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By M. Gimpel, R. Galler, T. Antretter, H. Kargl, R. Tichy, W. Ecker, M. J. Mikl-Resch, G. Pittino

"A computational method based on a continuum-mechanical approach to simulate rock cutting is developed and evaluated. The aim is to obtain the local loading acting at the cutting pick during operation. The explicit FEM is chosen to model the pick-rock interaction. The presented method takes advantage of (i) an advanced material model (ii) a robust contact algorithm and (iii) fast calculations due to parallelization. A damage-plasticity law is chosen and modified with user-subroutines. A user integrated element deletion routine evades critical mesh distortions. Infinite elements at the model boundaries avoid unrealistic deformation wave reflection.INTRODUCTIONExcavation in mining and tunneling is a costly and complex process. Special equipment such as the roadheader (Figure 1) is employed to cut the rock in the excavation process but high material strengths limit their usability (Tockner 1999). Nowadays a challenge is to extend their field of application to harder and more abrasive rock materials. The forces on the pick (Figure 2) are of great importance and determine wear and especially the efficiency of the machine. Figure 2 shows the principle of cutting and the predominant forces. The variation of pick geometry, cutting depth or attack angle will result in an alteration of these forces and determine the efficiency of the process (Tockner 1999). The mechanisms of rock cutting follow the principle of indentation (Kou et al. 1999). Directly under the indenter a hydrostatic stress state evolves causing the material to fail only due to crushing and fragmentation mechanisms. In the close surroundings large strains emerge and tensile cracks are formed but in a further distance the material behaves elastically."

Jan 1, 2015

By Y. Guglielmi, C. Gout, P. Henry, P. Dick

The key questions about fault reactivation in shales concern the potential enhanced fluid displacement through a previously low-permeability aseismic shale formation. Here we selected a critically-stressed fault cross-cutting the underground research facility of Tournemire (France) which is located in Toarcian shales. Several inclined boreholes were drilled across the 8.5 m thick fault zone characterized by a fractured damage zone (FDZ) and a central 2.4 m thick complex core (FC) made of multiple shear bands with gouge intercalated with highly fractured lenses. The fault was pressurized using a straddle packer system defining a 2.4m long injection chamber normal to the fault surface. Three fault zone intervals were tested, two in the fault damage zone and one in the fault core. A three-dimensional displacement sensor set in the chamber allowed continuous synchronous coupled monitoring of fault movements, injection pressure and flow rate. An anticlockwise 0.22-to-0.05 mm fault slip was captured associated with a 10-to-100 hydraulic aperture increase of the fault. Preliminary analyses of the experiments show that leakage in the fault zone is controlled by strength and stress magnitude contrasts between the fault core and the fault damage zone. Fault damage zone discontinuities display a much higher peak static friction angle than the fault core shear zones, respectively of 34 and 22° that could be related to complex interactions between healing and sealing processes. Fault core leakage is much more dependent on strain than on effective stress variations. Discontinuous, pulse-like leakage, develops following complex failure processes that may simultaneously take place in the gouge zones and along the large pre-existing discontinuities. Such results may be of importance in evaluating fault seal integrity in oil and gas exploration, production or CO2 storage or underground excavations monitoring.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. Arzúa, L. R. Alejano, P. Rodríguez

"After six years of successful excavation with a support pattern, some roof failures have happened in a room-and-pillar underground mine excavated in a stratified rock mass. In this paper the authors give explanation to the failure mechanisms and redesign the support in order to solve the recent problems of roof collapse.The mine magnesite bed is approximately 14 m thick, and runs in the E-W direction with an average dip of 18º. Due to mine constraints and the inexpensiveness of the ore, the excavation is performed in the mineral itself, avoiding the need for mining dumps and waste excavation. Rooms and drifts are oriented in the mineral bed to form an angle of 19º to the direction of the strata, reducing the roadway gradients to less than 10%. Rooms are 11 m wide and pillars are 7 m wide. They are designed to leave a 1 meter thick magnesite bed in the roof of the rooms to act as a supporting beam. More often than not there is a layer of very poor quality marly shale up to 1 m thick resting on this magnesite beam. Overlying the poor quality marly shale there is a better quality, self-supporting sandy shale.First, a characterization of the involved rock masses (magnesite, marly shale and sandy shale) is performed, collecting the geotechnical data from previous studies and performing new in situ geotechnical surveys to check the soundness of the previous data. A distinction is made between different quality zones inside the mine by means of the RMR classification, associated to the occurrence of faults.Back-analysis of some of the failed rooms and data from exploration boreholes were used to determine the failure mechanisms (associated to Voussoir type failure or occurrence of sub-horizontal joints crossing the magnesite beam). Based on an understanding of these mechanisms, the method used to design the support and to analyse the stability of the different possible thicknesses of the magnesite beams of the rooms and drifts of the mine were improved.Numerical models of the most relevant conditions found in the mine were performed in order to better understand the behaviour of the roofs and to simulate the supporting solution obtained in the previous analyses.The most relevant conclusions with regard to the main elements causing the instability of the roof include the appearance of sub-horizontal discontinuities crossing the magnesite bed, which causes total instability of the roof and usually leads to collapse; excessive thinness of the magnesite beam in the problematic rooms; and the relaxation of the deepest (around 270 m in depth) zone of the mine because of existing faults."

