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By Qingwei Wang

This study focused on acidic wastewater from producing sulfuric acid system in zinc smelter containing mercury 21.48mg/L, zinc 55.85mg/L, lead 38.50mg/L, copper 1.68mg/L, cadmium 10.25mg/L, As 29.86mg/L treated by biologics. The factors of pH value, the ratio of biologics to mercury, complexing time, hydrolytic time and temperature were studied in this paper. Experimental results indicated that at pH value 10, quantity of biologics to mercury ratio was 16, complexing time 30min, hydrolyzation time 20min, temperature at 40?, concentration of mercury in treated water was removed to 22.15µg/L. At same time heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, As was removed by biologics, the remained concentration in treated water was Zn 0.53mg/L, Pb 0.12mg/L, Cu 0.01mg/L, Cd low to 0.01mg/L and As 0.023mg/L. According to EDAX analysis, mercury content in complexing sediment reached 28.49% easily to recycle as raw material and low concentration of heavy metals in hydrolytic sediment easily to dispose and treat.

Jan 1, 2009

Underground Mine Drainage may be conveniently divided into two operations:(a) Collecting and transporting drainage water to the pump eastern.(b) Elevating water to the surfacc by pumping.This short paper describes a system which automatically performs operation "a" and which has been developed on the South mine at Broken Hill, under the supervision of the mine foreman, Mr. F. McDonell. Operation "a" does not come under the heading of "subsidiary mine" drainage.SUMMARY(1) All drainage waters are collected by gravity flow into sumps.(2) Automatic control boxes operate syphons which transfer water from level to level to pump cisterns or to feed water service.EQUIPMENTSyphon Control Boar - Constructed of 10 ft. x 2 ft. oregon timber, suitably bolted together and equipped with a Bailey's cistern valve, with copper ball float control, and 12 in. pipcs and fittings forming a syphon (Fig. 1). One of these boxes is placed on each level at the shaft.The valve and float are so arranged that when the float is up (ie, box full) the valve will be fully open, and when the float is down (ie, box empty) the valve is closed. The vertical range between the cxtreme positions can be altercd by lengthening orshortening the adjustable arm of the float. The ideal valve is one...

Jan 1, 1927

By Michael W. Lewis

The latest downturn in the world’s metal prices has forced many mining companies to focus on cost reduction and productivity improvements to remain competitive. Maintenance represents a significant part of the overall operating costs in the mining industry. A structured, proactive maintenance approach, such as reliability-centered maintenance, can achieve cost reductions and productivity improvements. Remote condition-monitoring systems are becoming commonplace because they have the potential to identify problems before failure. Detection of equipment degradation before failure will enable repairs to be scheduled, thereby reducing costs and interruptions to production. The mining industry is in the midst of uncertain times. Decreasing commodity prices, demand, head grade and capital availability along with increasing environmental requirements have put pressure on mining companies to significantly reduce costs to maintain short- and long-term viability. Corporations are looking at expansion, merger/consolidation and financial/hedging programs to achieve these cost reductions. Mines are reducing costs by eliminating all but essential expenditures, increasing production levels, reducing overtime and investing in new technologies.

Jan 1, 2000

By Stanley Lefond

The health of the industrial minerals industry appears to be improving year by year. In fact, preliminary information suggests that only three commodities (asbestos, bromine, and sulfur-other) failed to show a production gain in 1984 over 1983. In 1983, 10 commodities failed to post gains and six remained constant. The total value of industrial mineral production in 1984 was $16.7 billion, up $1.4 billion from 1983. Cement, clays, gypsum, and crushed stone production increased. Since these are used in housing and construction, this suggests these industries are moving out of their recent doldrums. Barite and clay production also improved in 1984. Local US barite production, however, still has a long way to go to attain the 1981 high of 2.6 Mt (2.9 million st). Barite imports remain high. But they are not as high as the 1982 importation of 2 Mt (2.3 million st). Bentonite production in 1984 increased 20% in volume and 25% in value over the previous year. This suggests improvement in the drilling industry and an increase in demand for iron ore pelletizing grades. All in all, the industrial mineral industry is alive and well. And it shows signs of great improvement in the next few years. Many thanks to those industrial mineral technical committee members for their assistance in assembling this industrial minerals review: M. F. Dibble, H. W. Allen, G. H. Gallup, S. G. Ampian, D. W. L. Spry, H. G. Fleshman, and L. J. Czel.

