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Hydrometallurgical processing of complex ores and concentrates is becoming increasingly important as the mining and metallurgical industry seeks to exploit mineral deposits that are difficult to treat using conventional mineral processing and pyrometallurgical technologies. Mineral processing is often challenged by the difficulty or inability to separate valuable minerals into marketable concentrates. Hydrometallurgical processing, using selective leaching technology, can often ?chemically beneficiate? such difficult deposits. Pyrometallurgical treatment of base metal concentrates is capital intensive and subject to ever more stringent environmental control. Hydrometallurgical processing is generally lower in capital cost for an equivalent metal production rate and avoids the gas and dust issues associated with pyrometallurgical processing. The possibility of by-product recovery may also increase with hydrometallurgical treatment. Two examples of new technology or flowsheet development for treatment of complex ores and concentrates are used as illustration. These include the El Boleo process of Baja Mining for recovery of copper, cobalt, zinc and manganese from a complex clayey ore and the PLATSOL? process for recovery of copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold from a bulk sulphide concentrate.

Jan 1, 2009

By S. Krishnannair

Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) is an effective data-adaptive multimodal tool for monitoring chemical processes. However, monitoring multiscale signals using principal component analysis obtained from the multilevel decomposition of process signals using basic SSA assume the upper control limits of monitoring charts (" ) to have a Gaussian distribution. This assumption deteriorates the performance of basic SSA when applied to the monitoring of nonlinear processes. To address the issue in this paper, the kernel density estimation (KDE) was used to estimate upper control limits of monitoring charts for basic SSA based nonlinear process monitoring techniques. The monitoring performance of the resulting basic SSA-KDE approach was then compared with a basic SSA approach of which upper control limits of the monitoring charts were determined based on a Gaussian distribution. Application on nonlinear dynamic simulated process and base metal flotation plant chemical processes showed that the SSA-KDE approach provided better overall performance than the SSA approach with Gaussian assumption-based upper control limits for its monitoring charts. Keywords: Fault detection, singular value decomposition, singular spectrum analysis, kernel density estimation

Jan 1, 2020

By H. Bhikha

The minerals industry is committed to the principles of sustain-ability. Reducing water consumption is a priority area, especially for regions of water scarcity. This paper presents a systemic optimization of the water balance of the Skorpion Zinc refinery with the aim of reducing water consumption. An Aspen Plus simulation of the process is used. The validity of the simulation is tested by measuring key output variables and comparing results to plant data. A number of water minimization scenarios are investigated, Including unit operation and circuit configuration changes. The scenarios leading to the largest reduction in water consumption are through the full recycle of treated effluent water, which results in water savings of up to 19%. Reducing process water and/or recycling of untreated water is prohibited by the build-up of trace elements, which affect product purity. The Skorpion process already features a highly optimized water balance, with unit operational changes merely resulting in a shift in the water balance. Consequently, the largest area for improvement is through the re-use of effluent water. Keywords Skorpion zinc water usage, process optimization, sustainability.

Jan 1, 2011

By Y. Zhang, F. Zhu, Y. Zhao, L. Dong, Y. Li

In order to obtain a more suitable separation medium for fine coal, in this paper a pulsed fluidised bed was used to measure the pressure fluctuation, density characteristics, bubble diameter and rising velocity of Geldart A and B particles in the bed by controlling the pulsation frequency and gas velocity, in order to study the fluidisation effect and two-phase distribution of the bed. The results indicated that with the increase of pulsation frequency, the breakthrough point on the fluidisation characteristic curve caused by particle adhesion disappeared, and there was an optimal frequency, which made the minimum fluidisation velocity of particles reach the minimum. In addition, the bubble rising velocity was also simulated. The relationship between them was established using a model, and the error was within 5%. This provides an effective way to predict the bubble velocity, study the distribution of bubble phase, and improve the stability of bed density. Keywords：Frequency, flow velocity, pressure fluctuation, bed density, bubble

