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Smarter Gravity Separation Using the Kelsey Centrifugal Jig With relatively coarse grained and easy-to-process ore sources rapidly dwindling, smarter techniques are becoming more necessary for the continued success of mineral processing operations, while increasing environmental pressures also require more environmentally friendly solutions. Gravity concentration has long been employed to pre-concentrate minerals using water, reducing or eliminating the need for less environmentally friendly processing techniques such as flotation. Conventional gravity recovery devices however, operate in a 1 g environment with limited efficiency in the separation of fine particles of heavy and gangue minerals. More recently developed centrifugal concentrators operate in a multi-g environment and enable finer heavy minerals to be recovered, but also exhibit limited separation efficiency due to the separations being based on solid particle mass differentials. Further enhancement of gravity separation has been achieved using the Kelsey Centrifugal Jig (KCJ), which also operates in a multi-g environment, but separates minerals on the basis of specific gravity differentials, using 'ragging' media and a pulsation mechanism, which maximises the effect of differential particle accelerations. This enables the efficient separation/recovery of minerals down to a particle size of ~6 ¦m and/or separation of minerals with a low specific gravity differential. This paper presents details on the principals of operation of the KCJ, recent improvements in the technology and recent developments in modular KCJ plants, as well as some KCJ application areas, which offer smarter, environmentally friendly processing opportunities for the mineral processing industry.

Sep 13, 2010

By K. Morita, N. Sano

Thermodynamic properties of chromium oxides in molten slags are very important for optimization of stainless steel refining processes as well as reduction processes of chromium ores. The solubility of chromite into molten slags has been found to vary considerably with oxygen partial pressure and slag composition in former studies by the authors. In the present study, activity data and redox equilibria of chromium oxides measured under moderately reducing conditions, PO2= 6.95x10–11atm, at 1873 K are summarized. For the CaO-SiO2-CrOXsystem, the activity coefficient of chromium oxide increased with increasing basicity, and the optimized slag composition for stainless steel refining is assessed as that saturated with CaCr2O4and Cr2O3usingthe phase relations determined. On the other hand, the presence of MgO and Al2O3brings about different behaviour of chromium oxide activity and redox equilibiria and the 44 mass per centCaO-39 mass per cent SiO2-11 mass per cent Al2O3-6 mass per cent MgO slag is recommended toreduce the chromium oxidation loss in the practical stainless steel refining process at 1873 K. Keywords: chromium, activity, stainless steel, AOD, VOD, oxidation loss, redox, CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO slag

Jan 1, 2004

By L. Z. Wojno

Tunnels in South African gold mines are developed at depths down to 3 600 m below surface where the virgin rock stress approaches 100 MPa and, on occasions, through rock where the field stresses exceed 150 MPa. In addition, many tunnels are subjected to increases in field stress of over 50 MPa during their useful lifetime. As a consequence, the walls of most tunnels are fractured causing the rock to dilate into the tunnel. Quantitative data on the extent of this fractured zone are presented. The function of support in these circumstances is to reinforce and maintain the integrity of the fractured rock. In 80 per cent of the 800 km of tunnels developed annually, the support methods used are capable of maintaining the stability of the tunnels. However, the remaining 20 per cent of tunnels is subjected to severer conditions where dilation in excess of 250 mm occurs and/or where the probability of strong seismic ground motion is high. In these tunnels, additional support is required. The type and pattern of support for both normal and severe conditions is described. In spite of the improved support used, damage to tunnels may occur. To minimize this damage, the concept of a rock reinforcing tendon that will yield and do work, when subjected to quasi-static or rapid deformation, has been put forward. Specifications for such a tendon are presented and the development of certain yielding tendons are described.