Jan 5, 1985

By A. Drouin, D. Lemieux, C. Chouinard

"A gold bearing pyrite concentrate was treated at the demonstration scale (15 t/d) for the extraction of gold using a cyanide-free process. The pyrite was depressed in the flotation circuit in order to promote the flotation of copper and to achieve a sufficient copper grade to meet the copper smelter criteria. However, the recoveries of copper were 80% and only about 50% for the gold was found in the copper concentrate. The balance of the gold (50%) and copper (20%) contained in the pyrite concentrate as a reject from an overall flotation circuit. The gold grade in the pyrite concentrate is 5.40 g Au/t and copper about 0.77%. About 170 tons of pyrite concentrate were processed in the DST demonstration plant. The concentrate was first oxidized using a fluid bed to produce a calcine. Copper was then extracted as copper sulphate using diluted sulphuric acid. The residual solid was submitted to the DST chlorination process for gold extraction. Thereafter, the gold was recovered from the pregnant brine by precipitation over silica using DST proprietary process. The maximum gold recovery by chlorination was 90%. The average gold recovery by cyanidation of these calcines was 71%.IntroductionDundee Sustainable Technologies (“DST”) has developed a chlorination process as an alternative to the conventional cyanidation process for the extraction of precious metals from ores or concentrates. The technology offers viable and efficient gold recoveries and the ability to handle refractory ores and contaminated material (As, Hg, etc..). The process was successfully demonstrated on hundreds of samples provided by various mines, exploration and development projects and has evolved from laboratory experiment to demonstration at an industrial scale.DST’s chlorination process operates in a closed loop circuit, which implies that no liquid effluents are generated. The chemistry and process design allows precious metal deposits containing base metals to be treated viably. The tailings from the process are inert and non-toxic, sulphide depleted and thus non-acid generating. The efficiency of the process has demonstrated excellent gold recoveries within a fraction of the time needed for cyanidation to obtain similar results. The company completed in 2015 the construction of the first industrial demonstration plant operating with the DST technology. The plant has a capacity of 15 tons per day of mineral concentrate, and the ability to extract gold and silver utilizing DST chlorination technology.DST has tested its chlorination technology at demonstration scale on the refractory pyrite concentrate containing 5.40 g Au/t and 0.8 %copper. This auriferous pyrite concentrate, was by-product of copper concentrate respecting the copper smelter norms, is produced in a country where cyanide is prohibited and refractory to cyanidation. The pyrite concentrate was initially processed successfully (gold recoveries: > 90%) by the DST technology at laboratory (2011: 20 kg) and pilot (2014: 5 tons) scales to extract gold. About 170 tons of this pyrite concentrate were processed in the DST demonstration plant located in Thetford Mines."

Jan 1, 2017

By D. Kwietnewski

With all of the unknowns associated with tunnel construction, how does a contractor choose a roadheader? This paper presents a review of several models of roadheaders being used in today?s tunnel projects. The features of different models of roadheaders are presented and compared. Roadheader size and cutter power generally determine which roadheader is best for a particular job. We will also present a model for matching features of the roadheader to the anticipated ground conditions such that the most efficient machine is selected for the project.

Jan 1, 2011

By Alastair M. Lumsden

A study was initiated to examine the ways in which a number of foreign countries classify and regulate metal/non-metal mines which experience problems due to naturally-occurring flammable gases. Twenty countries were selected for study, and useful information was obtained from sixteen of these. Nine countries were visited (five of them twice) to hold meetings with representatives of government mine regulatory agencies and mine operators, and to visit mines encountering methane and other gases (carbon dioxide, nitrogen). In the later stages of the study seven gassy metal/non-metal mines in the United States were visited so as to provide a basis for comparison, and hence the evaluation of both the U.S. and foreign gassy mine regulations. In addition to obtaining copies of the mining laws and regulations of a number of foreign countries, nine foreign gassy mines, and the seven in the United States were documented in as much detail as possible. All this information is presented, along with appropriate conclusions and appendices. The study took two years and three months to complete.

Jan 1, 1983

By Dominic Fragomeni

"The mineral processing industry has had a long history of innovation that is recognized but not often celebrated. These include significant advances in mineral measurement, testing, comminution, mineral separation and process control technologies that have transformed mineral assemblages into ore.This presentation presents some of the major mineral processing innovations and the impact they have had on our industry. As we look to the future, it is critical that we innovate and change. We will explore some examples of the next developments and how they can be catalyzed in the face of risk management, lower metal price cycles, resource constraints, inertia and the challenge of short term value delivery."

