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By F. Dehghani

The influence of different grinding methods on the shape characteristics of magnetite particles was investigated. Also, the effect of particle shape on the flotation of the magnetite, both alone and in the presence of quartz particles, was investigated. The shape characteristics of the magnetite particles were measured and calculated from images obtained by scanning electron microscopy via an image analysis system. The flotation tests were performed using a laboratory flotation cell. Results showed that in the -250+212 µm and -106+75 µm size fractions, ball mill products have a higher elongation value than rod mill products, while in the -150+125 µm size fraction, rod mill products have a higher elongation value. Particles with higher elongation values and lower roundness values have a higher flotation kinetic constant. Furthermore, the influence of magnetite particle shape on flotation is greater, and the flotation kinetic constant is higher, in the presence of quartz particles than in the flotation of magnetite alone Keywords shape, elongation value, flotation kinetics, magnetite.

Dec 1, 2013

By Tassos Grammatikopoulos, Sarah Prout, William Mercer, C. Gunning

"The Nechalacho rare metal deposit is located in NWT, Canada. Avalon Rare Metals Inc. is now evaluating processing techniques for recovery of REE to be used in the industry. QEMSCANTM analysis coupled with whole rock, REE, Zr and Nb, and electron microprobe analyses were utilized to identify and quantify the mineralogy of the deposit, and define the REE distribution among minerals. QEMSCANTM mineralogy was performed on fifty intact drill samples using EXPLOMINTM that provided textural information for the mineralization; crushed samples were used to determine the variability of the ore and define REE domains, and composite samples to determine the liberation and association of the REE minerals. The sample matrix predominantly consists of biotite, feldspars, quartz, muscovite/clays, minor chlorite and amphibole, magnetite and hematite and carbonates. REE include in decreasing order of abundance allanite (3.6%), monazite (1.5%), synchysite (0.9%), columbite (0.9%), fergusonite (0.6%), bastnaesite (0.4%), and zircon 11.0%. The majority of the HREE are carried by fergusonite and zircon, and the LREE by monazite, allanite, synchysite and bastnaesite. QEMSCANTM mineralogical data is extremely valuable in assessing the mineralogy of the ore. The data have been implemented in defining the mineralogy of the ore body, support metallurgical test work, predict recoveries and grades, and finally calculate reserves of the deposit.INTRODUCTIONAvalon is in the unique position of owning and developing one of the world’s largest rare earth deposits in the Northwest Territories of Canada.The term Rare Earth Elements (REE) is used to describe the 15 lanthanide elements or metals and, more recently, the metals yttrium and scandium, which display similar physical and chemical properties. REE are not particularly rare and have a similar abundance in the earth’s crust to nickel, tin or tungsten. Unlike these better known metals however, the rare earths have little tendency to become concentrated into commercial ore deposits. When they do become concentrated, deposits of REEs usually display enrichment in one of two groups. The most commonly occurring deposits of REEs contain a sub-group of elements referred to as the “light rare earth elements” (LREEs), which include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium. Less commonly, deposits of REEs contain the much more valuable sub-group of elements referred to as the “heavy rare earth elements” (HREEs), which include europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium. Yttrium and scandium most commonly occur in association with this second HREE sub-group. Generally, LREEs are produced from the mineral bastnaesite, and the HREEs have been produced from the minerals xenotime and monazite. LREEs continue to be produced from bastnaesite, however in the 1980s, China started production of HREEs from unique laterite clay deposits. China now produces approximately 95% of the world’s rare earths."

Jan 1, 2011

By Kevin W. Cargill

In September 2004, Hurricanes Frances and Ivan caused the Pigeon River in western North Carolina to flood. This flooding eroded the embankment below Interstate 40 (I-40) and sent one of the eastbound lanes, along with the roadway shoulder, into the river below the embankment. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) needed to reopen all the lanes of I-40 as soon as possible and considered this damage to be an emergency situation. NCDOT contracted Schnabel Foundation Company to design and build a repair that would keep this important interstate open and reestablish the eastbound lane. The obstacles included limited work room, the requirement of keeping the remaining lanes of I-40 in service, and producing a final product that would be relatively maintenance free and last at least 100 years. The proposed repair had to consider that the existing interstate was founded on a rock fill that was constructed from rock blasted off the adjacent mountain side. The selected design included two, tied-back micropile walls to address these obstacles and other issues. Each of the walls were constructed of 10.75 inch diameter micropiles and corrosion-protected tieback anchors installed through the existing rock fill into competent bedrock, concrete wales, and a reinforced shotcrete facing. This successful project was completed during the coldest months of the year and within the timeframe established by the State of North Carolina. This paper will discuss the design and construction of the repair and the many challenges that had to be overcome.

