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By Delahey G, Dunne R

At New Celebration Gold Mine the advent of treating primary sulphide ores resulted in decreased gold recoveries of four to ten per cent. The grind coarsened due to an increase in ore hardness and gold in the residue was found to be associated with pyrite. Finer grinding improved recoveries but was impractical as production rates would have decreased to unacceptable levels. An alternative approach that has proved to be viable combines both gravity separation, to recover the coarse gold bearing sulphides, and then regrinding the concentrate in a tower mill prior to releaching in the cyanide leach circuit. The tailings treatment plant was commissioned in December 1990 and details of the first 18 months' operations are Provided.

Jan 1, 1993

By B Davis, M Wallace, J Stewart, C F Burrett, J B. Cannell

"An EXTENDED ABSTRACT is available for download. A full-length paper was not prepared for this presentation. The Sepon district in Lao PDR contains 1.8 Mt of JORC (2012) compliant contained Cu resources in addition to >4.5 Moz of Carlin-like Au in a Palaeozoic sedimentary package. The Cu deposits are proximal to an EW lineament of Permian rhyodacite porphyry (RDP) intrusive centres that are characterised by intense barren quartz stockworks. The Khanong deposit (42 Mt at 3.0 per cent Cu mineral inventory) is a carbonate replacement intermediate sulfidation deposit verging on a high sulfidation environment, where abundant pyrite, copper sulfides (chalcopyrite, bornite, trace enargite), copper sulfosalts (including tennantite – tetrahedrite, colusite), and base metal sulfides (sphalerite and galena) have replaced low dipping dolomite and limestone layers, forming a manto-style orebody fed by steep dipping intensely silica-pyrite altered structures. The Thengkham deposits (54 Mt at 1.5 per cent Cu) are composed of prograde skarns (garnet, clinopyroxene) and mineralised retrograde skarns (chlorite, magnetite, hematite, epidote, sericite, talc, serpentine, carbonates, sulfides) which are irregularly and semi-continuously distributed around an elongate 4 km long intrusive centre. Thengkham and Khanong have been strongly supergene enriched, forming secondary chalcocite breccias and exotic malachite zones.The Carlin-like Au deposits display a range of stratigraphic and structural controls and lie outboard of the Cu deposits. Similar structural controls, alteration assemblages and trace mineralogies suggest that gold and copper mineralisation are temporally and genetically related. It is hypothesised that the differences in style of Cu and Au deposits across the Sepon district are related primarily to palaeodepth and proximity to the intrusive centres.CITATION:Cannell, J B, Stewart, J, Williams, P, Wallace, M, Burrett, C F and Davis, B, 2015. The Sepon copper deposits (Laos) and their relation to Carlin-like gold mineralisation, in Proceedings PACRIM 2015 Congress, pp 399–408 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 18, 2015

By J Lyons, M Hasan, D Pepper, C Vadeikis

Processing of large volumes of ultrafine ores has long challenged mineral processing operators because of lower recoveries and increased tailings. This has led to many deposits, or parts of existing deposits, being viewed as uneconomic. As the mining industry can no longer afford to overlook resources that require finer sizes to achieve liberation or result in high tailings losses, the need for technologies to address these issues has increased. Mineral Technologies (MT) worked with a prominent Australian iron ore producer over five years to implement an innovative gravity separation technology for the beneficiation of ultrafine magnetite. The magnetite mineralisation requires a liberation size of <40 μm and selective rejection of ultrafine silica prior to magnetic separation. Through collaboration with the client, MT applied their Lyons Feed Control Unit (LFCU) technology for the beneficiation of finely grained magnetite. LFCUs are widely used in the mineral sands and iron ore gravity plants, and in tailings applications, to recover water and provide constant high density process streams. This project was an extension of knowledge gained from these applications. Test work was conducted on-site, using 1 t/h pilot and 300 kg/hr laboratory scale units. This test work showed that the LFCUs could reject 20 per cent of feed mass to tails whilst recovering >94 per cent of Fe to product. This upgraded the feed from 53.7 per cent Fe and 19.7 per cent SiO2 to 63.8 per cent Fe and 8.8 per cent SiO2. Recovery by size data showed a minimum 88 per cent Fe recovery to product for <8 μm material and up to 98 per cent Fe recovery for the -38+25 μm fraction. The LFCU rejected 70 per cent of <25 μm SiO2. The information obtained from the test work was utilised in the design of the full-scale units which are due for installation at the project site in 2021. This paper outlines the results of this laboratory and pilot scale test work and how the data obtained was used to design the full-sized units.

