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By E. Minnaar, P. J. Cilliers, M. Bellino, L. M. Roux, R. Dye

The classic technique to remove impurities in a cobalt stream is selective precipitation. This is usually followed by re-leaching to produce an advanced electrolyte for cobalt electrowinning. Although this technique ensures an adequate cobalt concentration in the electrowinning circuit, some of the consequences include unwanted losses through the numerous selective precipitation steps resulting in lower recoveries. One plant that currently utilizes selective precipitation is the Luilu Metallurgical Plant (Luilu) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This paper evaluates the benefits of using solvent extraction technology as a purification step in the Luilu Process with the aim of further increasing the overall cobalt recovery and to ensure that a suitable cobalt concentration in the advanced electrolyte is achieved. The implementation of a solvent extraction-electrowinning process is found to be beneficial in terms of achieving improved recoveries and cobalt cathode quality, however there are many other factors that impact the success of converting from the classic precipitation process used at Luilu.

Jan 1, 2007

To the trustees of The SAIMM Scholarship Fund We have audited the annual financial statements of The SAIMM Scholarship Fund set out on pages 587 to 592 for the year ended 30 June 2005. These financial statements are the responsibility of the trustees. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. Scope We have conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes: examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Audit opinion In our opinion, the financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of the trust at 30 June 2005 and the results of its operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with South African Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

Jan 1, 2005

By D. J. Mourant

Day-to-day operations on the Broken Hill mine of the Black Mountain Mineral Development (BMMD) Company require a detailed knowledge of the distribution of the ore minerals within the orebody. The data are acquired by systematic underground diamond drilling of the orebody and subsequent geological and analytical borehole logging. These data are then captured onto a database, available for further analysis. Before mining commences in a mining block, copper, lead, zinc, silver and bismuth assay values, and the specific gravity of each sample, are extracted from the database. 3-dimensional variogram and kriging calculations are performed for each geological zone; for all the metals of interest. A computer representation of the mining block in the form of an ore model is then built using these kriged data. From these ore models information is extracted as required by the Geology Department on the mine, and used in numerous operations. These include: daily grade control to supply optimum feed grades to the treatment plant; the compilation of short, medium and long term production schedules; orebody outline definitions for the detailed planning of mining operations; ore resource calculations. The system has been modified and updated since its inception and provides timely information in a production environment.

Jan 1, 1987

By J. Abdollahisharif

Optimal cut-off grade is one of the most critical parameters in open-pit mine design because it defines the ore and waste and thus determines the maximum net present value possible from the mining operation. Although the algorithm presented by Lane (Choosing the optimum cut-off grade. Colorado school of Mines Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 4, 1964. pp. 811-829) is the most common one in the literature, it does assume constant capacities of the mine, processing, and refinery. In this paper, Lane's original algorithm has been modified to consider variable processing capacities in order to determine the optimal cut-off grade in open-pit mines. The new algorithm proposed here is compared to both Lane's original algorithm and to a previous modification that incorporated rehabilitation costs into the cut-off grade estimation. The algorithm proposed here that permits variable processing capacities is shown to be superior for the determination of optimal cut-off grade to both these previous versions. In addition, a computer-based program was developed in Microsoft Office Excel© to calculate the optimal cut-off grade as proposed here.

Jan 1, 2012

By R. du Preez

Tati Nickel is currently operating a hydrometallurgical demonstration plant in Botswana, using the Activox® process developed by LionOre Technology to produce nickel cathode and a cobalt salt from a sulphide concentrate. Cobalt is extracted using Cyanex 272. This reagent also extracts all the iron, aluminium, copper, zinc, and manganese from the nickel stream. Versatic 10 carboxylic acid is then used as extractant to recover nickel from the stream, separating it from calcium and magnesium, and upgrading it to provide a suitable advance electrolyte for nickel electrowinning. However, the selectivity of Versatic 10 for nickel over calcium is limited, and gypsum formation in the extraction circuit is a problem when attempts are made to maximize the recovery of nickel. Mintek has developed a synergistic system with Versatic 10 for improved separation of nickel from calcium and magnesium. Laboratory testwork was conducted on the raffinate of the cobalt solvent extraction circuit to optimize the Versatic 10/Nicksyn? (Mintek synergist) system to be employed. Extraction and stripping parameters suitable for this stream were optimized in the laboratory and then applied on the demonstration plant. A commercial batch (0.5 tons) of Nicksyn? reagent was produced for the demonstration plant. The laboratory testwork results and the demonstration plant performance are discussed in detail in this paper.

