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By A. Singh

The control of flotation plants is by no means trivial. Flotation is one of the most interactive minerals? processing operations. The interactive nature of flotation circuits results in oscillations of levels and hence of grades and recoveries. Also, poor level setpoint tracking and disturbances have negative influences on grades and recoveries. The result is an unstable plant with limited scope for optimization. An advanced controller, FloatStarTM, has been developed to provide tight control and to reduce the amount of disturbances in flotation levels. It has been shown on a number of plants that the system results in faster and better setpoint tracking, better regulatory control and faster settling times after start-ups and disturbances. The successful stabilization provided by FloatStar has made it easier to investigate the area of optimization on flotation circuits. Mintek has identified the need for a more meaningful set of setpoints or aeration rates to use as a basis for control than levels and have advocated flow control by looking after residence times. When the feed conditions change, the ideal solution would be an algorithm or strategy that finds the new optimum conditions rather than just having an unguided hunt from the previous point. A multivariable flow-optimizing algorithm, a new module in FloatStar, has been developed to calculate optimum level setpoints and/or aeration rates that will aim to optimize the residence times, mass pulls and circulating loads within a flotation circuit. Keywords: flotation, regulatory, FloatStar, start-up, disturbance, residence times, circulating loads

Jan 1, 2003

By Antonio A. Cristóvão, Alexandre Pinto

"Abstract Deep foundations of buildings using driven ductile iron micropiles TRIM solutions, leads to recognized advantages, from technical, schedule and economic points of view. High production rates together with the possibility of using conventional equipment, duly adapted, confer this solution a high versatility.The aim of this paper is to describe the main design criteria adopted for the foundations of the Church ""Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes"" building in Lisbon - Portugal. In addition, results of a full scale load test carried out at site are presented, confirming the adequacy of the solution to the geological and geotechnical scenario, which is characterized by the proximity of the Tagus River Basin as well as the presence of heterogeneous landfill material and alluvial layers of soft clay (muds).1. INTRODUCTION Located on the right bank of the Tagus River, in Lisbon, the new Church building of ""Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes"", patroness of fisherman and navigators, with three or four upper floors, is surrounded by a school and by new residential buildings.The Tagus River basin is known by its alluvial soft soils, achieving, in certain areas, more than 50m meters depth, challenging the construction of new facilities due to the significant unfavorable geotechnical conditions.With a modern an unusual architecture, allusive to the ships used by the Portuguese navigators, the building has a reinforced concrete structure, with one basement and three upper floors. A bell tower with about 40m high, emerging from the structure, marks the landscape with the presence of this religious building (figure 2).For all the reasons previously described, geotechnical engineers play a crucial role on the design of valid foundation solutions, from both technical and economic point of view. Ideally, the solutions adopted should be supported by full scale load tests, performed at site, so that design assumptions could be verified and adjusted on time."

Jan 1, 2014

By E. O. Wagner, A. W. Koth, V. F. Parry, J. B. Goodman, D. C. Gernies

"INTRODUCTION A commercial-scale pilot plant for gasification of lignite was completed by the Bureau of Mines at Grand Forks, N. Dak., early in 1945 as an extension of work on, gasification of low-rank coals initiated in a smaller pilot plant at Golden, Colo., during 1943. The development work on this plant was part of a program to make reducing gases from lignite for beneficiation of low-grade iron ores. The background of this project has been described in a previous report. 6/ The present report describes the major features of the large pilot plant, a record of experimental operating data during five runs totaling about 1,800 hours, .and results of experimental work on the small pilot plant at Golden during 1945.This project has created considerable interest because heretofore there has been little success in several attempts to gasify American lignites.Furthermore, the methed employed is a departure from conventional processes. Natural lignite is fed continuously into an externally heated annular retort and is converted into water gas by heat conducted through alloy metal walls. Because of the high thermal conductivity of metal, the rate of gasification is several times greater than can be obtained when employing refractory walls. The process has been developed to a part that leaves one major question unanswered. - ""How long will the alloy last under practical operating conditions?"" - and this question has aroussed the interest of the Coal Division of the Bureau of Mines in this new development.Owing to the high reactivity of the lower-rank fuels, the water-gas reactions proceed rapidly at medium temperatures of 1,650°F. to 1,800°F. These temperatures can be attained in a reaction zone heated by external means when the temperature of the retort does not exceed 1,900°F. while transferring from 6,000 to 7,000 B.t.u. per hour per square foot. Such rates are several times greater than can be attained through refractory walls as employed in the Didier-Bubaig 7/ and the Ahrens processes. 7/ Therefore, the investment cost of the gas generator per unit of capacity will be considerably lower for the higher-capacity process. However, the maintenance cost of metal vessels will be higher than that of refractory retorts, and this emphasizes the importance of large-scale operation to determine the life of an alloy retort under practical operating. conditions."