Nov 8, 2021

By McKee D. J

Much research is aimed at providing a revolutionary advance in technology that has the potential to render current mining and beneficiation problems obsolete. Such revolutionary advancements have been significant but few in number. Recent history shows that most improvement has been derived from a series of incremental improvements to the many processes that make up mining and beneficiation systems. Management approaches are changing to encourage this &apos;continuous improvement&apos; and to support its implementation through the formal management of quality. This paper reviews some of the industry&apos;s priority R&D project areas and demonstrates that very significant opportunities are available to broaden the focus for improvement from individual processes to include the interaction between mining and mineral beneficiation systems.

Jan 1, 1994

By Kapoor M. L

EMF measurements were performed in the temperature range of 933-1095 K to determine the thermodynamic properties of oxygen dissolution in liquid lead and lead-tin alloys with tin in the dilute concentration range of 0 to 6 atom per cent. The oxygen in the Pb-O system was varied by equilibrating with (PbO) slag, and that in the Pb-O-Sn system was varied with the addition of lead oxide. Wagner&apos;s interaction parameter approach was used to evaluate the self interaction parameter and ternary interaction parameters at different temperatures, to yield: E8(pb) = 97.35 - 113.27 x 103/t Eo(pb) = 139 - 20.616 x104/1&apos; Quasichemical formulation was employed to yield Inf to reveal the effect of tin on oxygen in lead. Results have been predicted on the basis of classical models and those obtained using the QCT approach of Alcock and Richardson at Z=2 have been found to agree with the experimental Data.

Jan 1, 1992

Australia is presently the world&apos;s principal producer of rutile and zircon, and also provides a major share of the world&apos;s ilmenite. Since 1980, Australia&apos;s share of the world&apos;s output of these minerals has fallen. Exhaustion of known resources, together with the changing composition of new deposits, is expected to result in Australia&apos;s share of the rutile and zircon output continuing to decline. Its role as a major supplier of upgraded ilmenite, that is synthetic rutile, is expected to increase. In 1994, the Bureau of Resource Sciences assessed Australia&apos;s demonstrated resources of mineral sands as follows: rutile 14.4 Mt, ilmenite 132.5 Mt, and zircon 21.0 Mt. These resources are located along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales, in the Murray Basin of New South Wales and Victoria, in the southwest corner of Western Australia, and in the Eneabba region, north of Perth. However, some 45 per cent of rutile and zircon resources along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales are not available for mining because of environmental concerns. World demonstrated resources are estimated at 40 Mt (contained TiO2) for rutile, 50 Mt for zircon and approximately 312 Mt (contained T1O2) for ilmenite. Outside of Australia, the most important resources of rutile, ilmenite and zircon are in South Africa (rutile, zircon , and ilmenite in the form of titania slag), Sierra Leone (rutile), India (ilmenite, zircon and rutile), and Canada (hard rock ilmenite). Significant resources of ilmenite occur in Madagascar and Mozambique.

Jan 1, 1996

By Reeves T. J, Hansen J. Y

Dense medium cyclone theory, supported by extensive experimental and plant-scale evidence, demonstrates that medium rheology (stability and viscosity) substantially affects cyclone performance in mineral applications.Two instruments have therefore been developed to allow medium stability and viscosity to be-monitored in the plant environment. The instruments are described, and examples are given of their application in full-scale plants.

Jan 1, 1989

By C Armstrong, B Wentzinger

Upstream embankment raises often represent the lowest cost option for increasing the capacity of tailings storage facilities (TSF), but also pose the highest stability risk due to constructing on top of previously deposited tailings.This paper presents an overview of key aspects in the geotechnical investigation and design of upstream raises and some recent lessons learnt from experience across a number of TSFs in Australia. A summary of recommended field investigation and laboratory testing methods is provided with a focus on collecting quality information for design purposes. A strong focus is given in developing an accurate assessment of pore water pressures, which, if not correctly understood can have disastrous consequences on tailings strength parameter interpretation and wall stability assessment in static and post-seismic conditions.The assessment of the contractive or dilative shearing behaviour of the tailings material and rigorous interpretation of design characteristic values are presented. Some comments on stability analysis options and proposed methodology are also provided.CITATION:Wentzinger, B and Armstrong, C, 2018. Lessons learnt in geotechnical investigation and stability analysis for upstream tailings storage facility raise design, in Proceedings Mine Waste and Tailings Stewardship Conference 2018, pp 333–348 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 23, 2018