Jan 1, 2007

By E. -U. Reuther

To improve the climatic environment underground the German coal mining industry has installed refrigerators with a capacity of 300 MW cooling power. One third of this total is accounted for by central refrigeration plants with more than 5 MW capacity. The central refrigeration comprises three stages: mechanical cooling, transport and distribution of chilled water via pipelines and exchange of heat in the air coolers. Of these three stages only the mechanical generation of chilled water has been resolved satisfactorily. Transport (including distribution) and exchange require further technical research. The Mining Institute of the Aachen University of Technology has done extensive studies on this subject, concentrating on controlling the flow of chilled water according to demand in the mine. Additionally, the favourable exchange in the air coolers is taken into account. The studies are based on a model mine which simulates the conditions in deep coal mines in Germany. The simulation program represents firstly the condition of the mine air at the location of the air being cooled, then the heat exchange in the air cooler itself, and finally the transport of the chilled water from the central refrigerator to the consumer. The program also reproduces the seasonal and operational changes in conditions of mine air as well as different air cooler designs. A regulated distribution of chilled water is also suggested. Finally, estimations of costs can be made as an aid for further planning.

Jan 1, 1987

By P. Goosen

The paper presents a basic summary of the approach to hydraulic scale-model tests as may typically be applicable to slurry flow situations. A case study is presented illustrating how hydraulic scale-model tests can be of significant benefit in evaluating the performance of novel or unproven slurry handling equipment. In this case the equipment tested was a fan-shaped expansion piece used to spread the discharge from a launder over the full width of a dewatering screen. The tests showed that the device did indeed distribute the slurry flow both in terms of volume and solids mass, but not perfectly uniformly. Unfortunately the equipment was not taken beyond the model test phase. The scale-model test approach did, however, prove to be very useful as it is considered to have provided a good indication of the expected performance of the full-size unit. Significantly, this was achieved at very low cost compared to the cost of installing the device into the proposed plant and having to later change it out for an alternative or live with the less than optimal performance. The paper illustrates the value that can derive from applying hydraulic scale-model testing techniques to evaluating the performance of new or unusual slurry handling equipment. There is particular value in situations that do not lend themselves to numerical modelling.

Jan 1, 2007

By E. Dermietzel

The fundamental ideas of Computer Aided Lignite Mining (CALM) with respect to hardware and software used at Rheinbraun are explained and outlined in detail. The computers used in the main data processing department and in the different departments in the mines are described. Special emphasis is laid upon the network connecting the computers at different places for data-exchange. Concerning technical applications, the main facilities of CALM are deposit and pit modelling, complex geomechanic computations and mass calculations, data recording from the production process in the pits and refining plants, and detailed information and planning systems for water management and mining equipment. Concerning administrative applications, the main facilities of the software are the accounting system with cost controlling and planning, the materials management system with stock control, forward planning and computer supported order procesing, a system for the administration of property within and surrounding the mines, and systems for personnel administration and payroll. The various software systems developed for these application and the influence of data processing technique, such as data base management and the interconnection of data processing systems, are demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. V. Ramani

Managers need quality information for effective decision making. This demand, at the present time, is being fulfilled by the increased use of computers via information systems, decision support systems and management information systems. The idea of incorporating intelligence into computers to aid decision-makers has been evolving for over two decades. In recent years, significant progress is reported on applications to business and sciences. In engineering functions, the Artificial Intelligence approach that seems to have great potential is the application of Knowledge Based Systems. The primary objective of this paper is to identify domains in mining engineering where application of knowledge based systems could be beneficial. In- corporation of the expertise required during the analysis and interpretation stages of an engineering design problem through knowledge based systems is recognized as an area of significant benefit. To this end, the components of knowledge based systems for mine ventilation and strata control design are described. The potential applications and limitations of knowledge based systems are outlined.

Jan 1, 1987

By J Cahill, M Lee

Leinster Nickel Operations, located in Western Australia, consists of an underground and three open pit mines in relatively adverse ground conditions. This paper reviews our ground control practices in the open pits, covering aspects of ground support, wall control and monitoring. These methods have been effective in allowing mining operations to continue beneath unstable slopes. In particular, the use of Groundprobe?s Slope Stability Radar has enabled the Harmony Open Pit to safely operate for months following indication of failure from traditional methods. This case study highlights the benefits of investing in appropriate slope stability monitoring systems.

