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By D. E. Healy

In 1989, an autogenous grinding task force was formed to study potential autogenous grinding circuits to replace the existing semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) at the National Steel Pellet Plant in Keewatin, MN. Pilot plant test work, performed by the Hanna Research Center (HRC), indicated that fully autogenous grinding with pebble extraction and crushing could be incorporated into the existing circuits. In 1990, one of the existing 10 grinding mills was converted for an in-plant test incorporating pebble crushing. Full-scale test work were conducted in 1990 and 1991. They verified the pilot plant projections with primary mill throughputs from the fully autogenous circuit using pebble crushing being greater than throughput of the existing SAG mill circuits. The plant produces 5 Mt/a (4.9 million ltpy) of iron ore pellets from 17.6 Mt (17.3 million It) of crude taconite. Crude ore is single-stage crushed by gyratory crushers. Primary grinding is performed by 10 semi-autogenous wet grinding mills. Secondary grinding is performed by five ball mills. Induration is with an Allis Chalmers grate-kiln pelletizing system. The primary grinding circuit consists of 108.2-m-diam x 5.5-m long (27 ft-diam x 18-ft) SAG mills. The mills are charged with 127 mm-diam (5 in.diam) steel grinding balls at from 3% to 5% by volume. Ball consumption rate is about 0.55 kg/t (1.25 lbs/lt) of crude ore feed to the mill. Each SAG mill is powered by two 2.6 MW (3500 hp) motors drawing 5450 kW (7300 hp) at 76% of critical speed. The mills are grate discharge with 16 mm (0.6 in.) slotted grate openings when new. The mill discharge is sized on a trommel screen having 4.5 mm (0.2 in.) openings. The plus 4.5 mm (+0.2 in.) oversize material is returned to the discharge end of the mill by a reverse screw auger located in the center of the trommel. The -4.5 mm (-0.2 in.) trommel screen undersize is pumped to magnetic cobbers.

Jan 1, 1992

By D. Mannino, M. Townsend, E. Daniloff, E. Petsonk

Nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness is a central feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has been associated with atopy in the presence of environmental exposures such as smoking. Coal miners may develop emphysema and lung function decrements related to their dust exposure. To investigate the roles of airway responsiveness and atopy in these effects, we evaluated the relationships among smoking, a history of hay fever or seasonal rhinitis, and airway responsiveness (AR) in a group of underground bituminous coal miners and nonmining controls. All subjects had a normal baseline percent predicted FEV1. Increased airway responsiveness was defined as a 15% or greater decrease in FEV1 following methacholine inhalation. 85 miners (45%) and 99 controls (46%) were current smokers, 59 miners (31%) and 55 controls (26%) were lifetime nonsmokers; former smokers were excluded from further analysis. Overall, 25% of 144 miners included in this analysis had increased AR, as opposed to 29% of 155 controls. Thirty-seven percent of both miners and controls had a history of seasonal rhinitis. Significantly fewer miners (15%) had a history of hay fever compared to controls (25%, p< 0.05). Figure 1 shows the prevalence of increased airway responsiveness in miners and controls in association with hay fever. In both smoking and non smoking miners the presence of a hay fever history was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with a higher prevalence of increased AR. Little effect was seen in smoking (p = 0.827) and nonsmoking (p = 0.940) controls. Figure 2 shows a similar higher prevalence of increased AR associated with symptoms of seasonal rhinitis in the mining group. This was significant (p < 0.01) only in the smoking miners. No effect was noted in the controls. These data suggest that the association of a history of hay fever or seasonal rhinitis symptoms with increased airway responsiveness may be more common in coal mining, compared to non-dusty occupations. Although the implication of these data are unclear, further study of miners with a history of hay fever or seasonal rhinitis is warranted. (Supported in part by Grants G1135142 and G1105142, US Bureau of Mines, Generic Mineral Technology Center for Respirable Dust)

Jan 1, 1991

By Edward S. Frohling

Va a ser discutida la información que se requiere para un estudio preliminar de viabilidad y la información adicional que se requiere para el estudio final de viabilidad de un nuevo depósito de mineral. El estudio preliminar de viabilidad se realiza con muy poca información y con un mínimo coste para el propietario. Sin embargo, el diseno del informe preliminar es similar al utilizado para el informe final. En este momento, se supone que el resultado del estudio preliminar es favorable y el propietario autoriza el estudio final de viabilidad a una compañía de ingeniería. Se describirá el tipo de organización para completar el estudio final de viabilidad. El informe final incluirá toda la información y datos relativos al nuevo depósito de mineral. La información presentada debe ser entendida lo mismo por el personal financiero que por el técnico.

