage was studied systematically. A flowsheet was proposed for the processing of a low-grade phosphate ore containing 12.5% P2O5, 26.5% SiO2 and a CaO/P2O5 ratio of 2.64 (=32% calcite). The proposed flowsheet would produce a composite phosphate concentrate containing 27.2% P2O5, 6.37% SiO2 and a much reduced CaO/P205 ratio of 1.66. The total P2O5 recovery for the composite concentrate would be 73% .

Jan 1, 1996

By David Kwietnewski

Roadheaders are gaining widespread acceptance in North America as a means for mechanical tunnel excavation. Until recently, almost all of the large-scale North American tunnel projects were excavated one of two ways ? the tried and true drill-and-blast method or with the use of tunnel boring machines (TBM), the hi-tech super-excavators. TBMs enjoyed fast-growing popularity worldwide as TBM manufacturers offered greater technology to meet the demand of the civil tunnel industry in the late 20th century. Recently, though, more tunnel projects, large and small, can thank the brute force of a roadheader for getting the job done.

Jan 1, 2011

By Verya Nasri, Scott Thorburn

The City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) have conducted an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) for a 6.2 km, 4-station underground extension of the Spadina Subway from Downsview Station to Steeles Avenue. This Environmental Assessment Study was performed in three phases including routes and general station locations, alignments and station concepts and detailed assessment of the effects of the undertaking. URS Canada Inc. has led the consultant team for this Study. The anticipated total duration of the project is approximately 6 years and its estimated total cost is about $1.4 billion. This paper presents the planning process of the project, the environmental and engineering challenges, and the measures taken to address them.

Jan 1, 2007

By Z. Scopa, E. Tarshizi, R. Setterlind, L. Frost, R. Livernois

"THE MINES OF THE FUTURE The mines of the future present a host of challenges, which may appear exciting or daunting depending on one’s perspective. Whether some sectors of the public recognize it or not, the demand for raw resources is not going away any time soon. In fact, it is rising as global population grows, urbanizes and attempts to steadily increase quality of life. Yes, at the same time that much of the highly developed world is calling for greener goods, reduced consumption, and cleaner production, in other areas there are cries for clean water and sanitation, consistent energy supply, access to health care and education, personal security, and support for basic human rights. The balancing act for sustainable development of our global society is indeed precarious, and the mining community is necessarily a key player. Fortunately, many industry members have accepted this role and the responsibility to provide leadership and a solid foundation for progress. Looking ahead, we need new generations of leaders, many of whom will be mine engineers, which are ready to tackle all sorts of complex problems. There are tremendous needs just for technological innovations. Increasingly tough deposits will require that we continue to expand scale toward “super” pits and “deep” underground mining fully develop unconventional recovery techniques like in-situ leaching and gasification or deep-sea extraction, and seriously consider off-earth endeavors. Such work will take entirely autonomous equipment; novel separations, processing and recycling methods; and systems that can withstand extreme physical conditions – just to name a few. It will also take a level of systems integration never-before seen in our field, complete with big data issues, sophisticated analytics and modeling efforts, and cyber-security challenges. Moreover, increasingly complex environmental problems will require creative solutions. Addressing issues like pollution control across multiple media, emerging contaminants, optimal management of wastes, selective mining, and shared use of resources between mine operations and surrounding communities and ecosystems are among top priorities. Really, a complete paradigm shift must occur, such that our focus is on overall improvement of environmental conditions, rather than minimization of impacts. A similar shift will be required in the social realm. How can we make miners safer and healthier on-site and off? How can we contribute to communities such that they are better off, now and long-term, for having a mine next door? How can we help transform artisanal mining practices to also contribute to sustainable development? How can our work be a factor in increasing economic and political stability? How can we improve the public understanding of raw resources and the need for mining enterprises?"

Jan 1, 2017

By Betty L. Gibbs

Geologically simple deposits can be modeled quickly and easily with inexpensive gridding and mapping software. Hundreds of mines around the world use RockWorks99 and Surfer 7 for generating contour maps, producing log plots and cross sections, and performing other useful geological calculations. These programs are used by many mining operations as their only modeling and graphical software or they are used in conjunction with larger systems. The investment in learning time is low and the programs produce reasonable quality results with standard computing equipment. RockWorks99 and Surfer 7 provide a good level of capability while maintaining high quality technical integrity. Both programs are used for many applications in mining, oil and gas, environmental and other fields that require analysis of spatial data.

