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By Vas P. Srinivasa

This paper examines the role of the heavy media separator in the mineral industry. Procedures used in selecting the separating vessel, developing the process flowsheet, and designing a heavy media circuit are discussed. For comparative purposes, the capital investment and operating costs of different types of operation are included.

Jan 1, 1981

By Oscar Cabello, Luis Mendieta, Maribel Guzman

Mineral flotation processes generate large volumes of tailings, which must be disposed of efficiently and safely. In addition to dry stack disposal, the possibility of reusing these tailings as aggregates in shotcrete is an interesting alternative. Tailings samples from a mining operation in southern Peru were characterized by granulometric analysis, X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Concrete samples were obtained with different tailings formulations. The samples were subsequently subjected to geomechanical testing. The results showed that replacing 20% to 30% of the tailings with aggregates in shotcrete production achieved compressive strengths exceeding 30 MPa after 28 days of curing, with an energy absorption capacity of 500 joules. Results show that this shotcrete can be used in the support stage of the mining cycle in underground mining.

Feb 22, 2026

By Richard A. Thomas, Liming Yuan, Wei Tang, JOHN SOLES

Lithium-ion battery applications are increasing for battery-powered vehicles because of their high energy density and expected long cycle life. With the development of battery-powered vehicles, fire and explosion hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries are a safety issue that needs to be addressed. Lithium-ion batteries can go through a thermal runaway under different abuse conditions including thermal abuse, mechanical abuse, and electrical abuse, leading to a fire or explosion. The NIOSH Mining program is conducting research to prevent and respond to lithium-ion battery fires for battery electric vehicles in the mining industry. In this study, experiments were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different suppression systems including dry chemical, class D powder, and water mist for lithium iron phosphate battery pack fires. The effects of activation time and release time of the water mist system on the suppression of lithium-ion battery fires were studied. The results of this study may be helpful for developing strategic firefighting and response plans for battery-powered vehicles used in mining.

Feb 17, 2024

By S. Park

In a flotation froth (and foam), air bubbles become larger due to coalescence, causing less hydrophobic particles to drop off. A bubble-coarsening model has been developed by calculating the changes in Plateau border area as a function of the initial bubble size at the base of a foam, liquid fraction, and foam height and then relating the predicted Plateau border area to the critical rupture thickness of lamellae film. The model predicts that bubble coarsens with increasing froth height, decreasing frother dosage, and decreasing aeration rate. The model predictions are in good agreement with actual bubble size measurements.

Feb 23, 2014

By J. Schoenbacher

Park City Municipal Corporation (PCMC), long before being recognized as an Olympic venue was known as one of the great American silver mining towns. During a century of active mining, the Park City mining district produced millions of ounces of silver in addition to a substantial amount of mine tailing waste. Since 1985 the City has been remediating these impacts with state and federal oversight. One particular challenging CERCLIS site, that was previously a historic mine tailings pond is known as Prospector Square Development (CERCLIS Listing Silver Creek Tailings UTD98051404). This site has been very challenging due to the metals that impact the shallow ground water that eventually drain into the Silver Creek Watershed. To address the water quality impairment the City and Missouri University of Science and Technology teamed up to investigate the feasibility of constructing a horizontal-flow wetland to treat this pollutant source. This effort began with the building of a pilot cell in June of 2004 and lead to the construction of a full scale horizontal-flow wetland in the fall of 2008. The design of the pilot and full scale biocell was based upon lab-scale research conducted by the Missouri University of Science and Technology. In October of 2008, the Prospector Drain effluent was introduced to the system and to date analytical results reveal that the biocell is treating the Prospector Drain outfall below the Silver Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) endpoint goals for zinc .39 mg/L and cadmium .00075 mg/L. The water chemistry of the influent, that originates from the historic silver mine tailings pond, is impaired with zinc and cadmium and has low iron with a pH of roughly 6.5. The construction of this unit encountered many challenges related to constituent relations, regulatory scrutiny, constructability and start-up. Nonetheless, since implementation this unit is considered a success for improving water quality within the Silver Creek Watershed.

