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By C Bie, S Li, P Xiao, P Zhao, H Lin

"Based on solid simulation material research, the simulation conditions for methane and coal solid-gas coupling were obtained using solid-fluid coupling theory. Using sand as the aggregate and paraffin and oil as the cementing agents, a material suitable for solid-gas coupling simulation was developed. A permeability testing instrument was also developed, and the compressive strength, brittleness parameters and seepage velocity of material were tested with different aggregates. The results showed that as the paraffin content increased, the compressive strength of the material increased but the permeability decreased. The oil removed the drawback of intensely changing material compressive strength. By setting a different ratio of aggregate to cementing agent, it can simulate rocks with different strengths and permeability. Applying the material to a mining simulation experiment revealed a relationship between methane seepage velocity and overlying strata movement. By extracting pressure relief gas from Shanxi Tianchi coalmine drainage, the authors found that the mining fissure zone was a storage area of pressure relief gas, and a gas drainage system can be placed to achieve good results. CITATION: Li, S, Zhao, P, Lin, H, Bie, C, Pan, H and Xiao, P, 2015. Character of simulation material of coal – rock and gas solid-gas coupling and engineering application, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference, pp 105–110 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Aug 31, 2015

Limnological processes are often overlooked when trying to assess the long-term water quality of pit lakes. It is essential to deal with these aspects, since they determine the geochemical and redox conditions around the submerged reactive rocks. Underground mining at East Sullivan (northwestern Quebec, Canada) stopped in 1966. Two adjacent stopes, 91 and 106 m deep, were left open to the surface, with roughly circular apertures of about 7700 and 18 000 m2. Water filling of the two glory holes went on over three decades and overflow began in 1999. Surface water pHs values were near neutrality as late as 1994 (6.3 - 7.0) but had become acidic by 1999 (2.6 - 3.5). Limnological processes were investigated in late-1999 and early-2000, with temperature measurements at 1 m intervals and sampling of the water columns before and after the late fall density inversions. A strong chemocline-thermocline was observed at 15 m. Above the chemocline, the water had low pH (3.2), no alkalinity, and low Na, Ca and sulfate. Below the chemocline, the concentrations of these parameters and the pH increased, with pH at 5.5 - 6. Consistent with the low pH values present in the upper 15 m, the concentrations of Al, Cd, Cu, and Zn were high near surface, and decreased below the chemocline. Dissolved oxygen concentrations as well as Eh decreased with increasing depth. Alkalinity integrated over the entire water column below the chemocline was at least six times larger than the acidity inferred from Fe2+ and Fe3+ concentrations. The temperature survey showed that seasonal density inversions do occur in the water column. The inversions do not involve the entire water body, since the surface to depth ratio is too small for a complete overturn. Oxygen from surface waters is carried to the bottom where it oxidises sulfides, until its depletion. Residual Fe2+, stable under anoxic conditions, is displaced upward by the next dense water incursion. It eventually reaches the thermocline, but only after many successive incursions. There, its oxidation to Fe3+ allows hydrolysis, which consumes dissolved and wall-rock alkalinity. It is only in 1999 that alkalinity was finally exhausted and that the pH shifts to acid values. The low pHs in the surface waters allow a build up of Fe3+ and Al3+, and desorption of metals from colloids. Buffering is assumed to be controlled by wall-rock oxyhydroxides in surface waters, and by carbonate minerals in the bottom waters. Because the seasonal overturns are far from being complete, the large amounts of alkalinity acquired from the wall-rock in the bottom waters cannot balance the acidity of near surface waters. Hence the surface water is acidic.

Jan 1, 2003

By T J. Sullivan, H Pinkster, G Swarbrick

From 2002 to 2006, longwall mining was undertaken directly beneath the Cataract Tunnel, which is a 100-year-old, heritage-listed tunnel in Hawkesbury Sandstone responsible for delivering 20 per cent of Sydney’s annual water supply. At one location, undermining resulted in movement of at least 350 mm along a known fault that transects the tunnel. During this movement, the continued operation of the tunnel was ensured through a careful system of planning, monitoring and management.Of key importance to the success of the operation was the use of advanced numerical modelling to guide operations at all levels, including feasibility assessment, pre-mine mitigation works, monitoring design, operation performance and post-mining condition. This allowed many aspects of the potential impacts to be explored, including joint movements, rock mass deformations and changes in permeability. A key challenge was to successfully model near-field influences on adverse geological structure due to very far-field effects. This paper explains the model’s conceptual development, calibration, performance and limitations.Modelling provided the confidence to manage the impacts of large mining-induced movement on key infrastructure and ultimately predicted fault movement accurately. The fault movement remains one of the highest ever recorded due to mine subsidence.CITATION:Swarbrick, G, Sullivan, T J and Pinkster, H, 2014. Longwall mining beneath critical infrastructure – prediction versus performance of the Cataract Tunnel, New South Wales, Australia, in Proceedings AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference , pp 157–166 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 5, 2014

