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By J. E. Dutrizac

Canada is currently the world's largest supplier of zinc concentrates and is also a major producer of zinc metal. This dominant position in the world's zinc market is a fairly recent circumstance and, in fact, the country's zinc industry was founded only in the early part of the twentieth century. By contrast, the American zinc industry was well established by the mid-nineteenth century, largely based on technology originally imported from the still older European practice. Initial attempts to create a viable Canadian zinc smelter were based on the traditional practice and were unsuccessful; success came only with new electrolytic technology, much of which was developed domestically. The purpose of this paper is to outline the early attempts to produce metallic zinc in Canada and to trace the gradual development of these first efforts into a viable zinc industry based on modern science and technology.

Jan 1, 1999

By Michael Jerome Wallace

"This paper refers to the wet open circuit ball mil ls in operation at Sidbec-Normines'5 pelletizing plant at Port-Cartier, Quebec, which commenced operations in late November· 1977. Prior to detailing our experiences in the grinding area at Port-Cartier, a general description of the total Sidbec-Normines project is outlined.HI STORYSidbec-Normines was incorporated in 1976 to develop the Fire-Lake - Port-Cartier iron ore mining, concentrating and pelletizing project. The primary objective of Sidbec-Normines is to produce 6mi11 ion tons per year of oxide pellets, of which 3 mi 11 ion tons per year are of a low silica grade suitable for direct reduction purposes. The participants in the project are Sidbec, the Quebec Government steel producer, British Steel Corporation (lnt'l) and the Quebec Cartier Mining Company. Equity interest is held in the company by the participants in the proportions of 50.1%, 41.6:7% and 8.23%, respectively."

Jan 1, 1979

By Z. D. Hora

Sedimentary phosphate-bearing rocks are found over a considerable area of so utheastern British Columbia that extends from Fernie east to the Alberta-British Columbia boundary and from the International Boundary northward to the headwatei: s of the Elk River. Phosphatic beds occur at the following four stratigraphic levels: 1. lower part of the Banff-Exshaw sequence of Mississippian age; 2. lshbel Formation of Permian age; 3. base of the Fernie Group of Jurassic age; 4. belemnite bed within the Rock Creek Member of the lower part of the Fernie Group. To date, considerable tonnages of phosphate rock have been proven in the area. However, no commercial production has been initiated because of a relatively low P2O5 grade. Data on assays and thicknesses of the phosphatic beds are in part recalculated from the paper by Telfer (I 933) and in part from assessment reports filed at the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Jan 1, 1984

By H. A. Kishawy, S. Kannan, M. Balazinski

Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) are new generation engineering materials that possess superior physical and mechanical properties compared to nonreinforced alloys. However, the presence of abrasive ceramic reinforcements in the ductile matrix causes severe tool wear and premature tool failure. Flank wear was found to be the dominant wear mode while the main wear mechanism was abrasion. Analysis of the cutting tools using scanning electron microscopy has shown that both two body and three body abrasion are operational during machining MMCs. A methodology for predicting the tool flank wear progression during bar turning ofMMCs was presented in an earlier paper [1]. In the proposed model, the wear volume due to two body and three body abrasion mechanisms was formulated. Then, the flank wear rate was quantified by considering the tool geometry in 3D turning. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the contribution of two body and three body abrasion towards the tool wear volume during cutting MMCs.

