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By M. J. Leeuwner

Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling is used to research the complex flow structures that exist in a hydrocyclone. By simulation of a two phase (water and air) flow system, the internal flow and multiphase interactions are investigated. The suitability of CFD modelling as a design tool is further evaluated by examining the effect of varying device dimensions. Three hydrocyclone geometries, used in previous studies, are specified. A transient simulation approach, which employs the Reynolds Stress Model as turbulence model and the Volume of Fluid model as multiphase model, is followed. Results are validated qualitatively against experimental measurements from the previous studies. Keywords: CFD modelling, hydrocyclone, Reynolds stress model, multiphase flow

Jan 1, 2008

By S. Lubbe

South Africa and Australia are the biggest suppliers of zircon sand to the international zirconium industry. However neither South Africa nor Australia is well known for zircon beneficiation. Geratech Zirconium Beneficiation Ltd (GZB) continued with additional research on sodium hydroxide (NaOH) cracking of zircon sand during 2002-2003. In 2003 GZB started extracting zirconium from zircon sand by means of NaOH cracking on a commercial scale. Experience has shown that temperature profile and atmospheric control inside the furnace is crucial for the beneficiation of zircon sand. Silica carryover to zirconium chemicals could result if a high temperature is used. Once the sodium silicate is extracted from the sodium zirconate and dissolved in hydrochloric acid, two distinct routes can be followed to precipitate various zirconium chemicals. The most common route is to precipitate zirconium oxychloride crystals (ZOC), with subsequent purification from all contaminants (crystal route). Less known is the process (liquid route) that involves the direct precipitation of zirconium basic sulphate (ZBS). This route will yield a less pure product, with contaminants such as silica and titanium. An important factor in this route is the prevention of silica gel formation, which could hamper final product filtration. For applications like paint drying (zirconium octoate) or antiperspirants (zirconium hydroxychloride) low levels of contaminants have no effect on the final product. The advantage of the liquid route is fewer production stages compared to the crystal route. The disadvantage of the liquid route is that the market for the products will be significantly smaller. The optimum solution could be a plant design that could cater for both routes. Another example of an application of zirconium chemicals is the use of ammonium zirconium carbonate (AZC) in the paper industry. Zirconium basic carbonate (ZBC) is dissolved in ammonium carbonate to produce AZC solution. AZC is used mainly in European countries in the paper industry. For example, carton boxes were initially produced with formaldehyde as the binder, however, it has now been replaced with AZC since formaldehyde is considered toxic. AZC reacts with the cellulose fibres in the paper to act as the binder. The resulting product is not toxic, and printing ink dries very quickly due to the porous paper structure. Other applications of zirconium chemicals involve the use of acid zirconium sulphate tetrahydrate (AZST), zirconium orthosulphate (ZOS), potassium zirconium carbonate (KZC), and zirconium hydrous oxide (ZHO). Fluoride-based zirconium chemicals like zirconium tetra-fluoride (ZrF4) and hexafluoro-zirconic acid (H2ZrF6) are used in the aluminium industry. Zirconium oxide (Zr02) can be produced from any of the abovementioned precipitated chemicals via a high-temperature decomposition process. The physical properties of such oxides can differ tremendously, depending on the final application. The fired density of sanitaryware is typically 5.8 g/cm3, compared to milling media at >6.1 g/cm3. The required fired density is achieved by controlling the precipitation and decomposition conditions for these two oxides. The same applies to stabilized and mixed oxides, for example where zirconium oxide acts as an oxygen carrier in fuel cells.