By S Zummar, A Van den Bulck, T De Staercke, T Van Rompaey

An increase of 22 per cent in lead usage is expected in the European Union by 2050. During lead refining, the Harris process is a critical step in which a salt melt is used to remove arsenic, tin and antimony. During this process, the caustic salt melt absorbs these impurities, requiring regular evacuation before saturation. Current metallurgical practices for: 1) determining the end point of the lead alloy involve time-consuming sampling and offline analysis, and 2) determining the end point of the caustic salt melt are based on subjective visual observations by the operator. In the context of Industry 4.0 concept, automating these processes becomes desirable, as smart sensors systematically collect real-time data in an unbiased manner. This research focuses on monitoring the Harris refining process using objective methodologies. Two different methodologies are investigated. The first methodology focuses on electrical conductivity changes of the caustic salt melt as function of Sb content. For this study, synthetic and industrial samples are used. A lab-scale electrical conductivity set-up was built to accommodate the aggressiveness of the salt melt. Initial findings suggest a promising relationship between electrical conductivity and Sb content in the caustic salt melt. Although the results are preliminary, the study provides valuable insights by enabling real-time measurements. The second methodology focuses on measuring the electromotive force (EMF) in lead doped with Sb at pilot-scale. Multiple probes are reevaluated for their effectiveness in Sb measurement. Ultimately, a partially stabilised MgO probe with Ni as a reference, without cardboard and copper protection caps, yields promising results. A correlation between EMF and Sb content is observed. However, repeatability issues arise due to possible wire interference at low temperatures. The results underscore the potential of advanced measurement techniques in optimising lead alloy production within the context of Industry 4.0.

Aug 21, 2024

By B Saunders, J Carpenter

PanAust’s Phu Kham copper-gold operation (Phu Kham) in Laos is currently limited by throughput in the Semi Autogenous Grinding (SAG) mill. The ability to accurately predict SAG mill throughput (throughput) is therefore critical to accurately forecast copper and gold production. During the fourth quarter of 2016 the proportion of hard unweathered rocks in the mill feed increased, resulting in a period of lower than expected throughput. These low throughput rates prompted a study with the aim of identifying a practical solution for throughput predictions. The study identified an empirical modelling approach based on actual SAG mill throughput rates. The empirical model was then optimised by linear programming to identify the ideal feed blend of unweathered rocks to achieve a maximum SAG mill throughput.Rock strength was the initial focus of the throughput study at Phu Kham because previous studies had identified a strong link between rock strength and throughput. It was determined that there was insufficient valid data to adequately model but sufficient data to qualitatively characterise rock strength. The data identified that the weathering and lithology had a controlling influence on the rock strength. Complicating throughput predictions were operational improvements (changes to blasting and mill settings) implemented in response to the lower than expected throughput. This created uncertainty with the throughput equations. A self-learning empirical modelling method was developed to predict the throughput by incorporating fundamental rock properties with operational practices and improvements. The method is based on the proportion of mill feed with similar weathering and lithology (a proxy for comminution performance) and the actual mill throughput using the SAG mill as the analytical instrument. The modelling method simultaneously incorporated the sum and interaction of unmodelled influences including blasting, crushing and mill settings. The empirical modelling method worked at Phu Kham because the lithology and weathering has an intuitive and observable controlling influence on SAG mill throughput. The modelling method is described along with a worked example of feed blend optimisation using linear programming.CITATION:Carpenter, J and Saunders, B, 2017. Empirical mill throughput modelling and linear programming for blend optimisation at the Phu Kham copper-gold operation, Laos, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 291–296 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