Jan 1, 1987

By Thierry Bernard

For many years now electronic initiation has brought the time parameter to the centre of blast designs forever. Although this parameter existed before the era of electronic detonators, Blasting engineers or blasters could not directly handle it; technology imposed it. Only discrete values were available. Today, the fact that we can choose any detonation time for an explosive charge questions the viability of most of the rules applied for blast design. Thus, the very famous charge per delay method, that enables a level of vibration to be forecast at a given distance (“Chapot’s law”), is no longer necessarily valid when using electronic initiation. Therefore, it must be approached in a totally different manner. The KUZ-RAM formula, that allows fragmentation to be forecast, is also subject to the same distortion. The aim of this article is to show how the calculation laws used for blast design are influenced by the time parameter (sequence) and how we can efficiently make the most of this, in particular for vibrations. Copyright ©

Jan 1, 2005

Over recent years the trend in Australia has been towards the definitions of sustainable development which emerged from the 1992 Rio Summit of retaining a commitment to ecological integrity, but also incorporating social and economic dimensions of sustainability. Sustainable development may be seen as maintaining and enhancing:natural capital: defined as all natural resources, both environmental and those of traditional economic value; manufactured capital: made by human kind; including produced goods, infrastructure and built environment; human capital: defined as the health, well-being, intellectual capabilities and spiritual welfare of individuals; and social capital: defined as social relations and institutions within and between societies, their norms and functionality (Ameef, 2002). This paper will endeavour to assess the challenges and opportunities facing the professionals and their Institute in the minerals industry in Australia because the MMSD Global and Regional Australia Reports do not, in the authorÆs opinion, adequately address the æhuman capitalÆ input into the current or future development of the minerals industry, in particular, the sustainability of the professionalsÆ skills, knowledge and experiences in a global context.

Jan 1, 2002

By Lutz Markworth, Fernando Parra, Wolfram Jaspers

"The worldwide demand of iron ore and the depletion of the high-purity deposits make it necessary to recover ores in increasingly fine size fractions or low Fe content in the feed material. Impurities for Iron ore processing plants are mainly Silica, Al2O3 and Sulfides.There is a copper processing plant in Chile, which has a high content of Fe in its tailings. These tailings will be re-processed to recover the Fe and to produce a pellet feed concentrate. This challenging flotation process was developed by the customer in his own laboratory. Different flotation technologies were tested. The best results were achieved with the PNEUFLOT® (PNEUmatic FLOTation). For a feed capacity of approximately 600 t/h, a flow sheet of two flotation lines with a reverse two-stage Amine-Silica flotation followed by a single stage reverse Xanthate Pyrite flotation was developed.Because of the two impurities the process control is very critical. Not even the reagent dosing has to be flexible for changes in the feed material; also the flotation cell has to be adaptable. Continuous development of the PNEUFLOT® cell with their specific advantages and the elimination of dysfunctions in the PNEUFLOT® cell have led to a growing demand of this type of equipment worldwide for the iron ore industry within the past years.INTRODUCTIONThe worldwide increasing demand of iron ore is mainly caused by China. This has a major impact on all economics worldwide as the metal price indicates. However, not even the iron ore and steel price, but all other commodities prices and the precious metals prices are increasing by a high percentage. Figure 1 shows the iron ore (pellets) price increase for Fe and the import of iron ore by China. Figure 2 shows the imports of iron ore to China."

Jan 1, 2008

By P. R. G. Bak

The integration of interactive computer graphics technology with data analysis tools can assist in the evaluation of deposit models: the super- imposition of mine openings on complex geology can be quickly perceived using dynamic visualisation, colour-coding and transparency control while analysis functions assist in quantifying displayed information. To illustrate the functionality of such integration a research prototype system is presented which allows the interactive visualisation and evaluation of deposit models comprising both structural boundaries and the distribution of continuous properties.