Jan 1, 2011

By C. R. DeGennaro, M. R. Girman, J. Bickson, J. P. Homer, C. C. Jobes

Between 2005 and 2021, a NIOSH internal review showed that haul trucks were involved in 54 incidents at surface mines in the United States. Haul truck collision warning and avoidance systems (CXS) can assist in preventing accidents at surface mines. CXS use technologies to detect people or objects and alarm to alert haul truck operators. Robust testing can help ensure that they detect objects without excessive false positive alarms. Testing and validation would increase confidence in and encourage implementation of a CXS. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviewed documents related to the evaluation and validation of CXS with two objectives: (1) to identify methods and parameters used to evaluate detection performance and (2) to identify gaps in CXS test methods and in detection performance. Stakeholders can use the findings from this research to guide implementation of CXS to improve safety at surface mines.

Mar 2, 2022

By Jennifer L. Bell, PATRICK L. YORIO, Emily J. Haas, Susan M. Moore, Lee A. Greenawald

Although researchers have struggled to replicate Heinrich’s safety triangle findings (Heinrich 1931) for various reasons (e.g., no access to his original database and it is unclear if the database was of a single establishment/operation or for an entire industry), the occupational safety community has continued to adopt and expand the applications of this theory (e.g., McSween 2003). Within the mining industry, the potential exists for operations and companies to use concepts from the safety triangle as a way to inform or challenge the practices employed within their health and safety management systems (HSMS) to prevent incidents (Backlund 2016). This paper considers data obtained from the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s databases and demonstrates the validity of applying the safety triangle theory at the mine level. The results support the use of this theory and demonstrate that lower severity incidents can predict fatalities in a subsequent year where significant nuances and caveats to applying the theory are identified and discussed.

Jul 25, 2020

By S. Nowosad, O. Langefeld, A. Godge

Pumped storage power plants are one of the options to store the fluctuating production of electric energy from renewable sources in a sustainable manner and is able to provide Europe with the opportunity to overcome the effects of climate change. However, due to the extensive land use required when planning the water reservoirs, several projects have been declined after social conflicts raised, even in Germany. Nonetheless, after the flooding and drought periods in northern Germany, the catastrophic floods of July 2021 in south west Germany, the country’s need to decrease its dependency on import of gas and energy supply, and the energy transition goals set for 2030 and 2050, it has become clear that the implementation for water reservoirs must increase in the coming years, whether above ground or underground. Furthermore, not only Germany is interested in the use of underground cavities for water and energy storage, other European countries as Sweden are currently developing studies and solutions to bring this concept soon to reality in Europe. This article introduces the systematic approach for planning and designing large underground cavities for water reservoirs as a sustainable energy transition approach and a climate change response by showcasing the process of selection and results of the “Energy and Water Storage Harz” (EWAZ) research project. Additionally, the results of the evaluation of the effect of implementing the selected underground and surface infrastructure into the current water management system in the region is presented. Finally, the different possibilities evaluated for the underground cavities within the project and the technical challenges involved are be discussed.

Feb 1, 2023

By Kendall Y. Keuhey

The Mercur Mine, developed and operated by Getty Mining Company, is designed to process 3,000 tons/day of gold ore from the historical Mercur Hill mining district. The mill process involves crushing, grinding, and cyanide carbon in leach for recovery of gold ores ranging from 0.08 to 0.10 oz/ton. During the mining of normal grade ore, a substantial tonnage of material containing 0.02 to 0.05 oz/ton is mined and would be available for heap leaching. Also, Getty Mining is developing methods to test and prepare lower grade material for heap leaching by rejecting a course rock fraction from the grinding circuit SAG mill. This lower grade fraction is suitable for heap leaching, and its removal will upgrade the regular mill feed. Other test methods are directed toward leaching techniques on some 4.0 million tons of tailings that resulted from roasting and/or cyanide leaching Mercur ores in the early 1900s. The natural carbons associated with the Mercur deposits require special treatment to reduce their gold adsorption effects when leached with cyanide.