Jan 1, 2006

By Ma Yuxin, Niu Fusheng, Yuan Zhitao, Bai Limei, Han Yuexin

"Using batch flotation experiment, contact angle measurement, particle size analysis, and scanning electron microscope (SEM), the influence and difference of pH value on the flotation rate of talc and chalcopyrite were investigate without collector at the pH range of 3~11. The results showed that, the flotation rate of talc decrease with the increasing of flotation time, while that of chalcopyrite hardly affect by flotation time, besides, the flotation rate of chalcopyrite is much less than that of talc, so the laws of flotation rate of the two minerals are independent of pH value. The flotation test data of two minerals are simulated with first order and multi-rate flotation kinetic model respectively. The simulation results showed that flotation of talc only meet the first order kinetic model, while chalcopyrite’s meet the both. In addition, According to test results of talc and chalcopyrite by the particle size distribution, SEM photographs and the contact angle measurement, the reason why talc did not conform to the first order kinetic model is not because of particle size distribution, but of particle shape. That is to say, because of sheet structure of talc, the contact angle of layers and sections are 74°and 52°respectively. At the same time, the contact angle of layers and sections are different between the particles. So flotation rates between talc particles are difference.INTRODUCTIONPossessing superior self-induced, collector-induced and sulfur-induced floatability, chalcopyrite exhibits good floatability at a wide range of pH values and potentials. Serpentine are regarded as the most difficult selected type in various chalcopyrite ore, and the predominant reason is that it contains talc. Talc, as a nonpolar layered silicate mineral, is one kind of common associated mineral in sulfide ores (Lu, 2010). Concentrate quality and flotation process of chalcopyrite are influenced as a result from the presence of talc. It is because that talc has inherent floatability which makes it readily mixed with the floated mineral and talc is easy to slime causing the slime coating of the valuable mineral (Beattie et al., 2006). Thus in order to improve the flotation effect of chalcopyrite, methods can be introduced from two respects. One method is that fast-floating talc mineral is floated preferentially, and the other is that sulfide mineral is floated prior to talc by depressing the flotation of talc mineral (Beattie et al., 2006), nevertheless, no matter with which the flotation effect of fine-sized chalcopyrite is not positive. Therefore, in order to realize the flotation separation of talc and chalcopyrite, the difference between the inherent floatability of fine-sized chalcopyrite and talc is researched and analyzed in terms of flotation dynamics in the absence of collector and frother."

Jan 1, 2016

By James H. C. Martens

Among the many interesting problems of the pre-Cambrian of the Canadian Shield is that of the origin of certain types of gneisses which are intimately associated with the granites on the one hand and with the metamorphic rocks of known sedimentary origin on the other. The observations recorded in this paper on the structure and composition of these ancient rocks found in a small part of northern Quebec may help to lead to a clearer understanding of the way in which they were formed and also constitute a contribution to the regional geology and petrography of a district for which little detailed information is available. The area considered is located near the Ashuapmuchuan, or Chamuchuan, river about 180 miles north-northwest of the city of Quebec, and therefore well within the Canadian Shield. Although most attention was devoted to the rocks along this river from the 57th to the 70th mile above its entrance into Lake St. John, a few observations on other localities to the north and northwest of that lake will be included. The field work was done in the summer of 1924 in cooperation with L. W. MacNaughton, E. S. Roberts, and B. M. Shaub, all of Cornell University. The party ascended the Ashuapmuchuan river by canoe and spent about a month near the mouth of Stacker, or Brochet, river, the outlet of the lake of the same name, returning by way of Mikoasas river. The writer wishes to express his obligation to his associates for their co-operation in the field and for their permission to publish the results. He is especially indebted to B. M. Shaub for the photographs of rock outcrops. Professor A. C. Gill g:ive many suggestions which were helpful in the laboratory study of specimens and in the preparation of this paper.

Jan 1, 1927

By E. G. Gaylord

THE material improvements which have been made in the practice of exploiting oil and gas reservoirs in the United States during recent years may be attributed largely to: (1) The necessity for drilling deeper wells at costs not much greater than was formerly expended on shallower wells. (2) The necessity for producing oil at a lower cost per barrel. (3) A growing recognition of the importance of the nature of production practice upon ultimate yield of oil and gas. The first two of these factors result, to a large extent, from the fact that a greater proportion of new development has been deeper development, and these wells have been drilled in the face of progressively lower per well allowables. In California, for instance, maximum allowables have declined from 400 barrels per day in March, 1938, to 156 barrels per day in September, 1940, and during this same period some 125 wells were drilled to the deeper 10,000-foot producing horizons discovered during this time. The third item listed above results from our increasing knowledge of the basic factors which influence the amount of recovery we may expect from reservoirs. In addition to the longer-range planning now being undertaken by the more prudent operators, State proration and conservation laws have focused attention upon the importance of methods conducive to obtaining progressively greater quantities of the hydrocarbons in place. In a paper of this length it will be possible to discuss only a few of the recent advances. An effort has been made to select the more important of these and to indicate, where possible, the factors which have made these advances possible.

