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By P. Mokwena

Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of BSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering Diamond synthesis has attracted a great deal of interest because of its exceptional properties and various applications. In this study, the chemical catalytic vapour deposition (CCVD) method was used to synthesize diamond films using acetylene as carbon source and hydrogen as carrier gas at a temperature of 1000°C, and their thermodynamic stability was studied. Photographic analysis revealed that these products are diamond films, Ramman spectroscopy confirmed that they are graphitic while confocal laser scanning microscopic image analyses proved that these diamonds films have structural defects due to iron impurity from the catalyst precursor. The quantity of diamonds films produced is also proportional to the acetylene to hydrogen ratio but these films are larger in size at lower acetylene to hydrogen ratio. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that transformation of these materials begins at 25°C but could not be used to determine if a temperature range below 25°C exists. The stability of these CCVD-synthesized diamonds also increases below 25°C when stored at different temperatures.

Jan 1, 2007

By Godofredo F. Barrios

For years urethane screen surfaces have been used in a wide range of wet screening applications where openings from as fine as 100 microns and coarser have been used. The purpose of this paper is to expose the reader to new developments in both screen surface and screening equipment technologies which allow an end user to consider urethane screen surfaces for fine screening applications. These technologies allow an end user to use the inherent advantages of urethane with regards to wear resistance while also realizing the benefits that a high oper area urethane screen surface can bring. These benefits include non blinding characteristics and feed capacities that which rival that of traditional stainless steel surfaces. The paper will highlight the features of this patented urethane screen surface technology and the screening machines they are used in conjunction with. There will also be a presentation of case studies of commercial installations where these technologies are utilized. These case studies are from the base metals industry therefore relevance to the conference is direct and not inferred. Included in the paper will also be constraints which must be taken into account when considering urethane screen surfaces such as temperature and chemical attacks. This paper will expose potential end users to a possibility of using screens to achieve extremely accurate size separations in applications where screens were previously not considered. The paper will explain and demonstrate that prior concerns of screen surface blinding, high screen surface consumption rates and large screen surface area requirements can be eliminated by proper utilization of high open area urethane screen surfaces.

Jan 1, 2007

By B. S. Xakalashe

Keywords: Pyrometallurgy, silicon, solar cells Silicon has been the dominant material in the photovoltaic (PV) industry since its application in the space industry in 1958. This review focuses on crystalline silicon solar cells, primarily due to their dominance in the photovoltaic industry, omitting other photovoltaic cell technologies such as second generation (e.g. thin films) and third generation (e.g. nano-structured solar cells). The value chain for the production of crystalline silicon solar cells has been reviewed. The primary processing steps for the production of silicon solar cells from quartz are as follows: bulk production of metallurgical-grade silicon via carbothermic reduction in a submerged furnace, refining of metallurgical-grade silicon via the chemical means to polycrystalline silicon, or through the metallurgical route to solar-grade silicon, wafer manufacturing, and, lastly, silicon solar cell manufacturing. During downstream processing, solar cells are interconnected and encapsulated into solar modules (panels), which can be used individually or incorporated into a photovoltaic system for electricity generation and supply. The cost for crystalline silicon based solar cells is approaching one US dollar per watt peak ($1/Wp), while the most cost-effective solar modules in industry have reported costs below $1/Wp, and are based on CdTe thin films. Solar cell energy conversion efficiencies as high as 22% have been reported in industry for crystalline silicon solar cells.