Jan 1, 2006

By E. S. Leaver

The gold that is not recovered by a particular process is refractory to that process. A study to determine how the refractory gold is associated in the ore constituents usually indicates the needed improvement in the process or additional methods for bettering recovery. In preliminary work, segregation of the various minerals, gangue or impurities, and data showing the reactions of each in the recovery method readily confines the refractory gold to a certain part on which extensive research can be directed. In this dissecting plan, the microscope is an important aid in locating the refractory gold but should be supplemented by chemical tests.

Jan 1, 1934

By Robert B. Johnson

The refraction seismic method has been used as an indirect means of exploring for fluorspar in southern Illinois by the Illinois State Geological Survey. Use of the method has been restricted to those areas where mineralization is associated with faults, a restriction necessitated by the operating principles of the refraction method. The seismic data enable the interpreter to locate fault zones in the subsurface and, under ideal circumstances, to make estimates of dip direction and magnitude and vertical displacement provided the local stratigraphic units are known and are geophysically recognizable. In this instance, refraction seismic exploration has been successful in the surface mapping of well-developed faults, both simple and complex with which fluorspar may or may not be associated. However, less clear results have been obtained where faulting has been less severe and where there are numerous accompanying mineralized joints.

Jan 1, 1964

By Thomas C. Denton

In 1965 Africa maintained its position as a region of the world essential to advanced non-Communist nations for supply of vital metals and minerals. The position stemmed from the fact that Africa produced in large quantity a number of key minerals of which either or both resources and production capacity elsewhere did not approach the needs of the free world. The Republic of South Africa alone contributed more than three quarters of the gold mined in the entire non-Communist world besides an estimated 60 percent of metals of the platinum group and the entire new supply of amosite asbestos, and Africa as a whole was nearly the non-Communist world's only source of gem and industrial diamond. Africa also accounted for 83 percent of non-Communist world cobalt production. Besides these massive contributions, Africa in 1965 provided 50 percent or more of the new supply from non-Communist countries of the following mineral commodities: Lithium minerals, corundum, manganese ore: and chromite, and over 20 percent of new supply from non-Communist countries of columbium-tantalum concentrates, antimony, beryl, vanadium, phosphate rock, and copper. Africa also accounted for 18 percent of the non-Communist world's output of uranium, 14 percent of its tin, 11 percent of its lead, 9 percent of its zinc, and 8.9 percent of its crude oil output. With respect to chromite, at yearend Africa's reserves of the mineral were far larger than those of all other non-Communist regions combined. This probably also held true for manganese ore. In the case of crude oil, the fact that Africa's share of non-Communist world output was 1.6 percentage points greater than in 1964 was significant, particularly inasmuch as the output rate was continuing to increase at yearend.

Jan 1, 1967

By J. H. East, D. Harrington

"INTRODUCTION Considerable interest has been shown in the prospective use of Diesel-powered haulage equipment in both coal and non-coal mines. Foreign technical magazines have devoted considerable space to discussions of the use of Diesel locomotives in European mines and some mention of it has been made in technical papers in the United States. The Bureau of Mines has extensively tested the gases produced in the exhaust of the Diesel engine under various atmospheres and conditions of use; it has established a schedule of tests for permissibility of Diesel engines for use in underground coal mines, including, gassy or dusty mines.This publication provides information as to the successful use of Diesel-powered equipment underground workings in the United States and Europe, briefly discusses the characteristics of some of the toxic gases found in the exhaust of Diesel engines, and points out that Diesel-powered equipment can be used with reasonable safety in underground minus if necessary and entirely feasible precautions are taken."

Apr 1, 1947

By Warren E. Morrison

Stimulated by 4 years of continuous economic growth without inflation, demand for energy in the United States reached an alltime high in 1964. Total value of production of goods and services (gross national product--GNP) for the year was $629 billion, an increase of 6.8 percent from 1963. Allowing for price changes based on 1958 dollars, the gain in real terms was 5 percent. In 1964 the Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production stood at 132, a rise of 6.2 percent. With the impetus provided by personal income and corporate tax reductions during the year, aggregate wages, profits, and consumption reached record levels. Even the persistent balance of payments problem improved. Against this background the national consumption of commercial energy increased 4.2 percent. Energy needs continued to be met largely from domestic resources with imports, mainly crude petroleum and refined petroleum products, accounting for but 7 percent of the total. Mineral energy resources, namely gas, coal, and petroleum, contributed 96 percent of the input of energy into the economy during the year. The remaining 4 percent came from hydropower and nuclear power.