By K Ehrig, V Liebezeit, E Macmillan

The results from metallurgical test programs are used in feasibility studies for design of new plants and brownfield expansions, in long term mine plans, and to make decisions in an operating plant. There are many elements which contribute to a well-constructed test work program. Ultimately, understanding the accuracy and precision of the test work results is critical to ensuring good decision-making at various phases of a project.Every resource drilling and associated assaying program will have a quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) component, however this often seems to be overlooked in metallurgical testing programs. The principles of “international standard” or “certified reference material” samples and replicate/duplicate testing can be applied to metallurgical programs, although there are metallurgical-specific considerations in both generating and analysing the data.This paper will describe the QA/QC program carried out within the Olympic Dam geometallurgy program. It will present results in the form of case studies from ten years of testing of replicates and bulk reference samples for industry-standard comminution tests as well as laboratory flotation and leaching tests. The Olympic Dam geometallurgy quality control program has enabled quantification of the precision of metallurgical testing and improved our understanding of the best possible modelling results given the underlying dataCITATION:Ehrig, K, Liebezeit, V and Macmillan, E, 2017. Metallurgical QA/QC – who needs it? The Olympic Dam experience, in Proceedings MetPlant 2017, pp 31–44 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 11, 2017

By A D. Caccioppoli

Grade control systems within Rio Tinto Iron Ore have proven to be robust, when mining full benches. The Hope Downs 1 operation hosting two Marra Mamba Iron Formation deposits (North and South Deposits) presents a new challenge, where increased mining selectivity due to moderately plunging N-verging folds has made flitch mining necessary in the South Deposit. Poor flitch blasthole sample duplicate results in South Deposit over a 12 month period, compared to North Deposit, have highlighted concerns with grade predictions. In contrast a new grade control methodology (grade splitting) was proposed to alleviate blasthole sampling bias, utilising geological mapping and mineralogical logging, currently practised throughout Rio Tinto Iron Ore Pilbara operations, to estimate theoretical grades for each flitch from a single blast cone assay. To assess this method, reverse circulation holes (RC) were twinned to blastholes establishing an ‘actual’ grade. These blastholes were assayed using current flitch sampling techniques where: flitch positions were estimated, flitch positions were marked with paint, and a full cone sample was taken for ‘grade splitting’. Using these data sets multiple grade predictions were produced, then analysed using Half Absolute Relative Difference (HARD) statistical analysis. In addition to testing these grade control methodologies two other findings were ascertained: an inherent bias in blasthole assays exists particularly in the top flitch, where an average absolute difference of 0.6 per cent in SiO2 and 0.42 per cent Al2O3 was measured; and assays derived where kaolin rich soft shales are intersected were less representative. This is likely to be due to these materials not being properly represented in blast cones. Grade splitting accurately estimated block chemistry, except for a slight under-prediction in Al2O3 and P compared to current grade control methodologies. This method is a viable alternative where grade distribution is stratigraphically controlled.

Aug 22, 2011

By M Barden, G Lane, B Quilliam

NQ Minerals PLC, through Hellyer Gold Mines Pty Ltd, plans to reprocess the contents of the Hellyer tailings dam to produce lead/silver concentrate, zinc concentrate and pyrite concentrate (containing Au and Ag). This paper discusses the project development, mineralogy, metallurgy and chemistry of processing Hellyer tailings and the associated environmental benefits. The Hellyer and Fossey orebodies were volcanic hosted polymetallic massive sulphide deposits located within the Mount Read volcanic arc of western Tasmania. Mineralisation was hosted in massive sulphide (pyrite) and comprised predominantly of sphalerite, with lesser galena, chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite. The Hellyer orebody was mineralogically complex (fine grained) and was treated through differential flotation with initially modest recoveries. Fossey ore processing characteristics were similar to those of Que River ore and simpler than Hellyer but treatment still resulted in significant grades in flotation tailings. CITATION: Lane, G, Barden, M and Quilliam, B, 2018. Hellyer tailings – complex mineralogy but higher grade than many ore bodies, in Proceedings Complex Orebodies Conference 2018, pp 35–38 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 21, 2018

