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By L. Prosser, A. Iannacchione, G. Esterhuizen

The potential for roof falls in underground mines remains a clear and present danger for mine workers. An investigation of ground conditions in nearly 50% of the nation’s underground stone mines found that the state of roof stability is primarily determined in a limited and subjective manner. These large opening mines, with roof heights typically of 7 m or more, make physical observation difficult. Although some mines use monitoring techniques to gain additional information on roof stability, this practice is usually short-term and localized to address ground conditions in a particular section or part of the mine. A methodology to assess the risk for a roof fall is proposed in a preliminary fashion based on engineering judgment acquired from extensive underground stone mine experience and examination of related literature. The proposed method utilizes an observational technique to identify the risk of roof falls in three categories. Case study scenarios provide a realistic picture of model implementation. Providing the mine level decision maker with an accurate assessment tool to ascertain the level of risk related to ground conditions is expected to reduce mine worker injuries and fatalities. Moreover, the presences of danger can be overcome with a clear picture of quantified ground conditions.

By Robert W. Bruhn

An investigation was male of ground response to pillar retreat mining in a 1.7 meter thick seam at 108 meter depth at a site in northern West Virginia. This paper describes mining-related stress changes and movements at nine level, displacements within the overburden, ground surface subsidence and groundwater level variations. Subsidence approached 40 per cent of the nine height ad continued more than a year after mining. Water levels declined la certain deep-lying strata.

Jan 1, 1984

Jan 1, 1935

By Raymond W. Henn

The 32nd annual short course ?Grouting Fundamentals and Current Practice? was held at the Colorado School of Mines, June 13-17, 2011. The field demonstration portion of the course was conducted June 16 at Baski Inc.?s yard in Denver, CO. The full-scale field demonstration presents many types of drilling and grouting equipment in operation as well as numerous grouting methods per-formed under various field conditions. As part of the field demonstration, the class was shown the proportioning, mixing, testing and injection of various cement grout mixes into sand columns under controlled and recorded conditions. These sand column demonstrations have been conducted under controlled and measured conditions each year since 1999 as part of the short course. The sand column demonstrations were conducted prior to 1999, but with less quality control and minimal record keeping of the proportioning, mixing, testing, injection pressures and the final permeation results.

Jan 1, 2011

By Karel Verscheure

Hydrometallurgical zinc leach residue, EAF dust and other Zn-bearing by-products pose potentially serious environmental problems that threaten the sustainability of the operations. A pyrometallurgical process designed for treatment of such residues is the high-temperature submerged plasma Zn-fuming process. The successful operation of this process requires high Zn fuming rates whilst retaining vessel integrity through stable freeze-lining. A Zn-fuming model has been developed and used to systematically investigate a range of operating scenarios and to identify potential fluxing parameters such as CaO/SiO2, Fe/SiO2, MgO/feed-ratios in the input and fluxing additions of dolomite for maximum fuming rates and stable freeze-lining.

Jan 1, 2006

By N L. Turner, D J. Robinson, A J. McFarlane, N M. Chapman, L L. Kuhar, R L. Meakin, R Martin

A number of geometallurgical tests have been developed within the AMIRA P843A Geometallurgical Mapping and Mine Modelling (GeMIII) project, an interdisciplinary collaborative research project involving four research groups and over 20 global mineral companies. Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have been focusing on the development of predictive hydrometallurgical indices for the GeMIII project via rapid, small-scale, cost-effective tests and protocols for comparative ranking of attributes relevant to leach performance. One of the focus areas has been the development of a leaching scheme for determination of the mineralogical deportment of copper in a large number of samples for geometallurgical applications.Various leaching schemes have been used over the last 20 years to identify the mineralogical deportment of copper. Typically, weak sulfuric acid and cyanide are used to target copper oxides and æsecondaryÆ copper sulfide minerals, covellite, chalcocite and bornite, respectively. Residual copper is assigned to chalcopyrite and/or bornite. Adaptations of this scheme have included the use of a weak organic acid to target oxides or ferric sulfate to target secondary copper sulfides. Testing of the weak acid/cyanide scheme in the GeMIII project using head and residue QEMSCAN mineralogical data analysed with a statistically reliable comparison method indicated that the inferred mineralogical deportment from various leaches could differ markedly from the theoretical or assumed value. Based on this initial work, test development and leach tests on samples from multiple sites has resulted in the development of a scheme to target copper oxides, chalcocite, covellite, bornite and chalcopyrite. This paper presents results from leach tests conducted on a large sample suite from two pits in a Cu-Au ore deposit with results calibrated using mineral liberation analyser (MLA) mineralogical analysis. This study has assisted in the development of a protocol for determining the mineralogical deportment of copper in a large number of samples for geometallurgical applications.CITATION:Kuhar, L L, McFarlane, A J, Chapman, N M, Meakin, R L, Martin, R, Turner, N L and Robinson, D J, 2013. Calibration and testing of a geometallurgical leaching protocol for determining copper mineralogical deportment, in Proceedings The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013 , pp 177-186 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 29, 2013