Jan 1, 2012

By H. C. van Zyl

Mine water in the Upper Olifants River Catchment in Mpumalanga(upstream of Loskop Dam) is at times discharged into local streams, resulting in local acidification and regional salination of surface water resources. Pollution of surface water can be prevented by collecting and treating mine water to a quality where it could be re-used without restriction (Cleanwater 2020 Initiative). Mine water in the Olifants River Catchment currently amounts to only 4,6% of the total water usage, but contributes 78,4% of the sulphate load. Limestone and lime treatment is the most cost-effective technology for neutralization and partial sulphate removal of acidic/sulphate-rich water to sulphate levels of less than 1500 mg/l due to precipitation of magnesium and removal of the associated sulphate fraction (through gypsum crystallization). Neutralized mine water of this quality may be suitable for irrigation. A number of alternative desalination treatment technologies were investigated (subsequent to gypsum crystallization pre-treatment) where treated mine water must meet more stringent quality requirements (e.g. less than 200 mg/lSO4). The capital cost of these processes varied between R4 million/(Ml/d) and R10million/(Ml/d) and the running cost between R2/m3and R5/m3. Water usage in the Upper Olifants River Catchment currently amounts to 947 Ml/d (including the power stations), and will increase to an estimated 1385 Ml/d by 2020. The additional water demand by2020 (438 Ml/d) will have to be supplied by importation from neighbouring catchments, and more efficient utilization of the local water resources, including excess mine water. Various levels of treatment are required to make mine water suitable for the following potential applications (acceptable treated water sulphate concentration shown in brackets): irrigation (2000 mg/l), coal processing plant (1000 mg/l), general industrial use (500 mg/l), discharge to public streams (500 mg/l), potable use (200 mg/l) and cooling water in power stations (20 to 40 mg/l). The following two options, or a combination thereof, can be considered for management of excess mine water in the Upper Olifants River Catchment: ?Collection and treatment of excess mine water to a quality suitable for selected urban and industrial applications (Option A) ?Collection and treatment of mine water to a quality suitable for irrigation (Option B). The estimated capital and running cost for Option A amounts to R528.5 million and R55.7 million/year, respectively, compared with R68,2 million and R11,9 million/year for Option B. It is recommended that Option B be investigated for implementation in the short to medium-term. Option B was selected due to cost benefits and the initial favourable results obtained by a joint Water Research Commission and Coal Industry initiative where mine water is used for irrigation. Option A may become feasible in the long-term to ensure maximum environ-mental protection and reduced treatment cost as a result of anticipated technological improvements over the next 5 to 10 years.

Jan 1, 2001

By M. Tangstad, D. Lu, G. Tranell, S. Gaal, J. Safarian

The kinetics of MnO reduction from high carbon ferromanganese slag was investigated using a sessile drop technique at 1600 ºC. The effects of reductant type, ambient atmosphere and slag composition on the MnO reduction were illuminated. Two different types of industrial reductants (ground to a particle size of 44 to 106micron and pressed to pellets) were used as substrates for small slag droplets of varying composition, which were reacted in a CO or Ar atmosphere with the reaction studied in-situ. The cross sections of the reacted slag-carbon samples were subsequently studied by EPMA to find the extent of MnO reduction as a function of reaction time. It was found that the rate of MnO reduction is affected by both the type of reductant, the ambient atmosphere and the presence of metallic components in the slag. Higher reduction rates were obtained for charcoal than for coke as reductant while a CO atmosphere unexpectedly yielded faster MnO reduction than an Ar atmosphere. It was also found that metal prills in the initial slag will increase the rate ofMnO reduction.

Jan 1, 2007

By A. K. Singh

Between the main fan and the coalface in a mine a lot of air is lost through leakage at stoppings, doors, air-crossing etc. so that a much larger quantity of air has to be circulated by the fan in order that the stipulated quantity of air reaches the face. Stoppings are of vital importance not only for effective ventilation of underground mines but also for isolation of areas affected by fire or susceptible to spontaneous heating. Generally, isolation stoppings are made of brick in cement mortar. If the area is far from the pit or unapproachable, it is very difficult and sometimes impossible to build these stoppings. To overcome these difficulties, particularly near fire affected zones, an alternate successful attempt was made in Indian mines to make a plug underground, from surface through borehole, using cement concrete. In this paper the salient features of the methodology adopted for construction of the plug and the experimental procedure for the measurement of air leakage by SF6 tracer gas is described. Measurements of air leakage through rows of ventilation stoppings in two mines viz. Moira (Jambad and Kajora seams) and Kuardi11/12 (Niga seam) collieries of Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (ECL) have been incorporated. Results of experiments conducted at the Central Mining Research Institute (C.M.R.I) to determine leakage through25 and 38 cm thick brick stoppings are also discussed. Results of all these studies are compared, which show that the efficacy and reliability of the remote filled cement concrete plug in respect of air permeability is satisfactory.