Jan 1, 2015

By Weihua Song, Hongwei Zhang, Feng Zhu, Sheng Li, Guoshui Tang

"Rock burst is one of the most serious dynamic disasters in coal mining. Rock burst prevention involves two difficult tasks: systematically evaluating the occurrence conditions and effectively forecast for rock burst. This paper systematically studies the effects of natural geological dynamic conditions and mining engineering on and forecast for rock burst. It establishes the evaluation method and index system of rock burst geological dynamic conditions and proposes a method of forecasting rock bursts by monitoring fault activity with anchor cables. Natural geological dynamic conditions are a necessary condition while mining engineering is a sufficient condition for the occurrence of rock bursts. Rock bursts in mine must have suitable geological dynamic conditions, and mining engineering activity is merely an inducing factor. There is a good correlation between anchor cable stress variation and fault activity, when the anchor cable dynamometer indicates that the fault is active. It can forecast a rock burst a few days in advance. This technique has been successfully applied to Panel 83003 of a coal mine in China, which improved the safety production level of the mine and found a new way of rock burst evaluation and prediction.INTRODUCTIONRock burst is one of the most serious dynamic disasters in coal mining. With the increase of mining depth, rock burst disaster is becoming more and more serious. Systematically evaluation and effective forecasting of the occurrence of rock burst in the coal mines are important and difficult work in the control of rock bursts. Chinese researchers have performed numerous researches on rock bursts, Qi et al., established the rock burst model of frictional sliding instability, explained the occurrence mechanism of rock bursts by stick-slip phenomenon in frictional sliding, gave full consideration to the influence of primary rock stress and mining-induced stress on rock burst occurrence, and proposed the stress controlling theory of rock burst. Pan et al., [3] put forward the criterion of perturbation response, explained and analyzed the problem of rock burst in circular openings, put forward the ratio of coal-rock elastic modulus and reduced modulus is the significant parameters for the determination of stabilization; systematically summarized the rock burst distribution, type, mechanism and control in China. They classified rock bursts into three types: coal compression, roof fracture and fault movement. By applying energy transfer principle and conservation of energy, combined with the analysis of the weakening of rock fabric damage, Zhou and Jiang put forward the theory and equation for the occurrence of coal-rock mass impact effect. They analyzed and discussed the formation mechanism of rock burst by combining impact effect theory and energy equation. Wang et al., recognized that the mechanism of rock burst which induced by fault, fold and phase transition is the superposition of tectonic stress and mining stress and that the axes of syncline and anticline and their flanks are the location where rock bursts mostly occur. To prevent stress superposition is the efficient way to control the structural rock burst [7]. Jiang et al., summarized the research achievement of rock burst mechanism and controlling techniques and existing problems in recent years in China, and pointed out the direction to improve the level of prevention of controlling rock bursts in coal mines."