By F. P. Dewey

Rich Hill is situated in the famous car-wheel iron region of Southwestern Virginia, and although it contains many iron ores, this paper will be devoted chiefly to its car-wheel ore. Geologically, Rich Hill is somewhat difficult to describe, as the strata of the region are seriously folded and contorted. It lies at the base of one of the primordial spurs of the Blue Ridge, the ore appearing as a sedimentary deposit on the limestone No. 2, sometimes showing an imperfect stratification, but generally being an

Jan 1, 1882

By Walter B. Lenhart

This paper is one of a series on milling methods and costs being. published by the Bureau of Mines. The milling practices and special problems relating to grinding, tailings disposal, and choice of a treatment process at the Cardinal mill are discussed. The property of the Cardinal Gold Mining Co. is about 18 miles southwest of the town of Bishop, Inyo County, Calif., at an altitude of approximately 8,500 feet. The camp has been designated Bishop Creek by the postal authorities. The property comprises 33 mining claims, including fractions and millsite in sections 19, 20, 29, and 30, T. 8 S., R. 31 E. These claims are located in a general way along the strike of a band of quartzite.

Jan 1, 1938

By D. C. Panigrahi

Extensive field studies have been carried out to investigate the pillar fire problems in one coal mine in India. A Thermal IR gun and a Thermovision camera have been employed for thermal scanning to assess the state of heating in selected pillars. Special sampling set-ups have been designed to collect gas samples from the holes drilled into the selected pillars and the multigas detector is used to analyse the composition of samples in situ. In order to predict the spontaneous heating in coal pillars, different gas ratios have been calculated and it has been observed that some of the established gas ratios, viz. Graham?s ratio, Young?s ratio etc. have resulted in negative values in samples containing high amounts of methane. The modified gas ratios have been proposed which will be useful for predicting the pillar fires. These ratios may also be used for assessing the condition of fires in sealed-off areas.

Jan 1, 2004

By Matveeva TN, Lunin VD, Ivanov VA

The results of theoretical and technological investigations have been presented for the application of electrochemical technology in copper-nickel flotation processing schemes. The sorbed xanthate and dithiophosphate products on chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite have been studied in distinct polarisation conditions of mineral suspensions. Optimum electrochemical pulp treatment parameters have been worked out for copper, nickel, pyrrhotite and other flotation cycles. The method has been examined in pilot plant conditions over a long period of time, technological efficiency has been evaluated corresponding to the industrial flotation process at the Norilsk plant.

Jan 1, 1993

By Ralph W. M. Lai, D. W. Fuerstenau

In aqueous solution, an oxide surface is considered to consist of positively charged surface sites, MOH, neutral surface sites MOH, and negatively charged surface sites MO-. From the mass action law, equations for the distribution of these sites have been derived in terms of the hydrogen ion concentration in solution and the point of zero charge of the oxide. Experiments on the flotation of futile were carried out with sulfonates and amines which are collectors that physisorb, and with oleate, which is a collector that chemisorbs. Flotation response was found to correlate with the site distribution model. A similar correlation was found with published data on iron oxide potation.

Jan 1, 1977

By L. K. Smith, E. M. de Kock, J. van der Walt

A unique and systematic approach for analysing alternative methods of ventilating and cooling large hot mines is presented. The important factors that have a bearing on ventilation and cooling requirements and practices, such as air flow through the mine, geographical distribution of heat loads, micro ventilation considerations etc., are dealt with. Analysis of these leads to the definitive ventilation and cooling strategies, air and water process design, detail specifications and design of associated plant and equipment.