Nine case studies are presented to illustrate how risks can be, minimised or quantified during pit optimisation, utilising Whittle Four-D software. Each case study covers a specific problem that has been encountered from a wide variety of pit optimisations. Case A: Maximising profits when the tenement owner is paid a royalty on tonnes processed. Case B: Allocating product prices, rather than a single commodity price during optimisation. Case C: Quantifying processing costs that are affected by penalty elements in the ore. Case D: Exploration expenditures below current pits can be quantified through the use of simulation techniques. Case E: Alternative strategies can be quantified when pits are restricted by tenement boundaries. Case F: Relocation of mine infrastructure that requires large capital expenditures, can be simulated by allocating costs to an area during optimisation. Case G: Evaluating alternative corporate strategies during pit optimisation. Case H: Sensitivity analysis for price, processing cost and mining cost. Case I: Quantifying the advantages of using additional mining capacity during the early periods of mining.

Jan 1, 1994

Societal expectations about how the industry operates and treats its people will be a key driver in the development of the Australian mining industry over the next 20 - 30 years (Moffat, Mason and Littleboy, 2009). Understanding these expectations will be critical in maintaining what much of the minerals industry calls its &apos;social licence to operate&apos;, or its public acceptance or approval. Yet what constitutes this social licence is poorly articulated, with little published research exploring the concept at a local operational level or at the national level in Australia or internationally. This research aimed to explore the societal expectations of the mining industry in Australia and test a participatory methodology to articulate them. Three workshops were conducted with a sample of 24 members of the &apos;Australian voting public&apos; to explore community objectives for the onshore exploration and mining industry, and the underlying expectations for how the industry should operate in the future. Qualitative analysis of this data revealed three overarching objectives for the onshore mining industry held by participants. They thought that the industry should: advance Australia&apos;s national interests (including social well-being); minimise environmental impact, and; act in a socially responsible manner. Within each of these three key themes, or objectives, a number of tensions were evident in the views of participants regarding the trade-offs they are willing to make to secure economic benefit from mining, as well as the basic conditions for socially acceptable mining. These data provide an insight into the conditions for a national social licence in Australia for the mining industry, and the means for its realisation.

Jun 1, 2010

By Morley C

The Mount Charlotte gold mine is located 0.75 km east of the General Post Office in Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie WA and about 3.5 km north of the Fimiston Operations on the famous Golden Mile.Mechanised underground bulk-mining at Mount Charlotte has been in continuous operation since 1963. For the 30-year period ending December 1992, the mine produced 22 million tonnes (Mt) of ore for a recovery of 2.73 million ounces. During 1991/92, the mine produced 1.53 Mt of ore at a head grade of 3.15 gramshonne (g/t) for a recovery of 135 822 ounces.The principal ore source at Mount Charlotte has been the Charlotte Orebody which is now largely mined out. Since 1990, approximately 75 per cent of production has been sourced from the Reward Orebodies. The Charlotte Orebody was a relatively homogeneous quartz stockwork with simple geometry and average bulked grades in the range of 4.0 to 5.5 g/t. This is in contrast to the Reward Orebodies and the more recently defined Charlotte Deeps and Maritana Stockworks, which have complex grade distribution and geometry with lower average bulked grades (2 to 4 g/t). The lower grades are principally due to the decreased density and volume of stockwork venation and related vein halo alteration. Typically, these stockworks comprise a patchy mosaic of quartz veins and vein swarms, with irregular distribution and geometry within the quartz gabbro host rock.

Jan 1, 1993

The overall systems approach to blast furnace aerodynamics is explored including the time and spatial inter-relationships that exist between the furnace lines, tuyeres, burden characteristics, distributor capabilities and furnace operating practice. Attention is called to the time dependent, three dimensional aspects of blast furnace aerodynamics and to the existence of several zones within a furnace where the flow characteristics are different. Changes in furnace operating practice to take further advantage of fully beneficiated burdens including formed coke are discussed from a practical viewpoint. Lessons learned in a variety of shaft furnaces used for other purposes are discussed insofar as they have a bearing on aerodynamics in an iron blast furnace. Questions are raised about the penetration of hot blast in large furnaces. Operating practices and.proposed solutions are evaluated where tuyeres over iron and slag notches are restricted or plugged. Opportunities are presented for using on-line hierarchical computer systems with adaptive tuning algorithms to provide non-linear control of changing process conditions in real time. This will make it possible for the blast furnace operator to optimise a variety of interrelated paramaters, each with different response times. Potential increases in productivity, fuel savings and improved quality control are believed to be within reach.