Jan 1, 2015

By Tanai Marin

Modelling of pyrometallurgical processes can become extremely challenging when the process involves complex chemical reactions, phase change, multiphase flows, heat and mass transfer and fluid flow. Traditionally modelling involving complex thermodynamic equilibrium and thermochemistry are treated separately from problems in which transport phenomena are dominant, such as CFD and heat transfer studies. The separation is also necessary due to the lack of modelling tools that can effectively couple both solution thermodynamic and transport phenomena or even multiphysics problems. However, there are, quite often, problems in high temperature process metallurgy in which it is not possible to simplify this two modelling approaches. Typical cases of this are for example, the modelling of slag freezing on furnace walls (electric or flash furnaces) to create a protective layer in front of the refractories hot wall, the formation of build up from the matte or metal phases at the hearth of the furnace, calcine smelting from charging piles into slag phase, etc. The problem is even more challenging in nonferrous pyrometallurgy as most, if not all, of the condense phases are highly non ideal solutions involving several components and exhibiting complex crystallization paths and miscibility gaps, such as the Fe-Ni-Cu-S matte, FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2, FeO-MgO-SiO2 slags, etc. In this paper, an approach to model coupled problems involving multiphysics and solution thermodynamic is presented. The approach consists in developing in-house a library containing the Gibbs energy minimization routines and using the local equilibrium concept for process modelling from a multiphysics commercial software (COMSOL). Simple test cases, such as building a non-ideal binary phase diagram on a CFD package is presented, the limitations and of other classic approaches such as equilibrium or Scheil cooling are discussed and compared to this model.

Jan 1, 2015

By Pedro Pablo Vasquez Coronado, Victor Octavio Tenorio

"Productivity in openpit mines depends on the observation and adjustment of critical phases of operation. As one of the most expensive activities in openpit production, optimization of the load-haul-dump cycle becomes a critical aspect to address. Using simulation techniques and an ad hoc methodology for analyzing the key performance indicators (KPIs) involved in the production cycle, it is possible to compare actual performance and ideal operating conditions and develop an alert system when operating conditions are subpar with the expected production standards.Study objectivesThe purpose of this work is to implement a methodology for optimizing the haulage cycle by identifying and adjusting the factors that affect the cycle time performance. The methodology includes the implementation of an alert system emitting warning messages when one or several trucks are idle, or when the time of completing production tasks is falling outside a predefined value. This alert is compared with predefined KPIs and is used to determine corrective actions.The alert will:• Demonstrate the benefits of time analysis and how this affects the productivity results in the mining process.• Demonstrate the utility of KPIs in the extraction of ore and waste and how they help to identify equipment performance.• Develop software interfaces to visualize the alert system in order to increase awareness in the operations supervisor.• Make recommendations for future applications that can help improve the productive process of an openpit mine.Problem statementTransporting material in openpit mines may require the utilization of high capacity equipment, which also represents an elevated cost per hour. A supervisory system that controls the adequate distribution of trucks and shovels by providing the operational status of each unit shall contribute to increase productivity while subsequently reducing operational costs. Nevertheless, there is an issue with certain dead times such as queue trucks for loading, trucks waiting to be loaded and other delays. This creates inefficiencies in fuel consumption and energy utilization.For the identification of delays, a contextbased system could be required in order to help optimize the haulage cycle time by controlling delays in loading, haulage and dumping. After applying this methodology, efforts were focused in correcting out-of-standard performance values."

Jan 1, 2015

By D. Yuan, M. Sitter, S. St. Jean, M. Collins

The Ambatovy Joint Venture comprises an operating lateritic nickel mine, ore slurry pipeline, pressure acid leach plant and nickel refinery in Madagascar. The hydrometallurgical process selected by Sherritt for treatment of the Ambatovy ore is a long-term, sustainable approach to producing nickel. Sulphur, used to prepare hydrogen sulphide, which is used to produce mixed sulphide intermediate, is recovered in the refinery as ammonium sulphate fertilizer. Additional sulphur is used to generate sulphuric acid for treatment of the ore in the high pressure acid leach (HPAL) step; fossil fuel consumption is minimized by using the heat generated from the exothermic reaction between sulphur and oxygen in the acid plant to produce power and steam. Steam consumption is minimized by design of efficient flashing and preheat systems for HPAL, while the high temperature of the HPAL step serves to minimize acid consumption. Fossil fuel consumption by the operation as a whole is further minimized by locating the leach plant and refinery near the port of Toamasina and utilizing a 220 km slurry pipeline to transport ore from the mine to the leach plant. In addition, Ambatovy has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability programs such as the biodiversity management program at the mine and local procurement in Madagascar. In this paper, the hydrometallurgical process for nickel and cobalt recovery from Ambatovy ore is described, along with highlights of Ambatovy’s approach to sustainability in Madagascar.

