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By Kevin Sierra, Orfelinda Avalo, Julio Guizado, Edwilde Yoplac, David Martinez

Mining tailings are slurry byproducts of mineral recovery. They generate serious environmental risks due to their toxicity when exposed to water and oxygen. Studies focus on eco-friendly alternatives for mitigating these environmental impacts. Processing these tailings enables a sustainable mineral production model through circular economy practices. This study evaluates using gold mining tailings to recover gold and produce bricks. Flotation tests obtained a concentrate with 86.66% gold recovery, containing sulfides (pyrite, arsenopyrite) and a tailing with silicates and oxides suitable for brick manufacturing and ornamental pieces. This approach promotes eco-friendly solutions and a greener approach to mining operations.

Feb 1, 2024

By G. Harper

The Windy Craggy polymetallic massive sulphide deposit is located in the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia 40 miles west of the Haines Highway, 90 miles northwest of the port of Haines Alaska. The physical setting is mountainous country but with few peaks rising above 2,000 metres elevation, in contrast to the spectacular mountainous terrain to the north and south in Kluane and Glacier Bay Parks respectively. Valleys are classically U-shaped with incised V-shaped bottoms. The upper portions are still occupied by glaciers, which in the Windy Craggy area are documented as retreating at a rapid rate -in the case of the Tats Glacier of the order of 1% of its mass per year. The outcrops around Windy Craggy show a north-easterly dipping sequence of Mesozoic limey sediments and volcanics being the western limb of a north northwesterly trending syncline. Northeasterly cross folding provides a few complications. The flanks of the syncline have been buttressed by intrusive bodies of granitic affinity.

Jan 1, 1991

By Sergio Godoy P.

The Los Bronces porphyry copper deposit is located in the high Andes of Central Chile. Ore is mined from several tourmaline breccias and from an earlier porphyry. After years of experience in the geostatistical estimation of reserves in different zones of the ore body, we believe that success lies in considering the evaluation as an integrated process beginning with the analyses of the drilling density and sampling methodology, ending with the critically important reconciliation between the estimated and the actually extracted ore, in general, when errors or differences occur, focus is centered in the calculation stages of geostatistics. However, this paper demonstrates that all the evaluation stages are equally important and require the direct and continuous geologic input to ensure the best possible estimate within the frame of the geologic constraints.

Jan 1, 1992

By D. A. Robbins

The application of remote sensing for environmental measurements is already being utilized. Aircraft mounted imaging spectroscopy has been utilized to evaluate areas of historical mining operations as well as active mine sites. To the extent that remote sensing can provide more sensitive, cost effective, and timely monitoring potential, the technology is of interest to the industry. Questions remain about the application and validation of the data and the availability of the technology in the private sector. This presentation will discuss some of the potential uses, benefits, and concerns related to remote sensing and efforts to monitor the technology's development.

Jan 1, 1999

By J. H. Mackey

"Where can I obtain a reclamation bond today?" "Who is writing your bonds?" These questions are common and heard frequently. The fact that the Society of Mining Engineers has determined that two of the five environmental topics reviewed at the 1989 Annual Meeting relate to reclamation bonding indicates to me that those who are involved in the coal industry, no matter what capacity, remain very cognizant of the reclamation bonding dilemma.

Jan 1, 1989

Engineering programs usually do not provide sufficient opportunities for students to develop written communication skills. The responsibility for developing those skills is frequently delegated to the humanities faculty, who in a single technical writing course are supposed to transform engineering students into proficient communicators. A general template which was developed for report writing in our senior level capstone design courses is discussed. Students have improved their writing skills by using the template. The writing assignments have provided the students the opportunity to write and revise more technical reports that communicate their design.