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 along 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 lognormal 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, 2010

By V. Arslan

In this study, effects of the inert constituents, such as ash, and the effect of blending coals with differing rank and composition on the plasticity of coal blends were investigated. The reference coal originated from the Zonguldak region, in the north-west part of Turkey. Firstly, the effect of coal ash on the plasticity of Zonguldak coal was determined. Secondly, the relationship between the plastic properties of the individual coals and those of the blended coals were identified. Some important relations were found, related to the characteristics of the individual coals. Ultimately, the manner in which the plasticity of Zonguldak coal was affected by blending with low volatile coals was investigated. Keywords: coal blending, coal plasticity, coke, fluidity, rank.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. D. Budeba

Determining the efficiency of a surface coal mine operation is an essential activity, which can help in deciding on the optimal use of input resources, including effective capital allocation, in generating a desired quantity of coal of a specific quality. Mines operate today in challenging conditions, with diminishing reserves of high-quality coal, remote location of new coal deposits, infrastructure problems, environmental legislation, and the effects of climate. All these have an impact on the performance of a mine. Given such challenges, a company has to be technically efficient compared to other existing coal producers in order to generate profits. It can use the measurement of its efficiency to evaluate its productivity, benchmarking this against the best-performing mines and determining optimal variables in order to minimize slack and achieve the desired outputs. This paper discusses the use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in evaluating the efficiency of a surface coal mine supply chain for the coal export market. The supply chain is considered to be composed of subprocesses that are modelled as a multistage system. Numeric examples will be used to illustrate the application of DEA.

Jan 1, 2014

By S. Asokan, CVGK Murty, R. Upadhyay

The principal mineral sources of titanium are rutile, anatase (both TiO2), ilmenite (FeTiO3) and leucoxene (a weathered ilmenite of variable concentration of TiO2 but similar to pseudorutile Fe2Ti3O9). These titaniferous minerals along with their value added products like Synthetic Rutile and TiO2 slag constitute ?Titanium Feed-stocks? for TiO2 pigment, Ti metal and welding electrodes industries. Unlike in other industries, the demand driver for titanium minerals is not the metal, but the TiO2 pigment ?a specialty chemical. Of the total titanium feedstocks usage in the world, about 93 % is consumed in TiO2pigment, with only about 3 % is utilized in metal production. India?s heavy mineral sands resources are among the largest and also one of the richest grades in the world. The country?s Ilmenite resource base stands at 348 million tonnes of Ilmenite (18% of the total world reserves)along with 18 million tonnes of Rutile, 21 million tonnes of Zircon, 8 million tonnes of Monazite, 107 million tonnes of Garnet and 107 million tonnes of Sillimanite. Though the grades (Total Heavy Minerals (THM) present in the sand) of Indian deposits are relatively rich, the contained ilmenite are termed as sulphate grade with 50-53% TiO2 (Chavra deposit of Kerala and Ratangiri deposit of Maharastra are an exception with 60% of TiO2). While superior grades with adequate reserves lead to a cost advantage in ilmenite production, the lower TiO2 percentage allows the direct use of Indian ilmenite only in the production of TiO2 pigment through sulphate route and for the chloride pigment production; such ilmenite is required to be upgraded either to Synthetic Rutile (SR) or TiO2 slag. However, in order to produce TiO2 slag in India at a globally competitive cost, the issues like high power tariff, inadequate infrastructure, expensive logistics, less enthusiastic market preferences, supply-demand gaps are to be adequately addressed. This paper deals with some of the above issues and possible solutions thereto in production of TiO2 slag from Indian ilmenite.