Jan 1, 1965

By H Kurth

Geoscan is used for multi-elemental analysis of conveyed bulk materials in real time. It has been used for coal analysis since the 1990s, in the cement industry, and since 2003 for measuring mineral ore quality. Geoscan-M has proven performance and demonstrated paybacks of weeks or months, in iron ore, manganese, copper, zinc-lead and phosphate industries. Geoscan-M measures continuously through the full bed depth and is unaffected by belt speed, particle size, layering and dust levels. Increments of two minutes (typically one to five minutes) are accurately measured and provide the plant operators with tonnage weighted results of each element within seconds.A Geoscan installed after crushing is able to measure quality shortly after mining. The analysis results can be used to divert the increments based on composition, such as diverting waste for disposal and diverting marginal material to a stockpile for processing at a later date. The bulk sorting process allows different qualities to be placed into relevant stockpiles for subsequent blending. Material meeting product DSO (Direct Shipping Ore) quality can bypass a beneficiation circuit to prevent unnecessary treatment costs. An analyser in a blending application enables proportioning of different quality feed materials from multiple stockpiles to achieve a desired compositional consistency for process feed. The parameter used for decisions may be; a) primary metal content, e.g. Cu, Fe, P, etc. b) deleterious component content, e.g. Mg as an indicator of talc content, c) process parameter content, or a combination of these. Process parameter content may be the elemental ratio between critical components, e.g. Cu:S ratio, Fe:Si ratio, basicity, Lime Saturation Factor, etc. or the content of an “indicator” element, e.g. Si as an indicator of material hardness or grindability.Measurement of the composition in real time enables prompt feedback to the mining operators and also feed forward to the process operators. Compositional variability can be critical in the process and advance warning enables appropriate reactions prior to processing. This may include modifying the feed rate, changing the feed blend (through additives), or modifying reagent dosing in anticipation of a change in feed quality. Benefits include, but are not limited to; reducing waste processing, improved feed grade stability, reducing energy, water and grinding media consumption, producing less tailings, increasing process efficiency, higher metal recovery, better plant utilisation, reducing plant downtime, better utilising mined material, all achieved using the same process plant throughput capacity.CITATION:Kurth, H, 2015. Optimising plant feed quality and process performance using Geoscan elemental analysis, in Proceedings MetPlant 2015, pp 373–380 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 7, 2015

By Carlos A. Prato, Federico Pinto

"ABSTRACTThe design of drilled shafts often incorporates large factors of safety, for which settlements under service loads are highly influenced by the initial elastic stiffness. In the case of groups of drilled shafts with typical spacing, the elastic shaft-soil-shaft interaction dominates the behavior even for loads close to the bearing capacity, for which the initial stiffness is a key parameter in the design. This paper describes typical trends in results obtained by means of different approaches currently available in the literature for the evaluation of the initial stiffness of a single shaft. An experimental technique that provides a rapid and inexpensive means for the evaluation of the initial stiffness is described, and the results obtained for typical cases are compared with analytical predictions.IntroductionThe behavior of drilled shafts under axial loads is generally governed by the initial stiffness, as the factors of safety considered in design are often large, due to a superposition of conservative assumptions on soil properties and expected loads. In the case of shaft groups, the initial elastic stiffness plays a major role together with the elastic group effects, as nonlinearities tend to localize around the shafts and have a lesser effect than elastic deformations on adjacent elements (e.g., Leung et al., 2010). An accurate characterization of the initial stiffness is thus warranted for the analysis of drilled shafts and shaft groups under service loads.Initial stiffness of shafts may be estimated on the basis of soil stiffness and structural properties of the element by means of numerical methods (e.g., Pinto and Prato, 2006), as well as analytical methods (e.g., Randolph and Wroth, 1978). The soil stiffness may be determined by means of geophysical tests (e.g., Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves, SASW, Stokoe et al., 1994), or correlations with Standar Penetration Test (SPT) blowcounts or Cone Penetration Test (CPT) resistances (e.g., Sabatini et al., 2002).The initial stiffness may also be measured on drilled shafts by means of load tests. Static load tests (SLT), however, have some limitations on measuring small deflections, for which the initial stiffness is often extrapolated by means of large strain measurements (e.g., Chin, 1970), where the SLT measurements are more accurate."