Jan 1, 1982

Jan 1, 1987

By E. H. Cho

An acid mine drainage sludge sample containing 3.6% Mn, 0.18% Ni, 0.15% Co and 0.39% Zn was obtained from the central part of West Virginia and leached with sulfuric acid at pH 3 and at room temperature. Air was bubbled through the leach solution to precipitate the iron content from the solution at pH 4.5. The leach solution contained 258ppm Zn, 105ppm Ni, 90ppm Co and 2050ppm Mn. Three distinctive solvent extraction studies were performed to selectively extract these metal ions in a sequential operation with DEHPA, Cyanex 272, and then Lix 84. The AIO ratio was 1 and the extractants were diluted 10 times with kerosene. A study of solvent extraction with DEHPA showed that Zn could be extracted without Ni or Co up to pH 2.75. A pH of 2.75 is considered to be the optimum pH to maximize the selective separation of Zn from Mn. The separation factor of Co over manganese suggests that the two metal ions be extracted together by Cyanex 272. The separation factor of Co over Ni indicates that these two metal ions can be separated most effectively around pH 5.3. Also, Ni can be effectively extracted by Lix 84 above pH 5.5.

Jan 1, 1993

By G. Gutzeit

METAL-ORGANIC INNER COMPLEXES AN inner complex is a cyclic chemical structure containing an inorganic cation that is bound simultaneously to several atoms in a single organic molecule; on the one hand by means of ordinary valence bonds (electron exchange), on the other hand through the action of the electric field thus created, which satisfies the so-called secondary valences. The relative positions of the salt-forming and complex-forming groups are such that most frequently a four, five, or six-membered ring results through this double attachment of the cation.1-6 The formation of inner-complex ring systems depends not only upon the nature and suitable position of the salt-forming and complex-forming groups for ring closure, but, to a great extent, also on the nature of the metallic cation entering the reaction. This selective character of chelate-forming organic compounds is one of their most interesting and most valuable properties. As a matter of fact, the largest number of their practical applications is based upon their specificity. 4,1-13 Once a chelate compound is formed, its character is definitely "organic" in nature. In other words, its properties are conditioned to a much larger degree by the carbon chains or rings than by the metallic atom. Many inner complexes are soluble in nonpolar solvents such as benzene, paraffin oil or carbon tetrachloride, while the chelate-forming reagent before closure of the metal-organic ring is water soluble. (Example: copper complex of salicyl-aldoxime.) It is obvious that such particular properties as those indicated above can be utilized whenever specificity and practically complete binding of inorganic ions into an undissociable complex are required. One of the well-known applications of chelate-forming compounds has been the development of specific reagents in analytical chemistry,, creation of the spot-test method,4,14-16 and the application of the same principles to the contact print method for determining minerals.17 CHELATE-FORMING COMPOUNDS AS COLLECTORS In the field of flotation, where selectivity is often a quality of paramount importance for the collector, various workers have lately attempted to apply their knowledge of specific organic analytical reagents to this purpose. A. C. Vivian18 has concentrated cassiterite by using ammonium nitrosophenylhydroxylamine (Cupferron) C6H5NO(=NONH4). Holman19 has tested dimethylglyoxime for the flotation of nickel oxide minerals, while deWitt has shown in a series of systematic experiments that alpha-dioximes were generally selective collectors for nickel ores. Taurin NH2(CH2)2SO3H has been proposed for the concentration of oxidized lead ores.19 Diphenylthiocarbazone