Jan 1, 2020

By P. Gauvillé

The key driver for choosing a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler is the ability to burn a wide range of fuels with highly efficient combustion while meeting low emission requirements. Reduced sorbent and water consumption compared with pulverized coal (PC) plants and the ability to deal with corrosive fuel constituents while still meeting local regulations make a CFB boiler-based power plant particularly attractive. CFB-based power generation is particularly relevant in coal mining areas. During mining, a portion of the roof and floor material may be extracted along with the coal seam in order to create adequate working height for the equipment and miners. Therefore, run-of-mine coal which comes directly from the mine contains impurities. The raw coal can undergo a washing or screening process in order to improve its quality by reducing the ash content in the fuel in order to sell it on the export market or to comply with domestic customer requirements. The coal discarded from the washing process usually has a high ash content and difficult mechanical properties resulting from the initial properties, the mining, and the coal cleaning processes. It can contain a large volume of stones or can be very fine as a result of the washing treatment. To create value from burning this discarded coal, the boiler supplier has to meet several technical challenges in developing the appropriate design. This paper highlights the performance achieved with Alstom's CFB boilers developed for power generation over the last two decades to extract value from discarded coals. Emile Huchet Power Plant is the first 125 MWe CFB unit developed for burning coal slurries (called schlamms in France). The Emile Huchet discarded coal fuel is a very fine high-ash residue with an average particle diameter by mass (d50) of around 80 µm as received from the washing plant. The paper describes the performances and the basic design of the CFB boiler to manage such a fine fuel. The performances of two other CFBs of approximately 300 MWe output in operation in the USA and PR China are also mentioned to demonstrate the capability of this technology to burn either low-volatile bituminous or anthracite waste coals. The significant issues experienced during commissioning are reported, and the conceptual choices for burning such fuels are mentioned.

Jan 1, 2012

By S. A. Hosseini, O. Asghari

"Recoverable mineral resources assessment has become a standard geostatistical application in the mining industry, with various geostatistical techniques currently available. This investigation aimed to improve the prediction at the Sungun deposit and to obtain mineral resource models capable of handling (i) the change of support from drill-hole composites to selective mining units (SMUs), (ii) the multivariate nature of the ore control selection criteria that involves both copper and molybdenum grades; and (iii) the local uncertainty on the true (unknown) grades. The solution presented in this paper is to use direct block-support sequential cosimulation in order to construct a set of alternative outcomes of the copper and molybdenum grades on block support over the deposit, with no need for storing point-support values, hence with a considerable gain in memory management and CPU time. The grade realizations so obtained are then processed to calculate the uncertainty in the mineral resources that can be recovered above given cut-off grades, both globally and on a blockby- block basis. IntroductionGeostatistical methods are widely used by mining companies to determine a resource model of the tonnage and head grade of a potential orebody, which is one of the first and most critical inputs underpinning any mining project. The prediction of the grade, tonnage, and recoverable metal for a particular mining plan and the corresponding financial forecast constitute the main technical risks in mineral resource evaluation. The conventional approach to this problem is to predict the mineral grade for constant volumes relevant to the mining plan and to base the recoverable mineral resource calculations on those predictions. Alternatively, one can directly predict the local variability in the mining block grades based on a spatial distribution model (David 1988; Rossi and Deutsch 2014). Multiple realizations can also be constructed by conditional simulation, providing a more complete representation of block grade uncertainty, as well as the uncertainty over multiple blocks. Simulation methods allow quantification of the uncertainty of the mineral resource prediction risks in downstream studies such as mine design, mine planning, or operational optimization studies; the risk assessment is achieved after applying transfer functions to the conditional simulation models (Dimitrakopoulos 2012; Rossi and Deutsch 2014)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Alexandra Amiel