By R Young

Independent Project Analysis (IPA) is in the business of benchmarking the performance of capital projects on behalf of owner companies in the processing and extractive industries. IPA assesses between 500 and 800 projects each year. The projects are conducted globally and range in size from about $1 million to over $30 billion. Using the data, we are able to benchmark the performance of Australian projects against the rest of the world. This presentation focuses on the performance of large (greater than $100 million) projects that involve chemical or thermal processing.We regularly hear calls for more processing to be conducted in Australia but on the other hand industry leaders are concerned about the poor success rate of solids processing projects in Australia. Data gathered by IPA indicates that there is good reason for the concern. Out of a sample of 31 large processing projects conducted in Australia, 23, or 74 percent, were classed as failures. This performance is significantly worse than for similar projects in other parts of the world. The presentation analyses why the performance is worse and demonstrates that many of the reasons behind the failures were manageable by the project team. Furthermore, members of the project teams on at least half the failed projects knew that the projects were on a path to failure before the project was authorised but could not be heard.The presentation discusses how large projects that involve process design and, in many cases, new technology, need to be set up for success. *This is an abstract only. No paper was prepared for this abstract.*

Aug 8, 2011

By B L. Coulter, E Wightman, A S. Burrows

With their commitment to sustainable development in an increasingly carbon-constrained world, many resources companies are focused on reducing the energy required to create their final products. In particular, the comminution and smelting of metal-bearing ores are both highly energy-intensive processes. If resource companies can optimise the energy efficiency across these two processing stages, they can directly reduce their overall energy consumption per unit mass of metal produced and thus reduce their greenhouse gas footprint. Traditional grinding and flotation models seek to improve the efficiency of mineral processing, but they do not consider the energy used by downstream metal production, eg smelting and refining. Concentrators and smelters individually may be running efficiently, but are they optimising energy consumption of the overall system? A key step towards answering this question is to understand whether it takes less energy to remove an impurity in the concentrator or the smelter. Analysis of the complete concentrator û smelter process chain may show that there are times when the concentrator should use more energy to reduce the overall energy requirements across the mill and smelter. The new methodology discussed here will integrate downstream processing energy with mineral processing energy, to find the overall most energy efficient circuit design and operating strategy. The proposed methodology includes: determining what grade and recovery positions can be achieved in the concentrator by using different combinations and amounts of grinding and regrinding, thermodynamic calculations of the energy used to process the different concentrate grades to metal, and integrating the concentrating and smelting models to find the lowest total energy for the system. A case study which investigates the effect of increasing regrinding energy on the overall mineral processing û smelting energy consumption is presented. For the copper-nickel sulfide ore investigated the addition of regrinding results in 11 per cent less energy being used in the overall concentrator û smelter process chain per tonne of metal produced. Although regrinding is often seen as an energy-intensive process, in this case study the use of 1 kWh of energy for regrinding reduces the overall energy consumption by 12 kWh. The new mill to melt methodology will allow companies to model energy consumption from mill to smelter with a view to reducing the energy-intensity and greenhouse gas footprint of their processing and smelting operations.

Jan 1, 2009

By G Burton, S Fityus, J Li, S Vaughan, D Payne

Daunia and Caval Ridge coal mines, owned and operated by BHP, have been co-disposing rejects and dewatered tailings within spoil dumps from the beginning of their operations in 2013 and 2014, with the purpose of minimising environmental impact and geotechnical risk. Following the recent large failures of tailings dams around the world, BHP Coal, through its Coal Tailings Program, plans to transition other coal mines to deliver “dry” tailings and produce mixed plant rejects (MPR) for inpit co-disposal. This will materially reduce future tailings dam risk exposure. Previous laboratory shear strength testing was conducted on rejects with a maximum particles size of 20 mm, and some concerns were raised that this might not represent the mechanical properties of the actual full particle size distribution (PSD) rejects. BHP was also aware that using different technologies to dewater the tailings, such as belt press filters (BPF) and solid bowl centrifuge (SBC), could produce thickened tailings which could significantly modify the physical behaviours of the MPRs, particularly the bonding between particles. Therefore, laboratory testing on both coarse rejects and mixtures of the coarse rejects and dewatered tailings (MPRs), with full PSDs, was carried out. Testing was performed using the large direct shear machine developed by the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) project C20019 in 2017, as well as a 300 mm diameter triaxial apparatus at the University of Newcastle (UoN). This paper presents details of the laboratory testing program and results for the rejects from the first studied mine of the BHP Coal Tailings Program. It compares the shear strengths measured at full scale with those tested on modified (scalped or crushed) specimens in the past; and discusses the tailings dewatering technique selection from geotechnical aspects based on the testing results, and finally presents some dump and tip head stability analysis results using the testing results.

