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By A Hughes, S G. Rosin

This paper presents the design and construction approach adopted for the widening and stabilisation of the existing decline tunnel forming part of the Scenic Railway Upgrade project at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The overall upgrade project included new trains and track, rebuilding of the top and bottom station and installation of a new winch and control system. All the works were undertaken over an eight-month period between August 2012 and April 2013 as part of a $30 M upgrade of the railway.The railway is the steepest cable-driven line in the world at a maximum of 52° extending over 350 m and descending from the escarpment into the Jamison Valley. The track was built in the 1880s for coal haulage and is recognised as a remarkable engineering achievement for its time. The tunnel section extends for about 120 m at the start of the decline and is about 3.5 m wide and 3.5 m high. The tunnel was excavated principally within medium to high strength Banks Wall sandstone and given that the widening only involved about 200 mm of trimming of the crown and sidewall this aspect of the work was not a critical support issue, except at the upslope portal. The tunnel crown however is entirely intersected by a major near vertical shear zone which presented significant challenges for the tunnel stabilisation works.Three-dimensional laser survey scanning was used for definition of the tunnel clearance envelope for the widening, and also to subdivide the tunnel into various geotechnical sections to assist in support design. Specifically oriented rock bolts extending beyond the shear zone into stable rock were used together with mesh, shotcrete and extensive strip drains and flushing points for drainage of the shear zone.Unique aspects of this project were included into the specifications and work methods. This included construction of a mobile working platform for tunnel works, the use of dry shotcrete application, difficult access for rock bolting and limiting vibration during the tunnel trimming works due to the risks associated with crown instability. The works also took into consideration particular safety constraints/work exclusion areas to address the risk of detachment of rock which could mobilise downslope to the track area below. This was required because other works were in progress such as micro-piling and bottom platform works which were being undertaken concurrently with the tunnel work.CITATION:Rosin, S G and Hughes, A, 2014. Scenic Railway Tunnel upgrade in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales – an approach to design and construction, in Proceedings 15th Australasian Tunnelling Conference 2014 , pp 607–618 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 17, 2014

By M Salu, G J. Kay

"As underground mines increasingly face the challenge of maximising production without losingfocus on safety excellence, the ability to predict the eff ectiveness of mine seals and stoppings andthe identifi cation of defects plays an increasingly important role in mine ventilation management.While technologies for sample testing installed seals provides signifi cant assurance, the difficulty of conducting tests in operational environments, combined with the production impact of destructive testing procedures, has led to the development of a new method for non-destructively testing ventilation control devices (VCDs). This paper addresses the challenges of in situ testing and reviews the approaches previously employed to verify the quality of VCD installations. It then describes a new testing methodology jointly developed by Whitfield Minerals PTY Ltd and Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) and the range of tests that have been carried out in the laboratory, above ground, at trial underground sites and in active coal mine operations. Although this is a new approach to testing underground VCDs, the method employs recognised testing equipment in a new application. The aim of the new non-destructive technology is to not only verify the thicknessand therefore overpressure rating compliance, of new VCDs, but to allow mine operations t oidentify and locate defects in installed VCDs without causing damage to the material structure.Currently it is difficult, time-consuming and costly to carry out physical sampling and testing ofevery VCD. Therefore, a reliable and accurate means of non-destructively testing concrete andplaster seals in situ will provide substantial operational and safety benefi ts to the underground coal mining industry."