Jan 1, 1975

By J Janus, J Krawczyk

Local accumulation of methane in workings of a longwall is one of the most common causes of mining accidents. This gas has many sources: it may leak from goaf through permeable sealings, or through gaps between roof support sections. This stream is then mixed with ventilation air. In the case of auxiliary ventilation ducts, or free jet fans, we have to consider the propagation of a clean air stream in areas with an air-methane mixture. Therefore, modelling the mixing process of methane with ventilation air is important for determining the hazardous areas and thus to ensure safety. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), specifically the finite volume method, provides tools for such modelling. However, this method requires validation. For this purpose, we have compared measurements with simulations for selected test cases having sufficient similarity to the present problems. In typical methane explosion hazard areas, such as a longwall, it is difficult to make measurements sufficiently to confirm credibility of 3D CFD simulations. As a relevant alternative, an injector methane drainage station placed in an underground gallery has been selected. The stream of drained goaf methane is entrained by compressed air powered injectors and then mixed with ventilation air. Research in this area does not interfere with mining operations, it can be performed safely in a repeatable way. Flow within the site has many similarities to conditions in mine drifts of the longwall area. Comparative research of measuring the methane concentration distribution in the mine drift downstream injector station, with simulations of propagation of the methane stream, was carried out. For measuring the methane concentration distribution in the mine drift a multipoint measurement velocity system developed at the Strata Mechanics Research Institute was used. For the simulation a finite volume method for turbulent flow of gas mixtures was applied. Preliminary results of comparison are shown as graphs and tables.CITATION:Janus, J and Krawczyk, J, 2013. An analysis of the mixing of air and methane in the stream produced by the mine injector station - Presenting preliminary results of measurements and modelling, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference , pp 49-56 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 1, 2013

By C M. Stewart

Lithium battery electric powered vehicles and machines (BEVs) continue to gain traction inunderground mining use, with predictions they will dominate the underground light and heavy vehicle fleets for some mines within the next decade. There are clear advantages for ventilation systems through reduced heat output and the elimination of harmful exhaust gases and diesel particulates. However, the risks and effects of BEV fire emergencies for underground personnel and ventilationsystems are still largely in the early stages of analysis and understanding. This paper conducts an industry review of a selection of lithium battery fire incidents and research.A research paper review on lihthium fire behaviour, intensity and toxicity will be analysed and comparisons made with equivalent diesel machinery fires for context. Guidelines for mine firemodelling parameters will be offered to assist in predicting the behaviour, heat and emissions from BEV fires, and recommendations and conclusions will be drawn on the specific hazards of lithium battery fires compared to conventional diesel powered machines.

Oct 12, 2022

By Barnes GJ

The gabbroid-hosted nickel sulphide deposits of the East Kimberley constitutes one of Australia&apos;s most prospective emerging nickel provinces. Sally Malay Nickel NL (SMN), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gindalbie Gold NL, has established the East Kimberley Nickel Project (EKNP). The EKNP project tenements cover about 2000 sq km. The tenements cover the northern potion of a corridor containing mineralised or potentially mineralised layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions which includes the Ni-Cu-Co sulphide deposits at Sally Malay and Keller Creek. The Sally Malay deposit is located 225 km south-south-west of Kununurra (Figure 1). The sealed Great Northern Highway passes 3 km to the east of the deposit.

Jan 1, 1996

By P Holtham, J Meng, E Tabosa, W Xie

Turbulence and its distribution are of great importance in flotation, and have received considerable attention recently. However, there is no mature technique to measure turbulence in three-phase (liquid-solid-gas) industrial flotation cells due to the opaque, highly aggressive and abrasive nature of the slurry involved. Previous research has shown that the piezoelectric vibration sensor (PVS) is a promising tool for turbulence measurement in industrial flotation cells. The PVS is a robust device that converts mechanical vibration to electrical signal, from which turbulence information can be extracted. An improved calibration method has allowed development of a frequency model to calculate the force applied to the sensor. Experimental results and comparison with laser doppler anemometry (LDA) have shown that the PVS can measure fluid kinetic energy, which is related to turbulent kinetic energy, a parameter used in the literature to represent turbulence in flotation. Laboratory measurement in a two-phase (water and air) 60 L cell and with slurry in a 3.5 L cell gave good stable results and mostly consistent trends between the measured turbulence profile and cell operation. When applied in a 300 m3 industrial cell filled with water, the addition of air or slurry to the cell resulted in a shift in the turbulence profile. This is expected because a change in fluid density will change the force applied to the sensor. It is therefore concluded that the piezoelectric sensor is an easy-to-use and robust technique that is fully capable of measuring turbulence in industrial flotation environments.CITATION:Meng, J, Tabosa, E, Xie, W, Runge, K C and Holtham, P, 2014. Development and application of a piezoelectric sensor for turbulence measurement in industrial flotation cells, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 457–470 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