Jan 1, 1941

By Phil Keele

"Manalta Coal Ltd. 's Vesta Mine will supply Alberta Power Limited's 740 MW Battle River Generating Station with 1 128 000 tonnes of sub-bituminous ""C"" coal in 1983. Mana/ta Coal Ltd. and Alberta Power Limited are in their seventh year of a 31-year coal supply agreement. With the exception of localized topographic highs where three coal seams are mined, the Vesta Mine is primarily a single-seam mining operation. Vesta's comprehensive programs of mine planning, preventative maintenance, reclamation, and employee relations make it an efficient and a well run operation. Introduction The Vesta Mine, located in east-central Alberta approximately 300 km northeast of Calgary, supplies sub-bituminous ""C"" coal to Alberta Power Limited's 740 MW Battle River Generating Station. The coal reserves and principal stripping equipment are owned by Alberta Power Limited. Manalta Coal Ltd. owns and operates the additional mining equipment and support facilities. Coal production is from a single pit, 3.5 km in length. Both single and multi-seam operations are encountered in the active pit. In 1983, production is anticipated to increase to I 128 000 tonnes from 906 000 tonnes in 1982. The additional tonnage will be achieved by operating 24 hours per day, 5 days per week. The following sections briefly highlight historical, geological and mining/reclamation aspects of the Vesta Mine. Figure I illustrates the location of the Vesta Mine in relation to the cities of Calgary and Edmonton. History Coal mining for domestic use began near the turn of the century in the Vesta Mine area. Initially, small underground room-and-pillar operations were dominant. As equipment technology advanced, surface strip mining replaced the underground methods."

Jan 1, 1985

?Bank Lending to the Mining Sector affected by 2 broad factors since Mid 2008: 1. Economic Downturn (?the Real Economy?) for mining companies directly reflected in lower metal prices (current and forecasted). In the case of gold companies, minimal effect. 2. Financial Crisis (?the Credit Crunch?) as it has affected the lending activities of those banks active in the mining sector.

May 1, 2009

By Tom Shumka

INTRODUCTION ?The Electro-Magnetic Crack Detection (EMCD) technique is an electromagnetic inspection method used for detecting and sizing surface breaking flaws. ?It works well on structural material or welds, ferrous or non-ferrous metals. ?EMCD?s rapid scanning is achieved using a hand-held probe. ?EMCD provides reliable crack detection and sizing (length and depth). Cracks can be sized accurately. ?EMCD dramatically reduces most cleaning requirements as there is no need to clean to bare metal. ?EMCD is capable of inspection through thin metallic coatings, or through non-conducting coatings up to 10mm thick. ?EMCD allows full data storage for back-up, off-line view and audit purposes.

Oct 1, 2010

By N. Saracoglu, J. P. Golightly, R. H. Wallis, J. J. Brummer

"The McClean uranium deposits are located 11 km west northwest of the Rabbit Lake Mine. Their average grade is 1.8 % U3O8 , and they contain 6. 350 tonnes of uranium oxide in seven pods of variable grade and mineral assemblage. They are hosted by both basal Athabasca Group and the regolith developed on the underlying crystalline basement. The major mineral facies are: sulphide, arsenide, 'bleached', and hematite, with the important uranium minerals being coffinite, uraninite and pitchblende. Abundances of carbon and sulphur isotopes are consistent with their derivation from pyritic graphite in basement gneisses. Isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen suggest equilibration at temperatures of about 200°C. Ar39/ Ar40 age determination of illite associated with ore suggest mineralization began about 1300 m.y. ago and that significant alteration had ceased by about 1170 m.y. ago though Pb/ U data suggest the deposits continued to evolve into the Mesozoic.IntroductionThe McClean deposits lie on the eastern side of the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan where they are part of a cluster of uranium deposits lying west of Wollaston Lake (Fig. 1). The general stratigraphy is schematically portrayed in Figure 2 which emphasizes that mineralization is hosted by both the Athabasca Group and the underlying regolith and also that the deposits are preserved at depth and have not suffered from preand post-Pleistocene weathering and erosion. This circumstance, combined with their simple shape and the presence of seven separate zones of mineralization (pods) allows a description, based on over 450 fully cored drill holes, to be made of the wide variation in chemistry, grade, alteration patterns and position relative to the sub-Athabasca Group unconformity. Ar39 / Ar40 age determinations have been made of illites associated with regolith, Athabasca Group and mineralization and studies are in progress on C, S, 0 and H isotopes of mineralized material and host rocks. Only some of these data have been published; Brummer et al., (1981); Golightly et al., (1982); Bray et al., (1982); and Saracoglu et al., (1983). The only other published data on McClean geology are by Tremblay (1982, 1983)."