Jan 1, 2007

By W. de Beer

We present aspects of one of several ongoing case studies used in the development of prediction techniques for major seismic instabilities. The current investigation centres on accelerated coseismic deformation described by the kinematics of failure and on softening, as well as the characterization of areas of interest by measures of the seismic response at such sites.

Jan 1, 1998

By K. G. Tshilombo

It should be possible to use an oxygen probe to follow iron removal during converting, if local equilibrium is established between iron in the matte and the iron oxides in the fayalitic slag. The oxygen activity is expected to increase strongly as the iron content of the matte decreases (and the iron activity in the matte drops) while the iron oxide activity in the slag remains constant. To test this idea, oxygen activities were measured in synthetic mattes (made up of mixtures of Cu2S, FeS and Ni3S2) when in contact with silica saturated SiO2-FeO slags, and silica and (initially) magnetite saturated SiO2-FeO-Fe3O4slags. The measurements were performed on laboratory scale at 1250°C, using an oxygen probe consisting of an MgO-stabilized zirconia electrolyte and Fe/FeO reference, and containing the sample in a silica crucible. Electrical contact to the matte was by means of a platinum wire. The measured oxygen activity was sensitive to the iron content of the matte, and insensitive to the composition of the gas atmosphere over the melt. The measured oxygen activity was generally close to that predicted by Fact Sage calculations. This indicates that such oxygen activity measurements could be useful to monitor iron removal during converting of nickel-copper-iron mattes.

Jan 1, 2007

Common practice in mineral resource estimation consists of partitioning the orebody into several domains defined by grade intervals, prior to the geostatistical modelling and estimation/simulation at unsampled locations. This paper shows the pitfalls of grade domaining through a case study in which we compare the performance of several estimation schemes and demonstrate that the use of domains defined by grade cut-offs implies a deterioration of the resource estimates, mainly in what refers to precision and conditional bias. Then, several conceptual limitations of the grade domaining approach are stressed, in particular the fact that it does not account for the spatial dependency between adjacent domains and for the uncertainty in the domain boundaries. Also, this approach is shown to be sensitive to the cut-offs that define the domains, to provoke artifacts in the kriging maps, histograms and scatter grams between true and estimated grades, and to lower the kriging variance, a feature that may impact the mineral resource classification. An alternative approach is finally proposed to overcome these limitations, based on a stochastic modelling of the grade domains and a co-kriging of the grades using information from all the domains. Keywords: geostatistics, kriging, conditional bias, geological control, grade zoning.

Jan 1, 2005

By S. Parada, P. T. Jones, M. Guo, S. Smets

The corrosion behaviour of a high-quality rebonded magnesia-chromite refractory in contact with a vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) slag with high Al2O3content (15?20 mass per cent) is investigated under VOD process conditions by rotating finger tests in a vacuum induction furnace. The refractory degradation mechanisms are studied by the characterization of corroded microstructures using scanning electron microscopy, equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The influence on the refractory wear of the process temperature and the Al2O3content in the slag is discussed. Keywords: corrosion, magnesia-chromite refractory, VOD slags, vacuum induction furnace