Jul 1, 2021

By M S. Cassola

It’s expected that the world economy will face a stable and continuous growth in the demand of iron ore, reaching more than two billion tonnes per year within the next year. After decades exploiting resources with high content of iron ore, now the industry faces the challenge to exploit and beneficiate more complex ores.According to the industrial practice, the flotation technology is one of the most important and effective beneficiation processes to deal with low-grade iron ores around the world. However, even with this, it is still necessary to search for new processing routes or promote the optimisation of the existing circuits.The broad application of this technology is an outcome that deeply relies on the proper selection of flotation chemicals specifi cally designed for each system. New collectors are in continuous development as flotation performance significantly relies upon their optimisation.The reverse iron ore flotation in Brazil, mainly constituted by haematite and quartz, uses ether amines as collector for silica minerals and caustic corn starch as depressor for haematite. The process selectivity is highly impacted by the features of the etheramine, such as:• mono or di-etheramine,• neutralisation degree,• chain length,• branched or linear chain,• the flotation pH, and• the size distribution of the flotation feed.This paper describes the experience obtained from laboratory and industrial trials on different ores, conducted to improve the selectivity and recovery in the reverse iron ore flotation by selecting the required collector for low-grade ores.

Jul 11, 2011

By M P. Sandy, R M. Stephenson

Portals to access underground mines are important infrastructure and their design requires careful consideration. Portals are generally expected to last for the life of the mine. Typically, the exposure of personnel and equipment is high, with many hundreds of movements through the portal per day. Consequently, the risk associated with geotechnical instability must be extremely low. Portals are often established from a boxcut. In areas where the weathering profile is well developed, the design and execution of the boxcut can involve significant effort, with the objective of minimizing the volume of the boxcut, whilst ensuring that conditions at the design depth are suitable for establishing a stable portal. Properly designed site investigations are a critical part of this process. Currently available portal design guidelines have not been updated for decades, however the equipment and ground support systems have changed significantly in recent years. Many mine portals have since been constructed in a relatively short time frame with success, often in challenging ground conditions using some of the more modern approaches to ground support. This is beneficial because delays in establishing a portal will generally delay other critical path activities, and lead to cost overruns.

Mar 15, 2021

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE (MR. J. G. SYMONS) IN PRESENTING THE AWARD TO ELLIOTT SYLVESTER TIMOTHY O'DRISCOLLTim O'Driscoll comes from a mixture of Irish and Scottish stock. His family on the paternal side settled on land in Western Australia in the middle of the last century. His family on the maternal side were part of the W.A. goldfields scenc, including places such as Kanowna, and the Great Fingal mine, near Cue, where his grandfather lies buried.The combination of land and mining environments may perhaps have contributed to an innate interest in geology shared by Tim and his two brothers, all of whom became geologists.Tim showed an early liking for mathematical and geometric subjects, and in his B.Sc. studies at the University of Western Australia he took a major in mathematics along with geology in 1940.His first job was on the Kalgoorlie Golden Mile, and then at Norseman. After serving as a flying boat navigator in the north and south Pacific theatres in World War II he returned to Kalgoorlie and thence to Broken Hill.

Jan 1, 1977

By A Dennis, T Hunter, R Coleman

For metallurgical plant design, it is necessary to progress through successive phases of test work, piloting and process development before involving all the other engineering disciplines and “freezing” the process design criteria and flow sheet. This process usually relies upon the experience, skills and personal preferences of various technology providers, study and engineering entities, test work and metallurgical laboratories and, most importantly, the owner’s team and its operators. Current industry trends include lower grades, more complex orebodies, geometallurgy in defining orebody variation and design envelopes, more common “hybrid” plant processes and the market demands for more reliable, timely and predictable early plant performance.This paper will discuss interaction of these trends and provide guidelines for the level of detail and technical complexity required for a number of different “typical” examples. The paper will pay particular attention to the study definition level translated into the required detail and certainty needed by the overall process “owner” and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) equipment suppliers to ensure the best real plant performance. Some recent case studies will be discussed. In many projects, at a late stage of project definition, it has become common practice to undertake a “value engineering” phase. Although it could be argued that this should be undertaken earlier, it is largely driven by an overall need to reduce capex and “optimise” the perceived “fat” built into the project during the detailed design process. This value engineering can be very counterproductive to project timing and operational performance and warrants discussion.The paper is intended to promote discussion on a topic of wide interest. The authors’ diverse backgrounds and experiences are integral to the views in this paper.CITATION:Dennis, A, Coleman, R and Hunter, T, 2017. Critical process design considerations from test work to operations, in Proceedings MetPlant 2017, pp 12–30 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 11, 2017

