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By D. Parks, A. Miller, M. McNinch, R. Jacksha

Each year, hundreds of mine workers are involved in machinery-related accidents. Many of these accidents involve inadequate or improper use of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. To mitigate the occurrence of these accidents, new safety methods are needed to monitor access to hazardous areas around operating machinery, improve documentation/monitoring of maintenance that requires shutdown of the machinery, and prevent unexpected startup or movement during machine maintenance activities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is currently researching the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to provide intelligent machine monitoring as part of a comprehensive LOTO program. This paper introduces NIOSH’s two phase implementation of an IoT-based intelligent machine monitoring system. Phase one is the installation of a proof-of-concept system at a concrete batch plant, while phase two involves scaling up the system to include additional sensors, more detailed safety/performance metrics, proximity detection, and predictive failure analysis.

By D. Parks, A. Miller, M. McNinch, R. Jacksha

Each year, hundreds of mine workers are involved in machinery-related accidents. Many of these accidents involve inadequate or improper use of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. To mitigate the occurrence of these accidents, new safety methods are needed to monitor access to hazardous areas around operating machinery, improve documentation/monitoring of maintenance that requires shutdown of the machinery, and prevent unexpected startup or movement during machine maintenance activities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is currently researching the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to provide intelligent machine monitoring as part of a comprehensive LOTO program. This paper introduces NIOSH’s two phase implementation of an IoT-based intelligent machine monitoring system. Phase one is the installation of a proof-of-concept system at a concrete batch plant, while phase two involves scaling up the system to include additional sensors, more detailed safety/performance metrics, proximity detection, and predictive failure analysis.

By V. Bush, T. G. Killingsworth, E. P. Ruffel

Effective and sustained corporate energy management programs are becoming a necessity for energy users as electricity deregulation laws are enacted on a state-by-state basis across the country and environmental regulations pertaining to emissions become more prevalent. The “Total Energy Asset Management” (TEAM) approach has been developed to assist energy end users with the development and implementation of corporate energy management programs designed to reduce energy risks and increase energy cost savings. This paper highlights the ways in which this approach can be applied to the mining industry while minimizing initial program implementation costs and increasing potential program benefits. Nearly the entire mining industry has become very focused on identifying opportunities to reduce costs per unit of yield. The industry as a whole has increasingly faced pricing pressures in large part due to the effects of global competition. The result of international marketplace participation and the emergence of higher efficiency recovery techniques have resulted in flat or even decreased prices for mining products. Thus, opportunities to reduce costs are actually opportunities to gain a competitive edge over similar mining operations. Due to the energy-intensive nature of many mining operations, the costs associated with energy are often a substantial percentage of operating costs. Therefore, it becomes very important to develop the corporate mentality that energy is an asset whose use should be optimized globally. In addition to the cost benefits of the TEAM approach, other benefits may occur such as reductions in facility greenhouse gas emissions.

Jan 1, 2002

By AIME

Lewis E. Young, who will formally assume his duties as President of the AIME at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco in February 1949, was born in Topeka, Kansas, Oct. 1, 1878. Dr. Young received his engineering education at the Pennsylvania State College, where he received the degree of B.S. in Mining Engineering in 1900. In 1904 he received his E.M. degree from Iowa State College, and in 1915 a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. In 1947, the University of Missouri conferred on Dr. Young honoris causa the degree of Doctor of Engineering. His active career began in the educational field as instructor at Iowa State College, and following that, as professor of mining at the Colorado School of Mines, 1903-1907. While he was at Golden he launched hi: career as consulting mining engineer for various Western companies. Leaving the Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Young returned to Missouri, serving the University of Missouri as director of the School of Mines and Metallurgy at Rolla, 1907-1914. Leaving Missouri he went to the University of Illinois as assistant professor of business organization, 1915-1918, during which period he wrote exhaustive treatises on mine subsidence and mine taxation, which won for him the degree of Ph.D. before mentioned.