Jan 1, 2004

By C. Sawmliana

Deep-hole blasting operations in opencast mines are always associated with some annoyance to the surrounding areas in terms of ground vibration, noise, flyrock, etc. These become more severe when underground mines run parallel to them. Blasting in opencast mines may pose danger to the underground mines in terms of roof/side failures, damage of water dams, isolation/ventilation stoppings and other underground installations. The paper discusses a case study in India on the impact of deep-hole blasting in Ramagundam Opencast Project ? III on the stability of various water dams of GDK-6B Incline coal mine operating in close proximity. The stability of underground water dams of GDK-6B Incline mine was endangered due to deep-hole blasting at OCP-III. There were 15 water dams in seam 3 and 16 dams in seam 4 of the underground mine. The physical strength tests using a Schmidt Hammer instrument were carried out in all the 15 water dams of No. 3 seam and 16 water dams of No. 4 seam. The test revealed that there is a decrease in compressive strength values of three dams of seam 3, namely 6A, 6B and 7. Theose three dams were also directly connected to the water source. Water seepage was also observed from the surfaces of the three dams. However, they were found to be stable in accordance with their design parameters and damage point of view while considering a threshold value of ground vibration as 25 mm/s. It was found that the value of tensile stress generated by a vibration of 25 mm/s was much lower (i.e. 0.171N/mm2) than the tensile strength of the two weakest concrete dams (1.85 N/mm2). Ten experimental blasts were conducted at different working benches of the opencast mine and the ground vibration data were recorded in roof and pillars near various underground water dams. The maximum value of vibration data recorded was 5.9 mm/s in roof near dam no. 1 in seam 3 with the dominant peak frequency of 22 Hz. No adverse effect on either of the dams was observed after that blast. During the period of study, no deterioration/adverse impact was found in any dam of the mine. Based on the results of the study and the analyses of the data, optimized blast design parameters and explosives weight per delay were suggested for the opencast mine to maintain the safety of the underground water dams. Keywords: Opencast blasting, damage, water dams, underground mine, ground vibration

Jan 1, 2009

By F. Habashi

The first documentary evidence for the use of fire to extract a metal was furnished by the wall paintings of the ancient Egyptians showing workers using the blowpipe and bellows to increase the temperature to melt gold in a crucible. Furnaces grew in size and complexity, coke replaced charcoal in the blast furnace, and the Industrial Revolution took place in England that gradually spread worldwide. More metals became known and new techniques were introduced for their extraction. Among these, metallothermic reactions became prominent in the nineteenth century immediately after the discovery of the electric current and its use to liberate the alkali metals from their salts. Once these metals became available, they were used to produce aluminium from alumina that resisted all other methods of attack. Aluminium, now available on a large scale, was used to decompose the most stable compounds and liberate more metals that became the basis of modern civilization.

Jan 1, 2004

By C. J. Badenhorst

The scope of this project was to research, develop and eventually produce a personal occupational hygiene and safety exposure monitor system to assist in recording and analysing various stress factors that could affect the health, wellness and safety of employees, i.e. that could result in injury or ill health of workers, create stress build-up within individual workers that could negatively affect worker alertness and safety, and, may even result in permanent disability or death. Utilized systems at the time were all reactive, whereas the DOHEMS (Proactive Digital Occupational Hygiene and Safety Exposure Monitoring) System enabled the measurement of exposure (and associated risk) in a proactive manner via real-time exposure and digitized recordings. The idea of the development was to create a unit that is so cost effective, small and light that every worker can use a system on a daily basis. The development will eventually replace current, bulky and expensive monitoring equipment. The device must be a portable battery operated device and monitor the immediate working environment by periodic sampling for vibration, noise, toxic gasses (NO/NOX/CO/VOC, etc.), body temperature and heart rate. The samples must be time and date stamped, utilizing a real-time clock (RTC) synchronized with the closest regional secondary time source and related to synchronized real-time video captured samples. These samples are then recorded onto a rugged non volatile storage device with the capacity to store a vast number of samples covering the entire working shift of eight (8) hours plus. The system has been fitted with a clear visual local alarm indication system, indicating any excessive exposures or stresses, for the worker?s supervisor to respond to. This system allows for a pro-active approach. The system is also a wireless system (to the external environment) so as to not affect the mobility of an employee and flameproof to allow for use in explosive environments. Keywords: safety, digital, exposure, monitoring, proactive.