Jun 1, 2012

By R Pozo, F Reyes

Codelco Chile is currently developing the El Teniente û New Mine Level Project (NMLP) in order to increase ore production by seeking to mine the ore deposit located under the current operational orebody. Reserves of 2000 million tonnes (Mt) have been quantified, which will be extracted as from the year 2017 by using the panel caving and progressive sinking method. Codelco and SKM Minmetal (SKM) jointly developed the project prefeasibility stage (PFS), closing these studies in March 2008. The first part of the project approach is to replace mine production currently feeding the Colon concentrator facilities with 137 000 tonnes per day (t/d), focusing attention on a production increase from the year 2026 up to 180 000 t/d. Project efforts have also been centred on maximising the contribution of new technologies for both construction and operational phases of the New Mine Level, together with selecting the best mine infrastructure to keep El Teniente operations going on for the next 50 years. Implicit in this is the inherent improvement of a variety of current Mina El Teniente process and management practices. The plan is to reduce actual mine operational risks and take advantage of new opportunities afforded by the project, which is in effect a greenfield project with respect to the implementation of fundamental changes in the labour and business environment. In addition, issues related to human resources, maintenance and management, materials handling, establishing centralised operations and accesses, automation and remote operations control and power efficiency could also be addressed. The project, beyond the New Mine Level exploitation, considers the mineÆs future potential, with a second deeper exploration in prospect named Deep Level. Finally, the project identifies features that would add value to the mine operations, in an initiative named æSpace for Future TechnologiesÆ. This will allow the eventual implementation of new electrical equipment and the application of mechanised technologies and other process improvements for the mine development.

Jan 1, 2008

To secure a sustainable competitive advantage some smelters may need strategies based on flexibility in feed and product ranges depending on immediate future projections of profitability. This paper explores the technical requirements for strategic diversity in smelting, leaving procurement, marketing and contractual considerations aside. The days when a smelting operation is tied specifically to say only processing zinc concentrates are perhaps drawing to a close. While internationally traded mineral concentrates are available, attractive business opportunities must exist for fully diversified custom smelters. Certain new and emerging technologies have inherent characteristics that are evaluated in this context. The paper identifies the basic building blocks that will permit such a scenario and assesses the technical feasibility. The ability to respond flexibly to environmental pressures is highlighted as being of paramount importance.

Jan 1, 1996

By M D. Raine, J K. Bartlett, S C. Dominy

The Bendigo Goldfield is located in the state of Victoria, Australia, and is one of a number of fields that make up the Central Victorian Goldfield. Since 1993, Bendigo Mining NL has been carrying out an extensive re-evaluation of the goldfield and is currently well advanced in developing an underground mine. The sediment-hosted auriferous quartz reefs are structurally complex and closely associated with anticlinal axes and reverse faulting. The gold within the quartz reefs is characterised by both its coarse nature (100 up to >5000 ¦m) and its erratic distribution; as a result, the Bendigo Goldfield is classed as an extreme nugget effect system. This characteristic ensures that the Bendigo mineralisation is very challenging to sample and evaluate. In this case, diamond drilling is a good measure of structure and geological continuity, but a poor measure of grade and grade distribution. Drilling, combined with on-reef development, bulk sampling and detailed geological studies are required for resource evaluation. For grade control a balance has to be sought between sample representativness, cost, turn around time and practicality. Extreme nugget effect deposits like Bendigo, require the use of bulk samples in order to be representative. However, the cost and turn around time is significant. As a result, a micro-bulk sampling system has been introduced that attempts to overcome these problems by providing a fast, practical method that can define ore from waste. Bulk sampling and on-vein development are still necessary for resource and reserve estimation.

Jan 1, 2003

By G Williams

Somewhat to the surprise of many heavy mineral sands (TiO2 and zircon) producers, there are important geological structures within their typical placers and aeolian sands deposits that affect plant metallurgical performance. After many years of operations, even experienced producers have encountered unexpected changes in production, product quality and recovery. After looking in all the obvious (but wrong) places, it is recognised that the mine has advanced into ore with different separation characteristics. Metallurgical process response can vary significantly between ore sourced from different geological domains. The mineral characteristics that are exploited for effective separation may be associated with differences in the depositional environment, or be post-depositional in origin. Surface coatings that interfere with electrostatic separation might be associated with paleo-water table movements. Major storm events in the deposition history can also leave distorted mineral assemblage through stranded formations or incisions in older deposits.Apart from the influence on capital and operating costs, geometallurgical variances add another dimension to orebody modelling. Each domain could have specific recovery, mineral assemblage and product quality values to be considered in the value model. Project success is often directly dependent on understanding the geometallurgy of the resource. Tailoring the exploration and early process flow sheet development programs to account for such variances should be standard practice. Such practices have had a chequered history in the mineral sands industry, with sophisticated processes having been developed, only to be shelved for ‘economic’ reasons, and then once again ‘discovered’ when problems re-emerge.It is clear that knowledge gained through a higher level understanding of the changing mineral separation characteristics and advance warning of mineral behavioural differences can mean the difference between lost recoveries and disappointed customers or well timed capital plans and maximised revenues.