Jan 1, 1983

By Gary Peach, Peter Mason

Planning and estimating progress rates and costs for tunnelling is always best done based on experience and historic precedent. Much precedent is available but the use of data monitoring, data mining and other retrieval techniques on modern TBM machines can enable this to be further expanded and refined. Advance rates can be related much more closely to rock types as can associated rock bolt and mesh/ shotcrete requirements. This in turn can lead to a further refinement in best likely combinations of equipment, such as shotcrete jumbos, better selected for the anticipated conditions, rather than the potential advance rates of the machine. Efficient and timely construction of the tunnel will also be linked to times needed for finishing work, such as contact and void grouting and to how this can be initiated while the TBM is still in operation, in order to save overall construction time. Indeed, this in turn may affect the most preferable layout and construction details of the permanent tunnel. Considerable experience has been gained in the use of two large diameter TBM tunnel drives through the Himalayas at the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Pakistan. All the above aspects will be discussed in the paper based on the considerable experience and data which came from that operation, including appropriate measures in highly stressed areas potentially subject to rock burst.

Jun 13, 2021

By T. Gouri Charan

Indian coals, which are of Gondwana origin, contain high amounts of mineral matter, wherein the extraneous material was intimately mixed in the coal matrix during the formation stage, causing a high level of impurity in the run-of-mine (ROM) material. These coals possess difficult to very difficult washability characteristics. Beneficiation of high-ash non-coking coals of India has become the prerequisite for improving the overall economics and efficiency of power generation. The use of dry cleaning systems in India for beneficiation of non-coking coals has gaining renewed interest recently. The benefit of the dry beneficiation process is to exploit the given resources while providing a more reliable and consistent quality fuel with a low operating cost. M/S Allmineral has introduced a technique for the dry beneficiation of coal, which is being tried in India for the treatment of high-ash non-coking coals. The first commercial air jig of 50 t/hr capacity was installed and commissioned to beneficiate high-ash coals of 40 x 5 mm feed with an ash content of 40%; a clean coal product of 33% ash was produced and is being used for a sponge iron plant.

Jan 1, 2011

By Ji Fang, Chong Fan, Fengrui Wang, Dongxin Bai

Unmanned mining technology in underground mines offers high efficiency, safety, and low cost. However, ground operators face challenges in accurately perceiving the underground environment through videos. This paper presents an augmented reality (AR) platform developed to enhance the unmanned mining process. The platform uses cameras and 5G technology to transmit high-fidelity video streams to the ground, where key targets are identified and virtual models are registered in the video to enhance the real scene. Tests in the Xinli stope of the Sanshandao gold mine showed the platform’s effectiveness in improving ground operators’ perception and production efficiency.

Jan 30, 2022

By W. P. Arnott, P. Nascimento, X. L. Wang, K. C. Kocsis, S. J. Taylor, H. Firouzkouhi

We report the first spectral photoacoustic measurements of silica, coal, and kaolinite dust absorption coefficients from 11 to 13 μm at 5 nm resolution made with a tunable quantum cascade laser. This is important because airborne silica dust and coal dust within mining environments continue to be a problem for mine workers and staff due to their severe health effects on the respiratory system, while other dust types are potentially interferents to their detection. Our real-time spectra compare favorably with the non-real-time filter-based Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) spectra obtained using the sampling system developed by NIOSH for their end-of-shift method to determine silica dust concentrations using a portable FTIR. We discuss our new dust generation system and instrument testing chamber. We also show that our PM4 silica mass concentration measurements by a low-cost air quality sensor (SPS30) are in good agreement with the TSI Aerosol Particle Sizer instrument, the NIOSH end of shift method, gravimetric mass, and correlate well with photoacoustic light absorption measurements at a wavelength where silica absorbs strongly.