Sep 1, 1947

By G. Kim

The influence of bacterial growth phase on the flotation behavior of malachite has been investigated in a well-controlled Hallimond tube system. The microflotation tests were conducted for malachite (45?53 µm) using different amounts (bulk phase concentration=1×108?5×109 cells/mL) of Rhodococcus opacus (R. opacus) as a collector, which was grown at mid-exponential versus stationary phase, at a constant speed (340 rpm), pH (6), and malachite-bacteria interaction and flotation time (each 10 min). Hug differences between R. opacus cells in mid-exponential and stationary phase was observed from the results for electrophoretic mobility and flotation tests. Specifically, the isoelectric point of the cells in the stationary phase was lower than that in the mid-exponential phase, suggesting that the amount and distribution of surface functional groups onto cell surfaces are likely different. Additionally, the cells in stationary phase led to significant increase in the flotability compared to those in mid-exponential phase over the background bacterial concentration level of 1×108?5×109 cells/mL. Furthermore, the flotation efficiency tended to increase with increasing cell dosage for stationary phase cells while no distinct difference was observed for mid-exponential cells.

Feb 27, 2013

By Kevin Beirne

Most people involved in the mining industry are familiar with student-industry co-op work-study programs. Many colleges and universities have used them for years. Northern College’s Haileybury School of Mines student co-op program adds a new dimension of productivity to the college and the mining industry. The college is located in Hailey-bury, Ontario, Canada. An example of the program’s success is the school’s relationship with Sabin Metal’s SMC (Canada) Ltd.’s McAlpine Mill in Cobalt, Ontario. Students gain practical knowledge and experience while industry gains an eager-to-learn worker. And many of the college’s advanced research services are made available to industry to supplement their own capabilities. The McAlpine Mill was established to provide custom milling of slags and ores. It also recovers metal values from other products of the primary and secondary precious metal industries.

Jan 1, 1999

By C. Özgen Karacan

The formation of the gas emission zone in longwall mining and the potential amount of gas in this zone are factors of local geology and spatial variability within this geology. Therefore, geostatistical methods can be used for modeling and prediction of gas amounts and for assessing its uncertainty in the gas emission zone of longwall mines. This study used core data obtained from 64 exploration boreholes drilled from the surface to the bottom of the Pittsburgh coal seam in a mining district in the Northern Appalachian basin. After identifying important coal layers for the gas emission zone, semivariogram modeling was conducted for different coal seams to define the distribution and continuity of various attributes. Sequential simulations were performed for stochastic assessment of these attributes to calculate gas-in-place (GIP) in each coal seam. GIP calculations for coals of various gas emissions zones were combined and ranked for their cumulative distribution function to find GIP in the caved zone and in the fractured zone at the 5%, 50%, and 95% quantiles. Fifty percent quantile results were later used to isolate a panel from the whole area and create a mosaic representation corresponding to the daily advance rate of the longwall face. This approach helped to estimate the daily emissions of this panel from the caved zone and from the fractured zone. Results showed that gas-in-place in the Pittsburgh coal seam, in the caved zone, and in the fractured zone showed spatial correlations that could be modeled and estimated using geostatistical methods. This study showed that gas-in- place volumes in the study area may be as high as 12.3 Bscf and as much as 3.5 MMscf per acre of mining.