Oct 5, 2011

By Weller KR, Lim IL

The high pressure grinding rolls is one of the few new comminution devices that offer substantial savings when compared with traditional crushing and grinding circuits and with SAG milling. The machine has been well accepted in the cement industry, but mining companies have been more cautious in adopting this technology, partly because of wear and availability problems, and partly because of uncertainties in designing circuits which will deliver the power savings without complicating downstream processing. This paper addresses the latter problem by providing a model structure for predicting power draft and throughput from measurements made with small pilot scale high pressure rolls. Three existing models for predicting product size distributions are assessed and suggestions made for future work. The model structure comprises a power equation, incorporating measurements of torque and rolls speed previously used by the authors. Transport through the mill is assumed to be plug flow. Throughput is governed by the equilibrium gap between the rolls, which is determined both by machine settings and the physical properties of the feed material, including its size distribution. Therefore some form of physical testing in a model machine is required to determine throughput parameters. Results from copper and nickel ore experiments covering a wide range of machine conditions are presented and compared with model predictions. Model assumptions are discussed and directions for future work Suggested.

Jan 1, 1993

By T Berryman

The Fimiston reserve is being depleted at the rate of one million ounces per year; most of which is processed by the Fimiston plant, with the remainder being stockpiled. As for most other large open cut mines around the world, Fimiston has an excellent dispatch and tracking system. Reconciliation is used to determine how the various models used in mine planning (such as a reserve, budget and schedule models) are tracking against production. It is also used to gauge the performance of grade control estimation against production; however, analysing the results of this can be complicated and, at times, misleading. The reconciliation process involves adjusting the monthly production data to equal the mill reported tonnes and grade, plus the change in stockpiles. This adjusted number is then compared to the grade control reported tonnes and grade, the scheduled model (monthly planning model) tonnes and grade and against budget (Reserve) tonnes and grade. This paper includes explanations of all assumptions made in the reconciliation process, including the end of month closing stocks balance, the application of adjustment factors to the dispatch data to create a new balanced set of production data and the monthly sign off to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements of the North American owners. The reserve is reconciled by proved and probable classification. This tool is used to assess the robustness of the classification scheme utilised and identify any reconciliation issues as they arise. Within the Fimiston deposit there are still issues that are clouded by the assumptions made concerning the scale of observation, poor data support and the mining of the narrow lode areas of the deposit. The declared ore mined (DOM) number (which is defined in the paper) can be significantly affected by these assumptions, and these need to be clearly stated and understood when looking at the reconciliation data. The DOM tonnes and grade is a good indicator of real mine performance as it adjusts mined tonnes and grade to take into account the milled tonnes and grade each month, and prevents cumulative errors from building up in mine predicted dispatch numbers or end of period stockpiles. This number allows monthly monitoring of the mine to mill performance and allows valid comparisons to be made back to budgets and reserves over a period of time. KCGM uses three month rolling averages to monitor performance against reserve and budget models. This ensures that monthly distortions in the figures due to stockpiling issues or over mining in a particular period do not lead to false conclusions. Reconciliation performance over a longer period (12 - 18 months) is used to adjust reserve models should significant variance be observed. By closely monitoring the reconciliation performance at the Fimiston operation, fine tuning of all aspects of the grade estimation process from reserve through to grade control can be made. This allows the most accurate data to be used when planning from reserve data for the Life of Mine Plan through to grade control data for short-term mill feed.