Jan 1, 2015

By J. A. Halt, E. Larsen

"The Sydvaranger magnetite mine closed in 1996 due to low iron ore prices and was reopened in 2009. The flowsheet has remained more or less as in the old plant, based upon two grinding steps followed by magnetic separation. The magnetite is free of harmful elements and should be attractive on the high quality market. This requires a concentrate containing less than 2% SiO2, which previously was achieved by amine flotation. Amine was preferred because it could be used with sea water. The use of amine is now restricted by the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency. Therefore, testwork to replace cationic with anionic flotation was done. Activation of quartz with Ca or Mg ions prior to anionic flotation was shown by research from 1960 to 1980 to be effective under laboratory conditions. The old research results have been followed up in order to make a commercial process for Sydvaranger. Calcium activation works excellently with all Sydvaranger ores, including the ones containing amphibole minerals, but Ca activation requires the high and not environmentally friendly pH of 12.4. Magnesium activation at pH 10.5 is a little more challenging, because the maximum concentration of MgOH+ is about 100 times lower than that of CaOH+. Fortunately, the major impurity in the main Bjornevatn orebody is quartz, which responds well to Mg activation. The process does not appear to depend much upon water quality, as the silicates may already be activated during grinding and magnetic separation in recycled water. The new process is environmentally friendly, as only well-known household reagents are used; oleic acid or tall oil, dextrin, sodium hydroxide and magnesium chloride at pH 10.5.IntroductionThe processing plant of Sydvaranger Gruve AS (SVG) is located in the port town of Kirkenes in the northernmost part of Norway, 10 km by rail from the high-grade deposit of Bjornevatn. This plant has been able to beneficiate magnetite ore to up to 99.5% purity, as described by Sandvik and Malvik (2001). Using the magnetic properties of the ore and making the most out of its enviable liberation characteristics, the original plant consisted of ball mills and 600-mm magnetic separators. The plant was shut down due to market conditions in 1996 but reopened in 2009."

Jan 1, 2015

By Piet Halliday, Ellina Kharatyan

Conventionally, emulsion matrices (unsensitized) need to be sensitized to become detonable explosives. This is done either chemically or mechanically. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Mechanical sensitization involves the addition of microballoons (plastic or glass) to the emulsion matrix, in order to create hot spots during detonation. This is usually done at the manufacturing site and poses a safety risk in terms of the storage, transportation and handling of a 1.1 type explosive. Many countries throughout the world make use of chemical sensitization as opposed to mechanical sensitization as this allows for the storage, handling and transportation of two 5.1 type products rather than the 1.1 type explosive. Chemical sensitization involves the addition of a small amount of a chemical that reacts with a component of the emulsion matrix causing the formation of gas bubbles that act as hot spots during detonation. The disadvantage of this is the lack of accurate density control (due to various factors affecting the reaction) and the lack of comprehensive understanding of the operators of the reaction. This can easily result in poor blast performance. Due to these disadvantages a pumpable, non-detonable (5.1 type) mechanical sensitizer was researched and developed. This product allows for pumping at a 50:50 volume ratio with the emulsion matrix, when loading into blast holes. The significance of this is that a 1.1 type explosive is formed in the blast hole. As such, the security and logistical issues of the transportation and storage of the 1.1 type explosive are eliminated. Another advantage is accurate density control of the final product, specifically in small diameter long hole applications. A cost effective, unique mini pumping system has been developed for the loading of this product. Moreover, this system can easily be used for secondary blasting applications and the on-site packaging of cartridged explosive products.