Jan 1, 1986

By R. B. Anderson, N. J. Sherren

The mining equipment at the Scully Mine, Wabush, consists of approximately twenty-five large haulage units, eight large dozer-loader applications and seventy other related pieces of service and maintenance equipment. This equipment is operating in sub-Arctic conditions. This pa-per presents a description of the tire maintenance procedures in use here and discusses the tire troubles that are being encountered and the methods of dealing with them.

Jan 1, 1969

By Matej Petružálek, Tomáš Svitek, Tomáš Lokajícek

"Migmatite from the Skalka region (Czech Republic) was chosen as the experimental rock material. It has macroscopically visible plane parallel structure (foliation). The foliation was caused mainly by biotite grains arrangement. The cylindrical samples of migmatite with subhorizontal, subvertical and oblique foliation were uniaxially loaded up to the failure. Network of 8 broad band sensors was employed for acoustic emission monitoring and ultrasonic sounding. A grid search method with anisotropic velocity model was used for AE hypocenters localization. The source types of successfully localized events were determined from the average first arrival amplitude. Structural anisotropy of tested rock material caused the anisotropy of its mechanical properties (peak strength, Young’s modulus) as well as a different way of fracturing process in dependence on the angle between axial stress and foliation plane. The combination of splitting, shearing and sliding was found to control the fracturing of sample with subhorizontal foliation. The shearing and sliding was dominant in fracturing of samples with oblique foliation. With greater dip of foliation, the role of sliding increased at the expense of shearing. Due to the favorably oriented system of microcracks already present, the shearing and splitting was at the same level during fracturing of the sample with subvertical foliation before nucleation began.INTRODUCTIONThe process of failure of low porosity rocks depends on their mechanical properties and actual stress and temperature condition. At the low pressure and low temperature, the most common way is brittle failure, which is a progressive process requiring the initiation, growth and coalescence of cracks (Lockner, 1993). Stress strain behavior of low porosity crystalline rocks, during the laboratory compression experiments, is divided into four characteristic stages: crack closure, elastic region, stable crack growth and unstable crack growth which leads to the brittle failure, Brace et al. (1966) , Bieniawski (1967), Lajtai (1974), Cai et al. (2004), Nicksiar and Martin, 2012 and 2013.The fracturing process of stressed rock begins with the crack initiation (sci), which for low porosity rocks occurs approximately at 40-50% of peak strength (sp) (Cai et al., 2004; Nicksiar and Martin, 2013). After the sci, the dilatancy begins and stable crack growth follows up to the crack damage threshold (scd), which is approximately at 80% of sp (Cai et al., 2004). After crossing the crack damage level, there is an unstable crack growth accompanied with nucleation of fault plane (sn) at 97-100% of sp. (Rao et al., 2011). The stress drop accompanied with formation of macro scale shear failure plane follows after peak stress is crossed."

Jan 1, 2015

By E. D. Kindle

"The Duthie mine is on the southwest slope of Hudson Bay mountain 7 1/2 miles west of Smithers, British Columbia. A good motor road about 15 miles long connects the mine with the Canadian National railway at Smithers. The principal workings are on the Henderson group of claims between elevations of 3,200 and 4,000 feet above sea-level. Silver, lead, and zinc were produced from this mine between 1924 and 1930.Three adit drifts known as the Compressor, McPherson, and Thompson levels were driven along the Henderson vein-lode in 1922, and the following year the operating company, known as Duthie Mines, Limited, shipped some high-grade silver-lead-zinc ore. Further shipments of high-grade, handsorted ore were made in 1926, and in 1927 a modern flotation-type mill was built, having a capacity of 50 tons of ore a day. Mining operations were suspended in March 1930."