Jan 1, 1992

By Jan E. Nesset, Phillip J. Mackey

"Studies have shown that there is a correlation between commissioning and start-up time, i.e. time to reach full plant design capacity, and the degree of innovation and technical/engineering uncertainty in the project design. The paper describes the types of start-up curves for plants according to the level of technology or uncertainty in the process design. The need to properly describe and understand the commissioning and start-up time is examined using these curves and the importance on project success is highlighted. A number of case histories of recent mining and metallurgical projects are also reviewed. Finally, the paper reviews how to better assess the level of start-up uncertainty associated with a project and makes suggestions for decreasing the commissioning time due to technological risk.INTRODUCTIOThe start-up of a new mining and metallurgical facility, a much anticipated event, is a critical step in the life of such a project. Achieving a successful start-up and reaching the design capacity on-time requires careful planning, a thorough understanding of the key technological and engineering components involved and a well-trained and adequatelystaffed start-up crew. In this paper, some of the aspects related to start-up of a mining/metallurgical project will be explored, and in particular, the impact of the technology component will be examined. In order to illustrate this, a number of case histories based on recent mining and metallurgical projects will be discussed. Ways of assessing and understanding the uncertainty associated with technological issues related to start-up of a mining and metallurgical plant will also be examined.The history on mining and metallurgy is full of success stories of great mines and mills that are now considered “company makers” (well known examples of such successes include the Horne mine for Noranda which had a 1 year start-up in 1926-27, the Dome mine for Placer Dome, the Grasberg deposit for FMI in Indonesia). Less well documented are specific studies relating to plant start-ups and what constitutes a success or a failure, however there are a few notable references in the literature and these will be reviewed."

Jan 1, 2003

By Keith E. Meyers

Condition monitoring is a viable troubleshooting practice among many industries to extend equipment performance, minimize unplanned downtime, reduce maintenance and repair time and costs, and increase related aspects of plant safety. But obstacles abound for mining, mineral-processing and cement operations striving to implement the technologies. Harsh machine environments can muddy efforts. High vibration in machinery can interfere with wide-spread rollout. Staff expertise or skills may be lacking. And costs may be prohibitive. Fault detection has emerged as a practical and cost-effective solution to identify process and machinery faults before failure interrupts productivity or jeopardizes worker safety. Fault detection can be a stand-alone system or connected to plant automation.

Jan 1, 2005

By L. Andrews

Nickel is recovered as a by-product of the platinum-producing process operated by Anglo Platinum. The metal is mined mainly as sulphide minerals contained in platinum ores. These pass through the concentrating, smelting and converting process route and nickel is finally recovered by electrowinning. Smelting of the concentrated ore in the electric furnace produces a melt with a high slag to matte ratio. The resulting furnace slag is granulated and later milled and floated to recover matte. A project was initiated to investigate the distribution of nickel in the slag in order to improve recovery. Slag samples were examined using a combination of chemical and mineralogical techniques. The granulated slag was found to consist mainly of a silicate glass phase, which reflects the composition of the molten slag in the furnace. Nickel occurs as free matte granules, as matte phases locked inside the glass, and in the glass phase itself. Whereas nickel in the matte is as sulphide, most of the nickel in the glass phase appears to be oxide- bound(i.e. in solid solution). Milled slag as flotation feed showed recovery-limiting features such as free matte with oxidized surfaces and unliberated matte inclusions in the slag. The biggest nickel losses, assuming no tapping problems, are in the glass phase solid solution. Only around 40% of nickel would be recovered from the slag, even under ideal conditions. Spoon and pot slag samples were also examined to see if casting and crushing would improve recovery. Although larger and therefore more easily recovered matte phases formed, nickel partitioned into crystalline silicate phases, limiting the maximum theoretical nickel recovery to 70%.

Jan 1, 2004

By Sam Ash

The Murray Mine was one of the first mechanized cut-and-fill underground gold operations in northern Nevada. At the end of 2002, mine production began to decline. So the mine entered a phase of remnant mining and began preparations to close down. The remaining mining took place along the ore waste boundary in previously condemned areas and in challenging ground conditions. To remain economically viable, new techniques were implemented in operations, geology, engineering and rock mechanics. These improvements pushed the edge of known and accepted mining practices and have allowed the Murray Mine to remain in operation.