Jan 1, 2014

Henry Walker Eltin (HWE) are the mining contractors for Gloucester Coal at Stratford mine, which is in an environmentally sensitive area in the Avon Valley, NSW, Australia. Normal blasting at Stratford is done in a “stand up” or “box cut” mode to suit the truck and shovel operations. Recently an opportunity of doing a throw blast became available when part of a ramp had to be blasted to accommodate changes to the pit design while not damaging the remainder of the ramp. The objective was to maximise throw into the void in order to minimise excavation costs by reducing the amount of overburden to be moved by the excavation fleet. It was necessary that the best result be achieved while staying within the vibration and airblast limits at a neighbouring property and nearby township. Both objectives were achieved through the application of Orica’s knowledge of blast design, modelling and i-konTM electronic detonators.

Jan 1, 2003

By W. J. Wright

Summary This paper describes the general situation of the mining industry in New Brunswick, and gives a detailed description of the recent developments in the antimony deposits at Lake George and the copper deposits in the vicinity of New Horton. At the end are lists of the most interesting geological literature relating to the Province and of the geological and topographic maps that have been published. Introduction In presenting this paper to the Institute, I apologize for the small amount of scientific data which it contains. Recent investigations in the Province of New Brunswick have been carried on largely by outside interests, and at present we ourselves are in the position .of taking stock. However, I am glad of the opportunity of giving you a general idea of the situation. The Province is making an honest effort to learn the truth concerning her mineral deposits and in time hopes to collect data which should be of interest to the mining community.

Jan 1, 1931

By R. G. Gürtunca, J. A. Breslin

This paper briefly describes the progress in mine safety in the United States, with emphasis on recent events that have followed since the explosion at the Sago Mine in January 2006. Legislation following the mine accidents last year and areas of work carried out by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) related to the accidents are discussed. American coal production in 2006 was 1,150 million short tons. Most of this coal is consumed domestically, with annual exports of coal about 50 million tons. One third of annual production is produced at surface mines and the rest from underground. This coal is produced by about 82,000 miners working at 1,400 coal mines. Major improvements in coal mine safety have been made in the US since the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. The fatal injury rate in underground coal mines between 1977 and 2004 was reduced by 47.8% to 0.036. The annual number of fatalities dropped from 112 to 14 during that period. Likewise, the non-fatal days-lost injury rate was reduced by 42.6% from 10.87 to 6.24. The improvements in mine safety during this period can be seen in the graph of underground coal mine explosion fatalities and injuries from 1980 to present, which is shown in Figure 1. Between 1984 and 1993 (9 year period) there were 5 explosions and one major mine fire, for a total of 55 fatalities. Over the seven year period from 1993 to 1999 there were no fatalities from coal mine fires and explosions. However, in the six years since 2000 there have been 5 explosions and one fire, which have caused 37 fatalities. [ ]

By J. P. McCullough

In 1943, the Federal Bureau of Mines began a program of thermodynamic investigations of petroleum constituents and related compounds. These systematic, long-range studies, which were conducted in the thermodynamics laboratory of the Bartlesville Petroleum Research Center and are still continuing, have resulted in a substantial quantity of data valuable to the petroleum industry and science in general. As separate phases of these studies were completed, the findings were promptly reported in the scientific press. During the past 16 years, 89 journal articles, giving the results obtained for individual compounds and small groups of related compounds, were published, mainly in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and the Journal of Physical Chemistry. In addition, members of the Bureau staff have contributed six chapters to specialized reference books. This circular, prepared in response to many requests, lists these 95 published papers, giving an abstract of the contents of each, as well as titles, authors, and literature citations. The journal articles are listed in the order of their preparation, which closely approximates the chronological order of their publication; hence, the item number to the left of each citation corresponds to the assigned contribution number. For the convenience of the reader, the abstract section is followed by a condensed bibliography, arranged alphabetically by senior author and keyed to the abstracts by appropriate contribution numbers in parentheses after the entry.

Jan 1, 1961

By J. R. Thoenen

Up to 1914 almost all of the world's supply of potash came from Germany and Alsace. With the cessation of shipments from Germany during the World War the importance of a domestic suppler was evident. During the past 15 years the United States has been working toward the establishment of a domestic potash industry which would end foreign dominance in this commodity. The Federal government has taken an active part in this program. As its share in the work, the Bureau of Lines has ascertained the potash resources in certain district's through core drilling and has engaged in a comprehensive program of research on the extraction of potash from its various minerals. Until the passage of the Winter bill (H. R. 496) by Congress in 1928 the Bureau of Mines had not been able to give any consideration to the western ores, wyomingite (leucite) and alunite. With the massage of this bill, however, the ray was opened for the extension of the potash studies to cover these materials.