Jan 1, 1949

[ENGLISH active earth pressure adapter additive adhesion admixture, addition adsorbed water aggregate air air entrainment air hose allowable bearing value allowable pile bearing load]

Jan 1, 1994

By Jorge Olivari Ortega

"El presente texto describe la leyenda de los tesoros de plata de Catalina Huanca, perteneciente al valle de Huancayo. El origen de esta estriba en dos versiones. La primera, indica que es ahijada del conquistador español Francisco Pizarro, quien por razones políticas, decidió apadrinar a la menor y la segunda, que era un alias de Teresa Apoalaya, la hija del curaca Carlos Apoalaya (descendiente de Machu Apo Alaya). Ella habría nacido en Chupaca en 1678 y asumiría el curacazgo en 1698. Catalina Huanca murió casi a los noventa años de edad, durante el gobierno del virrey Diego Fernández de Córdova (1621-1628) y fue enterrrada con grandes cantidades de plata. "

Jan 1, 2017

By T. D. Parris

Within a 30-mile radius of Sudbury, Ontario, the Ontario division of the International Nickel Co. of Canada, Ltd., operates nine underground mines and two open pits. Prior to 1966, ore removal from the underground workings was mainly by scraping, using 125-hp electric slushers in blasthole and caving mining, and 30-hp or less air-operated slushers for fill- method mining. The development and evaluation of low-profile, diesel-powered front-end loaders, designed specifically for underground operations, was followed with keen interest during the period 1964-1965.

Jan 6, 1969

By W. Mbhalati

"Conzal Mine was not meeting production targets in 2013, and it was established that this was caused by the inability of the load haul dump machines (LHDs) to tram the required tonnages. An investigation of the LHD productivity was therefore conducted to identify the inhibiting factors. This was accomplished by carrying out a literature review on LHD operations to gain in-depth knowledge and conducting observations in the working environment. The relevant information and data on the LHD type used at Conzal was also acquired.The major inhibitor was found to be excessively long tramming distances in all the sections of the mine. The one-way tramming distances were all significantly greater than the 90 m set in the mine’s code of practice (COP), with the Main Shafts section having the longest average one-way tramming distance of 260 m. The other inhibitor was LHD utilization, which in 2013 was only 47% against a target of 70%. Simulation of the LHD operation, taking these two factors into account, showed that production could be increased by more than 100%. As a result, it was recommended that conveyor belts should be extended regularly in order to keep tramming distances within the recommended one-way distance of 90 m. In addition, utilization can be improved by minimizing employee absenteeism as well as by modifying the travelling routes such that LHDs do not encounter unnecessary delays.Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of BSc. (Mining Engineering)"

Jan 1, 2015

By Low Russell

Mark Westfield, writing in The Australian on 16 May 1994 stated: The role of the independent expert is crucial to Australia's investment system. When it falls down, there can be very dramatic consequences. The scope of these consequences was dramatically illustrated in the decision of Rogers J. at first instance in Cambridge Credit Corporation v. Hutcheson (1983) 8 ACLR 123 when the auditors of the failed company were found liable for breach of contract and faced a damages award of $145 million, well in excess of their insurance cover. No comfort should be sought in the fact that this decision was overturned on appeal, for the result of the appeal rested on whether there had been a causal connection between the breach of contract which had occurred and the loss suffered, rather than on the fundamental principle of auditors' liability. Thus: Those who prepare experts' reports in company cases carry a heavy moral responsibility, whatever their legal duties may be... Unless high standards are observed by those who prepare these reports, there is a danger that systems established for the protection of the investing public will, in fact, operate to their detriment through reliance placed on those reports and on the reputations of those who furnish them. In lending his name, the expert will often, as in this case, be lending a name to conjure With.

Jan 1, 1995

By Simon Strauss

Durante la II Guerra mundial y la guerra de Corea, el gobierno estableció precios máximos uniformes aplicables a todos los vendedores de productos de consumo de primera necesidad idénticos. Dichos cambios estaban basados en el criterio industrial de costos y las consideraciones de suministro. Como consecuencia, se crearon problemas en la regulación de precios por la confusión que existe en la industria del zinc puesto que no se hace ninguna distinción entre las regulaciones sobre los precios para productos de primera necesidad y las regulaciones de los precios de otros artículos y servicios. En ese sentido, el presente texto describe el contexto de este regulación y las posibles soluciones para amortiguar dicha situación, de form que los controles de precios deben ser aplicados mediante tarifas a todos los vendedores de productos standard de primera necesidad como fue el caso en la segunda guerra mundial y durante la guerra de Corea.