Jan 1, 2010

By R. Abela

Heavy mineral sands are usually beneficiated in a spiral concentrator circuit prior to separation of heavy minerals into streams of zircon, rutile and ilmenite. The performance of the spiral concentrators is heavily affected by the presence of slimes in the rougher feed. The paper quantifies the effect of slimes content and discusses the beneficial effect of spiral feed de-sliming. The net effect of inefficient slimes removal can cause significant recovery losses of the heavy minerals present in the feed.

Jan 1, 2003

By N. Sahay

Open fire in coal mines is one of the most serious threats to miners, as well as to the mine. Open fire can often be effectively dealt with by prompt local action, otherwise it very quickly becomes uncontrollable. In one incident, none of the available open fire control technologies, viz., water deluge and sprinkler systems, high-expansion foam, high-pressure high-stability nitrogen foam, water misting, and ventilation and pressure control techniques, were effective for saving the mine without sealing from surface, since the fuel-rich environment prohibited underground access due to the methane explosion hazard. The authors have developed a methodology for dealing with advancedstage open fires underground by the application of a modified ventilation control technique. It is based primarily on a better understanding of the behaviour of open fires, proper diagnosis of the problem, application of judicious ventilation control techniques, and selection of suitable fire indices for assessing the status of an open fire. This methodology was used to successfully control an open fire in Surakachhar 3 and 4 incline mine Surakachhar, central India. The fire area was sealed underground and production subsequently resumed in record time. The paper discusses the behaviour of open fires, particulars of the mine, diagnosis of the problem, experimentation methods, and the results obtained.

Jan 1, 2014

By I. Ocak

The modulus of elasticity of rock material (Ei) is an important rock property that is used as an input parameter in the design stage of engineering projects such as dam and tunnel constructions, mining excavations, and so forth. However, determination of the modulus of elasticity is sometimes difficult to obtain by laboratory tests because high-quality cores are required. For this reason, empirical methods for predicting the modulus of elasticity of rock material have been popular research topics in recently published literature. In this study, the relationships between the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), unit weight (?) and modulus of elasticity for different types of rocks were analysed by using 177 data obtained from laboratory tests carried out on cores obtained from drill holes within the area of the Kadiköy-Kartal Metro line (Istanbul, Turkey). Keywords: Kadikoy?Kartal Metro, uniaxial compressive strength, unit weight, estimating the modulus of elasticity.

Jan 1, 2008

By K. S. Liddell, L. A. Smith

"Kell is a hydrometallurgical treatment option for the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs), gold, silver, and base metals from flotation concentrates to refined products on site. The process is cyanidefree, while eliminating emissions of sulphur dioxide, arsenic trioxide, and other toxic species often emitted by smelters and roasters. Kell has been tested on a range of concentrates, including PGMs (UG2, Merensky, Platreef, Great Dyke, Great Lakes, Lake Superior and others), refractory gold-silver, coppergold, and polymetallic concentrates. High extraction efficiencies (>95%) are achieved for value metals (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au, Ag, Ni, Cu, Co) and secondary metals (Sb, Zn, Pb, and others). Studies comparing Kell with smelter-refining show economic benefits: capex 18–33% of smelting; opex 51–66%; electricity consumption 13–46%; and environmental benefits: greenhouse gas emissions 57–61% of smelting, acidification 5–27%, human toxicity 37–62%, and freshwater ecotoxicity 43–55% of smelting. Synergies for Kell plants alongside smelter-refineries include utilization of recovered acid from sulphur abatement systems and excess capacity in precious metal refineries. Kell is unconstrained by concentrate grade and impurities, allowing the co-location of Kell plants for treatment of non-smeltable concentrates alongside existing smelters.Kell has been demonstrated in a nine-week integrated pilot campaign at 1:1000 scale, supporting a bankable feasibility study for a 110 000 t/a plant treating a UG2-Merensky concentrate at Pilanesberg Platinum Mine (PPM), owned by Sedibelo Platinum Ltd, which has along with South African Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), invested in Kell. Zimbabwean Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with KellTech for a centralized PGM concentrate processing plant."

Jun 1, 2019