Jan 1, 2006

By Z. Yang, X. Bian

"The synthesis of 3-hydroxy-2-naphthyl hydroxamic acid (H2O5) as a collector for bastnaesite is described. The flotation performance of H2O5 with respect to bastnaesite was investigated by flotation tests, measurements of the surface adsorption capacity, and polarizing microscopy. The results indicated that H2O5 exhibits superior collecting performance compared with direct flotation recovery of bastnaesite, with recoveries above 90% at pH 8–9. The adsorption mechanism of H2O5 on bastnaesite was studied by solution chemistry analysis and ?-potential tests. The results showed that the adsorption of H2O5 is associated with the types and concentrations of hydrolysis products of rare earth cations on the bastnaesite surface. At pH 8–9, the hydrolysis-dominant components RE(OH)2+ and RE(OH)2 + of the rare earth cations were adsorbed onto the bastnaesite surfaces, which were considered to be the major positive active points and were beneficial to chemical adsorption of the reagents. The pH range of 7–10 was optimum for bastnaesite floatability, and the adsorption of H205 on bastnaesite was by means of chemical adsorption through formation of a five-membered ring chelate. IntroductionThe rare earth elements (REEs) have long been known as ‘industrial gold’ and are widely used in the petroleum, chemical, ceramic, metallurgical, and permanent magnet material industries because of their special physicochemical properties (Chen, 2011; Krishnamurthy and Guptac, 2002; Esquivel, Bohe, and Pasquevich, 2002; Abrahami, Xiao, and Yang, 2015). Demand for REEs is growing in response to continuous advances in science and technology. Currently, most REEs are extracted from bastnaesite ((Ce,La)CO3F) (Chelgani et al., 2015; Yosry, 1990), which is recovered from rare earth ores by flotation. Typically, hydroxamic acids are used as bastnaesite collectors (Xu, 2015; Ren, 1997; Mousumi and Venugopal, 2016). Research into the mechanism of interaction between hydroxamic acids and bastnaesite is important for improving the recoveries of bastnaesite. However, there have been few studies that examine this mechanism."

Jan 1, 2017

By S. L. Miller

The development of a pilot gold geostatistical ore reserve system proved that geostatistical methods worked well for the routine production of annual ore reserves on gold mines of the Gold Fields of South Africa (GFSA) group, and that the techniques could also be practically implemented, understood and accepted by Survey Department personnel. Many side benefits of the pilot system became apparent, and a variety of useful management information was provided by manipulating the data values that were already captured. It was decided that it was a priority computing project to develop a standard production system (GORS) for routine use by all the GFSA gold mines. Experience with the pilot system enabled detailed functional specifications for GORS to be laid down. These, together with group computing policy determined the terms of reference and constraints for the GORS development. System design could not be finalized until new and appropriate mainframe database software and graphics workstation equipment and software had been found. With these in place the basic system was structured to take best ad- vantage of the interactive features of the workstation, the number-crunching power of the mainframe and the flexibility offered by a relational database and associated 4GL tools. Application sub-systems were developed for data capture, statistical applications, geostatistical calculations, contour plotting and graphical queries. GORS is being introduced to the mines in a phased manner with suitable documentation, training and support structures to enable it to be routinely and effectively used on a day-to-day basis by all group gold mines.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. J. Cocks

Water auditing and water efficient practices are evolving as the quantitative tools for water balance reporting in the mining and minerals processing sector. This paper was written to describe the process of water auditing in a gold mining environment. It will contribute towards building an appropriate water management framework for The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for sustainable resource processing (CSRP). The research assists with the assessment of water balances in mining and hydrometallurgical processes and provides, on the ground, steady-state data for ongoing probabilistic modeling underway at most of Newmont?s gold mine operations. Five Newmont case study mine sites including the Tanami Granites Goldmine are central to this PhD water project study. The function of the Tanami-Granites water audit exercise was to measure a controlled flow of various water quality types and set a framework to establish further research for water efficiencies and water conservation in mining.