Jan 1, 1982

By Kenneth L. Maloney

Ten small and intermediate-sized [11 GJ/hr to 264 GJ/hr (10,000 lb/hr steam to 250,000 lb/hr steam)] coal-fired boilers in the upper Midwest have each been tested on both a bituminous eastern coal and a subbituminous western coal. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of substituting western subbituminous coal for eastern bituminous coal as a means of reducing the SO x emissions from this class of boiler and to demonstrate the feasibility of greatly expanded western coal utilization as a means of reducing the use of oil and gas. The scope of this study was such that the representative boiler types were tested on both eastern and western coal for a period of time sufficient to completely characterize their individual emission and operational characteristics.

Jan 1, 1977

By L. Thompsen

High-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) offer capacity increases, savings in operating costs and metallurgical advantages. The first installation of the Polycom HPGR in a copper ore treatment plant occurred in July 1995 at Cyprus Sierrita’s mining complex near Green Valley, AZ (Fig. 1). Until that time, the benefits this technology offers for copper and gold ore were only demonstrated on testwork. In other industries, such as diamonds, HPGR have proven to be reliable in industrial-scale plants and have set a new standard for this kind of ore treatment plant. HPGR are also successfully used for the comminution of coal, blast furnace slag and in cement and pelletizing plants. The installation at the Cyprus Sierrita Mine should prove the economical benefits in commerical-scale copper mining, confirming the results of comprehensive testwork(Fig. 2).

Jan 1, 1996

By Mary Nelima Ondiaka, Kayode Henry Talabi, Oladunni Oyelola Alabi, Fatai Olufemi Aramide, Francis Gitau

Iron ore is essential in steel making; however, high-grade ores have diminished, making low-grade ores inevitable. These lowgrade iron ores need further beneficiation to upgrade the iron content. Currently, traditional physical and chemical methods are utilized and are not environmentally friendly. Bio-beneficiation techniques have emerged as a sustainable alternative for mineral recovery. This review delves into recent bio-beneficiation advancements for enhanced low-grade iron ore recovery using microbes. Research has revealed that bio-beneficiation methods such as bio-leaching, bio-flotation, and bio-flocculation have proven successful in iron recovery from ores. The bio-beneficiation process occurs in mild conditions using bio-reagents derived from microbes and offers a reduction of chemicals used in processing. Bio-beneficiation of iron ore potentially offers a relatively energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method of maximum iron ore recovery. However, this review has identified a scaling-up difficulty in which a future approach for industrial-use applications is offered following a thorough sustainability assessment. Bio-beneficiation, using microbial processes, provides a viable avenue for maximizing iron ore recovery while tackling the constraints of dwindling high-grade iron ore resources and environmental sustainability.

Mar 16, 2024

By David H. Carlson

The paper presents background information including data on diesel exhaust pollutants, amounts produced and standards, a desscription of mine characteristics that affect air monitoring techniques and a review of portable measurement techniques and instruments for gas and particulate matter sampling. A general review of the laboratory and field research being conducted at Michigan Technological University in the area of diesel emissions is presented. The facilities involved with this research are also described. These are the Experimental Mine, the diesel dilution tunnel test cell, the Mine Air Monitoring Lab (MAML), the portable instruments and the production mines used.

Jan 1, 1979

By W. G. Willson, Y. L. Li, P. D. Rao, D. E. Walsh

The combination of high moisture and low heating value has restricted most low-rank coal (LRC) usage worldwide to mine-mouth power generation. The objective of this study was to subject two Alaska low-rank coals to hydrothermal drying to enhance their marketability in the Pacific Rim markets and to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the dried products as a function of process conditions. Coals from Usibelli Coal Mine and the Beluga coalfield have a heating value of approximately 18.5 MJ/kg and contain about 28% moisture. Hydrothermal treatment (at 275° to 325° C) of lump coal, from the Usibelli Coal Mine and the Beluga coalfield, enhanced the heating value of the material, on an equilibrium moisture basis, from 18.5 MJ/kg to nearly 27.8 MJ/kg. The product coal, with a high heating value and only 0.2% S, is an environmentally-acceptable premium fuel; additionally, with the Hardgrove grindability index of the coal greatly improved, its value is even further enhanced. An increase in hydrothermal drying temperature promotes vesiculation of resinite. Also, ulminite reflectance increased to 0.92%, and ulminite was subjected to widespread vesiculation; this resulted in a coke-like structure indicative that the material went through the fluid stage.