Jan 1, 2012

Objective The main purpose of this video is to teach mine rescue personnel certain aspects of rescue work that are not traditionally taught. These include the strain caused by working continually under adverse conditions; the "survivor guilt" that occurs from being spared the fate of one's deceased cohorts; and the posttraumatic stress that may be experienced during the sometimes lengthy task of recovering the victims' bodies. Background On November 20, 1968, an explosion rocked the Farmington No. 9 Mine in northern West Virginia (figure 1). The explosion killed 78 of 99 miners who were working in the mine, including all but one member of the mine's rescue team. Some 30 years after the event, researchers from the NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) conducted a video interview with Danny Kuhn (figure 2), the only Farmington No. 9 mine rescue team member who was not working that day and who did not die in the explosion. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), there are about 80 underground coal mine rescue teams in the United States, and according to the National Mining Association, there are more than 850 underground coal mines. This represents a significant decrease in both over the past decade. The low number of rescue teams is a concern because serious incidents, though fewer, still happen, and if a disaster occurs, there will be fewer rescue teams to respond. This would result in an increased need to use available human resources very efficiently. Much training to prepare these rescue teams still takes the form of what educators call "teaching to the test." In other words, teams practice in order to win mine rescue contests. This test-oriented approach has traditionally been augmented by interactions with others who have responded to real situations or by participating in actual incidents. Given few incidents and fewer rescue teams from whom to derive enrichment, the preparation of coal mine rescue personnel becomes a problem. Recently, more emphasis has been placed on active learning, such as working out problems in smoke. These sessions more nearly simulate the actual conditions that today's team members might rarely encounter. To properly prepare and retain the current coal mine rescue personnel who are left in the workforce, it is necessary not only to offer such hands-on experience, but also to replace the learning narratives that once were passed from team to team. The present video is intended to contribute in that capacity. Approach NIOSH researchers first learned of Mr. Kuhn in the fall of1998. Mr. Kuhn was contacted and agreed to an interview. An oral history interview was conducted with Mr. Kuhn in early November1998. After reviewing the videotape of the interview, researchers determined the content to be so rich as to warrant a second interview in a more formal setting. The second interview was done in early December 1998. During this interview, Mr. Kuhn spent about 2 hours describing the Farmington disaster, including the workplace climate leading up to the explosion, the events that took place in the 10 days after the explosion, and the nearly 10-year effort to safely and successfully recover most of the victims' bodies. The videotape of the second oral history interview with Danny Kuhn was reviewed and edited by NIOSH researchers for content. Careful attention was used to ensure that valuable information was presented, but within a reasonable timeframe. A detailed map of the Farmington No. 9 Mine was edited into the final video and used to highlight critical features as they were being described by Mr. Kuhn. Results and Accomplishments A 60-minute videotape and instructor's guide for use in safety training or other settings was completed. The target audience consists of all those who work in underground coal mines. This training video will help safety instructors better prepare mine rescue team members for the situations that they will encounter when engaging in extended rescue and recovery work. As a result of this expectations training, team members will be more likely to serve their

Mar 1, 2002

By H. Hearnden

Whereas in the past, ladles were simply a means of transferring molten products from furnace tapholes to points of discharge be they casting pans or waste dumps, the ladle is now becoming a more integral and versatile piece of equipment in the pyrometallurgical plant. The drive behind this development is the need for continuous improvement in performance where better, faster and cheaper means remaining competitive in the global market. This paper will explore the technologies available for the rendering of a costly and otherwise cumbersome piece of pyrometallurgical equipment more efficient and versatile in adding value to the final product. Essentially it all revolves around heat and more importantly the loss of it when tapping. The common practice is to move the molten product to its point of discharge quickly with the minimum of interruption to prevent skulling and hence the cost associated with clearing it. The advances in Oxy-fuel burners, AC or DC ladle furnaces, converters, gas purging and high velocity, bath injection systems has increased the versatility of processes and enhanced the potential for adding value to intermediate products through down stream practices such as granulation and atomisation.