Supergene nickel sulphide ore mined currently by Agnew Mining Company is at times partially oxidised to sulphate. The resulting soluble nickel, and calcium and magnesium in mill water, are shown to act as depressants in flotation. The depressant effect is favourably selective in that violarite, the main nickel mineral, is less affected than pyrrhotite. Nickel recovery, however, is adversely affected, probably through reduced flotation of complex sulphides. Soda ash consumption is increased markedly by the presence of the cations as shown by operating data and pulp titration tests. A significant increase in concentrate grade, from 9% to 14% Ni, was achieved late in 1981. One of the changes in plant practice which contributed to this improvement was the addition of soda ash to mill feed rather than to flotation feed as before. It is shown by laboratory tests that this reduced the depressant effects of the cations, thereby improving recovery at the expense of rougher selectivity, or equivalently, increasing concentrate grade at constant recovery. The selective depressant effect cannot be exploited until scavenger recovery is improved and a scavenger concentrate regrind-retreat äcircuit is implemented. Development is

Jan 1, 1978

The paper gives details of the performance of a 6-ft. by 6-ft. grate discharge ball mill which was converted into a rod mill of the overflow type and then into a grate discharge rod mill. Proposals for further alterations are outlined.INTRODUCTIONThe mill of King Island Scheelite (1947) Limited recovers scheelite by gravity methods.Crushed ore at the rate of 34 tons per hour is divided between two mills. (6 ft. by 6 ft. and 8 ft. by 6 ft. respectively), the mill discharges being pumped to a common distributor which feeds seven Hummer Screens. Each screen has three 4-ft. by 2-ft. Ton-cap sections and repulping compartments are provided. The screen oversize is returned to the mills whilst the screen undersize is finished grinding section product. A third (6 ft. by 6 ft.) mill regrinding the coarser table tailings also discharges into the common Hummer Screen Distributor.The screen undersize is pumped to a bowl classifier which separates at 200 mesh. The bowl classifier sands are treated on tables whilst the bowl classifier overflow, after thickening, is treated in the slime plant by flotation. The flotation concentrate is further concentrated on vanners and slime tables.A recovery of 80 per cent. is possible by tabling whereas only 50 per cent can be recovered in the slime section. The object of comminution is, therefore, to reduce all the new feed to less than a certain mesh (22 mesh Tyler) with the production of a minimum quantity of minus 200 mesh material. cheelite is, a very friable heavy mineral (Sp.Gr. 6&apos;0) and is therefore susceptible to overgrinding. For the evaluation of grinding performance it is hence advisable...

Jan 1, 1955

By Gonzalez-Dominguez J. A, Dreisinger D. B

At Cominco&apos;s Zinc Refinery at Trail, British Columbia impurities are removed from zinc sulphate electrolyte by a two-stage purification process using zinc dust. Copper, cadmium and thallium are removed in the first stage whereas cobalt is removed in the second stage. Cobalt removal kinetics are affected by soluble antimony and copper additions to the electrolyte. This study was focused on the kinetics of cobalt removal by zinc powder cementation. Experimental variables included copper and antimony concentrations, pH and temperature. Common organic additives employed in zinc plants were studied to determine potential interactions with the cobalt removal process. Cementation products obtained from laboratory experiments and plant practice were studied using SEM. A number of significant results were obtained: 1. Copper and antimony ions were sustantially removed from solution during the early stages of the cementation reaction (within the first 15 minutes). Cobalt cementation kinetics are slow and follow a first order kinetic regime. 2. A drop in the cobalt removal rates can be correlated with a rise in the Eh of the slurry. 3. Ligninsulphonate, Percol 351 and animal glue at levels of 2 mg/L significantly impede cobalt cementation.

Jan 1, 1993

By E Jak, J Chen, B Hogg, S Nikolic, S Nicol

The quantity of post-consumer ‘waste’ materials generated each year is rapidly increasing. These materials can contain significant quantities of critical metals and present an environmental challenge if landfilled. The ISACYCLE™ technology is a proven solution for the processing of these materials. In the ISACYCLE™ furnace, the post-consumer materials are processed to recover energy along with any contained critical metals, in the form of a base metal alloy or matte. In addition, a clean aggregate (slag) is generated, which has the potential to be used for a range of applications in the construction industry. This slag is commonly based on a fayalite slag but is modified to manage the complex feed. This paper will review the fayalite slag system and the theoretical modifications required for treating urban wastes. Slags from an ISACYCLE™ furnace processing urban wastes have been sampled and characterised. The chemistry of these samples will be reviewed and compared to the expected theoretical modifications required.

Jun 19, 2024