Jan 1, 2017

By Qinghua Tian, Zhipeng Xu, Dong Li, Xueyi Guo, Liu Zhu

A possible process for extracting tellurium and antimony from a residue generated in alkaline sulfide leaching of telluriumbearing alkaline skimming slag was proposed. The central composite design was employed to define the optimal leaching conditions for tellurium and antimony extractions from the residue sample. Using a 23 factorial matrix, the best performance for tellurium and antimony extractions (96.36% and 99.64%) were obtained at 175 g L−1 Na2S concentration for 80 °C during 60 min. The notable degree for influencing tellurium and antimony extractions was leaching temperature, Na2S concentration, and leaching time. The analysis of variance results indicated that the regression model was significant and suitable to be used for the optimization of independent variables within the range. The model was validated under optimal operating conditions based on the experimental design results. Antimony and tellurium in the leach liquor were separated and recovered by H2O2 oxidation followed by Na2S-Na2SO3 reduction. 98.93% of antimony was precipitated selectively during H2O2 oxidation, while 95.06% of tellurium was precipitated during Na2S-Na2SO3 reduction. NaSb(OH)6 and elemental tellurium was obtained as the product.

By C. C. Clark, P. W. Patton, B. M. Stewart

Handling materials in underground mines continues to be a major safety problem. To help reduce materials-handling injuries, researchers at the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are investigating those materials-handling tasks in underground mines that appear to generate a high number of injuries. Data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration for the years 1989-1999 were studied to find out if there were any trends in materials-handling accidents and if so, to determine what tasks were involved and the sources of injuries. Several underground coal and metal mines were visited to document innovative materials-handling technologies. Considerations for safety training and mechanization needs for continued reduction in materials-handling injuries are described.

Jan 1, 2002

By Kenneth Wardell

Those flat lying, bedded or replacement, non-fossil fuel deposits which exist within the U.S.A., and which are amenable to longwall mining, are identified by reference to three principal factors associated with their physical/geological environments. These are their depth, extent and structural continuity. Technical feasibility is assessed in relation to the likely cutting speeds which can be achieved in the identified minerals with existing longwall shearer machines. Economic comparisons are made between traditional mining operations in those deposits for which technical feasibility is demonstrable. Continents are made concerning those technical deficiencies which appear to preclude the application of existing longwall equipment to the identified deposits and suggestions are made regarding the lines of research aimed at improving longwall technology.

Jan 1, 1978

By Richard J. Hartman

Current design practice is to select steel sheet piling sections using sufficient section modulus and yield strength to resist the calculated bending moment. Thus, section modulus is the only property of the sheet pile cross section used in the selection process. Full scale laboratory testing documented that section modulus alone is insufficient to predict the strength of sheet piling. During testing, sheet pile sections with equivalent section modulus exhibited as much as 75 percent difference in load resisting capacity. Analytical study following the testing established that, in addition to the traditional longitudinal (vertical) stress in sheet piling, transverse (horizontal) stresses are also present. Transverse stresses reduce the ability of the sheet piling to function in the intended manner. It was found that transverse stresses result from the pressure applied by soil and water and that the capacity of the sheet piling diminishes with increased pressure. All sheet piling is subject to this behavior. This paper describes the testing and the results and establishes that a problem exists. A two dimensional procedure is described that assists in evaluating transverse stresses and their effect on sheet pile capacity. A method of creating design aids for use by engineers is illustrated.

Jan 1, 2006

In presenting this paper the author has in view a twofold purpose. In the first place, it is intended to set forth for the benefit of practical mining men some account of the principles underlying the design of tungsten carbide rock bits in the hope that a knowledge of these principles will assist in the successful application of the bits to mine and quarry drilling. Secondly, by evoking discussion, and even controversy, it is hoped that manufacturers and users of these rock bits will be encouraged to contribute to the general knowledge of a subject which to date has been rather lacking in published literature. The author well appreciates that many of the conclusions drawn in this paper are highly controversial, but if the only result is to call forth contradictory testimony from other workers in this field, at least one of his purposes will have been achieved.An attempt will first be made to set forth and examine those characteristics which go to make up an efficient rock bit, and the main factors affecting these characteristics will be discussed. In a paper of this general nature, consideration of any particular aspect must necessarily be rather brief, and there is little opportunity for detailed presentation of test procedures and data. Thus, it has been found advisable' to confine discussion of some minor points to a simple statement of fact. However, an attempt has been made to support all major conclusions by reference...