Jan 1, 2006

By J Simpson, M Johnston

Recently Mount Isa Mines undertook a study to review the lead-zinc orebodies to extent of resource and reserves and determine the new life-of-mine schedule, as the Mount Isa and Hilton orebodies had not be reviewed for many years. Also, the recovered value of the Mount Isa, Hilton and George Fisher orebodies had been increased by major performance improvements in the lead-zinc concentrator. The Mount Isa Lead-Zinc concentrator processes fine-grained lead-zinc ore from the Mount Isa, Hilton and George Fisher orebodies. These orebodies have varying levels of pyrite and large variation in the grain size and texture of the galena, sphalerite and pyrite. This variation has a large effect on the recovery of the lead and zinc in the concentrator. Some ores achieve 90 per cent recovery at target grades, yet other ores are unable to achieve æsaleableÆ concentrate grade, with no metal being recovered to concentrate and therefore effectively losing the contained metal to the final tailings. Models were created to predict the metallurgical performance of these orebodies, to better reflect the variation that occurs. These improved metallurgical models and economic data allowed the determination of the Net Smelter Return (NSR) for each block in the geological block model. This NSR is the return to MIM of the metals contained in concentrate. The NSR was used as the cut-off grade criteria when determining the value of the ore. This formed the basis of the lead-zinc life-of-mine schedule and the optimisation of the lead-zinc business.

Jan 1, 2003

By D Craw

Otago Schist and Klondike Schist are two Paleozoic-Mesozoic metamorphic belts on the circum-Pacific margin in which there has been a long history of abundant alluvial gold mining, but only minor hard-rock gold mining.   Modern exploration for hard-rock gold is ongoing in both belts, and the active Macraes mine in Otago (>2 Moz production) highlights the hard-rock potential of the geological setting of these belts. Hard-rock gold mineralisation in both belts formed in the latter stages of schist exhumation, after rocks were subjected to major regional ductile folding and then uplifted through the brittle-ductile transition. The majority of known hard-rock gold-bearing systems in both belts consist of well-defined, but generally discontinuous, vein swarms. Most Otago veins are hosted in steeply dipping post-metamorphic normal faults and fractures. However, the Macraes mine is hosted by a late-metamorphic shear zone, and much ore is sulphide-impregnated auriferous schist. Goldbearing veins in the Klondike schist are hosted primarily in extensional sites associated with post-metamorphic compressional structures. Some disseminated sulphide mineralisation is associated with Klondike veins and this is important as it extends the exploration target for these veins. No foliation-parallel late metamorphic mineralisation has been identified in the Klondike but exposure is relatively poor compared with Otago and both schist belts are highly prospective for deposits of this type.

Jan 1, 2007

By A Smith

Rock masses usually exhibit scale dependent mechanical properties primarily due to presence of discontinuities and their inhomogeneous nature. One of the essential preconditions for selection of appropriate strength and deformation parameters of a rock mass in relation to tunnel design is assessment of the scale of the joint network relative to the scale of excavation. In tunnel design practice, scale effects are estimated indirectly using small-scale unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and rock mass classification based empirical correlations. Large-scale UCS tests have the benefit of direct assessment of anisotropic and scale dependent properties of a rock mass.This paper presents results of a large-scale UCS test on a jointed siltstone. A 450 mm diameter sample with inclined bedding planes was cored and tested in uniaxial compression until failure with load and displacement measurements. The aim of the test is to determine strength and deformation parameters and correlate them with results of small-scale UCS tests of the same sample. The relationships between the small-scale and large-scale rock mass parameters were validated against published correlations from the literature.

Mar 8, 2011

By P Martin, A Somarin, S Bailey

Field-based research was conducted to investigate the performance of field portable X-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) in the analysis of reverse circulation (RC) drill chips in iron ore exploration. For years, FPXRF has been considered unsuitable for iron ore exploration due to the limitations of the elements it is capable of analysing for, in particular its inability to measure light elements (Mg, Al, Si, P, S). With the advent of the use of silicon drift detectors (SDD) in FPXRF, light elements are now measurable elements. However, doubt over the appropriate use of this new technology still exists due to the absence of reliable comparative field data. These doubts concerned the ability of the FPXRF data to correlate strongly with the laboratory assay of the same samples. It was believed that inconsistent grain size and other variables not being controlled would contribute greatly to this perceived unreliability.We tested RC chip samples on-site in the Pilbara, with the portable Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser for a range of elements including Fe, Mn, Al, Si and S and then compared the results with laboratory assay data. A strong correlation indicates that the FPXRF results are reliable. Furthermore, to show the effect of simple sample preparation, we also analysed pulps of the same samples in the same way.The correlations were good for all of the elements of interest for the RC chip samples (R2 values between 0.82 and 0.9), and excellent for the pulps (R2 values between 0.89 and 1). The results also showed a direct correlation between sample preparation and improved quality of results with the FPXRF. This indicates that FPXRF can produce data from unprepared RC chips for Al and Si that, when compared with laboratory assays, is reliable for a field application in drilling and grade control. CITATION:Somarin, A, Martin, P and Bailey, S, 2013. Non-destructive analysis of diamond core for light elements using Niton field portable x-ray fluorescence, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2013 , pp 117-230 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 12, 2013