Jan 1, 2011

By J. Whitford

The established crown pillar extraction method at Gold Fields Australia Ltd.’s Crusader Mine, leads to the significant dilution and poor recovery of ore due to caving of the overlying loose rockfill. The application of selectively injecting specifically developed ‘FB200’ ettringite (calcium sulphoaluminate hydrate) type cement grout into loose rockfill to form a stabilised rockfill material, enables an artificial crown pillar to stabilise the surrounding rock mass and prevent caving of the overlying loose rockfill during crown pillar extraction. Investigation of the geomechanical criteria for crown pillar extraction beneath stabilised rockfill has enabled the safe and efficient extraction of two crown pillars at the Crusader Mine. La méthode actuelle d'extraction des piliers horizontaux à la mine Crusader dont la propriétaire est le Goldfields Australia Ltd amène à une dilution sensible du minerai, à cause de l'effondrement du remblai peu compacté qui se trouve au-dessus. Par moyen d'injection sélective du coulis de ciment FB200 ettringite (sulfoaluminate de calcium hydraté) qui a été développé spécifiquement pour cette application, un pilier artificiel est crée et celui-ci empêche l'effondrement du remblai pendant l'extraction du pilier de minerai au-dessous. A la suite des études géotechniques de la méthode, deux piliers horizontaux à la mine Crusader ont été extraites, de manière efficace et sûr. Die feststehende Krone Pfeiler Extraktionsmethode beim Crusader Mine von Gold Fields Australien GmbH, führt wegen caving des overlying lockerer rockfill zur bedeutungsvollen Verdünnung und schlechtem Wiederfinden des Erzes. Der Antrag, ausdrücklich entwickelten 'FB200' ettringite selektiv zu spritzen, (Kalzium-sulphoaluminate-Hydrat) Art kittet Mörtelschlamm in lockeren rockfill, um ein stabilisiertes rockfill-Material zu bilden, ermöglicht einem künstlichen Kronenpfeiler, die umliegende Steinmasse zu stabilisieren und caving des overlying während des Kronenpfeilerherausziehens lockeren rockfill zu verhindern. Untersuchung der geomechanical-Kriterien für Kronenpfeilerherausziehen unter stabilisiertem rockfill hat dem sicheren und tüchtigen Herausziehen von zwei Kronenpfeilern beim Crusader Mine ermöglicht.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. L. Reichardt

Mining companies are increasingly looking to the developing world for the next generation of mining projects, often in countries that have little or no previous history of large-scale mining. One of the major challenges for such projects is hiring?and retaining?personnel that have technical skills and experience in mining-related disciplines. Staffing a mine with an expatriate workforce is neither cost-effective nor sustainable, and many countries now insist that mining companies ?transform? the profile of their workforce to more closely mirror the demographic profile of the host population. The need to nurture mining-related skills in emerging mining nations is not solely limited to the workforce: there are also pressing economic and sustainability imperatives to develop capacity within local service providers such as consultants and contractors, as well as to facilitate informed engagement between mining companies, government and civil society. However, few educational institutions in emerging mining nations currently have the ability to offer practical training in mining-related disciplines. Local employees who are sponsored by companies to develop their skills through international study maybe impeded by language and cultural barriers, and may also be taught using course content that is of limited relevance to the specific challenges of their future working environment. This paper addresses the challenge of skills development and retention in emerging mining nations and uses examples from sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia Pacific region to explore practical means of developing capacity in mining-related disciplines. It examines the need for companies to implement strategies to develop local technical capacity in countries where they envisage a long-term operational future and also highlights the need to foster partnerships between academia, developmental institutions, mining companies, governments and civil society to establish the critical mass of mining-related skills required to nurture the development of a sustainable mining industry.

Jan 1, 2009

By K. I. Afewu

A modified approach to the implementation of Gy?s sampling theory is discussed and used to design a procedure for sampling crushed gold ore feed to metallurgical process plants. The approach involves calibration of certain ore-specific parameters. These parameters were calibrated for two different crushed gold ores en route to grinding mills in process plants. The model predictions were compared with the predictions from Gy?s original model. Far smaller masses of samples are required by the modified model than by Gy?s model at the same relative variance. The representativeness of the sampling procedure if normally distributed errors are assumed was also calculated. These procedures and evaluations lead to significant savings on cost of handling and preparation of the samples and to a quantifiable degree of confidence in the analytical results for the process plant.

Jan 1, 1998

By P. N. Vernon

Ausmelt top entry submerged lance technology offers a cost-effective means of carrying out a range of base metal smelting operations with minimum impact on the environment. The system is capable of using a range of fuels depending upon local costs. Due to the intense, localised reaction zone, high energy efficiency is obtained and the physical size of the plant is relatively small compared to that of most competing technologies. Capital cost can thereby be minimised. The furnace is well enclosed, such that fugitive emissions and ingress of diluting air to the gas stream are both minimised. The oxygen potential in the slag can be varied over a wide range such that the system can be applied in both oxidising and reducing duties. Following a general description of the technology, the paper discusses Ausmelt plants already in operation. The application of the technology for the provision of additional smelting capacity, for the improvement of converting operations and for slag cleaning is then described. A brief explanation of how these processes could be applied at southern African smelters is given and the paper closes with an assessment of novel Ausmelt applications for this geographical region, such as zinc recovery from sulphides.