Jan 1, 2015

By Chandrasegaran, Tamilmani

"This paper describes a case study of a retaining wall structure using a diaphragm wall to construct a stilling basin at Tanjung Bin T4 power plant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The stilling basin is part of the Phase IV (T4) 1x1000MW power plant’s offshore cooling water discharge culverts. The site is located close to the sea with 5m of fill on top of very soft sediments of marine origin up to 20m thick underlain by fluvial clay and metasedimentary rock. Stringent wall deflection criteria and construction program dictated adopting an efficient solution with 800mm thick diaphragm wall supported by permanent top support as the temporary prop and improved horizontal restraint provided by deep mix piles acting as a slab (ground improvement layer) below the final excavation level. The depth of excavation is about 10.12m from the existing ground level. The proposed solution kept the wall deflection below the limit of 0.7% of the depth of bulk excavation and avoided additional props leading to faster completion of the structure. With unsymmetrical loading behind the retaining walls, 2D finite element analysis was carried out to assess the wall deflection and stresses in the wall and the grout layer below. The diaphragm wall is instrumented to monitor the behavior and the findings are discussed in the paper.INTRODUCTIONConstruction in soft marine clay has always been a challenge to the engineer because of its very low shear strength and its sensitivity to disturbance. In the case of excavation projects the problem becomes even more complicated with development of excess pore pressure during excavation. Marine clay with its low shear strength and lesser passive resistance, generally leads to large wall movements and settlement behind the wall. Increased passive resistance coming from increased number of props is useful but has its limits and it is no longer the most effective way in containing or reducing the wall movements or forces in the wall. One of the solutions to these problems is to improve the soil shear strength by means of ground improvement infront of the wall at an elevation most appropriate to maximize wall performance. There are several methods adopted in improving a soil layer including mixing additives to the ground to improve the shear strength to partially replacing the weak soil while others are fully replacing the weak soil. This paper discusses the case study of approximately 10m of excavation in soft marine clay using 800mm thick diaphragm wall supported by Deep Mix Piles (DMP) being used to improve soft marine deposit to form a slab just below the formation level and thus improving passive resistance significantly. The ground improvement layer helped to reduce the wall forces and deflections making it possible to remove the need for additional temporary props leading to significant savings is time and productivity. The paper presents the various options explored before this method is adopted, the design approach, instrumentation data and the monitored results."

Jan 1, 2015

By Marko Lampi, Marc Nicolle, Janne Karonen, Kari Valkama

"In the ten years from 2003 to 2013 global mine production of copper has increased by over 23% to meet demand while the weighted average head grade has dropped from 0.9 to 0.7% Cu. These divergent trends of increasing demand and declining economic grades will extend the life of many existing mines and improve the viability of marginal and/or complex copper deposits. Against that context this paper outlines hydrometallurgical copper sulphide leaching options as alternatives to the more conventional pyrometallurgical processing route of copper sulphides. Three copper sulphide leaching and refining processes are discussed: total pressure oxidation, ferric sulphate leaching and copper chloride leaching. The effect of mineralogy on the choice of processing technology is discussed as well as some of the unit processes used. Additionally, possible benefits that a hydrometallurgical process may offer over an existing pyrometallurgical route are discussed. Subsequently, two very important aspects to the development of projects involving the leaching of copper sulphides are discussed. Finally, a number of conclusions are presented that will be useful to keep in mind when considering projects involving the leaching of copper sulphides. INTRODUCTION In the ten years from 2003 to 2013 global mine production of copper has increased by over 23% to meet demand while the weighted average head grade has dropped from 0.9 to 0.73% Cu (Murphy, 2014). If these divergent trends of increasing demand and declining economic grades continue, they will contribute to the extension in life of many existing mines and improve the viability of marginal and/or complex copper deposits. Against that context, this paper outlines hydrometallurgical copper sulphide leaching options as alternatives to the more conventional pyrometallurgical processing route for copper sulphides. Three copper sulphide leaching and refining processes are discussed: total pressure oxidation, ferric sulphate leaching and copper chloride leaching. Ferric sulphate leaching and copper chloride leaching are carried out at atmospheric pressure while total pressure oxidation takes place at elevated pressures."

Jan 1, 2015

By V. Prasad, A. Afacan, K. Popli, S. Dubljevic

Froth flotation is one of the most common and widely used separation processes in the mineral processing industry; however, its complexity means that complete understanding of the process has not yet been achieved. A dynamic fundamental model is needed to enhance the understanding of the process and to improve process control. It is challenging to capture all the phenomena involved; hence, we propose a multiscale modeling approach with a framework ranging from macroscopic (equipment scale) to microscopic (attachment, detachment) models along with distribution models for ore particle sizes. Real-time froth properties are obtained using a vision-based sensing system. These measurements can be used for developing a soft sensor for grade using statistical methods such as PCR (principal component regression) and PLS (partial least squares) regression. The fundamental model is updated in real-time using extended Kalman filtering. Attachment dynamics are studied for different particle size distributions. The modeling and soft sensing is tested on batch flotation cell for the pure mineral galena with different particle size distributions using Xanthate and MIBC as collector and frother, respectively. The model, online measurements and soft sensor are useful in developing monitoring methods for froth flotation.