Nov 1, 1973

The general types of industrial behaviour of liberated valuable sulfide minerals in the 0 - 10 ¦m size fraction are described and tests to explore on site at a concentrator the general nature of any deficient behaviour are discussed. In addition, the general types of behaviour of the gangue minerals in this size fraction are also described in terms of their mechanisms for recovery. These behaviours are also discussed in terms of the type of grinding device and grinding environment in which they were produced and the target grinding product size. Major recent improvements in the industrial capabilities of grinding devices are discussed.Present difficulties in characterisation of particles in the 0 - 10 ¦m range are described and desirable improvements for the future are outlined. Further, desirable improvements for industrial processing of valuable minerals in this size range are discussed along with some remedial actions.

Jan 1, 2005

By Y. M. Fu

In order to evaluate the flotation process, the process flow sheet was investigated. The process mineralogy of main products was studied. Through chemical mineralogical and screening analysis as well as surveying using a microscope and scanning electro-microscope, the oxidation degree and mineral composition of main-products the liberation of main minerals, the occurrence of elements such as Pb, Zn were revealed. It is pointed that to determine the flotation process, the type of prod-ucts optimum grind of original ore and middling was provided on the basis of liberation of main minerals is reliable. As correct finer ground original ore, first high-grade lead-concentrates and zinc-concentrates fast was floated from a great part of free of the galena and sphalerite of liberated. Then for finely re-ground middling of locked mineral grains of difficult liberation, mixing lead-zinc-concentrates second was floated. The four products was best in contact with characteristic of ore of Fan Kou. Therefore be obtained certain to successful economic effect.

Jan 1, 2014

By Luis R. Bittencourt

Research efforts have been made to characterize a refractory Brazilian bauxite ore composed basically of gibbsite, kaolinite and quartz. Detailed polished-section microprobe analysis of the unbroken ore has been used to describe the liberation characteristics and the association between mineral phases. The linear grade distributions for selected particle size fractions were determined by means? of a particular implementation of King's Random Fracture Model that uses the exponential model for the distribution of linear intercepts through both dispersed (kaolinite) and continuous (gibbsite) phases. The corresponding volumetric grade distributions were then determined by means of a constrained optimization technique for the solution of the transformation equation. Batch flotation experiments were carried out to determine the kinetics for particles of different sizes and the results correlated with the liberation spectrum for each size class.

Jan 1, 1991

By T Seifert, P Krolop, K Niiranen, S Gilbricht

The Per Geijer iron oxide apatite deposits (IOA) display significant potential mineral resources for Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (publ), known as LKAB. LKAB continuously mines magnetite/hematite ores in northern Sweden for almost 130 years. The Per Geijer deposits reveal a high phosphorus content and vary from magnetite-dominated to hematite-dominated ores, respectively. Furthermore, they show a large variation in texture, mineral composition, and relation to wall rocks. The high phosphorus concentration of these ores results from highly elevated content of apatite as gangue mineral. Reliable, robust, and qualitative characterisation of the mineralisation is required as these ores inherit complex mineralogical and textural features. For this purpose, comminution tests at laboratory scale in combination with scanning electron microscopy-mineral liberation analysis (SEMMLA) were carried out. Based on this work, significant information on the modal mineralogy and degree of liberation of minerals of economic interest (eg magnetite, hematite, and apatite) were obtained. Results show that there is a difference in the degree of liberation of magnetite and hematite between ore types. This seems to be dependent both on the size fractions and the dominance of each iron oxide in the individual ore type. The amount of gangue minerals seems to have no significant impact on the degree of liberation after comminution. Apatite is generally best liberated in ore types associated with silicates, regardless of magnetite or hematite dominance. Based on the results of this study it can be inferred that a high degree of liberation of the minerals of economic interest can be achieved. However, results need to be verified with further beneficiation steps such magnetic separation, apatite flotation and possibly reverse silicate flotation.