Jan 1, 2009

By S. Konetschnik, E. Dreyer, A. Filzwieser

"More intense furnace operations require effective cooling in order to achieve low refractory wear and good furnace lifetimes, making cooling technology an important aspect of furnace operations. However, the use of water - today’s standard cooling medium - has some disadvantages, as it can cause problems both during furnace start-up and operation, namely hydration problems, corrosion, and explosions. Apart from these aspects, the energy that is removed by extensive cooling cannot be recovered and is normally lost in the cooling towers.With METTOP’s new patented cooling technology it is possible to overcome the disadvantages of water by using an alternative cooling medium, namely ionic liquids (ILs). The main advantage of ILs is the fact that there is no risk of explosion should this liquid come in contact with molten metal. Furthermore, ILs can be used at higher temperatures than water - up to 200°C. This relatively high cooling medium temperature avoids hydration and corrosion problems and allows recovery of the energy by combining the ILTEC system and the organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, for example.Due to the removal of the explosion risk, much higher safety standards can be achieved, particularly in critical areas such as tap-holes"

Jan 1, 2014

By M. M. Hajdasinski

The internal rate of return (IRR) is one of the most popular project evaluation criteria in the mineral industry, as well as in other industrial sectors. Analysis of its assumptions reveals, however, that this criterion does not function in the way it is supposed to. The search for a new criterion that would reflect the true rate of return (TRR) of an investment project or the true borrowing rate (TBR) of a borrowing project has led to the development of several approaches, yielding, for the same project, generally different values of the interest rate in question. Two of those approaches have been selected as the most representative and practical. Each has been presented in two variants, and subsequently analysed. As a result, it is shown that the various approaches to the TRR/TBR are all consistent with the net present value (NPV) criterion, and that each can serve as an independent project evaluation instrument, provided its assumptions can be regarded in a given situation as realistic enough.

Jan 1, 1987

By W. P. Nel

A fuel cell is an electrochemical engine that converts the chemical energy of a fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as oxygen, directly into electricity. The emerging fuel cell industry may represent a major opportunity for the global platinum mining industry. This is because low temperature fuel cell systems use platinum group metals as catalysts. Fuel cell vehicles may become the most important driver of future platinum demand within years of their commercialization. A great number of factors impact on and drive the diffusion of fuel cell vehicle innovation. Such drivers range from energy security to environmental concerns and the technological development of fuel cells and systems. Such factors and drivers of fuel cell vehicle diffusion are combined with the generic ?body of knowledge? on ?technology forecasting? and ?diffusion of innovation? to design a framework that provides a holistic approach to the analysis of this complex enterprise. An attempt is made in this paper to address the following questions: Which types of fuel cells require platinum group metals? Which types of fuel cells will achieve dominant design status? Will fuel cell vehicles diffuse successfully? How big will the impact of successful fuel cell vehicle diffusion be on future platinum demand? How well do fuel cell vehicles compete with incumbent technologies such as spark-ignited and compression-ignited internal combustion engine-driven vehicles? How soon will oil depletion start to drive the diffusion of fuel cell vehicles? How important is hydrogen as a fuel? What impact does the inadequate hydrogen fuelling infrastructure have on fuel cell vehicle diffusion? The paper contains some initial results of a research project that has the aim of producing a schedule of future platinum demand generated from fuel cell vehicles. Keywords: diffusion of fuel cell vehicles, technology forecasting, platinum demand forecasting.

Jan 1, 2004

Many industries base their decisions on the assaying of tiny analytical sub-samples. The problem is that most of the time several sampling and sub-sampling stages are required before the laboratory provides its ultimate assays using advanced chemical and physical methods of analysis. As long as each sampling and sub-sampling stage is the object of due diligence using the Theory of Sampling it is likely that the integrity of the sought after information has not been altered and the generated database is still capable to fulfil its informative mission. Unfortunately, more often than not, unawareness of the basic properties of heterogeneous materials combined with the unawareness of stringent requirements listed in the theory of sampling, lead to the conclusion that massive discrepancies may be observed between the expensive outcome of a long chain of sampling and analytical custody, and reality. There are no areas that are more vulnerable to such misfortune than sampling and assaying for trace amounts of constituents of interest in the environment, in high purity materials, in precious metals exploration, food chain, chemicals and pharmaceutical products. Without the preventive suggestions of the theory of sampling serious difficulties may arise when making Gaussian approximations or even log-normal manipulations in the subsequent interpretations. A complementary understanding of Poisson processes injected in the theory of sampling may greatly help the practitioner understand structural sampling problems and prevent unfortunate mistakes from being repeated over and over until a crisis is reached. This paper presents an overview of the theoretical, practical and economic difficulties often vastly underestimated in the search for quantifying trace amounts of valuable or unwelcome components.