Jan 1, 2000

By R. E. Murray

"It is a gloomy moment in the history of our country. Not in the lifetime of most men has there been so much grave and deep apprehension; never has the future seemed so incalculable as at this time. The domestic economic situation is in chaos. Our dollar is weak throughout the world. Prices are so high as to be utterly impossible. The political cauldron seethes and bubbles with uncertainty. Russia hangs, as usual, like a cloud, dark and silent, upon the horizon. It is a solemn moment. Of our troubles, no man can see the end." By now you, no doubt, are asking, 'Where did Murray get this bit of philosophy?' Well, I obtained it from an editorial entitled. "The Worst of Times", which was published in the Harper's Magazine in 1847. That's right, 1847! The parallelism between the situation in our country at this time and in 1847 is un- canny. But wait, there is one major exception the size of government. To my knowledge, the citizens of 1847 were not stifled by the extreme governmental excesses that we are experiencing today.

Jan 1, 1980

By William R. Yernberg

The Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice and Control Conference was held from Oct. 20through 24, 2002, at the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The conference was attended by nearly 400 of the world’s top mineral-processing specialists, including plant-design engineers, mineral-processing consultants, academics, suppliers and equipment manufacturers. The meeting was sponsored by SME and cosponsored by the Canadian Mineral Processing Division of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). The conference covered all aspects of mineral-processing design, construction and operation. The meeting included more than 130 technical presentations. Topics included sampling programs, feasibility studies, design criteria, process technologies, construction, start-up operations and shutdowns. To stimulate interaction and discussion throughout the five-day conference, the sessions were presented consecutively. Attendees had the opportunity to attend every session.

Jan 1, 2003

By James Dunn

“The strongest argument of the detractor (of mining)is that the fields are devastated by mining operations ...They argue that the woods and groves are cut down, for there is need of an endless amount of wood for timbers, machines and the smelting of metals. And when the woods and groves are felled, then are exterminated the beasts and birds, very many of which furnish a pleasant and agreeable food for man. Further, when the ores are washed, the water which has been used poisons the brooks and streams, and either destroys the fish or drives them away.” Georgius Agricola, 1556, De Re Metallica, translated by Hoover, 1950. Technical problems associated with the cleanup of historic mines are not new. Nor are they unique to the mining industry or the governmental agencies addressing them. Both face the same issues and challenges of defining the problems, evaluating remediation options and finding the most economic and effective solutions.

Jan 1, 1999

By N. T. Lowe

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL), investigated a means to evaluate the potential impact of surface conditions above underground mines on emergency response activities. Recent events have highlighted the need to conduct critical emergency operations on the surface above underground work areas. Accessibility and usability of the surface, such as the ability to drill holes or deploy seismic monitoring or through the earth communications systems, are an important consideration for emergency response planning. This paper identifies critical surface conditions such as: surface waters, valley fill, highways, railroads and significant structures that must be considered in emergency response planning and in the conduct of emergency operations as they relate specifically to the seismic detection of trapped underground miners. Results of case studies indicate a need to consider the impact surface conditions may have on emergency response capabilities.

Jan 1, 2009

By P. L. M. Wong, N. W. Johnson

Surface analysis by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) of samples taken from the galena flotation section of the Hilton Concentrator of Mount Isa Mines Limited are presented. Flotation rate and pulp chemical data taken during the sampling period are also presented and discussed. Surface analysis suggested that, under normal operating conditions, an overlayer of precipitated calcium sulfate existed at the surface of the sulfide minerals. In particular, there was a decrease in the surface concentration of calcium sulfate for the concentrate samples relative to that occurring on the tailing samples. This suggests that the flotation process was selective against minerals which have calcium sulfate predominating at the surface. Heterocoagulation of hydrophilic calcium sulfate on to the galena surface considerably reduced galena flotation rate. Methods to control calcium sulfate precipitation, which include sodium carbonate treatment of the pulp, are also discussed. Sur- face analysis results of samples taken from the Hilton Concentrator during sodium carbonate addition to the grinding circuit are also presented. This shows clear evidence for the removal of calcium sulfate from the mineral surfaces without concomitant surface precipitation of calcium carbonate. Reasons for the apparent dispersion of precipitated calcium carbonate are discussed. Galena flotation rate was increased by the addition of sodium carbonate apparently due to the removal of interfering calcium sulfate.

Jan 1, 1995