Jan 1, 2006

By Don McCarthy

Modern mining has been dominated by the drill-and-blast method for more than a century. There have been steady improvements in drilling technology, explosive products, methods of initiation and integration of the two techniques but the essential cyclical nature of drill-and-blast rock excavation naturally limits continuous improvements in cost and productivity. Dynamite and safety fuses, compressed-airdriven tools, and most of the crushing and grinding machinery in use today were all developed before 1900. Moreover, virtually every mechanized mining system used today was in use by the late 1950’s.

Jan 1, 1998

By Eric E. Cather

In 1984 and 1986, at the request of the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a mineral appraisal of the 315,000-acre Lemhi Range study area. This area is located in Lemhi and Custer Counties, about 25 mi south of Salmon, Idaho, and is in the Northern Rocky Mountain physiographic province, Topography is generally rugged with elevations ranging from 5,600 ft to about 11,350 ft above sea level. Since the 1880's, approximately 500 mining claims have been located within the study area; about 400 were current at the time of this investigation. Also, part or all of 12 patented mining claims are in the study area. During Bureau field work, forty-four mineralized sites were examined. The sites had been explored by 80 adits, 14 shafts, and about 140 pits and trenches. At least five properties in the study area have had significant production; the adjacent Mohawk, Grace Phelan, and Snowbird claims had a combined total of 136,000 oz of silver and 67,000 lb of lead; production at the Brown Bull was about 14,800 oz of silver and 115,000 lb of lead; the Portland mine yielded an unrecorded amount of silver. The Hilltop mine, located a few hundred feet outside the study area, produced 125,000 oz of silver, 2.7 million lb of lead, 87,000 lb of zinc, and 62,000 lb of copper from mineralized zones that might extend into the study area. More than 10,000 lb of copper were produced at the Blue Jay mine from workings located about 1,000 ft outside the study area. The Bureau of Mines investigation did not reveal the presence of identified resources in the study area. However, several areas contain mineralized sites and are known occurrences. Some of these warrant additional work to further delineate the mineralization and possibly determine identified resources.

Jan 1, 1988

By K. M. Godiwalla, S. Ranganathan

The thermal state in submerged-arc furnaces (S.A.F.) producing ferro alloys is important for the conditions of both the grade of alloy produced as well as specific energy consumption. The temperature profile in the S.A.F. is affected by the endothermic chemical reactions and the rate of gas evolution. The gas evolution commences at about 900 C due to the reduction of iron in the ore. A first-principle-based 2-D model has been developed to predict the temperature profile in the furnace. In this study, four ores of different grades have been considered in order to simulate the thermal profile in the S.A.F. The influence of the composition of the ore on the thermal profile and its significance in rationalisation of charge distribution to optimise the process are discussed.

Jan 1, 2007

By Edgar Dernedde

Cryolitic melts at a temperature of about 960 °C are used in reduction cells to dissolve alumina and to produce primary aluminium. At these temperatures cryolitic melts with an acidic composition have a significant vapour pressure, which contributes substantially to the evolution of fluorides from these cells, The Antoine equation is commonly used for relating vapour pressure data of liquids at different temperatures, It is also applicable to cryolitic melts, Published equations have at least 20 numerical constants, in order to allow for the effects of melt composition. In the present work a simplified equation with only 12 numerical constants was developed and is applicable for multiple additions to molten cryolite up to 30 wt %, The simplified equation was compared with the published equations of Haupin & Kvande and Gustaysen & Ostvold using 472 vapour pressure data of cryolitic melts. Results showed that the simplified equation has the same accuracy as the published equations in the composition range of interest to industry.