Nov 8, 2021

By R. L. Wiegel

The two questions considered in this study are: (1) what similarity is there in the liberation of magnetite from various iron formations, and (2) how is this liberation affected by the size reduction technique employed. Twelve sample suites were obtained from commercial concentrators processing magnetite iron formation in the United States, Canada, and Australia. These samples have grades in the range 15 to 45% magnetite iron and approximate mineral grain sizes o f 50 to 2000 microns. Efforts were directed at measuring the liberation characteristics of the samples obtained from the concentrators primary grinding mills. The Davis tube, a laboratory magnetic separator, was used to concentrate individual size fractions of the size reduction product to determine liberation data. These liberation data were compared with relationships calculated from a highly idealized mathematical model of liberation in a binary mineral system. The results of these comparisons have been encouraging for nine or ten of the twelve samples tested. This leads to the conclusion that for most commercial iron formations, at least with conventional rod mill size reduction, it is possible to quantitatively characterize liberation with two parameters: an effective mineral grain size and ore grade. Limited laboratory size reduction tests as well as one of two sets of liberation data from commercial primary autogenous grinding lend some support to the contention that autogenous grinding can affect mineral liberation.

Jan 1, 1976

By Chen-Luh Lin, Jan D. Miller, Sindhoora Puvvada

Most of the future phosphate resources in Florida, which accounts for 70  percent of production in the United States, are contaminated with too much dolomite that is difficult to remove with existing industrial practices. The low-grade ore quality coupled with increased phosphate demand is of concern to the Florida phosphate industry. In order to resolve the dolomite issue, various beneficiation technologies were designed and evaluated, but none have been sufficiently successful [1]. 

By Chen-Luh Lin, Jan D. Miller, Sindhoora Puvvada

The depletion of good-quality phosphate resources, coupled by a need to supply acceptable products at a rapid rate, while meeting the specifications of fertilizer chemical plants, is of significant concern to the phosphate industry, particularly the production of concentrates with tolerable dolomite content. Tremendous efforts have been made in the past to develop an efficient and economical process that can effectively reject dolomite. However, dolomite removal continues to plague the phosphate industry due to several process-specific challenges being encountered with various beneficiation technologies. In this regard, detailed characterization of phosphate reserves is crucial to understand textural limitations and help design appropriate strategies to achieve quality products. In this paper, the development of procedures to establish dolomite rejection/francolite recovery curves for gravity preconcentration of pebble phosphate from Central Florida is described using high-speed X-ray computed tomography (HSXCT). The developed procedure is illustrated with the analysis of high MgO pebble phosphate samples (10.39 mm × 1 mm) received from South Pasture and Four Corners locations operated by the Mosaic company. The rejection/recovery curves were calculated for each sample for five different particle size classes to observe the trend in rejection/recovery with variation in particle size. In order to evaluate the reliability of the HSXCT data, analysis using the high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) technique was performed on one particular sample (FC-3-1). Finally, to assess the separation efficiency, the HSXCT and HRXCT rejection/recovery curves obtained were compared to experimental gravity preconcentration results reported in the literature. In this way, liberation limitations for gravity preconcentration in the processing of pebble phosphate have been established based on X-ray computed tomography analysis.

By Pura Alfonso, Teresa Escobet, Hernan Anticoi, Eduard Guasch, Josep Oliva, Sarbast A. Hamid