Jan 1, 2004

By Mishark Nnabuchi

A heterojunction of PbS - CuS thin film has been grown on glass slides by SGT. The films were annealed for 1hr at temperature of 373K and 423K respectively. The optical properties were characterized using a UNICO UV - 2102 PC Spectrophotometer at normal incidence of light in the wavelength range of 200 - 1000nm. The minimum percentage transmittance was observed to be 34% for sample A and 25% for sample B within the same optical region. The band gap energy was determined from the spectra to be 2.05eV for sample A and 1.85eV for sample B which gave a band shift of 0.20eV. It can thus be concluded that the optical properties of the films within the VIS - UV - NIR can find application in solar thermal technology, particularly as antireflection coating, window materials and as good materials for selective solar cell fabrication.

Jan 1, 2010

By W. G. Davenport, M. Paneni

Experiments in sheets of mercury and water have confirmed that the dynamics of bubble rise are simi-lur in Liquid metal and aqueous systems. RECOGNITION that bubble/metal interactions are important in pyrometallurgical refining processes (e.g., steelmaking, vacuum degassing, deoxidation of copper) has led to a number of investigations into the dynamic behavior of bubbles rising in liquid metals. Terminal velocities of bubbles rising in mercury (20°C)' and silver (1000" to 1050"c)1,2 have been measured. Good agreement between aqueous and liquid metal systems has been obtained. Shapes of air bubbles rising in mercury have been determined experimentally by Davenport, Bradshaw, and Richardsonl who used a system of electric probes to measure maximum horizontal and vertical dimensions, Fig. 5. In the present work the motion and shape of nitrogen bubbles rising in a thin sheet of mercury (i.e., a "two-dimensional" environment) have been studied with the view of confirming dynamic similarity between aqueous and metallic systems. The use of thin sheets of liquid permitted direct visual and photographic comparisons of bubble behavior in clear liquids and in mercury. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD The thin sheets of mercury or water were held in a clear acrylic plastic container, Fig. 1. The sheets of liquid were 80 cm high by 30 cm wide and 0.47 cm thick. Single bubbles were formed by injecting the desired volume of nitrogen into an inverted semicircular cup (stainless steel). The cup was then rotated into the upright position using an external handle thus releasing a single bubble of measured volume. Nitrogen was injected into the cup from a nitrogen cylinder through the external handle and a hollow rotating axle. The volume of a bubble (volume range 0.01 to 10 cu cm) at any instant was obtained by connecting a soap film meter to a small gas space above the liquid. By this technique any change in the volume of a gas bubble in the liquid (i.e., during cup filling or during rise) produces an equivalent displacement from gas space A into the buret B. This displacement is determined by measuring the movement of a horizontal soap film in the buret. Bubble shapes were determined using single-frame photography. Rising velocities were determined by cinephotography with a 1/100-sec stopwatch in the field of view. In both cases dimensions were referenced to a rule attached to the container surface, also in the field of view. Linear dimensions were measured on projections of the single-frame negatives. Rising velocities were calculated from measured heights of rise (10 to 20 cm) and times of rise. The effects of disturbances caused by cup rotation and by bubble release were minimized by photographing bubbles at a point not less than 25 cm above the cup. MATERIALS Mercury: Technical-grade purified: minimum 99 pct Hg; Johnson Matthey and Mallory Limited, Toronto. Nitrogen: Technical-grade purified nitrogen: 99.99 pct Nz, 0.01 pct 02, trace argon; Air Liquide Canada Limitee, Montreal.