Jan 1, 2009

By E. Molobi

"Studs are rods threaded on both ends and are used as mechanical fasteners for two or more components. Stud finds usage in industries such as automotive, construction and aviation. The advantage of studs is that they allow for disassembly of components during maintenance. Studs are continuously subjected to both tensile and shear stresses, depending on the application, therefore they should be manufactured from suitable materials that are capable of withstanding all these external forces. Studs are sometimes manufactured from re-sulphurized steel due to its improved machinability; however, there is a certain limit on the amount of sulphur, above which failure may occur. Premature failure of studs has been a common problem, but failed studs are commonly replaced with new ones without conducting failure investigations. The present work investigates the premature failure of two re-sulphurized steel studs used on a rocker arm assembly and recommends alternative materials. The investigation was carried out by conducting visual examination, microstructural analysis, hardness measurements, chemical analysis and a detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation on the fracture surface.IntroductionTwo rocker arm studs used on a 16-cylinder diesel locomotive engine failed prematurely after being in service for less than 5 months. The rocker arm studs had a life-cycle of 5 years. The studs were manufactured from resulphurized steel. The paper aims to establish whether re-sulphurized steel is applicable for the manufacture of studs in the automotive industry.BackgroundLocomotives are classified as either electric or fuel-powered. Diesel locomotives are an example of fuel-powered locomotives. This type of locomotive uses a diesel engine as a means for propulsion. An engine converts chemical energy into mechanical energy required for traction. In an internal combustion engine a rocker arm is an oscillating lever that conveys radial movement from the cam lobe into linear movement to open and close poppet valves of cylinders (Husain and Sheikh, 2013). The rocker arms are secured on to the cylinder head by rocker arm studs."

Jan 1, 2016

By N. X. Feng, S. G. Zhou, X. L. Wu, J. P. Peng, Y. Z. Di

"Szaibelyite–suanite type ore is rich in magnesium oxide and boron oxide. We propose a new method to extract both metallic magnesium and valuable residues rich in boron by reduction using metallic aluminium.Thermodynamic analysis of the reactions between aluminum and MgO, Mg2B2O5, and Mg3B2O6 was carried out. The effects of CaF2 addition, temperature, mass of Al, and pellet formation pressure on the extraction of magnesium were also investigated experimentally.The results indicate that the magnesium oxide phase can be displaced from 2MgO-B2O3 and 3MgO·B2O3 by CaO in the reduction system. The reduction ratio of magnesium oxide was 38% without calcium fluoride addition, increasing to 94% with 5.1% calcium fluoride. The reduction ratio increased with increasing temperature and mass of Al. To obtain a higher reduction ratio, the reduction pellet should be formed under a reasonable pressure.IntroductionBoron and its compounds are widely used in textiles, borosilicate glass, metallurgy, fertilizers, and nuclear shielding. Boron resources are mainly found in Turkey, the USA, Russia, and China. In Liaoning, China, there are abundant szaibelyite–suanite type ores that are rich in magnesium oxide and boron oxide. Szaibelyite and suanite ores are used to produce borax by a carbon dioxide– soda process. Annually, 2 Mt of waste materials containing 3–20% B2O3 and 2–25% MgO are produced during the process. It is necessary to make use of these waste materials containing high concentrations of boron oxide and magnesium oxide to avoid environmental problems as well as for economic reasons (Ozdemir and K1pcak, 2007)"

Jan 1, 2016

By C. Norden

The purpose of this article is to show how a representative overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) measurement can be calculated for an underground coal mining bord and pillar batch process. The calculation method, the typical losses (which include planned and unplanned availability losses, coal quality losses, and process rate losses) and the underlying logic are presented and discussed. It is argued that the current traditional underground bord and pillar mining process can currently provide a maximum theoretical OEE of only 49 per cent, while a realistic benchmark target should be in the order of 37 per cent, which relates to an average of 2400 t per shift or 1.2 Mt/a. In addition, it is argued that the current bord and pillar process is the current bottleneck to further improvement past the 2400 t per shift benchmark, and that fundamental process changes will be required to eliminate this bottleneck.

Jan 1, 2012