Tarkwa Gold Mine is owned by Gold Fields Ghana, IAMGOLD and the Government of the Republic of Ghana in a 71%, 19% and 10% ratio. The mine is operated by Gold Fields Ghana. This large, low-grade, open pit, gold mining operation is located in Tarkwa, in the Western Region of Ghana, approximately 320 kilometres by road, west of Accra, the capital of Ghana, West Africa. In the Financial year ended June 2007, the operation mined a total of 108 million tonnes of which 22 million tonnes was ore. The mined ore is processed through three gyratory crushers supplying two heap leach pads (North and South) and a carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant. Before the 6 Sigma project commenced, the current fragmentation was resulting in sub-optimal feed size to these crushers. It was decided to use 6 Sigma methodology to improve the fragmentation. A defect was defined as a fragmentation analysis indicating less than 95% passing 750 mm. The objective was to improve fragmentation in order to achieve a constant throughput to the north heap leach crusher of 1500 t/hr, a 5% increase in pit loading efficiency and a 50% decrease in rock breaker hours, equipment damage costs and in-pit sheeting costs respectively. However, this was not to be achieved at the expense of grade control as Tarkwa is exploiting a low grade, high volume deposit and therefore ore dilution must be kept to a minimum. This paper is intended to take the reader through the various 6 Sigma phases of the project (Define ? Measure ? Analyse ? Improve ? Control) which have resulted in a 10% reduction in loading times, of which half has been attributed to improved fragmentation, as well as a substantial increase in blasted stocks. The focus has been on both drilling and blasting parameters as both processes had to be taken into account. These parameters are technical but personnel factors were also identified and dealt with as they arose. In order to measure the impact of any change in the process parameters on the fragmentation size distribution, cameras have been acquired. One has been installed looking into the bowl of the north crusher and the other one was dedicated to field observation, of individual blasts. Both are used for on-going fragmentation analysis. At Tarkwa, mining efficiency is strongly dependent on good fragmentation as well as the presence of un-blasted ?toes? on the pit floors. Crusher throughput depends on an acceptable ore fragment size. Compliance to plan with regards to actual hole depths was temporarily monitored by manual hole dipping, but, this is now being replaced with a fully automated Drill Data Management system developed by Sandvik and Modular Mining. The Six Sigma methodologies, using control charts based on data collected in the field, allowed the mine to improve methods with regards to the control of blasted material. It also enforced the implementation of a quality control programme encompassing the entire Drill and Blast process.

Jan 1, 2008

By Neal Harries

The monitoring of rock slopes is a common procedure in the management of hazards associated with slope instability. Slope stability radar has become widely accepted as the state-of-the-art method for management of hazards associated with unstable slopes in open pit mines. This is confirmed by the rapid adoption of the technology since inception in mid 2003, with over 70 GroundProbe slope stability radars now in use at open pit operations throughout the World. The use of a monitoring system such as slope radar to identify slope hazards is only part of the solution to minimise the consequences associated with slope instability. The presence of the hazard must also be effectively communicated to the mine personnel, so that the correct response to the hazard can be enacted, and the risk mitigated to an acceptable level. In some surface mines, due to the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mass, hazards can develop rapidly; with slopes progressing from stability to ultimate collapse in just hours. In these situations, it is vital that efficient systems are developed to evacuate the area of the pit affected. Such a system has been developed by GroundProbe in South Africa, with the vital driving force for the project being provided by the Anglo Platinum Mogalakwena mine operation based at Mokopane. The mine based development of the system was perceived as an essential aspect in the development of the successful system. From an early stage, the mine provided essential input on both hardware and software developments to allow the system to be rapidly integrated into the mining operation. This paper describes the pit evacuation alarm system that was developed and discussed the benefits obtained from a mine based development program.

Jan 1, 2008

By T. Feroze, B. Genc

"The ventilation of underground coal mines plays an important role in minimizing the risk of methane and coal dust explosions. The ability of ventilation, with the use of line brattices (LBs), to remove methane and coal dust in empty headings is dependent on the amount of air leaving the LB and entering the heading. The quantity of this air depends on the associated system variables, namely heading dimensions, settings of the LB, and velocity of air in the last through road (LTR). However, the exact effect of these system variables on the flow rate at the exit of the LB in an empty heading is not known. The installation of LBs in South African coal mines is generally carried out based on experience. This can result in overor under-ventilation and may increase the cost of providing ventilation or cause accidents, respectively. In this paper, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the air flow rate at the exit of the LB in an empty heading was estimated using full-scale three-dimensional models. The CFD model used was validated using experimental results Firstly, the settings of these three system variables were varied, the flow rates at the exit of the LB were measured, and finally the results were used to calculate the effect of each system variable. The outcome is a mathematical formula that can be used to estimate air flow rate at the exit of the LB in empty headings for any practical scenario.This paper will help the coal mining sector in South Africa by providing estimation models based on scientific reasoning for the installation of LBs, and will also serve academia as part of the curriculum towards educating future mining engineers."