Jan 1, 1970

By D. Lindeman, R. M. Nendick

"From a technologist's point of view, there have been few fundamental 'breakthroughs' in the process of gold extraction since the turn of the century. However, the industry has made a great deal of progress in its response to the problems that have arisen: a changing demand for products, lower grade and more refractory ores, inflated labour and materials cost and the increasing control of governmental legislation. The trend in North America and South Africa to alleviate these problems has been to adopt a common policy to process larger tonnages of lowgrade ore through more efficient milling circuits. Here, however, is where the similarity ends.The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the different principles of practice employed by extraction plants in North America and South Africa to achieve the same common goal, namely gold bullion.2.0 INTRODUCTIONTwo very important aspects of extraction metallurgy for which the metallurgical engineer is responsible are plant design and plant commissioning.In North America and South Africa the importance of these aspects is due to the fact that both are related to the financial success of the project of which they form part. Good design is imperative if the capital invested in both the plant and the whole mining undertaking is to reap maximum profit. Furthermore, good design leads to a carefully planned and well executed start-up procedure resulting in bringing the plant into production on time, at designed efficiency and within budget.Due to the competent nature of the quartz pebble conglomerate and quartzite ore on the South African Witwatersrand, the characteristics of the ore type are not much different from one mine to the other. Thus a significant operating knowledge and experience has been built up over the years and there is considerably less risk in selecting a gold extraction process route."

Jan 1, 1992

By E Kasai, T Nakamura, E Shibata

In the present study, formation of PCDD/Fs from carbon particles like æsootÆ, so called de novo synthesis, was experimentally simulated using the powder mixture of graphite and metallic chloride. Composite states of graphite and chloride particles were varied by the preliminary treatment, ie high-energy ball milling for different time or heating at different temperatures. These samples were subjected to the measurement of the rates of weight loss mainly due to the oxidation of carbon, the formation of absorbent organic chlorides (AOX) and the formation of PCDD/Fs at 300¦C. The amount of PCDD/Fs formation increased by applying certain pretreatments. Further, linear relationships were obtained among the formation rates of PCDD/Fs and AOX and the weight loss of sample. These results will give useful information to investigate the mechanism of PCDD/Fs formation from unburned combustible carbon and hydrocarbon in thermal processes.

Jan 1, 2002

Lime production is the largest single chemical use for limestone and dolomite. The term “lime” in this review refers to high-calcium and dolomitic quicklime, their hydroxide forms and dead-burned dolomite. This review is restricted to a discussion of the U.S. lime industry. Production and consumption In 2004, according to preliminary data, U.S. lime production was about 20.1 Mt (22.1 million st), an increase of 900 kt (990,000 st) compared with 2003. Production in2004 was valued at about $1.4 billion. Commercial sales of lime totaled 18.6 Mt (20.5 million st) and captive production was 1.5 Mt (1.65 million st). Total U.S. consumption was about 20.2 Mt (22.2 million st). The majority of U.S. lime trade was with Canada.

Jan 1, 2005

By G J. Lyman

In sampling a process stream, conventional sampling theory deals only with the variation of the analyte content and neglects the impact of the variation in the mass flow on the sampling variance, whether the sampling regime is time-based or mass-based. This is an obvious simplification of the real state of affairs and it is worthwhile to study this impact via simulation.With a facility to simulate large (long) random functions having some thousands of points in the function and the ability to impose covariance functions on the mass flow and analyte variations, such a study is possible. It is also possible to evaluate the impact of correlation between analyte content and mass flows.This paper describes a limited study of the variance increase due to mass flow fluctuations over the usual sampling variance due to analyte variation during the sampling period. The bias in the sampling result is determined for specific modes of correlation. Simulation methods are used as they are the only means by which a sampling result can be compared to the true assay for the lot; in the physical circumstances of mineral process analysis, it is never possible to determine the true process stream assay.CITATION:Lyman, G J, 2017. The impact of the weighting error, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 311–318 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By W. H. Schiffbauer

NIOSH has developed an active proximity warning system called HASARD (Hazardous Area Signaling and Ranging Device) for warning workers as they approach known dangerous areas around heavy mining equipment and other dangerous work zones. HASARD is composed of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter generates a 60-kHz magnetic field using one or more wire loop antennas. Each antenna is adjusted to establish a magnetic field pattern for each hazardous area. The receiver, worn by the worker, is a magnetic field strength meter. The received signal is compared against preset levels which are calibrated to identify levels of danger. The receiver outputs can include visual, audible, and vibratory indicators and it can also be made to disable machine functions. HASARD was field tested on a Joy 12 continuous miner, a Komatsu 210 M Haulpak, and on a highwall launch vehicle. Slight modifications were made for each application. HASARD provided warnings as designed and proved to be rugged enough to withstand the harshest of production environments.