Jan 1, 1995

By T. H. Jones

Fall of ground is a leading source of worker injury and fatality indicating a persistent need for ground monitoring technology. The HRTMM is an experimental convergence monitor utilizing a digital camera and custom software to track the position of one or more lasers across the target. Apparent laser movement is proportional to target convergence. The HRTMM was installed in an underground mine near active operations to test its response to the mining environment. This included intense blasting vibration and mine fog. Results and potential of the new monitoring technology will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2008

By J. J. Kellar

Researchers have long speculated regarding the adsorption state of collectors on mineral surfaces. Only recently have analytical techniques become available which allow direct in-situ analysis of adsorbed layers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with internal reflection spectroscopy (FT-IRJIRS) with reactive internal reflection elements allows for unobtrusive investigation of the adsorbed layer (Harrick, 1979). This technique has been used both for the in-situ identification of adsorbed species and for the direct calculation of collector adsorption density in real time from infrared spectral data (Miller and Kellar, 1988). The reactive mineral IRE serves both to internally reflect the infrared light and to act as a substrate at which collector adsorption can be monitored. Shown in Figure 1 is a schematic of light being internally reflected in an IRE. As the light is totally reflected at the interface, an evanescent wave propagates a short distance (typically a few microns) away from the IRE, and sampling of the interfacial region occurs. Because of multiple internal reflections, great sensitivity can be obtained. Flotation systems for which this method has been demonstrated include CaF2/oleate, Al2O3/ dodecyl sulfate, CaCO3/oleate, ZnS/xanthate, and KCl/octylamine (Miller and Kellar, 1988; Kellar et al., 1989, 1990; Miller et al., 1990).

Jan 1, 1992

By J. P. Ferro, W. H. Stewart

Wet ground and dry muscovite mica continued to be the most commercially significant types of mica in the US. Canada's phlogopite mica and some US deposits of sericite mica have also contributed to the overall application of mica in a variety of industries. Mica's major end uses are paint, rubber, and construction material. Its value was about $30 million last year. The southern Appalachian Mountains weathered granitic bodies and pegmatites continued to be the primary US muscovite mica source. North Carolina production of mica as a coproduct of feldspar, kaolin, and lithium processing accounted for more than 60% of the total output. New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Georgia, and Connecticut accounted for the rest. Flake mica was also produced from mica schists in North Carolina and South Dakota. It is also being investigated in Ontario, Canada. Wet ground mica Wet ground mica was produced by four companies: KMG Minerals, Franklin Mineral Products, J.M. Huber Corp., and Concord Mica. KMG and Franklin Mineral Products accounted for more than 80% of the production. Wet ground mica is a highly delaminated platey powder used to reinforce solvent and aqueous system paints for increased weatherability, durability, and greater resistance to moisture and corrosive atmospheres. In plastics, it is an excellent filler and reinforcing agent, providing better dielectric properties, heat resistance, and added tensile and flexural strength. In the rubber industry, wet ground mica is used as a mold lubricant to manufacture molded rubber products, such as tires. It also acts as an inert filler that reduces gas permeability. Miscellaneous uses include additives to caulking compounds, foundry applications, lubricants, greases, silicone release agents, and dry powder fire extinguishers. Wet ground mica prices range from $353 to $496/t ($320 to $450 per st) fob plant. Specialty products may be higher, depending on customer requirements. Dry ground muscovite mica Dry ground mica was produced by nine companies: KMG Minerals, Unimin, US Gypsum, Mineral Industrial Commodities of America, Spartan Minerals Corp., Asheville Mica Corp., Deneen Mica Co., Pacer Corp., and J.M. Huber Corp. Dry ground mica's primary market is wallboard joint compound. Here, it is a functional extender that improves the physical properties and finishing characteristics of the mud. It is also used in various grades as a filler in asphalt products, enamels, mastics, cements, plastics, adhesives, texture paints, and plaster. Dry ground mica became popular as an additive in oil well drilling fluids, where the mica flakes platey nature helps seal the well bore, preventing circulating fluid loss. But oil's dramatic price drop and consequent curtailing of well drilling brought this once booming market to a virtual halt. Forecasters predict that this business will gradually pick up during the next few years and most current dry ground mica producers will again produce the oil well drilling material. Dry ground mica prices range from $110 to $420/t ($100 to $380 per st) fob plant. High quality sericite mica, sometimes referred to as an altered muscovite, was mainly produced by two US companies. Mineral Industrial Commodities of America and Mineral Mining Corp. have equivalent capacities of about 27 kt/a (30,000 stpy). The majority of the material produced was consumed by the joint compound industry. Minor uses are in paint and oil well drilling. The lack of ground sericite penetration into the traditional ground muscovite markets is attributed to high silica content, typically in excess of 20%, and a bulk density. Prices range from $88 to $187/t ($80 to $170 per st) fob plant. Phlogopite mica is a dark colored, magnesium bearing mica rarely found in the US. Suzorite Mica Corp., a division of Lacana Petroleum, mines a deposit in Quebec that is 80% to 90% phlogopite. The dark color has prevented the material's entry into the traditional paint markets. But the physical properties and high purity make it useful as a low-cost reinforcing filler in many plastics and several asphalt applications. Phlogopite mica is ground to several grades and may be treated with various surface coatings for use in plastics or coated with nickel for EMI/RFI shielding applications. Prices for phlogopite products range from $144 to $580/t ($104 to $580 per st) fob plant. As in recent years, production of domestic muscovite sheet - block, film, and splittings - remained insignificant. These resources are limited and uneconomic due to the high cost of hand labor required to process sheet mica in the US. Imports from India and Brazil were the primary sources of the estimated 1 kt (2.4 million lbs) valued at $2.5 million consumed by US electronic and electrical equipment manufacturers in 1986. Reserves As a feldspar, kaolin, and lithium industry coproduct, flake mica will continue to provide a large percentage of mica re- This summary of 1986 mica activity was received too late to be used in the June issue.