Aug 20, 2022

By Yubo Tu, Lianqi Wei, Tianyi Zhao, Peiwei Han, Zhengchen Li, Shufeng Ye

The effect of oxygen partial pressure on the volatilization percentages of valuable metals from iron-rich pyrite cinder by chlorination-volatilization method using CaCl2 as chlorinating agent was investigated in this study. The volatile products were collected directly and analyzed by X-ray diffraction. It was found that there were CuCl2, CuCl, PbCl2, and ZnCl2 existed in the volatile products. Au and Pb volatilization percentages were almost not affected by oxygen partial pressure. Both Cu and Zn volatilization percentages were negatively correlated with oxygen partial pressure when CaCl2 dosage was no more than 4 wt%, and almost uncorrelated with oxygen partial pressure with a CaCl2 dosage of 6 wt%.

Dec 19, 2023

By Rainer Antretter

While respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust that arises in industrial production mostly emanates from point sources and can be well mitigated, the extraction of dust is much more difficult in underground construction, since locally generated dust spreads widely. Analysis of dust measurements shows that RCS values are difficult to predict, and effective dedusting systems are required to comply with permissible exposure limits (PEL) in breathed air. Dedusting systems are effective near the tunnel face, while dedusting of working areas away from the tunnel face is difficult or even impossible. In general, there is little temporal influence on the tunnelling work—except for drill and blast excavation—which makes it necessary to remove the deduster and ductwork from the face area. Concurrent work in the tunnel is affected by the backflowing air mass of ventilation and therefore the quality of this air mass must be considered. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), e.g., dust filter masks, is considered the least-desirable safety measure available. However, for certain individual operations in the tunnelling process, the use of PPE cannot be avoided, especially if other technical mitigation measures are not possible. In tunnels with small cross sections for example, dedusting systems often cannot be accommodated and PPE must be used instead. This raises the question of whether the use of PPE can be avoided by designing appropriate excavation cross sections and allowing for the implementation of technically engineered mitigation measures. The paper highlights problems with dedusting measures and shows possible ways to achieve OSHA compliance.

Jun 13, 2021

By William Gleason

"While the American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA) was preparing to close one chapter and begin another during its annual conference in Spokane, WA Dec. 3-7, word of a significant victory on an issue that has been important to the association for many years came from the halls of Washington, D.C.During a keynote address on Dec. 6, Joe Balash, assistant secretary of Land and Minerals Management for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), told a sold-out lunch crowd that the DOI had released final drafts of proposed revisions to the Obama-era greater sage grouse conservation plans. The revisions suggest removing hundreds of thousands of acres of federally protected habitat in Utah, and easing restrictions on energy development and other activities, including mining, in Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming.The protections of the sage grouse were put in place by the Obama administration in 2015. The sage grouse, a prairie fowl, is considered by conservationists to be a key indicator species for the health of America’s sagebrush ecosystem. The previous plan to protect the ground-dwelling bird imposed restrictions to development in sage grouse habitat, but did not place the birds on the endangered species list — a move that many believed would have imposed far more rigid rules.AEMA, and its executive director Laura Skaer, led the way in the fight against the Obama-era greater sage grouse plan, arguing that the plan unnecessarily hurt economic development.“We were the first organization to point out that the greater sage grouse was being used to stop mining, oil and gas production and grazing on public lands in the interior mountain west,” said Skaer who is retiring from AEMA with a significant legal win on this front. “Early on, we cautioned that the proposed Land Use Plan Amendments would be worse than a listing (of the sage grouse) under the Endangered Species Act. Very few believed us until they saw the plans with all of the restrictions and the recommendation for a 4-million-ha (10-million-acre) withdrawal from mineral entry. We were the only organization that filed comments on all 88 Land Use Plan Amendments in 11 states covering more than 24.2 million ha (60 million acres).”"