Jan 1, 1946

By K. B. McTaggart, G. Owusu, P. J. Merrin

"This study was conducted at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting's zinc electrowinning tankhouse to determine the effects of varying levels of antimony and continuous gelatin addition on current efficiency. The levels of antimony and gelatin were varied from 0.012 to 0.030 mg/l and 0 to 10 mg/ll2 • 31 respectively, based on neutral ZnS04 electrolyte. A non-linear mathematical model relating current efficiency with antimony and gelatin was produced. The optimum operating point for gelatin was 6.5 mg/l. On the other hand the current efficiency increased with decreasing antimony levels. An interaction term between gelatin and antimony is present but is not significant enough to improve the ability of the tankhouse to handle purification upsets in antimony. Individually, the current efficiency was linear (decreasing) with antimony, and parabolic with gelatin concentration. However, at low antimony concentrations stripping of the cathode sheet was difficult. IntroductionThe zinc electrowinning tankhouse at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting was designed in the 1930's and consists of 120 rows with each row containing ten cells. This system cascades acid from cell to cell In a row, with neutral zinc sulphate solution added to each cell through manually controlled spigots. Animal glue additions are made manually three times per day by operations personnel. The problem with this type of cell design and operation is that feed solution flows and composition can vary from cell to cell and from row to row due to the large number of manual control points. A new system which reduces the number of manual control points was designed and tested to determine if improvement in control of cell conditions would affect current efficiency. This system mixes spent acid, neutral ZnS04 electrolyte and reagents (gelatin, antimony and strontium carbonate) in a separate mix tank, ensuring that all cells receive a uniform feed solution. Gelatin was used in the test system instead of animal glue (which is presently used) because of the poor solubility and supply of industrial animal glue. The study reported here is the first in a series of experiments designed to justify the need to modify the present cascading cell feed system (Figure 1) to the proposed feed system (figure 2)."

Jan 1, 1997

By V. A. Marple, K. L. Rubow

"IntroductionA particle dispersion system has been developed to aerosolize bulk powders or material deposited on surfaces such as filters. The size distribution of the aerosolized particles can then be obtained by sampling the particles with an aerosol sizing instrument such as a TSI aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) or a cascade impactor.Of particular interest is the applicability of using this technique to obtain the size distribution of particles collected on filters. This system has been used to determine the size distribution of coal dust particle collected on membrane filters. The use of this device in this application is quite intriguing in that, if this technique can be shown to accurately determine the size distribution of airborne particles, one can easily collect particle samples using either personal or area particle samplers, determine the mass concentration of the collected material through gravimetric techniques and then use the particle dispersion system coupled with the APS to determine the particle size distribution. With this technique one can determine the particle size of dust in environments, such as underground mines, where it would be inconvenient or impossible to use a particle sizing instrument.Particle Dispersion SystemA prototype particle dispersion system has been developed for aerosolizing particles. A schematic diagram of the system is shown in Figure 1. The system consists of mechanism for advancing the particle sample beneath a dust pickup tube, a venturi for deagglomerating the particles, and a instrument for analyzing the aerosolized particulate matter.The procedure to analyze a particle sample is as follows. The particles to be aerosolized are placed on a sample plate from where the particles are picked up by an air stream flowing upward in a small capillary tube (dust pickup tube). This tube operates as a small vacuum cleaner passing over the sample plate. The air is drawn up the capillary tube at a rate of 2 L/m by a venturi aspirator. This is accomplished by placing the outlet of the capillary tube near the throat of the venturi. The accelerated velocity of the air creates a low pressure in this region which draws flow up the capillary tube. From the outlet of the capillary tube particles are transported to the inlet of the APS where a small fraction are sampled and the aerodynamic diameter of the particles determined. The particles which are not measured by the APS are passed into a HEPA filter."

Mar 1, 1989

Jan 1, 1968

By A. René Silva

The separation of Fe(III) from simulated Ni(II) solutions using different ion exchange resins was studied. The resins tested included cation exchangers with sulfonic and carboxylic groups and chelating resins with iminodiacetic, aminophosphonic, and mixed sulfonic and phosphonic groups. The dosage of resins was varied from 0.1 to 0.5 g/mL to study the impact of resin type and dosage on iron separation from simulated nickel leach solution containing 25 g/L Ni(II) and 25 g/L Fe(III) at pH 1.5. Also, the effects of different metal ion concentrations, Fe (III):Ni(II) ratios in solution, pH, and adsorption times were investigated. Experimental results demonstrate that all the chelating resins selected favored the adsorption of Fe(III) over Ni(II) with high Fe(III) loading. Soft cation exchange resins also favored the adsorption of Fe(III) over Ni(II), but no significant Fe(III) loading was observed. In contrast, strong cation exchange resins did not show adsorption preferences. The most efficient separation was observed using resin with aminophosphonic groups at resin dosage of 0.2 g/mL, having a Fe(III) adsorption over 94% and Ni(II) adsorption below 5%.