Jan 1, 1997

By J. Eriksson

Slag from stainless steelmaking is known to disintegrate, which is an environmental problem and prevents the cooled slag from being utilized. This disintegration is due to the transformation from the ßto the ? polymorph of di-calcium silicate. The transformation is accompanied by an increase in volume of about 11% and a total disintegration of the slag. AOD slag from stainless steelmaking was re-melted in a laboratory induction furnace, together with olivine and calcinated dolomite, to investigate the prevention of disintegration by increased MgO content of the slag with small changes in CaO to SiO2ratio. The modified slag was examined with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The trials showed that an increased MgO content can change the mineral composition towards formation of more Merwinite and Bredigite, which prevents disintegration of the slag. Keywords: slag, disintegration, di-calcium silicate

Jan 1, 2004

By J. N. Van der Merwe

The data base of failed pillar cases as used by Salamon and Munro (1967) in their original analysis to determine the strength of coal pillars empirically, has been updated for this study. It is shown that the Vaal Basin and Klip River coal fields exhibit similar behaviour that differs from the failures in other areas, i.e. failure at high safety factors within a short period of time. Those collapse cases have been omitted from the new data base. Failures in the other areas that occurred after 1967 have been added. Using a technique to minimize the area of overlap between the populations of safety factors of failed and intact pillar cases, the new data base was re-analysed in conjunction with the original Salamon-Munro data base of intact pillar cases, from which the cases in the areas of weak coal were likewise eliminated. It was found that a linear formula reduced the overlap area by22%. The new formula predicts higher strength for pillars with a width-to-height ratio greater than approximately 2.0 to 3.0 and a lower strength for smaller pillars. It was also found that in order to obtain the same relative measure of stability as with the Salamon-Munro formula, the strength constant in the new formula should be within a range of 2.8 to 3.5 MPa. For most current South African coal mining conditions, using the new formula for pillar strength will result in leaving smaller pillars without sacrificing stability. The reason for this is that the Salamon-Munro formula under-estimated the strength of larger pillars and over-estimated the strength of smaller pillars. The new formula will thus result in improved reserve utilization without sacrificing stability.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. Kerr

The first stage of the development of a new modified 201-type low nickel austenitic stainless steel is described in this paper. The alloy is intended for use as a structural alloy, and so requires a yield strength >400MPa as well as acceptable weldability and toughness. The low nickel content will give a lower material cost in comparison to more conventional austenitic grades, and the processing route is required to be similar to that of Type 304 to keep the processing cost low. The base alloy was designed using empirical methods developed for stainless steel, and the properties of the base alloy were verified using a range of small-scale melts. The base alloy had a 0.2% proof strength of ~320-400MPa, and so it is planned to use V additions of ~0.15% to bring about precipitation strengthening in the hot rolled condition, so raising the alloy?s proof strength above the 400MPa minimum.

Jan 1, 2004

Work undertaken in the field of cut-off grade optimization has not advanced much beyond the work undertaken by Lane in 1988. His definitive work is based on the calculus of the Net Present Value criterion which is the most widely understood, consistent, and appropriate method by which sequential cash flows arising from the extraction of mineral reserves from an exhaustible resource can be represented. Although the mathematics is not complex Lane’s method is not a widely appreciated or applied approach to maximizing the value of a mining operation through selection and balancing of operational cut-off grades. Three stages in a mining operation namely, mining, processing and marketing were defined by Lane and the economics of each stage are identified and isolated to provide an optimum cut-off for each stage. Points of intersection along the present value curves for each stage of a mining operation are used to identify balancing cut-off grades at points where the capacity of the mining, processing and marketing stages is fully utilized and the Net Present Value of the operation is optimized. Data that simulate a small, deep-level Witwatersrand-type gold mine with an average grade of 6 g/t Au and a logrithmic variance of 1.2,are applied to the model to illustrate the benefits of representing cut-off grades in terms of present value curves for different segments of a mining operation. Keywords: Cut-off grade, Net Present Value, grade-tonnage curve, balancing cut-off grade, mining, processing, marketing.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. G. B. Pickering

The hard rock gold and platinum mines in South Africa have seen little development in the technology of mining. Holes are still drilled in the rock?though the latest water hydraulic rockdrills will complete that task in two minutes compared with the eight hours for hand drilling. Charging up is with far safer explosives and with available initiation systems it is no longer necessary to run up the face lighting each fuse. Movement of rock in the stope is predominately by means of scraper buckets and scraper winches?these were first introduced in the 1920s. Support is still mainly rock, either in situ pillars or backfill, or alternatively wood. Just as the mining process has changed very little it is hardly surprising that the productivity of mining is also relatively unchanged. Major efforts have been made to mechanize the mining process. However, most of the narrow reef mines where ?trackless mechanized mining? was introduced in the early1980s have reverted to conventional mining. In the wider reefs mechanized mining is the option of choice, unfortunately most of the gold and platinum mines have very narrow reefs that are not suitable to ?off the shelf? equipment. The move to introduce room-and-pillar mining into the narrow UG2 reefs is at the expense of mining more waste with the reef, fortunately it appears that appropriate waste and reef separation processes are available. Room-and-pillar mining followed by long hole drilling and blasting of a narrow slot of reef out of the pillars currently appears to offer the best of both worlds?maximum reef recovery with minimum waste dilution.