Jan 7, 1987

By B. A. Bancroft

A quality assurance program consists of all those activities aimed at providing confidence to the purchaser that the suppliers quality system will provide a product that will satisfy the purchaser's stated quality requirement. An organizing principle is necessary for prioritizing the quality control activities of quality personnel in the face of a myriad of technical possibilities, data-analytic applications, and an overwhelming number of possible activities promoted in the literature and by quality "gurus". The organizing principle I like is that quality assurance exists when those involved in the quality process: (1) know what they are supposed to do, (2) can tell if they are doing it and are set up to continue doing it and, (3) if they are not, they can remedy the situation in a timely fashion. Any incremental activity which facilitates this organizing principle is a continuous improvement activity. That activity which has the chance to facilitate this principle to the greatest extent is the next one to work on. In these days of lean corporate and regional staffs it is as important to know what not to work on as it is to know what to work on. In this paper I shall discuss in general terms the implications of this organizing principle for the design of Quality Assurance (QA) Programs for coal mines and also provide some comments about the application of Statistical Process Control (SPC) methodologies in the coal industry.

Jan 1, 1994

By H. R. Manouchehri

The responses of calcite, feldspar, and quartz minerals In a laboratory free fall electrostatic separator, before and after tribocharging with stainless steel, PVC, and copper plates, have been investigated. The effect of H3BO3 and BaCl2 chemicals pre-treatment on the electrical properties of the minerals is examined. The changes in the electrical properties are discussed with the determined charge, dielectric constant, and electrical conductivity of the mineral samples. Electrical properties of the minerals and their responses to the electrical field during separation, after tribocharging and chemical pre-treatment, are explored for the need to characterize the electrical behaviour of the minerals.

Jan 1, 1998

By O. Lopez

"Stringent regulations and increased arsenic presence in ore bodies being exploited have created the need for cost effective and environmentally compliant technologies to remove selenium and arsenic from mine waters and metallurgical waste streams. Existing treatment methods have high life cycle costs and/or produce residues that, due to their unknown stability over the long-term, may represent future liabilities. This results in high compliance costs and uncertainties which negatively impact existing operations and projects in permitting. Selen-IX™ is a new ion exchange based process that selectively removes selenium from mine impacted waters down to 1 ppb while producing a stable inorganic iron-selenium product. Results of piloting completed on streams generated from coal and copper-gold deposits are presented along with preliminary equipment sizing and life cycle costs of full scale treatment. An example of a commercially available system for arsenic removal using sulphide precipitation is presented. The benefit of this treatment method is discussed based on recently completed technical feasibility assessment including laboratory testing and preliminary engineering design. INTRODUCTION Selenium Due to the chemical similarity between selenium and sulfur, selenium substitutes sulfur in many minerals that can be found in a wide range of deposits including coal, base metal, precious metal, phosphate, and uranium. One of the main environmental challenges facing the industry in North America today is related to the removal of hexavalent selenium, e.g. selenate, to ultralow levels, typically between 1 to 10 ppb, from large flows of often cold water containing less than 1,000 ppb of selenium. Recent studies commissioned by the industry identified biological selenium reduction systems as the best available technology. Although the biological selenium reduction process is commercially proven in certain applications to remove selenium to ultralow discharge levels, the technology has been primarily applied to relatively low and constant flows of warm water produced by the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) scrubbers in the power generation industry. The wide spread adoption of this treatment method by the mining industry is hindered by high capital and operating costs associated with treating large flows of cold water, lack of data and knowledge about the long term stability of solid residues produced by this treatment, and limited capacity of biological systems to respond to sudden changes in flow and/or mass load of contaminants. Furthermore, it has been reported that reaching discharge limits less than 3 ppb could be a challenge and that polishing treatment for the removal of BOD and phosphate maybe required to avoid the impact of the biological treatment which requires organics and nutrients, on aquatic environment downstream of treatment plants. Alternate treatment systems are being developed to overcome and/or completely avoid some of the challenges of biological systems. One such treatment system is BioteQ’s Selen-IX™ process which is purely physico-chemical treatment system."