Jan 1, 1993

By Todd Clarke, Ralf Winterberg

For more than a decade the tunneling industry has explored the potential and benefits of macro synthetic fiber (MSF) reinforced concrete solutions for precast tunnel segments. Parallel to industry investigations, academic research is being undertaken to better understand this material when subjected to the typical loads expected during mechanized tunneling. This paper investigates the performance of MSF reinforced precast concrete tunnel segments by means of an experimental program comprising testing of full-scale tunnel segments. The presentation of the satisfactory results of the experimental testing regime will be complemented by a brief case history from a successfully executed project—an America’s First.

Jun 13, 2021

By J. W. Furlan

Due to the time consuming nature of froth testing in a laboratory environment, it is required, due to practical limitations, to develop a method of applying a single set of performance test data (Visintainer & Whitlock, 2012) obtained for a single froth pump at a given speed, to a range of froth pump speeds and sizes, % air contents, and liquid viscosities. Head, efficiency, and flow all vary as functions of both liquid viscosity and air content. As such, it is necessary to develop a technique which can be used to interpolate from existing test data in order to predict froth pump performance for pumps of various sizes running at variable speeds. Details of the technique developed in order to achieve this goal as well as the insights gained from analysis of the resulting regressions are discussed. Additionally, comparisons are made between the performance predictions of this test-derived method and those of the Hydraulic Institute Standard for the effects of liquid viscosity on centrifugal pump performance (ANSI/HI 9.6.7-2010).

Feb 27, 2013

By E. D. Gálvez, L. A. Cisternas, R. Acosta-Flores, F. A. Lucay

Froth flotation processes are carried out in flotation cells that are grouped into banks, and these banks are interconnected, forming a flotation circuit. A literature review shows the existence of papers related to flotation circuit design based on mathematical programming. However, due to the complexity of solving the mathematical model in most of the work, it is considered that a small number of species is present in the feed to the circuit, which differs from practice. In addition, simple bank models are generally used. This paper presents a methodology for designing mineral concentration circuits that overcomes the problems mentioned. It allows the use of more suitable cell or bank models and the inclusion of several species. The methodology is based on two phases. The first phase identifies the set of optimal structures using discrete values of stage recoveries, solving several mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problems. In the second phase, the optimal design for each of the structures obtained in the previous phase is determined using a suitable model for the recovery at each cell or bank, which results in a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model. The design of a copper concentration plant with eight species and the design of a zinc concentration plant with three species and five size fractions by species are used to validate the proposed methodology. The structure of the cells in the rougher and cleaner banks deliver structures that are novel.

By R. G. Hite, R. G. Rowe

The Crandon deposit, located in northern Wisconsin, is a 65.8 million ton Precambrian volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit which averages 1.4% copper and 5.8% zinc. The deposit is classic in origin, mineralogy and shape. Comprehensive understanding of the geology of both the deposit and the project site has been fundamental to the credibility and success of project feasibility studies and regulatory permit preparation. Mine development in the current investment and regulatory climate requires thorough and timely application of geologic tools. From 1977-1980 geologic activities were focused on the typical objectives of orebody delineation, reserve estimation, depositional geology, and general site investigation. Results from these programs formed the basis for the project&apos;s preliminary feasibility studies. Since 1981 further geologic investigations have provided criteria for project design, site management, and operational permitting. Activities have included mine entry position definition drilling, devel reserve modeling, large diameter (150 mm) core drilling for mill pilot samples, rock mechanics testing, and evaluation of the glacial overburden/deposit geohydrology for computer simulation.

Jan 1, 1992

By S. A. Smith-Hamm, E. A. Sarver, A. S. Cox

Appalachia is an increasing concern, as unnaturally high TDS and/or associated specific conductivity (SC) may contribute to deteriorated stream ecosystem health. The aim of this preliminary study was to explore the efficacy of accelerated leaching as a means of minimizing long-term TDS/SC generation by problematic overburden materials. Five spoil samples were collected and leached using simulated rainwater solutions under ambient and acidified pH conditions. SC and pH were monitored during each leach cycle, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to determine how leaching conditions affected the release of specific ions. This paper highlights the results of both jar and column leaching tests. Among the most significant findings was that for certain spoil materials, the SC in the leach column effluent was effectively reduced when the spoil was first leached with acidic rainwater followed by ambient rainwater, as opposed to leaching with ambient rainwater alone. This suggests that accelerated leaching might aid in the long-term stabilization of some materials.