Jan 1, 2016

By C. Chibwe, M. Tadie

Copper electrowinning models are useful for prediction of process performance, optimisation and improved understanding of complex phenomena such as current distribution without the expense of physical experiments. Recently, finite element models such as those generated in COMSOL Multiphysics have been developed for the electrowinning process. The predictive capacity of these models is improved by incorporating physical and chemical phenomena. Since physicochemical properties of electrolytes can have a significant effect on the quality of copper produced, this work was conducted to investigate the effect of such properties on electrodeposition at varying levels of copper, sulphuric acid concentration, iron concentration and temperature, in the presence of a smoothing agent. Tests were conducted at conditions similar to those for industrial copper electrowinning. Mathematical correlations were developed for the following properties; density, conductivity and diffusivity which were compared to existing models in literature and thereafter applied in a COMSOL generated model. The model predicts, current distribution at the cathode surface, deposit thickness (morphology), concentration of species within the cell and current efficiency. Current distribution output shows the impact of several phenomena on the deposit generated including the relationship between increasing copper concentration and current density and lack of influence of acid concentration on this property. Keywords: Electrowinning, physicochemical properties, electrolyte composition, modelling

Jan 1, 2020

By G. Chunnett

Platinum metal prices have risen significantly during the past 18 months, and have remained at elevated levels. Driving these bullish prices are sustained jewellery demand, mainly from the Far Eastern markets, and ongoing autocatalyst usage in response to ever more demanding global environmental legislative requirements. Within South Africa, the areas north and south of the Steelpoort River in the Eastern Bushveldare well known for their significant resources of platinum. The bulk of the resources have lain dormant in anticipation of the very situation that is currently occurring in the marketplace. Anglo Platinum is the largest primary platinum producer in the country, and is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the current elevated metal prices and shortfall in supply of platiniferous metals. In addition to its production capabilities, Anglo Platinum holds an extensive portfolio of mineral reserves and resources which underpin its ability to implement expansion projects to continue growth in platinum group metal production. It also has access to, and is actively expediting, the exploration of a range of properties where the company can further expand current production capacity or supplemented depleted production levels.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. A. Govender, A. Mudau

"Rockbursts continue to be a major contributor to mine accidents and cause of damage to mine excavations, particularly at great depth. The problem of rockbursts has also escalated in civil engineering tunnels driven at depth, due to high levels of in situ stress at such depths. Attempts have been made in the past to mitigate the impact of rockbursts, with rock support remaining the ultimate method for providing stability in rockbursting environments. However, records show that, on many occasions, conventional support elements such as rockbolts, wire mesh, shotcrete, and lacing fail to withstand severe rockburst events.Recently, a support method termed ‘sacrificial’ support was proposed as a potential additional method to prevent rockburst damage, based on observations made after rockburst events in a mine. The philosophy behind a sacrificial support system is that, under dynamic loading conditions, support in the form of a liner must fail; leaving behind, undamaged, what was previously supported rock mass. The sacrificial support concept reported herein is applicable in situations where the source (i.e. seismic event) of the rockburst is located remote from where rockburst damage is likely to occur.Spalling tests based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique were conducted to study some aspects of dynamic rock fracturing in tension at high strain rates and the role a sacrificial layer plays in combating dynamic rock failure. A single Hopkinson pressure bar, with a long cylindrical intact rock specimen attached at the bar free end, was impacted by a striker on the opposite free end in order to generate a dynamic stress pulse responsible for spall failure upon reflection from the specimen free end. Different liners and liner combinations were then introduced at the specimen free end as support. Such a simple, yet robust, experimental set-up allowed the potential benefits and failure mechanisms associated with sacrificial support under dynamic loading to be demonstrated and compared with ‘sacrificial support’ behaviour observed in real rockburst events in a mine. Analysis of the results revealed that varying liner thickness and mechanical impedance between rock and support liner play a significant role in limiting rockburst damage."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. Koning