By J. O. Merritt

The primary objective of this research program was to recommend ranges of minimum luminance for safety in underground metal and nonmetal mining. Visual tasks critical to safety were identified and rank-ordered. Realistic, full-scale, dynamic task simulations encompassing the most important visual components of the critical tasks were installed in a large simulated workspace. Five trained observers performed the six simulated mining tasks under varying levels of luminance. Over 13,000 measurements of visual task performance were used in developing minimum luminance recommendations for the on-foot underground worker and the mobile equipment operator.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. C. D. Phillis

The management of critical resource inventories is an important productivity lever and a significant risk factor?risk in the sense that poor resource availability lends itself to disempowerment of workers, unsafe work practices, wasted spending (high unit costs),and poor quality of work (including mining waste/rework). Most underground platinum mines experience lost blasts that directly lead to reduced productivity. In most surveyed shafts, 30% of lost blasts can be attributed to shortages of critical material and/or equipment. The problem is prevalent despite the existence of conventional transitory surface and underground stores. This paper discusses the introduction of buffer stores as a complementary materials storage system in order to improve health and safety in mines as well as reduce lost blasts. Both quantitative and qualitative results have shown that buffer stores result in dramatic improvements in productivity and are readily acceptable by stakeholders. Keywords Buffer stores, lost blast.

Jan 1, 2011

By Paul D. Tomlingson

Part two of this two-part series covers the use of an integrated information system with administrative information, including error and absentee reports as well as open work files. Part one (ME, July, page 650) discussed conceptualizing and developing a maintenance information system. It explained what information is needed to manage such a system.

Jan 8, 1985

By P. Oyanader

"In 2001, the Catholic University of Chile undertook a maintenance benchmarking study of six open pit copper mines having mill capacities varying between 18,000 t/d and 156,000 t/d, and collectively responsible for 58% of Chilean copper production. This paper describes the methodology used to conduct the study, as well as the overall results. Key performance indices were selected to measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and development of the maintenance process. Using a balanced scorecard philosophy, these indicators were divided into client satisfaction, financial, internal process, and learning and growth indices.Maintenance was found, on average, to be responsible for 44% of mine production costs. Percentage planned maintenance of equipment fleets was found to be low by world standards, averaging 35%, 56%, and 44%, respectively, for blasthole drill, shovel, and haul truck fleets. Fleet availabilities were found to be significantly influenced by the percentage of planned maintenance achieved, while maintenance cost per equipment was found to decrease non-linearly with increases in percentage planned maintenance. Investment in technical training (including planned maintenance practice) was found to be low by global standards. The paper concludes that fleet availability and maintenance costs in Chilean open pit operations could be considerably improved by improving and/or developing maintenance planning standards, and investing in training personnel in planned maintenance techniques"

Jan 1, 2005

By T. H. Miller

An attempt has been mace in this publication to present annotated references to all articles pertaining, to ore dressing that were published during 1931 and 1932; in a few instances reference is made to articles published prior to 1931 where the articles have not been included in previous bibliography appended to the annual statistical discussions of ore concentration published by the Bureau of Mines. Articles have been taken from more than 75 periodicals, journals, serials, etc., and 423 articles are abstracted herewith. A number of these abstracts, particularly those appearing in foreign publications, have been taken from Chemical Abstracts (published by the American Chemical Society, Easton, Pa.), the general use of which the authors wish to acknowledge. Other annotations were taken directly from the original publications. The entire field of ore dressing has been included in the bibliography and articles dealing with crushing, grinding classification, concentration, thickening, and filtration have been included, as well as on amalgamation, cyanidation, leaching, magnetic concentration, washing, etc., and on theory and laboratory operation. The articles are arranged in alphabetical order by authors. Lack of printing funds prohibited the inclusion of a subject index.

Jan 1, 1934