Feb 1, 2019

By W. H. Pailes, V. Castranova, K. Van Dyke, J. H. Kang

Recruitment and activation of phagocytic cells after inhalation of occupational dusts has been implicated in the development of pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, or emphysema. Plateletactivating factor has been described recently as a potent inflammatory agent. The objective of the present study was to investigate if platelet-activating factor might play a role in the inflammatory response of the lung to occupational dusts. In vitro exposure of alveolar macrophages to cotton dust (4 mg/ml), silica (10 mg/ml), or coal dust (10 mg/ml) results in the release of picomole levels of platelet-activating factor with a potency of cotton dust > silica > coal dust. Time course studies indicate that platelet-activating factor release from alveolar macrophages is maximal approximately 10 minutes after in vitro exposure to silica. In vitro, platelet-activating factor is a direct stimulant of polymorphonuclear leukocytes increasing chemiluminescence 2.3 ± 0.3 fold above control. The maximal response occurs in the dose range of 10-10 to 10-7M platelet activating factor. In addition, plateletactivating factor potentiates the response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to a second stimulant; i.e., chemiluminescence generated from polymorphonuclear leukocytes exposed to plateletactivating factor (10-9M) plus chemotactic peptide (FMLP, 10-9M) is 88 ± 22% greater than the sum of the separate effects of these stimulants. In contrast, platelet-activating factor is not a direct stimulant of alveolar macrophages in vitro, having no stimulatory effect on chemiluminescence or superoxide anion release even at levels of 10-6 to 10-5M platelet-activating factor. However, platelet-activating factor (10-5M) does potentiate zymosan-stimulated activation of chemiluminescence and superoxide release from alveolar macrophages by 117 ± 56% and 30 ± 4%, respectively. In conclusion, these data indicate that exposure of the lung to occupational dusts results in the release of platelet-activating factor which may activate polymorphonuclear leukocytes and potentiate the responsiveness of alveolar macrophages to dust. The net result would be pulmonary inflammation and hypersecretion of reactive species by pulmonary phagocytes which could lead to tissue damage and pulmonary disease.

Jan 1, 1991

By M. Guzman, M. Romero, S. Bravo-Thais, M. Flores

The phytoremediation method is proposed to recover valuable metals from polluted soils. In this sense, the objective of this research is to determine if it is possible to use native plants in the recovery of precious metals from abandoned mining liabilities. The tailings samples containing Au and Ag were acquired from the northern region of Peru. Two native plant species, Stipa Ichu and Cortaderia Nitida, were used. Results show that Au was recovery around 19% (1.52 mg/Kg) and 25.43% (1.78 mg/Kg) by using Stipa Ichu and Cortadeira Nitida, respectively. Besides, Ag had a better recovery in the Stipa Ichu reaching a value of 6.83% (0.628 mg/Kg); in contrast, Cortadeira Nitida had an efficiency of 3.6% (0.814 mg/Kg). Bioaccumulation, bioconcentration and translocation factors were calculated by determining the concentration of precious metals in the roots and aerial parts of each plant. Results show that Stipa Ichu had a greater capacity of hyperaccumulated Ag compared to Au; while Cortaderia Nitida tended to have a better performance for Au. In conclusion, both plants are recommended for phytoremediation of mining liabilities.

Feb 1, 2023

By Edward C. Mabbs

U.S. industry must increase its productivity or lose its competitive position in the rapidly expanding and inter-dependent world markets. Recent improvements in material handling techniques and equipment, coordinated with production processes, provide one of the greatest opportunities to increase productivity. Successful managers must learn how to take advantage of these material handling opportunities to gain competitive position.

Jan 1, 1973

By E. A. Twichell

An entirely new concept in the effective utilization of magnetic, energy has resulted in a major break-through in the design of magnetic separation equipment. One of the first applications of this concept has resulted in the development of a Permanent Magnetic Wet Drum Separator with strength .and operating characteristics equal to Electro Wet Drum Separators. Prior to this development when strength and adjustability were required, electro wet drums were specified even with all their drawbacks. The electros, by nature, are subject to coil failure or burnout, over-heating and loss of strength, high power consumption and generally high maintenance. Now the high strength and the adjustability, formerly the exclusive property of electros, has been engineered into permanent wet drum separators. These units combine maximum field strength in the separation zone with strength adjustment to suit changing conditions. Adjustment can be effected while the drum is in operation without stopping either the feed or the drum.

Jan 1, 1967