By W. V. Green

Creep of tantalum was measured at temperatures from 0.6 to 0.89 of the absolute melting temperature. The creep curves include first, second, and third stages. Steady-state creep rate depends on the fourth power of stress. The activation energy for creep throughout this temperature range is approximately 114 kcal per mole, measured by the aT technique. Subgrain formation occurs as a result of creep strain, and pile-up dislocation arrays are observed in etch-pit patterns. BECAUSE of its high melting point-which is exceeded only by those of rhenium and tungsten—and its high room-temperature ductility compared to most of the other high-melting-point metals, tantalum will undoubtedly be utilized in an increasing number of high-temperature applications. Alloying studies directed toward increased high-temperature strength must use data on tantalum itself as a base line in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the alloying additions. However, to date, no systematic study of creep of tantalum at temperatures above one-half of its melting point has been reported in the literature. Conway, Salyards, McCullough, and Flagella1 have measured linear creep rate of tantalum sheet as a function of stress, but at only one temperature, 2600°C. This paper describes a relatively thorough study of the high-temperature creep of tantalum. METHOD Material Tested. The commercially supplied, l/2-innch-diameter tantalum rod used for this work was electron-beam-melted, cold-forged, rolled, swaged, cleaned chemically, and vacuum-annealed for 1 hr at 1000°C, all by its manufacturer. The vendor's analysis included 60 to 170 ppm C, 3.4 to 4.2 ppm H, 60 to 80 ppm 0, 15 ppm N, and a hardness ranging from 66 to 81 Bhn and averaging 76 Bhn. Creep eimens Used. Two creep-tested specimens are shown in Fig. 1. The 1/4 in.-diameter gage section was 3/4 to 1 in. long, and terminated either at shoulders 5 mils high or at 20-mil-diameter tantalum wires spot-welded to the circumference of the gage section. Both kinds of shoulders served equally well as fiducial marks for optical strain measurements. The spot welding did not alter the creep behavior in any detectable way; the 5-mil- high sharp shoulders did not result in any detectable localized effect on the strain. Before testing, each tensile bar was first mechanically polished -id then electrochemically polished according to the method referred to by Forgeng2 as the "Thompson Ramo Woolridge" method, which was suitable for tantalum after small adjustments of technique were made. Two tensile bars tested at low stresses had 1/8-in.-diameter gage sections and utilized only the weight of the bottom grip for the applied load. Although these diameters were smaller than were desired for other reasons, applied loads were known with high precision in the tests in which they were used. Testing Procedure. Two different constant-load creep-testing machines were employed, one of which has been described by Smith, Olson, and Brown.3 In both, the tensile bar is held vertically on the axis of a cylindrical tungsten tube or screen heater by threaded tungsten grips. The tensile bars and associated grips are heated by radiation from the incandescent heaters, which are heated by their own electrical resistance. Both testing machines use pins to hold the bottom grips in place. The load is applied to a tensile bar through hanging weights, a constant force-multiplication lever, a pull rod sealed to the chamber lid, and a top grip threaded to the pull rod at one end and to the tensile bar at the other. In one machine, the vacuum seal is a bellows with a low spring constant; in the other, the seal involves a rotating "0 ring". With the latter, rotation is converted to translation with a crank shaft, so that elongation of the tensile bar is accommodated with no change of tensile load. The incandescent tensile bar is viewed by an external optical system through slots in the radiation shields and heater, and an enlarged image is projected on a ground-glass screen. Gage-length measurements are made on this image with cathetometers on traveling microscopes. With regard to creep-test results, the two machines were identical. Thorium oxide coatings were applied to the threaded ends of the tensile bars, to prevent diffusion welding of the tensile bars to the grips during testing. Specimen temperatures were measured with an L. & N. optical pyrometer which had been calibrated against a standard carbon arc, and were corrected fir window absorption by calculation from the measured spectral transmittance of the quartz observation windows. Longitudinal temperature gradients in the tensile-bar gage length and temperature drifts during testing were detectable but small, and were estimated to be 10°C or less. Accuracy of temperature measurement was confirmed by comparing the temperature measured on the surface of a special

Jan 1, 1965