Jan 1, 2015

By Philip Morey

Large scale surface coal mining will be required to fill future energy demand in the United States. In realization of this long-term commitment to coal resources, the U.S. Energy Re-search and Development Administration sponsored a study to determine the costs and problems of large-scale surface coal mining. As a result of this study a series of computer models were developed that can be used by government and industry to: 1) facilitate mine design and equipment selection, 2) provide detailed analyses of mining and processing costs. Two types of models were developed: detailed simulation models, which provide detailed information on mining systems and equipment to assist in mine design and equipment selection1 and broad models, which provide a first-order evaluation of deposits and new ventures for an entire mining complex. The complete model series permits examination of surface coal mining under a variety of terrain conditions. Six different mining methods were analyzed and documented during the overall project: 1) Area stripping with draglines, 2) Area stripping with draglines, extended bench, 3) Contour stripping with draglines, 4) Area stripping with shovels (loaders) and trucks, 5) Mountain top removal with shovels (loaders) and trucks, 6) Multiple dipping seam mining with shovels (loaders) and trucks. Each major operation in the coal mining pro-cess is represented in these models so that the best methods and equipment may be selected and 50 that the impact of such selection will be reflected in estimates of capital investment, operating costs, and coal price. Individual models allow the user to separately analyze overburden removal, overburden drilling and blasting, coal drilling and blasting, coal loading and hauling, coal preparation and handling, land reclamation, and premining, facilities, and administrative expenses. Because it is impossible to cover all the models in this paper, only the detailed simulation models representative of the technique "area stripping with draglines," are described. The Fort Union Strippable Coal Resource Region, one of eight test cases, is used as an example to describe the models.

Jan 1, 1978

By A. Yadav, B. Behera, G. S. P. Singh

The size of chain pillars in the Indian geo-mining conditions is primarily decided in accordance with the regulatory provisions. These provisions are of little help for deep longwall workings, exceeding the cover depth of 360 m. Furthermore, these provisions are primarily meant to support pillars in bord and pillar workings. They may not be suitable for the chain pillars owing to a significant difference in layouts and functional requirements. Hence, it is imperative to develop a method to evaluate the stability of the chain pillar considering the complex loading and geo-mining conditions. To this end, a machine learning-based model was developed in this study to assess the stability of the chain pillars under high depth of cover considering the field-representative conditions. The data for this work was generated by conducting a parametric study using a field-validated numerical model. The strength and deformability parameters of the caved, fractured, and continuous deformation zones were established by calibrating the numerical model outcomes against the site-specific field observations. The developed ML model was used to evaluate the influence of pillar width, pillar height, cover depth, abutment angle, face length, coal strength, moduli ratio of the roof and floor strata to the coal seam, and the elastic modulus and unit weight of the overburden on the chain pillar stability. An interesting finding of this study showed that the factor of safety of the chain pillar increased with the increasing abutment angle, which may be indicative of the confining effect of the abutment angle on the pillar. Eventually, the ML model was verified by comparing its outcomes with the calibrated numerical model for a typical longwall working from Indian geo-mining conditions.

Oct 18, 2023

By d&apos, L. F. G. Assumpcao

Kaolin samples from Rio Capim resources were treated in conventional and superconducting magnetic separators to study the main variables that influence the color removal process. Coating clays and delaminated clay were tested. Retention time (or pulp injection velocity), magnetic field intensity and matrix type were the&apos; variables studied. The feed brightness ranged from 84.7 to 87.6 % ISO for the coating clays and from 80.7 to 85.4 % ISO for the delaminated clay. The results showed unleached brightness values higher than 88 % ISO for coating products and higher than 87 % ISO for the delaminated product, using a conventional magnetic separator with an applied field of 1.5 to 2.0 Tesla. With a maximum field intensity in the superconducting machine of 5.0 Tesla, unleached brightness values higher than 88.5 % ISO for both coating and delaminated clays were attained.