Jan 1, 2015

By Marc-André Villiard, C. St-Onge, V. Silla, J-C Milot

Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (RTFT) operates a metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracey, Canada. In the Ore Preparation Plant (OPP), ilmenite ore is roasted through four parallel rotary kilns generating 95% of the plant wide sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. RTFT proactively set an annual emission cap for SO2 to be achieved by 2015. To achieve this targeted SO2 reductions, a technology evaluation and selection exercise was carried out, followed by detailed engineering and implementation. After a detailed evaluation of SO2 scrubbing technologies, the Circulating Dry Scrubber (CDS) system was selected as the most appropriate desulphurization system for this application. The system was implemented and commissioned from 2013 to 2015. General performance testing conducted in May 2015 demonstrated that the system achieved and surpassed the anticipated design values in terms of SO2 removal efficiency and hydrated lime utilisation. This paper summarizes the SO2 technology selection process, design features of the selected technology, project implementation and final performance testing of the SO2 abatement system.

Jan 1, 2015

"A numerical procedure based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is developed for rock blasting phenomena involving multiple intersecting joints. In this procedure, an elasto-plastic damage constitutive model has been applied in the framework of SPH to simulate yielding response of the surrounding rock medium. In this paper, a square shape rock medium with centrally located emulsion explosive in a borehole is numerically blasted with and without the presence of two diagonal rock joints. The model is simulated by assuming all four sides of the rock medium as free surfaces. The paper elaborates the propagation of stress wave, expansion dynamics of gaseous products, and development of fracture, fragmentation of the medium and dissipation of energy due to damage.INTRODUCTIONDamage prediction of rock mass and its mean fragmentation size are of important to design blast parameters for a given explosive. Current blasting practice solely depends on empirical relationships between fragmentation sizes to those blast design parameters while mathematical descriptions of the physical laws governing the process of rock blasting are limited. A constitutive relationship based on properties of explosives and rock mass is of special interest because of its capabilities in describing the key features of rock fracture and fragmentation, resulting in understanding of the physical process involved in rock blasting. It is well known that blast-induced damage and fragmentation of rock mass occur due to detonation induced stress wave and product gas driven fracture propagation. Nevertheless, the fundamental mechanism of the failure process and the behavior of rock characteristics under these two different loading are not well understood in many cases, which are closely related to growth of fractures and interaction of cracks under different loading conditions.Continuum damage mechanics is considered to be appropriate to describe the failure process under such high-amplitude stress wave. Based on this approach, several theoretical models have been developed to analyze the dynamic damage of brittle material such as rock and concrete with microstructure (Chen, 1999; Taylor et al., 1986; Wu et al., 2004; Yazdchi et al., 1996). These models are mostly based on the theory of damage mechanics or fracture mechanics with some statistical treatment to incorporate random distribution of microcracks. In the application of fracture mechanics theory, sometimes it is difficult to estimate the micromechanical parameters such as crack density and fracture toughness in different modes. In this study, damage in rock material is evaluated according to the earlier model developed by Grady and Kipp (1980), which is a fracture model coupled with a material description for stress wave propagation to predict quantitatively fracture and fragmentation under explosive loading conditions."

Jan 1, 2015

By Xueyuan Nie, Xuezhi Zhang, Henry Hu, Shen Xinwei, Jimi Tjong, Li Fang

With the demand for weight reduction in vehicles and airplanes, researchers have shown great interested in casting wrought aluminum alloy 7075 because of its potential advantages such as high strength-to-density ratio and stress-reduction capabilities. It is therefore essential to conduct a fundamental investigation on solidification behavior and grain microstructure of alloy 7075. In this study, a commercially-available wrought aluminum alloy 7075 was used to study the solidification behavior of alloy 7075. A thermal analysis was performed based on the cooling curve and its corresponding first and second derivative curves. The nucleation of the primary a-Al phase and eutectic phases were analyzed. The comparison between the microstructures of the wrought and cast 7075 alloys shows that coarse microstructure and porosity are present in the cast alloy. The techniques for grain refinement in casting, such as the addition of the nucleating particles and applied pressure, should be employed to reduce the dendrite arm spacing and the porosity.