Jan 1, 2015

By E. L. Bohnet

The purpose of this paper is to translate a mining company's "Corporate Objectives" into usable and practical guidelines for long term mine design and production scheduling. These guidelines are required to ensure that both operating and development properties are designed and economically ranked on the same basis, and with the "current" Corporate Objectives in mind. Secondly, if both management and mining engineers have a better understanding of the cause and effect of corporate policies, then penalties and risks associated with various Corporate Objectives can be put into better perspective for management. Corporate Objectives, relative to usable guidelines for either short and/or long term mine planning, could be defined as one or more of the following four objectives: 1) Maximize the recovery of the economic portion of the defined geologic resources, and hence, maximize total non-discounted project cash flows and profits (most common approach in mine design), 2) Maximize the Net Present Value (NPV) of the after-tax cash flows from each existing or proposed project, either on an individual basis or in concert with other projects, including downstream processing facilities (primary method used to judge relative investment merit of a proposed development or operating concept), 3) Limit short and long term capital expenditures to a defined ceiling, 4) Maximize product output for the existing facilities in the short term, or conversely, keep commodity production at a constant level for a series of years.

Jan 1, 1994

By P. Grotjohann

In processing heavy mineral sands, the low feed concentration and respective high value of the desired minerals require high capacity production and sharp classification/separation techniques to reduce the specific production costs. The allflux® separator, a new process system introduced to the heavy mineral industry, meets these criteria in an economical way. Its two-stage process, a combination of rising current and fluidized bed technology, allows the treatment of extremely high massflows in a single unit. Using concepts that have proven successful in processing concrete sands for many years, testwork in coal, iron ore, and heavy minerals looks very promising.

Jan 1, 1998

By Richard H. Sillitoe

Gold is an important byproduct and, locally, coproduct of porphyry copper deposits, and possesses potential for discovery as the major metal in porphyry deposits in either island arcs or Cordilleran belts. Tungsten and tin occur as major components of several potentially bulk-minable porphyry deposits, as well as being byproducts from the Climax porphyry molybdenum deposit. Whereas porphyry tin systems are localized in Cordilleran back-arc settings, their tungsten counterparts appear to span a range of geotectonic settings, from Cordilleran principal arcs through back-arcs to rifts. Although silver is a common byproduct of porphyry copper deposits, it tends to be preferentially concentrated with lead and zinc on the fringes of all types of porphyry deposits and/or as late-stage superpositions; the latter situation could be of some interest in the higher parts of porphyry systems. As byproducts, rhenium, uranium, platinoids and magnetite are exploited occasionally, and rutile and the rare metals, such as tantalum and niobium, have merited consideration.

Jan 1, 1982

By A. D. Davis

A ground-water flow model was developed to simulate the post-mining recharge rate at the Belle Ayr surface coal mine in the Powder River Basin near Gillette, Wyoming. State regulations of Wyoming require that reclaimed lands should provide a rate of recharge that approximates the pre-mining rate. Steady-state calibration and transient simulations showed that the post-mining recharge rate in backfill is at least five centimeters per year, exceeding the original infiltration rate of 0.4 centimeters per year to shallow, overburden aquifers. Major reasons for the increase include the flat topography of reclaimed areas and decreased spoil density. It is expected that the backfill will disaggregate and settle over time, eventually resulting in a nearly constant recharge rate less than five centimeters per year but somewhat greater than the pre-mining rate.