By Fink ST

Management requires up-to-date information on the activities of an enterprise in order to maintain control and to assist in decision-making and planning. In today's environment it is essential that this information is immediately available and in an easily assimilated format. If this is not the case, management is forced to make decisions based on intuition and past experience. At Mt Newman Mining Co, a computer application has been developed and implemented with the objective of providing this type of information to management. The Key Parameter Reporting System (as the application is known) allows for daily (constant) on-line capture of selected production statistics, safety statistics and free format textual comments relating to topics such as industrial relations, major maintenance and other pertinent news. Information can be retrieved,'and displayed or printed in either a tabular or graphical format. All senior managers have colour visual display units in their offices for immediate access to the system. Access to selected sensitive information is controlled. All company staff are able to retrieve unsecured information from the system via visual display units installed in all company Locations.

Jan 1, 1983

By M Taylor

The Project Specification and Technical Requirements documents associated with several recent large road tunnel projects within Australia have specified the application of AS/IEC 61508 – FunctionalSafety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety Related Systems at very high performance levels for the various control and fire life safety systems associated with such facilities.This paper seeks to explore the implications of referencing this standard within the road tunnel services context in terms of practicality, complexity and cost, whilst providing some examples of how a high safety integrity level (SIL) level can theoretically be achieved given current hardware availability.

Mar 8, 2011

By R N. Humphries, R J. K Thompson

Large-scale coal mining in South Wales dates back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the birth of ironmaking on an industrial scale. This rapidly gave rise to new and large communities with immigration from far and wide across the United Kingdom (UK). These new communities were largely dependent on coal mining and served as the main form of employment and social cohesion until the industry’s demise in the 1990s. With wholesale mine closure and the concomitant loss of employment, the extensive environmental degradation and chronic mine-related illness left a deep scar on the psyche on many still living in the South Wales mining communities. This coupled with memories of strife in the 1980s has resulted in ongoing hostility toward the surface coal mining of the remaining accessible coal reserves in the proximity of these communities.The purpose of this paper is to set out the historical basis of the concerns of these legacy mining communities in South Wales and explain how they are being positively addressed by both the recently evolved planning and regulation system and by today’s surface mining industry. Reference is made to experience gained from two recent applications for surface coal mining adjacent to former mining communities. Ways are suggested in the approval process that surface mining can work in more harmony with the local communities through working partnerships between the mining company, the authorities and regulators and the affected communities. It is concluded that partnership is key to creating a more responsive mine-operating culture and a means to securing approval for future surface coal-mining prospects in South Wales, and probably elsewhere too.CITATION:Humphries, R N and Thompson, R J K, 2014. Surface mining and legacy mining communities in South Wales, UK, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2014 , pp 399–412 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 16, 2014

By Aspinall T. O

Draglines have found wide application in strip mining coal seams down to 60m depth. A research Project funded through NERDDC has been underway during the past two years investigating the application of large draglines loading overburden into hoppers feeding into conveyor systems or off-highway trucks. This paper presents the preliminary results of these investigations and covers overburden characteristics, bucket spotting con- trol, bucket design, conceptual hopper systems, system application at representative mine sites, and broad process comparison. The studies have initiated new concepts in the extended use of draglines at deeper strip- ping depths. Alternate arrangements for dragline bucket rigging and bucket control aspects of dragline stripping operations offer productivity improvements. Extended use of existing draglines includes, draglines dumping into hoppers which feed large trucks or conveyors, trigger dump buckets rigging arrangements, and rear dump dragline buckets with integral grizzly bars. The paper details these suggestions, and points to specific areas where the most productive applied research is anticipated. Mine planning considerations detail the factors involved in selecting dragline bench heights in association with hopper operations.