Jan 1, 2015

By P. James

"INTRODUCTION Dissolved salts build up in leach solutions over time as leach solutions mature. Iron can be particularly problematic for hydrometallurgical copper production as it can compete with copper for separation during solvent extraction (SX), leading to iron bleed through and reduced electrowinning (EW) efficiency. In its ferric form (Fe+3) it precipitates as a hydroxide at fairly low pH and can promote clogging and disrupted flow within leach pads as a result of localized pH deviations – such as might result from weather events. The solids formed can cause relatively irreversible degradation to pad productivity. The precipitation pH point for solids formation falls as the ferric (Fe+3) concentration increases, making the issue more prevalent as leach circuits for ore bodies containing appreciable iron get older. It can also be more of a concern when leaching lower grade ore like tailings where lower copper content may increase iron/copper ratios which may increase iron accumulation rates. The precipitation pH point for solids formation falls as the ferric (Fe+3) concentration increases, making the issue more prevalent as leach circuits for ore bodies containing appreciable iron get older. It can also be more of a concern when leaching lower grade ore like tailings where lower copper content may increase iron/copper ratios which may increase iron accumulation rates. Control of ferric (Fe+3) levels could be used to lower ferric (Fe+3) levels and keep the ferric hydroxide [Fe(OH)3] precipitation pH sufficiently high to avoid the associated solids formation and potential leach pad occlusion. Control of ferric (Fe+3) and ferrous (Fe+2) tenors and ratios may also provide benefit for improving sulfide ore leaching or bioleaching performance and effectiveness. Traditionally options for such control were rather limited with bleeding contaminants off or chemical dosing treatments being prominent methods. Now Blue Planet Strategies introduces a new option. Blue Planet Strategies (BPS) focuses on improved resource utilization targeting electrolytic treatment and waste conversion into resources and has now demonstrated that its proprietary DeMet™ (Dynamic Electrolytic Metal Effluent Treatment) platform is highly effective at efficient low-cost conversion and control of iron content in leach streams in addition to targeted dilute metal recovery.[1-6] This powerful new capability provides a new treatment opportunity to control leach solution ferric (Fe+3) and ferrous (Fe+2) tenors to enhance leach operation production."

Jan 1, 2015

By W. Lin, Z. Z. Dong, C. L. Zhou, Y. C. Kuang

The inversion of rock mechanical properties based on well-logging data is a common method to drillbit selection in petroleum engineering, the basic principle of which is to use deep-well logging data and experimental regression model to calculate rock mechanical properties. The profile of rock mechanical properties can be established. According to the profile, the type of drillbit can be selected in different formations, which will improve the economic benefit of bit use indicators. Compressive strength of rock is one of the most important parameters. Conventional method to establish regression models of acoustic velocity and uniaxial compressive strength is on the basis of rock core sonic experiments and uniaxial compressive experiments. However, with the increase of deep drilling operation, triaxial compressive strength prediction model will play a more vital role in drillbit optimization selection in deep wells and improving ROP (Rate of Penetration). Triaxial compressive strength is an important parameter to evaluate the formation strength property. In this paper, to the sandstone commonly encountered in oil drilling, combined the rock mechanical experimental results with the changing porosity experimental results under confining pressure, a new interpretation model of triaxial compressive strength based on well logging data is proposed. Firstly, three types of sandstone samples are collected. Then measured components, uniaxial compressive strength, triaxial compressive strength and porosity. Experimental results show that: confining pressure has a significant influence on sandstone strength, with the increase of confining pressure, triaxial compressive strength increase; furthermore, the triaxial compressive strength of different porosity sandstones have different change rules when confining pressures changes; sandstone porosity decreases with the increase of confining pressure and it obeys logarithmic function. According to the results, regression models of sandstone, in-situ uniaxial compressive strength model and uniaxial compressive strength model under normal pressure are generated. Meanwhile, using well logging data in the acoustic velocity, density and gamma value can derive in-situ rock formations uniaxial compressive strength and in-situ porosity. Eventually, a new model established in this paper, containing in porosity, uniaxial compressive strength, lateral pressure and power exponent of regression, can predict triaxial compressive strength which will guide drillbit selection.