Pressure hydrometallurgy operations require vessels to be lined with an impermeable membrane for corrosion protection and one or more courses of refractory or ceramic brick. Examples of unit operations that utilize composite lining systems include pressure oxidation autoclaves, sulphide precipitation autoclaves, chloride leach reactors, flash vessels, cyclone separators, and direct contact condensers (heater vessels and quench vessels). The refractory lining must satisfy multiple requirements: it must thermally insulate the membrane from process fluid, be structurally stable, provide erosion resistance, be chemically compatible with process fluid, and provide an economic service life. New hydrometallurgical processes are pushing the pressure, and temperature with each new generation of plants. A fundamental understanding of all factors affecting the mechanical stability of the lining system is essential as lining designs move further away from the industry?s experience base. The method of designing a refractory lined vessel is examined taking into account the impact of irreversible chemical swell, operating factors, design factors, and installation factors. The effect of geometry and incorporating additional degrees of freedom to the analysis is explored using two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). The effect of these additional degrees of freedom on the results of the one-dimensional model are discussed. Keywords refractory lining design,autoclave, finite element analysis.

Aug 1, 2013

By S. A. Abdel Sabour

Strategic decisions in the mining industry are made under multiple technical and market uncertainties. Therefore, to reach the best possible decision, based on information available, it is necessary to integrate uncertainty about the input variables and model financial risk of the project?s merit measures. However, this provides few useful insights to decision-makers unless accompanied by modelling management responses to uncertainty resolutions. It is widely acknowledged that conventional decision-support methods based on static, no-change, discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques such as net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) tend to provide inaccurate value estimates. This could mislead the strategic decision-making process and result in significant value losses. This paper aims to model financial risk related to uncertainty about market variables such as metal prices and foreign exchange rates. Other sources of risk that are related, for example, to geology and production costs are not considered in this work. The article outlines a flexible financial model that integrates uncertainty about market variables and management flexibility to react to uncertainty resolutions into mine project valuation using a real-options valuation technique based on Monte Carlo simulation. Significance of information generated from this simulation-based flexible valuation model to the strategic decision-making process is tested using an illustrative case study of a Canadian mining project. The project is a typical multi-metal, open pit mine that produces copper and gold. In this case, there are three uncertain market variables, which are: copper and gold prices and US$/CAN$ exchange rate. Financial valuations are carried out using both the conventional static DCF method and a flexible real-options model. In the flexible model, management flexibility to decide whether to go ahead with the next expansion or terminate production operations is integrated. Results show how the flexible financial model can enhance the decision-making process.

Jan 1, 2009

By Ronald J. Roman

All mining and milling complexes can, within limits, operate at a variety of production rates. Factors of economic importance that are affected by production rates are costs per unit production, recovery and product grade. Once the relationship between the production rate and cost is established, dynamic programming techniques can be used to define the optimum production schedule (that is, the production schedule that maximizes the present worth of the operation) for the life of the deposit. In general, assuming that the capacity and efficiency of the physical plant remain unchanged throughout the life of the deposit, the optimum production rate is not constant for the life of the deposit, but declines gradually as the deposit is being exhausted.