Jan 1, 1932

By R. T. Jones

Keywords: Pyrometallurgy, DC arc furnace, myths, history, hollow electrode, radiation, resistance, flicker, AC DC arc furnaces are widely used for steel scrap melting as well as for reductive smelting of ore fines. Industrial smelting applications include the smelting of chromite to produce ferrochromium, the smelting of ilmenite to produce titania slag and pig iron, and the recovery of cobalt from non-ferrous smelter slags. A number of myths and misconceptions are widely held, especially regarding: the age of the technology, the use of a hollow electrode, arc stability and shape, arc and bath radiation, interaction between the arc and molten slag, electrical behaviour of arcs and slags, a comparison between AC and DC furnaces, DC reactors, the lifespan of bottom electrodes, and the applicability of DC arc furnaces to various metallurgical systems.

Jan 1, 2011

By Kyle Ott, Bernard Daly, Syed Haq, Douglas Anderson, Parsons Brinckerhoff

Drill and blast was determined to be the most cost-effective means of excavating the Raw Water Tunnel (RWT) for the Croton Water Treatment Plant in the Bronx, New York City. One of the major issues confronting project designers was the potential impact of blast vibrations on a major City Distribution Tunnel (CDT). The proposed path of the RWT would cross less than 30 meters (100 feet) above the CDT, which was built in 1917. Discussions with New York City Department of Environmental Protection led to vibration criteria on the CDT of 51 mm/sec (2 in/sec) peak particle velocity as an alert level, and 38 mm/sec (1.5 in/sec) as a review level.

Jan 1, 2012

By C. Laughton

Construction of a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory(DUSEL) is proposed under the auspices of the US National Science Foundation(NSF). DUSEL will provide scientists and engineers with a research facility capable of supporting a broad spectrum of fundamental and applied research deep in the earth’s crust. Research partners are physicists, biologists and geoscientists. DUSEL research calls for the construction of a network of shafts, tunnels and caverns that will provide laboratory facilities at depths of up to approximately 2 kilometers. The Project is still in the planning stages but, the initial experimental program is taking shape and conceptual designs have already been developed at two hard rock mine sites. This paper discusses the overall program and key engineering tasks being developed to support the construction of deep, large-span caverns. These caverns will house a new generation of physics experiments. As currently scoped, the experiments call for the excavation of permanent caverns with spans of up to 60 meters, sited at depths in excess of a kilometer.

Jan 1, 2007

The case study has identified and characterised additional subsidence arising from longwall mining above or under existing longwall goaf. It suggests that the magnitude, mechanisms and prediction methods for such additional subsidence are different between the two mining configurations. This paper presents a proposed method to predict maximum vertical subsidence due to longwall mining under existing longwall goaf. It suggests that, unless different results from further new cases become available, the findings presented in this article, including the aforementioned prediction method, be applicable to the majority of sites in New South Wales, where multi-seam longwall mining is to take place. This article also presents an important concept of 'overburden modification' due to multi-seam mining. A causal relationship between the above-mentioned additional subsidence and 'overburden modification' has been identified as a result of the case studies. Further investigations into the physical processes that cause such overburden modification will be fundamental to the understanding and management of multi-seam subsidence.

Nov 25, 2010

By Charles H. Jacoby

The solution mining of evaporites has a history of approximately 5,000 years. The insitu leaching of metalliferous ore will have many of the same characteristic problems which have confronted industry for years in the production of evaporite minerals. Basically we will be converting the less soluble forms of valuable metals into their more soluble salts and producing these in much the same manner as, for example, sodium chloride. There are a number of problems which we are faced with that are more complex and complicated and, therefore, will require a higher degree of sophistication than previously employed. One of our most important undertakings will be the clearcut definition of the problems involved. While a great deal of expertise can be drawn from the solution mining of evaporites and the oil industry, problems peculiar to the hydrometallurgical field will need to be solved. One of these is the introduction of permeability into an impermeable rock so as to expose the sought after values of metals which by volume are infinitesimal when compared with sodium chloride, potash or other type water soluble mineralization. After establishing this permeability which will be miniscule when compared to a solution cavity, there will be the maintenance of this permeability. In general, salt deposits are of a somewhat uniform chemical composition and thus their chemistry was relatively simple. Each metalliferous ore body is somewhat unique in its chemistry and will need to be treated accordingly.

Jan 1, 1974