Jan 1, 2015

By Tassos Grammatikopoulos, Vladimiros Papangelakis, Douglass Duffy, Cheryl Washer, Srinath Garg

Flotation operations in Sudbury, Ontario, seeking to separate pentlandite and chalcopyrite from mixed sulphide deposits, produce pyrrhotite tailings that have been disposed of in tailings ponds for over 50 years. These reactive tailings are viewed as waste, despite containing ~0.8 wt% Ni, and represent an environmental liability because of their acid mine drainage (AMD) potential. Given the large quantities of pyrrhotite currently stored in Sudbury, and declining ore grades elsewhere, these tailings have shifted from being viewed as a waste to a potential resource. Recent advances in the bioleaching of low-grade sulphide ores have raised the prospect of bioleaching as a potential low-cost processing option. However optimization of this proposed process requires a thorough understanding of the mineralogy of the pyrrhotite tailings that would be leached. The work presented here addresses the characterization of two distinct Sudbury pyrrhotite tailings, namely from the Vale and Glencore operations, using electron microprobe, XRD and QEMSCAN analysis. Particular focus is given to how the mineralogy may affect bioleaching as a processing option, through the deportment of nickel and the various phases present

Jan 1, 2015

By Jerry Gagnon, Matt Burr, Dave Evans, Timothy Ellis, Davies Kakengela, Abbas Mirza, Larry Webb, François Leclercq, Andrew Johnston

Lead-based alloys are the primary anodes used in electrowinning from sulphate-based aqueous systems. Lead anode technology has evolved over the years, migrating from pure lead and lead-antimonial alloys to the present day lead-calcium-tin alloys for copper electrowinning and lead-silver alloys for zinc electrowinning. It has also migrated from cast to rolled microstructures in search of improved mechanical properties and higher corrosion resistance. Although great strides have been made in the development of new alloys and production processes, the industry still has unresolved issues related to untimely corrosion which limits anode life and may lead to higher contaminant levels in the metal being produced. Lead anodes corrode because of the difference in the chemical/electrochemical potential across the microstructural features of an anode. Given a very high purity material, we find that the grain boundary areas corrode significantly faster than the rest of the grain. The desire to minimize grain boundary corrosion by a balance of alloying element selection and microstructural design allows the grain boundary area to be engineered. However, operational issues can lead to unexpected corrosion behaviours which we will discuss moving forward. The comments in this work, though directed toward copper electrowinning, can be extended to similar phenomena in other metals electrowon from sulphate media (i.e., zinc, nickel, cobalt, manganese). The lifecycle of electrowinning anodes is dependent upon electrowinning tankhouse operating conditions and maintenance of the anodes, including cleaning and straightening. This paper will focus on the operational aspects of maximizing the utilization of lead electrowinning anodes.

Jan 1, 2015

By L. G. Stolarczyk, J. Duncan

"SynopsisLong before the environmental movement, coal miners were suffering from occupational diseases that became apparent in the later years of service, and especially during the retirement years. Chronic exposure to micro-fine dust in the respirable range (‘float’ dust) causes various lung diseases, referred to as coal mine dust lung disease. In the USA alone, 76 000 miners have died of coal mine dust lung disease since early legislation recognized the issue in 1969. Researchers believe that reducing float dust exposure limits alone will not reverse the increasing incidence of coal mine dust lung disease seen in the current generation of miners. Trace and radioactive metals are concentrated in the thin boundary layers of the coal seam (Roberts, 2013), and hence float dust includes silica and toxic trace metals. The production and quality of coal is also significantly impacted by the presence of these contaminants in the coal. In the combustion process, the trace metals are oxidized and become incorporated in the fly ash and flue gas. Since they are extremely water-soluble, they represent a significant danger to health and the environment. Coal preparation plants and power stations need to mitigate these contaminants as far as is practical, but the simple fact is that most contaminants should have been left un-mined.This paper describes an innovative coal-cutting solution to the longstanding technology gap in mining – the ability to measure uncut coal layer thickness to the boundary rock layer. Because of constant changes in geology, seam thickness, and seam undulation, the horizon sensor must be located in the bit-block of the rotating cutter drum of the mining machine. Contaminants in ROM coal must be minimized at the source – that is, at the rock/coal crushing cone directly under the bit-tips of the cutting drum. Bittip distances to the rock boundary layer must be automatically controlled in real time when mining in a complex and undulating coal bed. Horizon sensing (HS) technology enables the mining machine’s cutting picks to stop at a specified distance from undulating horizons of the boundary rock. The thin contaminated coal layer can be left in situ, significantly reducing the toxicity of the float dust. Preventing the metal picks from striking quartz-containing boundary rock also reduces the occurrence of methane ignitions. HS technology equipped with pick force vector sensing can allow optimization of the cutting pick lacing pattern for minimum coal and rock crushing, thereby reducing float dust. This technology may enable the mining industry to convert from automated machine control to autonomous during coal cutting and loading."

Jan 1, 2015