By D Baas, D Bennett

This paper describes how Brisbane-based PanAust Limited develops process control strategies that are implemented at all operations and are used in functional descriptions for plant upgrades and new projects.The process control strategies are determined by operating management philosophies designed to maximise returns from the company’s assets.The approach is endorsed in the project planning and design phases to ensure facilities and equipment that form the major production assets are fit for purpose and capable of enabling the production managers and operators of the projects to maximise shareholder returns.PanAust’s process control approach has been to develop sets of process control standards which focus on two key areas. The first area covers hardware requirements and architecture, software objectives, control models and individual loop tuning methods. The second area defines control room layout, graphic standards and the alarm philosophy. The application of these standards in a new plant or upgrade decreases the time required to achieve design capacity and optimal performance.The PanAust process control strategy changes the operator’s role from one that controls a number of individual loops to one that sets the control objectives of the processing plant. To achieve optimal performance, all the process areas of the plant are analysed to identify opportunities to improve throughput, recovery and stability. Once a key opportunity is identified, a process control strategy is developed which defines the objective of the control, its functionality and how an operator will interact with it. After development of the control model the operators assist engineers to test and debug it. Once the model is robust, it can then be duplicated throughout the group and developed as a group process control standard.CITATION:Baas, D, Bennett, D and Walker, P, 2014. Developing process control standards for optimal plant performance at PanAust Limited, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 325–334 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By S Natsui, Y Goto, S Kawanishi, J Takahashi, H Nogami

The demand for copper increases yearly, and further improvements in copper smelting efficiency using flash furnaces are required. This study was conducted to understand and promote the interfacial reaction associated with the collision of silica flux and iron oxide particles, ie the formation reaction of fayalite slag, in the reaction shaft of the flash furnace. High-temperature microscopy was used to observe the reaction behaviour of a 2 mm granular SiO2 reagent in contact with micrometreorder- sized FeO reagents in situ. When the amount of FeO was lower than the stoichiometric amount with SiO2, the molten slag formed at the interface between FeO and SiO2 diffused into the SiO2 particle before dissolving the remaining FeO particles. It did not contribute to the subsequent reaction, and despite having the lowest amount of FeO among the samples in this study, many unreacted FeO particles remained on the surface of the samples after testing. On the other hand, under conditions with high FeO content and close to the eutectic composition of the FeO-SiO2 system, a liquid phase formed from low temperatures, gradually increasing in volume and eventually completely dissolving the 2 mm SiO2 grain. These results indicate that the early-stage slag is essential in increasing the interfacial area between FeO and SiO2 and facilitating the supply of FeO to SiO2. In other words, the FeO/SiO2 determines the amount of liquid phase and significantly influences the subsequent interfacial reaction rate between FeO and SiO2. Therefore, the local FeO/SiO2 of the particles falling down the reaction shaft should also be optimised to ensure early slag formation. Meanwhile, the time required for 2 mm SiO2 to complete the reaction for the temperature history employed in this study was significantly longer than the particle residence time in the reaction shaft. Further detailed investigation of the effects of silica flux particle size, composition, and reaction temperature on the reaction time will help find the conditions under which the reaction of silica flux can be completed in the reaction shaft. These kinetic approaches could contribute to future innovations in the copper smelting process using flash furnaces.

Jun 19, 2024

By S Morgan, D J. Bradshaw, S Schwarz

The characterisation of the flotation kinetic response in future mining deposits is important because the flotation response is affected by changes in ore mineralogy. Current methods for characterising the flotation response of different ore types, such as the JK floatability index test (JKFIT) methodology, require at least 10 kg of feed material. In geometallurgical applications, this material is taken from core samples. Core samples are generally obtained using specialised drills and are limited in nature. Thus, it would be beneficial to develop a laboratory technique that required less sample material but still characterised the flotation response of different ore types. The JK mineral separation index (JKMSi) is a small-scale flotation test that requires significantly less feed material (10 g of sample/data point). This study aims to investigate the JKMSi system kinetics and to validate this technique using the JKFIT proven methodology. The JKMSi flotation kinetics were manipulated by varying selected system parameters. The relationship between these parameters and mineral recovery was used to obtain floatability characteristics of the ore. For an ore sample containing chalcopyrite and pyrite, it was found that the chalcopyrite floatability parameters determined from both the JKMSi and JKFIT tests were of the same order of magnitude and the mass fractions of the fast, slow and non-floating components were similar. For pyrite, the floatability parameters were not of the same order of magnitude, but modifications to the test procedure have been identified, which may correct this.CITATION:Morgan, S, Bradshaw, D J and Schwarz, S, 2012. Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Separation Index - Small-scale test to characterise the flotation response of an ore type, in Proceedings 11th AusIMM Mill OperatorsÆ Conference, pp 159-162 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 29, 2012