"The liberation modelling of mineral particles using mineral liberation analysis have been used in the past to model comminution and concentration processes. In this work this concept has been taken a little further, using comminution and concentration for applying the mineralogical characteristics of particles. This approach is shown using the image analysis, mineral liberation analysis and the distribution density functions for liberation modelling. The work focused on the effect of comminution on mineral liberation for liberation modelling. To model this, effect the mineral liberation of the particles using distribution density and the cumulative distribution was linked to the image analysis of the ore particles. These properties have been estimated by statistical measures such as the distribution density and liberation grade, which were extracted from MLA data and images analysis, using proper image analysis and techniques based on MATLAB software. A comparison of different tungsten ores of liberated particles, has been introduced and evaluated by estimated results and image analysis.INTRODUCTION The chief economic minerals of tungsten are wolframite [(Fe,Mn) WO4] and scheelite(CaWO4), and approximately two-thirds of the world tungsten reserves consist of scheelite deposits (Lassner and Schubert, 1999). Tungsten has unique properties and is widely used in various industrial high strength and high temperature applications. It occurs coarsely aggregated in low grade ores. Most of tungsten ores, particularly scheelite, wolframite and ferberite, occur in deposits with very low content of WO3 (0.1–2.5%) that is not economically viable to apply directly metallurgical methods to extract tungsten (Martins, 2014). Tungsten is considered as a critical metal by the European Union by the economic importance and also the high supply risk (European Commission, 2014; Chakhmouradian et al., 2015).Currently, scheelite is playing an increasingly important role in tungsten industry because the mineral reserve of wolframite is getting depleted after gradual exploitation and utilization (Min et al., 2016). In mineral processing, the liberation of valuable mineral from the gangue determines the efficiency of subsequent separation processes. The liberation characteristics of an ore are primarily dependent on its texture, the association of mineral in the host matrix of gangue minerals, and to some extent on the grinding process (Zhang and Subasinghe; 2013)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Gjergj Dodbiba, Atsushi Shibayama, Toyohisa Fujita, Takashi Shikazumi, Yukio Kato, Kenji Murata

"A new crushing or liberation technique by means of underwater explosion is put forward. This technique is suitable for crushing and liberating various materials, for instance: the electric parts of the discarded portable telephone, CPU from mother-boards of PCs, steel from plastics tubes used as construction materials, waste constructed materials like panels, tungsten carbide scraps, as well as slitting the optical disk (e.g. DVDs), etc. The materials to be crushed are immersed in water and then the explosion is carried out by using only a small amount of explosive. The shock waves in combination with the generated bubbles are very effective in liberating the materials of different densities. It was observed that the metals crushed or liberated by using this technique were leached much faster when compared with the conventional crushing technique. This crushing method can be applied for liberation of many kinds of electric or mechanical tools. Introduction The explosive has been used since Nobel’s invention in 1866. The main practical application of explosion is in the large scale public works, such as dam construction, land development, tunnel, mining and dismantlement of building. The shock wave caused by explosion extremely can generate high pressure able to break the concrete and rock, and other materials. In this study, the crushing and liberation of waste materials was carried out by explosion in water. The idea was to use this technique as a pretreatment stage prior to recycling. The explosion in water can be used to crush hard materials, helping the liberation between different attached materials. The samples used in this experimental work are waste materials such as construction materials, hose, cemented carbide, cellular phone, lithium buttery, DVD-R, etc."

Jan 1, 2008

By B. E. Burakov, S. D. Lupal, O. A. R. Thalhammer, B. Saini-Eidukat

Electric-pulse disintegration is a mineral separation technique that liberates all mineral grains from any igneous or metamorphic rock irrespective of its lithology or grain-size distribution. The normal mechanical crushing of whole-rock samples is replaced by the rending effect of an explosion, produced by applying an electric current from a high-voltage power source. A voltage greater than the 100 kV necessary for the electrical breakdown of rock samples is achieved by using capacitors charged in parallel, but discharged in series. The sample sits in a water bath and the rapid distribution of electric pulses leads to an explosion which occurs preferentially along grain boundaries of the sample. Individual, undamaged mineral grains can be recovered in their original shape and form regardless of grain size. Examples are given of the liberation and concentration of important accessory minerals from different rock types. The examples show the recovery of diamond from two types of non-kimberlitic host rock in Popigai and Kumdykol in Kazakhstan and platinum group minerals associated with chromitites from the Konjdor intrusion and sulphides from intrusions in the Kola Peninsula in Russia

Apr 1, 1995