Jan 1, 2004

By B Rosemberg, F Lemos, A J. B Dutra

The chemistry of cyanide solutions is complex, this complexity being responsible for the ability to act as complex-forming agents in metal dissolution processes, among them gold and silver. Such ionic species are used in hydrometallurgical processes, in particular in gold extraction and electro-plating. Due to the high toxicity of cyanide, the discard of effluent from processes and/or industries demands rigorous treatment so as to minimise its concentration. Among the conventional chemical treatment of such effluents one can mention SO2/air; biological degradation; oxidation by using hydrogen peroxide; oxidation by sodium hypochlorite, etc. However, the electrolytic recycling process is also promising for cyanide recovery and offers the possibility of recycling it to the aforementioned industrial processes. Such a process does not use additional chemicals but enables direct re-utilisation to the main process aiming at adjusting the cyanide concentration.

Jan 1, 2002

By Serge V. Krasavin

The behavior of rocks subjected to dynamic loading conditions under explosion includes sufficient information about hydrodynamic variables such as pressure P, mass velocity U, internal energy E, specific volume V and density p as functions of time. Measurement of dynamic characteristics in compressed media with manganin wire sensors has become common in the past few years, but the experimental data for certain media, such as rock, do not provide an exhaustive description of rock's behavior in the near zone of an explosion, which is highly responsible for the transformation of energy of explosives.

Jan 1, 1992

By M. Mortada

Nonsteady-state flow of slightly compressible liquids in porous media of non-uniform properties has been the subject of a number of recent studies. Most of these studies considered one-dimensional flow in systems with cylindrical geometry and with the properties of the porous medium varying with radial distance only. A. Houpeurt' studied the problem in its general form by examining the solutions of the differential equation, In Eq. 1, the permeability k and the porosity + are arbitrary functions of radial distance. Houpeurt concluded that, except for special forms of the functions k and the problem is not well suited for mathematical treatment, but lends itself to high-speed digital computation. Carslaw and Jaeger' discussed the solution of Eq. 1 for the case in which the permeability varies as a power of the radial distance. P. Albert3 studied analytically the pseudo steady-state solutions in systems of finite radial extent and non-uniform properties. He also obtained some numerical solutions for nonsteady-state flow using a high-speed computer. William Hurst4 examined the interference pressure drop due to a point sink located in an infinite system consisting of two permeability regions in series. In this case, the permeability changed at a radial distance r from the point sink. INTERFERENCE BETWEEN OIL FIELDS IN A NON-UNIFORM AQUIFER The interference pressure drop for oil fields located in an extensive aquifer of uniform properties is discussed in a number of places in the literature. This work considers the interference pressure drop for oil fields located in a non-uniform extensive aquifer comprising two regions of different properties as shown in Fig. 1. Region I of the aquifer extends from which is the radius of Oil Field A, to ar,,, where a>1. It has permeability k,, porosity +, and effective compressibility c,. Oil Field B is located in Region II which extends from ar, to infinity and has different properties from those of Region I, but the same formation thickness h. Region II has permeability k2, porosity and effective compressibility c2. The choice of this type of aquifer should not imply that it is of frequent occurrence. It is chosen primarily to illustrate the effects of non-uniform aquifer properties on oilfield interference. It is of interest to point out that a non-uniform radial aquifer in which both the permeability and the porosity are inversely proportional to the radial distance can be treated in a manner similar to a linear aquifer of uniform properties. The situation where only the permeability varies as the inverse of the radial distance is also amenable to analytical treatment. Both aquifers behave quite differently from a radial aquifer with uniform properties so far as the water influx and the interference pressure drop are concerned. METHOD OF SOLUTION The expression for the interference pressure drop in Oil Field B due to a constant rate of water influx in Oil Field A is developed in the Appendix. This is accomplished by the simultaneous solution of two partial differential equations describing the pressure in Regions I and 11. The two differential equations are solved subject to the following conditions: (1) at r,, the pressure gradient is constant; (2) at ar the pressure and