By R Varden

Friction rock stabilisers, commonly termed ‘Split Sets’, friction rock bolts, or continuous friction coupled bolts are the most widely used rock bolt in the Australian underground metalliferous industry. Historically, they were used for temporary reinforcement, mainly within ore development. However, their use as primary reinforcement has grown with the demand for higher development rates at lower costs. The introduction of galvanisation has increased their longevity and pattern bolting in conjunction with weld mesh, specifically made for use in development headings, has allowed the use of friction rock stabilisers to increase rapidly with development jumbo’s undertaking the installation. The installation of friction rock stabilisers appears to be deceptively simple, particularly when compared to resin encapsulated bolts. The friction rock stabilisers capacity is a function of the borehole parameters, rock mass quality/strength, the bolt dimensions and steel quality, and lastly and perhaps the most important the operator skill levels. However, as in industry we are still seeing common occurrences of friction rock stabilisers not reaching their design pull test capacity. Pull testing the friction rock stabilisers is used to verify the installation of the design capacity. It involves loading the collar of the bolt with a hydraulic ram until the design load is reached or the bolt slips. Pull tests often show failure rates of 20 per cent or higher. This is despite over 40 years of use and with millions of units installed annually. Such high failure rates would suggest there remain issues with the quality of installation. Ground support quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) programs are needed in combination with operator training to ensure that pull test failure rates are kept as low as practical. However, there are times when despite the QAQC being completed the pull test failure rates increase quite suddenly. When this occurs, it is important to conduct a thorough investigation. These investigations often show there are several factors that are not obvious to personnel installing the bolts. To complete a useful investigation, it must also be done methodically, working through the entire process that includes less obvious factors such as steel quality and the calibration of the hydraulic pull test kit. The aim of the paper is to give mine practitioners an understanding of the complexities of friction rock stabilisers, what QAQC requirements they should be doing on-site, what can go wrong during installation and, if necessary, a process of how to conduct investigations into high friction rock stabiliser pull test failure rates.

Mar 29, 2023

By S Gomez-Hernandez, P D. Munro

Filtered dry stack tailing storage facilities offer many advantages over thickened tailing storage facilities and yet, most of the mining companies still prefer the latter.Some of the advantages of filtered dry stack tailing storage facilities are: increased structural integrity of the tailing storage facility, which is even more critical in areas of high seismicity, close to nearby communities or environmentally sensitive areas; maximised water recovery which is particularly important in arid environments where water is an extremely valuable resource and its supply is regulated; optimised recovery of valuable metals in the process water, avoiding high cyanide concentration going to detoxification (both aspects haven’t been emphasised enough in technical papers on this subject); optimised space to store the tailings in mountainous regions; minimised elevation of embankment height, providing a safe option to store the tailings in places where there is limited area available; simplified license approval to operate where the tailing facility is a big issue; and avoidance of potential problems with nearby communities.Filtered dry stack tailing storage facilities have some disadvantages such as: technology limitations in operations that process high throughputs (eg >50 000 tpd) as they require many filters resulting in high maintenance and operating costs; higher capital cost; low efficiency in the filtration process, particularly in ores with high clay content increasing operating problems and capital cost; the new technology risk with possible debottlenecking issues and a longer time to achieve the design throughput; and the need to treat larger water flow rates when the water balance is negative.This paper analyses: the operating practices of Mexican gold and silver operations using filtered dry stacking storage facilities; implementation issues, advantages and disadvantages; quantifiable reductions in gold and silver losses and actual lower detoxification cost; and current trends to use filtered dry stacking storage facilities in new projects. The data gathered raises questions about (a) the need to collect data on tailings filterability, and; (b) reducing the current high operating cost of tailings filtration.CITATION:Espinosa-Gomez, R, Gomez-Hernandez, S and Munro, P D, 2018. Tailing filtration practices in Mexican gold and silver mines, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 275–282 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018