Jan 1, 2014

By S. Banisi, A. Ghasemi, E. Nematollahi

Discrete element method (DEM) has been used as a popular simulation method to verify designs by visualising how material will flow through complex equipment geometries. Although DEM simulation is a powerful design tool, finding a DEM model which includes real material properties (e.g., shape, cohesion and friction coefficients) is not computationally feasible. In order to obtain more realistic results, particle energy loss due to rolling friction has been highlighted by many researchers. To implement a reverse torque to account for rolling friction, various models have been proposed. On account of the complexity of the problem, there is no unique model for all applications (i.e. dynamic and pseudo-static regimes). In this paper, an in-house developed DEM software (KMPCDEM ©) was used to assess the robustness of three commonly used models by comparing the repose angle of iron ore pellets obtained through the draw down test in a laboratory setup and then the elastic–plastic spring dashpot model was modified based on considering the individual parameters instead of relative parameters of two contact entities. Results showed that the modified model could produce higher repose angle. The modified model was used to calibrate DEM simulation of repose angle of iron ore pellets in a laboratory setup of the draw down test. Comparison of the calibrated DEM simulation and laboratory results showed 2° differences between the predicted and measured angle of repose. This difference was attributed to considering the particle shape effects by assuming a spherical shape for particles. Keywords: DEM, rolling friction,particle shape, repose angle

Jan 1, 2020

By D. Vogt

"Rock has been cut in the process of mining since before the invention of explosives. Today, we seek to return to cutting to reap the benefits of continuous operations for South African underground hard-rock mines, to improve speed of access to the orebody, and to improve the efficiency of mining operations.Development of new technology fits within a framework of engineering knowledge. By understanding the characteristics of the rock, the tools we use to cut it with, and the history of mining and rock cutting, we can see the genesis of the road-header, the longwall, and the continuous miner, all drag bit cutters. They have emerged as the solutions of choice for underground mining of softer materials such as coal and potash. In hard rock, the challenges are the forces required to break the rock, and the wear of the tools caused by the rock’s abrasiveness. Only disc cutters currently handle the challenges, and even then, often not economically. New materials like thermally stable diamond composite will help, as will combinations of mechanical cutters and other methods such as high-pressure water or high temperatures.It is not clear what will emerge as the consensus technique for hardrock cutting. Experience teaches that development is expensive and the market is small. Will mining companies partner with equipment developers to make the technological leap? Or will the solution come from a systems approach, not considered here?IntroductionBlasting is the dominant method of breaking rock for the purposes of mining. When used underground, blasting is part of a batch process. If rock can be cut rather than blasted, mining can become continuous, leading to process and efficiency improvements.Coal produced from underground mines is now predominantly excavated using mechanical means, but underground hard rock is still broken primarily by explosives.This paper traces the history of rock cutting, reviews the main physical processes that are or could be used, and comments on the future. It is written from the perspective of narrow-stope hard-rock mining typical of South African gold and platinum mines."

Jan 1, 2016

By M. Yavuz

Determining the most convenient plant location is one of the most commonly encountered problems in engineering applications. This paper presents a fuzzy multiple attribute decision making (FMADM) model which is developed for the selection of the optimum plant location for natural stone factories in the mining industry. The criteria affecting the decision making process in natural stone industry were determined to solve the plant location problem in the FMADM model. To determine the optimum plant location for a new natural stone factory, which is planned to be established by a mining firm located in the Eskisehir region of Turkey, an analysis was carried out by incorporating the method and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The analysis shows that the Yager?s method can easily be applied to the selection of plant location in the natural stone and mining industry when the difficulties encountered in the application process of the AHP method is taken into account. Keywords: Natural stone, plant location, decision making, Yager?s method, analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

Jan 1, 2008

By J. Danoczi

South Africa is running out of fresh water and is looking at ways to improve water usage. This report addresses how a diamond mine in Gauteng has improved the utilization of its water resources. In the past, water from the local river was deemed the most suitable to use in the grease recovery plant but subsequent tests on the water from the slimes dam have shows that this water source is in fact more suitable for diamond recovery. Utilizing the slimes dam water provides a more stable water source than the local river while also reducing the impact of the mine on the water resources in the area.

Jan 1, 2008

By M. Kumral

One of the most significant elements in solving the co-kriging equations is the matrix solver. In this paper, the singular value decomposition (SVD) as an equation solver is proposed to solve the co-kriging matrices. Given that other equation solvers have various drawbacks, the SVD presents an alternative for solving the co-kriging matrices. The SVD is briefly discussed, and its performance is compared with the banded Gaussian elimination that is most frequently used in co-kriging matrices by means of case studies. In spite of the increase in the memory requirement, the SVD yields better results.

Jan 1, 2012