Jan 1, 1954

By R. B. Allen, B. S. W. Buffam

"The property of Chesterville Mines, Limited, is in McGarry township, Timiskaming district, Ontario, about 25 miles east of Kirkland Lake. It consists of a group of fifteen claims that extend northeast from the KerrAddison mine for a distance of 2 miles.In June, 1906, two groups of prospectors left the town of Chesterville, Ontario, to prospect in northern Ontario. Silver had been discovered 3 years before at Cobalt and the large profits of this young mining camp were the principal incentive to extending the field of exploration northward. One group consisted of Dr. Reddick, Edward Flynn, John Hummel, William Knott, and Colin Cameron. The other group comprised J. T. Kearns, Herman Hummel, W. G. Barkley, and J. Elliott.The two groups travelled north by train to Haileybury and thence to Larder lake by canoe. Camps were pitched on the northeast arm of the lake, and within a short time a discovery was made by Edward Flynn of the first party, who found gold on the property now owned by Kerr-Addison Gold Mines, Limited. Herman Hummel and J. T. Kearns shortly afterwards made the second discovery, on what is now the Chesterville property. These discoveries, made some years prior to those at Porcupine and Kirkland Lake, are believed to be the first in that part of northern Ontario.The Hummel-Kearns claims were incorporated in the following year under the name of Chesterville Larder Lake Gold Mining Company, Limited. It was not, however, until 30 years later, in 1936, following the increased premium on gold, that sufficient capital was placed in the treasury of the Company to carry out an extensive diamond drilling programme. This exploratory drilling was started early in 1937 under the direction of Leo. J. Kearns, and a large body of ore was intersected in the first drill hole. Underground work was started in 1938, a mill was built, and the first gold brick was poured on July 29th, 1939."

Jan 1, 1954

By D. Houghton

"I am very pleased to be a member on this panel today because abrasion and wear in mills has been part of my life over the past forty years. My presentation will deal with the role Ni-Hard has played in combating wear and abrasion in mills. Before Ni-Hard came along, unalloyed white iron was used in ball mills and one of the most popular types of white iron liners was the pocket liner. Slide #1 illustrates the design of the pocket liner used at Dome Mines in their 5' x 22' pebble mills. The pockets filled with grinding media and it was on this that the wear took place. The concept is not unlike the new magnetic liner which utilizes the ore and grinding media to form the wearing surface. In this slide please note the tapered pocket type of cored bolt holes. If cored bolt holes do not fill with grinding media there could be excessive grooving or wear at that area. Therefore all cored bolt holes should be tapered in this manner.Before Inco patented the name Ni-Hard several foundries were making the alloy iron under different brand names such as Diamond Alloy, Mitchelloy and Specialloy. In the early days some of the Ni-Hard was poor quality. Inco provided foundries with technical knowhow and provided assistance to licence them to sell under the name of Ni-Hard. This was in the late 1920's. The material we are discussing is Ni-Hard type I with the following analysis (slide #2). It is a martensitic white iron with BHN of 550 - 600 and is a relatively easy alloy to produce in either a cupola or electric furnace. The annual average production of Ni-Hard in North America is 90,000 tons with mill liners making up 25,000 tons and grinding media 30,000 tons, according to Warren Spear of Inco."

Jan 1, 1983

By S. Banisi, M. Pourkani, A. R. Laplante, A. Partoazar

"Canadian experience in industrial modeling of grinding, classification, and flotation kinetics was applied at the Sarcheshmeh copper mine, which processes 40,000 t/d of ore at 0.9 % Cu, in an effort to improve capacity and metallurgical performance. Mcivor's functional performance analysis was applied to ball mill cyclone circuits to maximize circuit capacity. Plitt's cyclone model was applied to predict how apex wear would affect classification performance, as part of a predictive maintenance program whereby the optimum wear period is determined for cast iron apexes. The flotation flowsheet was improved using Agar's optimization criteria. The impact of these technologies has been nothing short of spectacular, with an improved capacity of 1 S to 20""/o, and increased recoveries.1-IntroductionThe Sarcheshmeh copper ore body, which may rank as third or fourth largest in the world, contains 1 billion tonnes averaging 0.90 % copper and 0.03 % molybdenum. It is located southeast of Iran and has been processing 40,000 t/d of ore since 1982. The mine produces 100,000 tonnes of copper and 2,200 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate per year. After three stages of crushing, the ore with a Fso of 12. 7 mm is fed to 8 parallel ball mills in closed circuit with cyclones to produce a product 70""/o finer than 7 S microns. The concentrate of the first stage of flotation is reground and the tailings constitute the main component of the plant final tailings. A concentrate with an average grade of 31 % Cu is obtained after cleaning and re-cleaning stages. Total recovery of the plant varies between 83 and 87 % depending on the operating conditions and ore type.To improve the overall performance of the plant, it was first decided to evaluate the performance of grinding, classification and flotation. Measures were then taken to improve performance using the following criteria: (i) The improvements should be of the types that have resulted in significant improvements in other plants (e.g. Shannon et al, 1993); and (ii) The proposed improvements must be achievable with the manual operation presently used at Sarcheshmeh. The outcome of this study could also help in making decisions on the implementation of automatic control systems in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine."