Jan 1, 1950

By A J. Scogings, W J. Shaw

The successful development of industrial minerals projects requires an integrated, holistic understanding of the metallurgical and product performance test work in the context of the geological setting of the deposit and applied to mining, processing and marketing of saleable products. The product specifications provide the essential starting point for geometallurgical studies. A sound understanding of the desired product is needed to design and interpret a program of test work. Examples are provided from recent studies on bentonite and graphite deposits.For bentonite projects, the naïve testing of only the cation exchange capacity (CEC) as a measure of purity can lead to unexpected outcomes when the deposit is mined. The CEC attribute may remain the same, while other important properties such as pH and swelling index change markedly with depth, due to weathering and oxidation, leading to disappointing production outcomes.For graphite projects it is not enough to report only total graphitic carbon content (TGC). Knowledge is required of the in situ flake size and textures in addition to purity and flake size distribution of extracted graphite, which may all vary from one domain to another across the deposit. Such geometallurgical attributes of the ore will impact on the ‘basket price’ used to estimate the value of marketable parcels of expected product.Disclosure of such information must be considered part of fully informing the market. As with all new project developments, consideration of the JORC (2012) and VALMIN (2015) Codes requires disclosure of all material information. This includes the geometallurgical characterisation, ie those aspects of the mineralogy that impact on resource evaluation, ore reserve definition and project valuation.CITATION:Shaw, W J and Scogings, A J, 2017. The importance of geometallurgical test work for industrial minerals projects, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 83–92 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

By Pengfu Tan

Xstrata Copper at Mount Isa in Australia has operated one copper Isasmelt furnace and four P-S converters. The phenomena of foaming occur in above 10% of converter operations. A thermodynamic model of copper P-S converter and a viscosity model of converter slag have been developed to simulate the slag blow and copper blow. The model predicts the chemistry and viscosity of copper skims during copper blow. The effects of oxygen potential, charge of dirty materials, slag carry-over, under-blowing, over-blowing, and temperature on the foaming and viscosity of copper skims have been discussed. Some improvements of the industrial operations have been presented.

Jan 1, 2006

Satellite Image Based Strategies to Evaluate the Impact of Dismissed Mine Site - An Application to the Mae Moh Coal Mine Area in the Lampang Province, Thailand

Sep 13, 2010

By G. Coombs, L. Meade, J. Welshimer

Industrial Minerals commodity profiles are continued from May's Annual Review issue. Diatomite G. Coombs, Manville Sales Corp. Growth in US diatomite production continued to lag in 1986. The US Bureau of Mines estimated that 580 kt (640,000 st) were produced last year. This is a 1%0 growth over 1985. The cumulative growth from the 1982 low point is 4.4%. Present production, though, is still only 90% of the high tonnage of 1979. The industry will see increased competitive activity with the start-ups of two new mines and production facilities in California and Oregon. US production has come primarily from Lompoc, CA, Bassalt, Clark Station, and Lovelock, NV, and Quincy, WA. New production, probably with capacities of 45 kt/a (50,000 stpy) each, have started near Burney, CA, and Vale, OR. Eagle Picher's new, full-line filter aid and filler plant at Celatom, Vale, OR, was dedicated in August. The plant uses diatomite from the Celatom mining district in Juntura, OR. Grefco's new filter aid and filler plant near Burney, CA, was ready in July. It produced flux calcined products through a single kiln and can handle both bag and bulk shipments. The operations are in Shata County with the plant and mine at the same site. Manville Specialties Group is moving its Filtration and Minerals Division headquarters and research staffs to Lompoc, CA. The move is intended to strengthen response and performance by locating research, marketing, and production close together. Diatomite is processed in three methods: natural, calcined, and flux calcined. The natural is dried to remove water and is particle size classified. Calcined or straight calcined products have been sintered to modify particle size or permeability. Flux calcination, or flux sintering, has a stronger influence on permeability and also benefits color. The unique structure of diatomite is used in a range of particle sizes from fine paint fillers, to coarser filter aids, to granular aggregates. Dimension stone L. Meade, Geomapping Associates Ltd. 1986 was another good year for dimension stone production. The trend toward using marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and slate has created an increasing demand. According to US Bureau of Mines 1986 estimates, 1.1 Mt (1.2 million st) of dimension stone, with a value of $173 million, was produced by 200 companies. This is an increase from 1985, where 220 companies produced 1 Mt (1.12 million st) valued at $172 million. The increased production volume and decreased unit value is due to the competition from imports. The net import reliance in 1986 was 68% compared to 62% in 1985. The value of imports was $374 million in 1986 versus $295 million the year before. In an effort to maintain their market share, domestic finishers, particularly in the granite industry, continued to upgrade plants and machinery during 1986. In addition, offshore dollars have financed a number of fabricating facilities in North America that will finish imported rough stock. It is hoped that this increased domestic production capability will capitalize on a devalued US dollar. The trend has been for growth in stone usage and market. This trend is continuing with increased public awareness and desire for natural stone in buildings. The area of greatest market growth is expected to be in residential and interior decorative stone usage. Use of sophisticated, automated equipment has made the cost more affordable. Now lobbies, foyers, and specialty rooms are being clad in stone. Dolomite J. Welshimer, National Lime & Stone Co. About three-quarters of dolomite production is used as construction aggregates and 10% to 20% is sold or used as an industrial mineral. Total limestone and dolomite consumed for chemical and metallurgical purposes is about 136 Mt/a (150 million stpy). Sales of industrial dolomitic products were somewhat stronger in 1986 than levels recorded in the early 1980s. Some of the sales' strength, however, can be attributed to reductions in the number of active mining and processing operations. The industry will probably undergo further consolidation by the end of this decade. This will be due primarily to the continued softening in demand by the steel industry. Dolomitic limestone deposits being mined for raw materials for the steel, glass, and refractory in¬dustries are generally 54% calcium carbonate and 45% magnesium carbonate by weight. Impurities composed of silicon, aluminum, iron, sulfur, and phosphorous, represent less than 1%. The heaviest concentration of high purity, surface mineable dolomite in the US is in northwestern Ohio. Crushed and sized dolomitic limestone is a basic raw material for the iron and steel industry. It is also used as feed stone or lime kilns. Soft-burned lime is a popular raw material for BOF steel production. It is also used extensively in insulating glass fiber manufacturing. A related material, hydrated