Jan 1, 1989

By R Cooksey

The Globe-Progress Mine is an open pit gold mine that is part of the larger Reefton Goldfields deposit located on the West Coast of New Zealand. The regional geology comprises a series of north to south oriented fold structures that have undergone post-deformation mineralisation. The structural geology within the mine itself is more complex, with major shears hosting numerous high-grade mineralised quartz shoots and splays that have been historically mined.The selective mining of ore within the pit is challenging due to the orientations of the hanging wall and footwall areas of the main Globe shear zone, the lithologies of these areas which range from highly brecciated and sheared material to competent mineralised host rock, and in the hazards presented by the numerous old historic underground workings. The coordination of drilling, modelling and excavation of the ore requires careful planning to maximise recovery whilst operating with the pit design boundaries.Grade control packages are custom designed to reflect the orientation of the footwall and hanging wall mineralisation. The shear material in the footwall zone dips between 60° and 70° and requires angled drilling whereas the footwall mineralisation is contained in shallow dipping quartz veins sub parallel to bedding and can be vertically drilled to best intercept the mineralisation. Ore excavation is directed so that the contact between the footwall and hanging wall is mined in the correct direction so that any non-visual ore contacts can be safely mined and that the ore-waste dilution is reduced.The ongoing grade control and selective mining of the Globe Progress deposit continues to deliver high grade ore for processing by ensuring that waste and dilution of ore is reduced and that recovery is maximised.

Aug 22, 2011

The Western New South Wales Electric Power Proprietary Limited is the central generating authority for distribution of power to the majority of the Broken Hill mining companies and the Broken Hill Water Board. This station supplies the whole of the power to North Broken Hill Ltd and Broken Hill South Ltd. It also supplies, power to the Southern Power Corporation for distribution to the Zinc Corporation Ltd. The Southern Power Corporation has a generating station which is tied in with the central generating authority.

Jan 1, 1957

By L Chaffey, M Buckland

The minerals industry has enormous potential to positively contribute to sustainable development and many leading companies have concluded that their long-term success is directly linked to their ability to leave a lasting positive legacy. While there are many examples of success, there have been failures as well and much work has been done in recent years to define the role of the minerals industry in sustainable development and identify the key elements for success. In the past, our sector could point to the taxes and royalties it paid, the exports it generated and employment it created and felt confident that its contribution would be recognised and duly acknowledged. This is no longer the case. Critics of the industry have highlighted resource-rich countries that have failed to capitalise on their resource wealth and have arguably lower standards of living than their resource-poor peers û the æresource curseÆ hypothesis. Recent research has done much to clarify the factors that contribute to a countryÆs success or failure and all stakeholders in the industry now need to include these learnings in their approaches going forward. We know that our long-term success relies on embedding a company- wide approach to sustainable development into all aspects of our business operations. In this paper we highlight BHP BillitonÆs experience in the development and implementation of policies and systems designed to enhance our contribution to sustainable development. We detail the business drivers for excellence in this area and the key external codes and initiatives that have shaped our approach. The values-based BHP Billiton Charter, Sustainable Development Policy and associated Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) Management Standards are central to our approach. Implementation is reviewed through our HSEC audit program. One area in which we have placed particular emphasis is our approach to community development. BHP Billiton has a corporate target to contribute one per cent of its pre-tax profit on a three year rolling average to voluntary community programs. As our profit stream has increased with the minerals boom this is approaching an A$100 million commitment. In our paper we detail how we are working to ensure we maximise the value of this contribution for our communities and our shareholders.

Jan 1, 2006

By G P. W Suyantara, Y Tanaka, T Hirajima, Y Aoki, K Sasaki, H Miki

The effect of sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) on the flotation behaviour of bornite and tennantite is reported in this work. Flotation tests were performed using pure minerals of bornite and tennantite under various concentrations of sodium sulfite at pH 9. The flotation results indicated that sodium sulfite exhibited a depressing effect on the floatability of bornite in the presence of 0.1 mM PAX. However, tennantite remained floatable after the addition of sodium sulfite in the presence of 0.1 mM PAX. The flotation tests using mixed bornite and tennantite confirmed the flotation results of single minerals. Surface characterisation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to explain the flotation results. A mechanism is proposed based on the XPS analysis results.

Aug 24, 2022