Jan 1, 1995

By François Martin, Roland Plassart, François Laigle

"MOTIVATION The storage of nuclear waste gives rise to a lot of innovative issues for underground space technologies. The nuclear activity of waste generates temperature effects on both the lining and the surrounding rock mass. In order to avoid these unfavorable effects, the number of waste containers is controlled in the gallery section. The galleries section has consequently ranged from a diameter of 4 to 6 meters. However, in the case of intermediate-level nuclear waste, due to the lower temperature, the number of containers in a cross section of a gallery is assumed to be safely increased. Despite technical difficulties, a large diameter gallery (typically 12m excavated) seems to be more cost effective. This paper demonstrate the feasibility of such a gallery in the specific context of CIGEO (French Geological Repository Project for nuclear waste), located in the Bure area in the north-eastern of France. The geology of Bure at the project’s depth (about 520 meters) consists in a quite homogeneous layer of Callovo-Oxfordian argillites (COx argillites). With such an overburden, this rock is known to have a high plastic behavior with significant time-dependent effects. These mechanical properties require complex behavior laws in computational modeling used for the design of underground facilities.EXPERIENCE OF LARGE DIAMETER GALLERIES In order to identify some specificities in the design of such openings, a research has been run on existing galleries of large diameter (more than 10 meters), like the tunnel of Chamoise, Lötschberg, Tartaiguille or Saint-Martin-La-Porte. Two of these representative examples are detailed hereafter. Tunnel of Chamoise (French Jura) In spite of a lighter overburden (400m versus 520m), an anisotropic initial stress state and a variable rate of carbonates, the highway tunnel of Chamoise is quite similar to the planned gallery for intermediate-level nuclear waste, with a geology very close to the CIGEO’s one in some sections. Because the northern tube encountered difficulties during the excavation a few years before (several over-excavations and spalling, especially in the bench), the excavation of the southern tube has been carried out in two steps, but with a high bench and a small curved invert (Figure 1). The design of the immediate support consists in long bolts and a shotcrete layer. The concrete lining is about 50cm thick."

Jan 1, 2016

The first form of a surety bond was an honest handshake between two or more parties, agreeing to a decision and their personal guarantee of following through to completion. This has all changed. In 1895, the United States Treasury Department disclosed that $35 million worth of personal surety guarantees on file had become worthless. At that time, a law was passed, requiring all surety bonds, in favor of the United States, must be corporate surety bonds. Today, a surety bond is one of the nation's leading financial instruments used to guarantee the completion of an obligation.

Jan 1, 1989

By Gary P. Thomason

We have all heard a great deal about how various projects were financed or certain companies were successful in obtaining a bank loan. There are many more projects and companies who fail to get the money they need. At least a portion of these failures, and a large percentage of the frustrations connected with even the successful financings, are a result of not understanding the process of obtaining money. Recent years have seen a proliferation of sources available to finance minerals operations, but let me assure you that these represent only a minor portion of the minerals financing market. The fundamental source of borrowed money to almost all minerals related companies remains the banks. Therefore, understanding the "Loan Approval Process" can easily mean the difference between getting the money or not. In the following pages I hope to provide some insight into what I define as the loan approval process. Having pre-offered my definition, I intend to delineate the various stages of the process and the planning and information I believe should be contained in each. My ultimate goal is to help you think like a banker and, in so doing, stay on top of the process so that you can successfully obtain the funding necessary for your projects.

Jan 1, 1983

By L. J. Tucker

The magnetite orebody at Pea Ridge strikes NE-SH and dips at about 800 to the SE. The ore is high grade magnetite with a strike length of over 600-m and a maximum width of over 180-m on some of the levels. The shape and the mineral content of the iron orebody have been fairly consistent so far. The iron ore and surrounding basement rocks are Precambrian in age. These rocks are usually very competent, about 400-m of sediments lie over the ore.

Jan 1, 1991