Jan 1, 1998

By J. Zou

Open-cut method is most widely used for shallow utility lines installation. In urban areas, unexpected utility lines buried underground potentially turn open-cut construction into a highly risky operation, increasing the construction cost while presenting additional safety hazards. Examples include: breaking existing water main leads to flooding the downtown area; hitting an unexpected gas line causes an explosion. To prevent those accidents, the current practice is to stake out the underground utility lines before the open-cut construction based on the as-built information collected from various utility companies and government agencies. However, the as-built information is not always complete and accurate. To verify the locations of some important utility lines and protect them against damages caused by open-cut construction, new techniques and technologies are used but have their limitations in revealing underground utility lines, such as hydro vacuum method and ground penetration radars (GPR). The emerging technology of ultra-wide band (UWB) radar holds the potential to provide a cost-effective, non-destructive detection method. In this paper, a critical review of current practices and established methodologies is given. The functionality and working mechanism of UWB radar technologies are described. Application potential in open-cut construction is demonstrated by conducting lab experiments. Testing set-ups for detecting unexpected utility lines in soil along with preliminary results are presented. The effects of soil moisture content on the detection range are discussed. Research findings are summarized and constraints are discussed in conclusions.

Aug 1, 2013

By Nelson Hogg

"THE NOR-ACME gold mine is located close to the north shore of Snow Lake, at 54°53' north latitude and 100°03' west longitude. It is about 75 air miles east of Flin Flon, and 36 miles by road from Wekusko at Mile 81 from The Pas on the Hudson Bay Railway.The claims which contain the Nor-Acme orebodies were staked in 1927 by C. R. Parres, who, with his sons, held the ground until 1938 when Nor-Acme Mines Limited was incorporated. In 194 l, on the recommendation of F. Ebbutt (1), this property was optioned by the Howe Sound Exploration Company, Ltd. A program of 50,000 feet of diamond drilling resulted in the outlining of two orebodies containing an estimated 5,000,000 tons with an average grade of 0.15 ounces per ton to a depth of 1,000 feet.A period of inactivity during the war years was followed by the construction of a mining plant capable of treating 2,000 tons of ore per day. Milling started in March 1949, and to the end of 1954 has resulted in the production of 383,793 ounces of gold and 32,906 ounces of silver from 3,331,403 tons of ore.General GeologyThe general geology of the Snow Lake area is described by J. M. Harrison (2), and will not be discussed here except insofar as it affects the Nor-Acme orebodies. The orebodies occur in rocks of Precambrian age that have been classified by Harrison as the Snow group, comprising meta-morphosed sediments interbedded with acid and basic volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks include pyroclastic types which are unique in the region, a fact which led to their classification in the Snow group rather than the more widespread Missi group that generally occupies the same stratigraphic position above the Amisk group (Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 1949

By J. N. Van der Merwe, M. Mathey

"The development and mechanical characterization of coal-crete, a composite material generated from coal fragments and some binder material, is described in this paper. Coal debris was obtained from a colliery in South Africa. The binder used in the study basically consists of cement and water, and further ingredients are added to the mixtures, such as sand, fly ash and polymers, in order to investigate alterations of the mechanical properties of coal-crete.Results from over 220 mechanical tests on coal-cretes with various binder mixtures give consistent trends for the material’s behaviour. Linear relationships are suggested between the uniaxial compressive strength, Young’s Modulus and the indirect tensile strength of the coal-crete.It is shown that mechanical properties comparable to coal can be achieved. Coal-crete is therefore suitable for physical modelling of mining situations in experimental studies and for use as backfill in underground coal mines. The latter application is particularly attractive when refuse coal is used as aggregate material. The indicated trends in this study may be used as a guideline for individual coal-crete design needs. However, some uncertainty remains as to the influence of particle shape, size and gradation, coal rank and age of the coal-crete. These aspects are recommended for further research."

Jan 1, 2015