Jan 1, 2002

By P. Foster

Over the past decade there has been a great deal of research into the use of virtual reality (VR) and computer graphics in the mining industry. Much of this has led to developed applications including training simulators and accident reconstruction. One other area where there is considerable potential for virtual reality is that of mining ergonomics. This paper identifies those common ergonomic limitations associated with mining equipment that can be effectively modelled using VR techniques. From this, two simple models have been developed, namely (i) remote control continuous miner operation and (ii) free steered vehicle sight-lines, which demonstrate the practical use of VR in this area.

Jan 1, 2004

By J. N. Van der Merwe

The data base of failed coal pillars in South Africa was analysed with regard to the time of failure in an effort to develop a method to predict how long after their formation coal pillars will fail. It was found that meaningful results could only be obtained by splitting the data base up into groups that displayed similar behaviour. It was postulated, based on observation and experience, that coal pillars fail by a process of progressive weakening progressing into the pillar from the edges. Minimum pillar dimensions to ensure failure were calculated?these were the dimensions that corresponded to a minimum ?real? factor of safety. From the scaling distance required to reach the minimum safety factor, rates of scaling for the failed pillars were calculated based on the observed real lives of the pillars. It was found that the rates of scaling were unique for different mining areas and that they correlated directly with mining height and inversely with time. Using the derived scaling rates, the predicted pillar lives were back calculated for the pillars in the data base of failed pillars. In two of the three groups, the predicted lives correlated well with the observed lives on a one-to-one comparison. In all cases, the predicted lives were in the same time range as the observed lives. Overall, the frequency of predicted lives closely replicated the observed frequency of observed lives of the pillars in the data base of failed pillars. The method was successful in distinguishing between the data base of failed and a representative sample of intact pillars. While the predictions matched the observed lives of failed pillars, the predictions of expected lives for intact (hitherto unfailed) pillars were orders of magnitude greater. It is now possible to estimate the frequencies of future pillar failures for the purposes of mine closure and undermining of surface structures within broad bands.

Jan 1, 2003

By Antonio Karzulovic, Sergio Olavarría, Patricio Adriasola

The economical analyses of different Chuquicamata open pit mine planning scenarios, indicate that the pit closure should occur at latest in the year of 2017. However, about 60,000 m of drill holes have demonstrated that below the pit bottom there is a potential of 2.3 billion tons of ore. Hence, Division Codelco Norte developed the scoping engineering for a large underground panel caving operation, similar to El Teniente mine. This project considers the exploitation of a 2500 m 300 m footprint, with three 250 m lifts. The plan considers to initiate the construction in the year 2009, to begin the production in the year 2015 and achieve a production rate of 45 million tons per year in the year 2021. A large-scale transition from open pit to underground mining like this one presents three main challenges: (1) to include the geotechnical aspects relevant for mine design and mine planning, (2) to define the proper surface and underground infrastructure, and (3) to fulfil the project deadlines and to achieve the production targets. This paper summarizes this transition project and discusses these three main challenges.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. Moss

The Palabora Mining Company has successfully extended the life of its operation by developing a 30 000 tpd block cave underground mine below the now closed open pit. The process of transitioning from surface to underground mining has been technically, operationally and managerially challenging. This has been due to a number of factors, in particular, the development of a block cave in a very competent rock mass. The competence of the rock mass is clearly demonstrated in the open pit that preceded the block cave, one of the steepest deep open pit excavations in the world. With cave breakthrough, however, the pit was ?instantaneously? deepened by 400 m causing a major failure of the north-west wall involving close to 100 Mt of waste material.

Jan 1, 2006

By H. Saroglou

The anisotropic behaviour of Athens Schist has been brought out through the testing of specimens with varying orientation of schistosity with respect to the major principal stress under uniaxial, triaxial and dynamic conditions. A large number of results from tests on intact rock specimens of the Athens Schist were statistically analysed and evaluated.