By J. P. Neumann, L. Raymond

At temperatures near 1000°C, only the (112) (111) slip systems are operatire in tungsten. Therefore, the substructure introduced into the billet upon rleforming a single crystal by rolling at 1000 "C can be controlled by proper selection 01. processing ral'iubles. Using a reduction of 10 pct pel- pass, the (001)[110] and the (110)[001] crystals will deform by duplex slip rip to a 50 pet reduction in thickuess. These rolled single-crystal sheels are characlerized by anisotropic hardening, retention of ductility with warm working, lattice bending which is related to the conlacl (angle, and macroscopic dimensional changecs in the length bid not the width of the billet. When several slip systems become operative, a greater degree of work hardening is itztvoducetl into the crystal. This rolling- condition is characlerized by isotropic hardening, loss of ductilily with warm working, complex lattice distortions, and macro-scopic dimensional changes in both the length rind Width of the billel. IN tungsten, the {1 10}(111) slip systems are operative below room temperature,' while above 700°C only the {112{ (111) slip systems are observed.2,3 In the transition region, i.e., room temperature. both systems appear. It is the purpose of this investigation to show that tungsten single crystals deformed by rolling at a temperature where only one slip system is operative generate dislocation substructure which depends on the crystal orientation. For a specific crystal orientation. the resulting dislocation substructure can be further influenced by modifying the rolling procedure. Crystals oriented for multiple slip display less substructural sensi- tivity to modifications in processing techniques than do single crystals oriented for duplex slip. Under simple slip modes of deformation, very little work hardening is introduced into a rolled single-crystal sheet. Mechanical properties such as room-temperature strength. ductility, and hardness are used to confirm the existence of the different work-hardened conditions generated within the crystal by modified warm-rolling techniques. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Material. Single-crystal billets of four different crystal orientations. grown by the Arc-Verneuil technique. were ground to a size of 0.25 by 0.375 by 3 in. In terms of their rolling plane and rolling direction, the billets had the following orientations: (1101 [001 ] (110) [110] (001) [110] (001) [100] The actual orientation of all crystals was within 5 deg of the ideal orientations. The typical impurity content of the crystals is given in Table I. Polishing and Etching. Polishing was done elec-trolytically in a 20 g per liter aqueous solution of NaOH at approximately 10 v. It was established by the Laue back-reflection X-ray technique that the surface damage due to grinding and cutting operations with a diamond wheel did not exceed 0.001 in. Therefore after each cutting or grinding operation at least 0.002 in. was removed electrolytically from the surface in order to eliminate surface effects. By lowering the voltage to 3 v, subgrain boundaries and individual dislocations are identified in agreement with Berlec 4 where the etch-pit traces on a cubic plane form a square. The etching time was about 5 sec at room temperature. Rolling. Rolling was carried out on a Loma 2-high mill (Model 600). The peripheral velocity of the 6-in.-diameter rolls was 500 in. per min, with the surface temperature of the rolls about 400° to 450° C The billets were heated before each pass for 30 min in argon to 1000 C. Oxidation of the crystals during rolling in air resulted in a thin layer of greenish-yellow WO 3 This oxide was removed after each pass by immersing the crystals for a few minutes in a boiling NaOH solution. Prior to the initial rolling pass, a surface layer of 0.001 in. was removed by polishing. The crystals were then annealed in vacuum (10-4 torr) at 2400 C for 30 min. All crystals were rolled in the same direction; i.e., the same end was always introduced into the rolls. The rolling program was conducted in

Jan 1, 1965

Experimental studies on viscosity of titanium bearing slags have been reviewed and the assessed data were used in extending the capability of the structurally related viscosity model for silicate melts, developed by the present authors. Experimental data on ternary and higher order systems containing CaO, MgO, MnO, FeO, Al2O3, TiO2, Ti2O3, SiO2were assessed and used. The newly extended viscosity model represented the viscosity behaviour over broad temperature and composition ranges. The structural role played by TiO2and Ti2O3in silicate network structure is discussed with respect to their effect on viscosity of melts. Keywords: viscosity model, TiOx containing silicate melts, silicate network structure.

Jan 1, 2004