Jan 1, 1995

By Dushasan Kundu, B. N. Shivakiran Bhaktha, Khanindra Pathak, Sarbojit Mukherjee

Mine safety and quality of life of miner working in underground mines depend to a large extent on mine illumination and communication. The provisioning of reliable, safe, and cost-effective illumination is critical, particularly in underground gassy coal mines. To prevent firedamp explosion by electrical switching operation in coal mining industry requires implementing intrinsically safe illumination circuit. The luminaire design also needs to be certified and installed properly. The current illumination systems installed inside mines require a lot of energy which is obtained from nonrenewable resources. In this work, the design and implementation of solar-powered optical fiber-based illumination are studied and implemented in the Jhanjra underground coal mine, Eastern Coalfield Limited, and a Li-Fi-based communication system for underground coal mines is proposed. Silicate optical fibers of various core diameters and numerical apertures are characterized for illumination applications and their efficiencies are reported. The possibility of achieving optical fiber-based solar, laser, and hybrid illuminations in underground mines is discussed. The design and fabrication of a Fresnel lens-based solar tracker for solar illumination are also presented. The optical fiber-based illumination system is installed in an underground coal mine and the illumination of over 70 lux is achieved at the work plane. Finally, optical fiber-based illumination and simultaneous basic Li-Fi communication are demonstrated and will be beneficial to the underground coal mining industry.

Apr 14, 2023

By Zhenzhong Bian, Ruiyang Zhang, Xiaofeng Zhong, Zhangxuan Ning, Yuanping Zhang, Jie Lu, Airan Zhang

This study addressed the separation and recovery of vanadium(IV), iron, and titanium from synthetic and real leach solutions of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite using extractant P204 (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate) and P507 (2-ethylhexyl hydrogen- 2-ethylhexyl phosphonate). Based on the speciation analysis of vanadium in sulfuric acid medium, the single-stage extraction efficiency of vanadium, iron, and titanium was 94.21%, 3.45%, and 5.32%, respectively, under the optimal extraction condition of P204-P507 concentration of 15% (v/v), P204 to P507 ratio of 3:1 (v/v), TBP (Tributyl phosphate) concentration of 5%, sulfonated kerosene concentration of 80%, initial pH of 1.8, contact time of 8 min, and phase ratio (O/A) of 2:1. By confirming the predictions of the McCabe-Thiele diagram, a five-stage countercurrent extraction was carried out and the desirable extraction efficiency for vanadium reached 98.13%. The maximum co-extraction coefficient and distribution ratio of vanadium were 2.58 and 26.23, respectively. The stripping efficiencies and concentrations of a vanadium-rich solution by three stages of countercurrent experiments with 20 vol.% sulfuric acid reached 99.14% and 0.58 g/L, respectively, while almost all of the titanium remained in the organic phase. The mechanism of synergistic extraction between hydrogen ions of P–O–H and VO2+ in acidic conditions was confirmed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and molecular structure derivation. Besides, the separated impurity ions ( Fe2+) after oxidation, precipitation, and roasting process form a qualified iron oxide pigment with a total iron content of 97.2%.

Apr 25, 2023

By M. A. A. de Klaver

Functional Description Figure 1 is a typical flowsheet for a system for solid fuel addition to filter cake. Solid fuel, coal, coal breeze, or charcoal, is fed from a,stockpile to a surge hopper. The solid fuel is metered into a grinding mill. The fuel is dried and ground in a grinding mill. The on-size particles are removed from the mill by air sweeping. The ground solid fuel is separated from the air stream by a cyclone and stored in a surge hopper. The ground solid fuel is then pneumatically conveyed to a small hopper in the balling area. The fuel is proportioned into the filter cake just prior to mixing. An efficient mixer is very important to have a successful operation. The exact flowsheet would depend on a number of factors including what fuel is used, how the fuel is received, and the cnaracteristics of the fuel as received. Availability of floor space in the plant may also affect the flowsheet. For example, drying air may be supplied from the pellet furnace if the grinding mill can be located near the grate, or the pneumatic conveying system and a surge hopper may be eliminated by placing the grinding mill adjacent .to the mixing area. Also, for a multiple line plant, a ball mill rather than a roller mill may be more suitable.

Jan 1, 1980

By J. A. M. Cano

Pot Grate tests were carried out in the pilot plant at Samarco producing pellets containing SiO2 between 2.0% and 2.2% in a wide range of basicity to be used in blast furnace. These pellets were submitted to tests in Samarco&apos;s laboratory and another laboratory in Germany to evaluate the metallurgical properties. The pellets in the binary basicity range (CaO/SiO2) from 0,87 to 0,95 were those that presented the best results in the Pot Grate tests. Based on the results, these pellets are being routinely produced?on industrial-scale confirming the results observed in laboratory tests.?

Jan 1, 1994