Jan 1, 2004

By X. Yu

Although many investigations of the deformation behaviour of rocks have been carried out, most of them are carried out in compression. In all rock engineering practice it is usually assumed that the deformation of rocks in tension is the same as that in compression. However, data from numerous researchers have shown that this assumption is not correct for some rocks. A new loading frame for testing rocks in compression and direct tension has recently been developed by the authors, with the capacity to conduct both compression and tensile tests on the same rock sample. The results obtained show that the ratios between the average Young?s modulus in compression (ECA) and in direct tension (ETA) are 1, 1.16, 2 and 6 respectively in four rock types tested. For Poisson?s ratios, analogous relations were obtained. It was observed that, in all cases, the tangent Young?s modulus intension reduces with an increase in the applied tensile stress, while the behaviour of Poisson?s ratio is similar, but shows greater variability. The difference between the Young?s modulus of rocks in tension and that in compression could lead, large errors in calculating induced stresses around underground openings, as well as in determining the Brazilian tensile strength of rocks. This may have a significant influence in rock engineering and therefore more investigation is necessary into the tensile deformation behaviour of rocks and its influence.

Jan 1, 2005

By P. Fredriksson, S. Seetharaman

In the ladle refining process, the ?FeO?-content of the ladle slag is of great importance in the chemistry as well as the energetics of the process. An optimization of the process requires an accurate knowledge of the thermodynamic activities of ?FeO? in the ladle slags. Due to the discrepancies in the existing data, renewed attempts are being made at the Royal Institute of Technology to generate reliable data for binary, ternary and multi component slags containing ?FeO? at steelmaking temperatures. In order to measure the activities of ?FeO? in the slags, a gas equilibration technique was employed in the present work. The slags, kept in Pt-crucibles, were equilibrated with a CO-CO2-Ar gas mixture and quenched after equilibration. The chemical composition of the slag was analyszed. From a knowledge of the thermodynamics of Fe-Pt system, the ?FeO? activities in the slag could be evaluated. The results of the present studies, together with other literature values, were optimized in the slag software, THERMOSLAG® developed in the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. The results of the optimization are presented. Model calculations were performed with the KTH slag software, THERMOSLAG®, by using plant data from OVAKO Steel, Hofors, Sweden. It was found that oxygen estimations in the metal from the ?FeO? analyses of slags, obtained by conventional sampling and analysis methods, where less reliable. Estimation of the oxygen levels utilizing the sulphur partition between the slag and the metal were carried out using the THERMOSLAG® software. Reasonable estimations of the oxygen contents in the metal confirmed that this could be a very useful tool for the plant operator. Keywords: ladle, thermodynamics, slags, ?FeO?, experimentation, modelling, sulphur partition

Jan 1, 2004

A single aggregate mix design was developed based on a slag/Portland binder blend and crusher sand. The primary design criterion, after performance, was the fluidity of the shotcrete and concrete product to ensure compatibility with existing manufacturing and shotcrete equipment as well as the pipeline transport system Cullinan Diamond Mine was investigating. Initial work had determined an optimum slag/Portland to aggregate ratio while retaining a water to slag/Portland binder ratio of approximately 0.4 to maintain the flowability of the product. A super-plasticizer was used to further increase the flowability of the product as opposed to increasing the water content. Finally a polypropylene reinforcement fibre was included in the wet shotcrete product to improve the energy absorption characteristics of the shotcrete. Previous work on the strength development of the slag/Portland based shotcretes and concretes suggests that strength class based on the EN 206 specification is C40/50 while the toughness classification based on the EFNARC plate test is c, or greater than 1000 joules1. Typically, Cullinan Diamond Mine wanted a shotcrete with a uniaxial compressive cube strength of 45 MPa and an energy absorption, based on the EFNARC plate test, in excess of 700 joules. This is an EN 206 strength class of C36/45 requiring a uniaxial compressive core strength of 30.5 MPa and a toughness classification of b1. In addition to the shotcrete development, Cullinan Diamond Mine required concrete products with a compressive strength range of between 25 and 60 Mpa for differing construction operations underground to be manufactured from the same mix design and raw materials as for the shotcrete. Finally, Cullinan Diamond Mine carries out extensive dry shotcrete operations and an investigation into the possibility of using the single aggregate mix design for dry shotcreting was also entered into. This paper presents data that indicates that, under the terms of reference, a wet and dry shotcrete and concrete product appears to be possible from a single aggregate less than 6.7 mm in size, and that a slag/Portland binder is suitable for use as the hydraulic binder in all the products, and that the necessary performance parameters of strength and energy absorption can be achieved.

Jan 1, 2006