Jan 6, 1987

By M. du Plessis

This paper describes the evaluation of a limit equilibrium model to simulate the behaviour of crush pillars in platinum mines. An analytical model was derived to calculate the residual average pillar stress (APS) values of the crush pillars. The values predicted by this model were compared to the numerical values obtained from TEXAN simulations. In general, the limit equilibrium model appears to be very attractive for simulating pillar failure as the gradual crushing of the outside of the pillar and the transfer of stress to the intact core can be replicated. The value of the TEXAN crush pillar model was further demonstrated by simulating an idealized layout with crush pillars between two adjacent panels. The simulations illustrated that oversized pillars will not crush close to the face and this may lead to seismic failure in the back area. An important finding of the study is that closure measurements may prove to be a very valuable diagnostic measure in crush pillars layouts. Distinct differences in magnitudes of closure were simulated for a scenario where the pillars crush as expected, compared to the scenario where an oversized pillar is left. Experimental closure data collected in a crush pillar stope provided further evidence regarding the value of closure measurements in these layouts.

Jan 1, 2011

Uranium exploration over a wide area of the Southern Frame Embayment, South Australia, has defined a number of Lower Tertiary fluvial palaeochannels incised in older rocks. The buried channels contain similar stratigraphicsequences of interbedded sand, silt, and clay, probably derived from the adjacent uranium-rich Olarv Provinee. Uranium mineralization is pervasive within two major palaeochannels, and four small uranium deposits have been found in the basal sands of these channel sequences, at the margins of extensive tongues of limonitic sand.One of the channels is examined in detail with respect to channel morphology, stratigraphy, and rock alteration and the geology and ore controls of the contained uranium deposits are described.A geochemical zonation reflected by variation in limonite, pyrite, carbon, and humic malleI' is defined across one of the deposits. A genetic model is proposed suggesting formation by a uraniferous geochemical cell which migrated down the stream gradient and concentrated uranium on its lateral margins adjacent to the channel bank.

Jan 1, 1978

By A. K. Majumder

The multi-gravity separator (MGS) is a novel piece of equipment for the separation of fine and ultra-fine minerals. However, the published literature does not demonstrate its use in the separation of coal fines. Therefore, an attempt was made to study the effects of different process variables on the performance of an MGS for the beneficiation of coal fines. The results obtained from this study revealed that among the parameters studied, drum rotation and feed solids concentration play dominating roles in controlling the yield and ash content of the clean coal. Mathematical modeling equations that correlate the variables studied and the yield and ash contents of the clean coal were developed to predict the performance of an MGS under different operating and design conditions. The entire exercise revealed that the MGS could produce a clean coal with an ash content of 14.67% and a yield of 71.23% from a feed coal having an ash content of 24.61%.

Jan 1, 2007