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By H. P. Carlisle

The significance of the mineralogical and surface characteristics of gold grains in the recovery process by C. E. FEATHER and G. M. KOEN Published in the Journal. February 1973. DISCUSSION H. P. Carlisle. B.Sc. (Eng.) Rand (Fellow) The authors are to be congratulated on drawing attention to the importance of surface characteristics in the treatment of gold grains. I must, however, confess to considerable doubts about the validity of the distribution of gold in "free" and "locked" form set out in Tables I to IV.

By H. E. Cross

The conversion of a uranium plant to the recovery of zinc by H. E. CROSS. B.Sc. (Eng.)(Hons.) Rand (Fellow) The conversion of the Vogelstruisbult Uranium Plant into a plant for the production of electrolytic zinc is described. The reasons for the conversion, the preliminary investigations. and the basic design principles are all outlined, and a brief account is given of operating experience.. during the commissioning of the plant, with equipment that had been put to a use for which it was not originally Intended.

Jan 11, 1973

By W. E. Stumpf

"SynopsisSouth Africa recently announced a resurgence in its commercial nuclear power programme. The implications for the development of the necessary high-level manpower within South Africa’s tertiary educational system and its national research and development (R&D) capacity in materials science and engineering, as well as in other engineering disciplines, are placed into perspective. An organized national process of developing this manpower by moving away from the previously high-risk and costly ’large programmes’ to rather a selection of ‘small and better’ research projects and a redefinition of what constitutes ‘nuclear materials’ are proposed as parts of this strategy.IntroductionSince 2008, and more particularly in 2014/2015, South Africa has woken up to the fact that significant steps need to be taken to ensure sufficient electricity generating capacity for the future, even beyond the coal-fired stations at Medupi and Kusile currently under construction. It is, therefore, encouraging to see some active large-scale wind farms in the Eastern Cape near Jeffrey’s Bay, in the Couga area, and others in the Western Cape already in operation. In addition, many solar energy projects are also progressing from the small localized scale to larger programmes in the Northern Cape, which may contribute some capacity on a national basis. South Africa needs to tap into its renewable resources of wind and solar much more, but will these projects solve the country’s long-term industrial needs? Unfortunately not. One cannot run mines and trains on solar cells. Industry needs reliable baseload capacity, and with very limited easily accessible hydrocapacity this leaves really only coal, possibly natural gas, and nuclear power as options. South Africa’s current over-reliance of about 90% on coal–fired power, however, places it in an internationally vulnerable position, and diversification into a more equitable energy mix should be a national priority for the medium to long term. South Africa cannot significant climate change confronting the human race, as the IPCC cautioned in 2013, and will have to adjust its future energy reliance to a more balanced combination of sources."

Jan 1, 2015

By M. Tangstad, J. D. Steenkamp

In April 2013 a 48 MVA submerged arc furnace producing silicomanganese was excavated in South Africa. Since the high shell temperatures recorded in the tap-hole area resulted in the furnace being switched out for relining, the tap-hole area was excavated systematically. A refractory wear profile of the tap-hole area with affected hearth and sidewall refractory was obtained in elevation. The carbon ramming paste in front of, above, andbelow the tap-hole was worn, as was the SiC with which the tap-hole was built. A clay mushroom formed but was detached from the refractories. Thermodynamic and mass-transfer calculations were conducted to quantify the potential for wear by chemical reaction between refractory and slag and refractory and metal in the tap-hole area. It was found that chemical reaction between refractory and slag or metal could offer only a partial explanation for the wear observed; erosion is expected to contribute significantly to wear.

Jan 1, 2015

By W. C. Joughin

The science of soil mechanics is 100 years old, and rock mechanics is about 80 years old. While methods of analysis and design have been developed and have evolved over time, these are relatively young sciences. The rapid increases in computing power and new technologies have enabled more sophisticated modelling and monitoring. However, there are still many aspects of soil and rock mechanics that are not well understood. Geotechnical failures, which have major consequences, still occur. These consequences may include environmental damage, major production holdups and associated loss of revenue, damage to infrastructure, and loss of life. High-consequence events, which are rare, are more difficult to anticipate and to design for, because by their nature they involve extraordinary circumstances or conditions, often geological in nature. The risks are usually mitigated by conservative designs and monitoring. Detailed geotechnical investigations help us to understand the natural variability of soil and rock masses and identify unusual or unexpected conditions. Investigating and researching major geotechnical failures is essential to enable these unusual circumstances to be anticipated. In the past, severe unanticipated events may have been treated as natural events or ‘acts of God’. However, society now has much greater expectations and it is essential to have policies and procedures in place that enable appropriate management of these rare, high-consequence risks. A good example is the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), which was introduced after the catastrophic dam collapse at Vale’s Corrego de Feijao mine in Brumadinho, Brazil. The address will explain the concepts of uncertainty and variability, and how they should be taken into account in geotechnical design. The challenges facing geotechnical engineers, mine owners, and managers will be discussed. referencing a number of real case studies.

Sep 6, 2023

By M. Bryson, J. Taguta

The Prieska deposit, mined between 1971 and 1991, is one of the world’s top thirty volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) base metal deposits. The Prieska Copper Mine in the Northern Cape Province was closed by Anglovaal when underground mining had extended to depths which did not allow for safe and economic extraction of the deposit at the time. The mine has a recorded historical production of over 1 Mt of zinc and 430 k tonnes of copper from 46.8 Mt of milled sulphide ore, achieving life-ofmine metal recoveries of 85% for copper and 84% for zinc into high quality concentrates (refer ORN ASX release 15 Nov 2019). Orion Minerals Ltd is currently investigating the feasibility of developing a new mine in the footprint of the historical Prieska Copper Mine, using the extensive remaining infrastructure, with the intent of extracting the unmined zinc-copper mineralisation from the Prieska deposit. This paper reports results on the flowsheet development philosophy on the hypogene ore, and challenges encountered in the process. This study initially failed to replicate historic copper and zinc recoveries employing the historic production flowsheet and reagent conditions unmodified on bench scale, as the copper and zinc were co-floating. Flowsheet modifications were therefore made to improve differential flotation and recovery, resulting in achieving comparable saleable products and recoveries from processing the hypogene ore on bench scale. Flotation variability test work on the hypogene ore focused on the use of the original flotation procedure and reagent suite using a sodium cyanide-zinc sulphate depressant system on the copper circuit, and it generated a saleable copper product of 20-26% Cu grade at 80-86% recovery. The zinc circuit generated a saleable zinc product grading at 48-55% Zn at 80-94% recoveries. Some zinc losses were due to the deportment of some zinc in sauconite. It is recommended that further test work may further improve the copper grades and recoveries. Keywords: Prieska, flotation, hypogene ore, flowsheet development, sulphide flotation, reagents

Jan 1, 2020

By R. Altındag, D. Akbay

The point load index is a simple, fast, and inexpensive method for determining rock strength and can be applied both in the field and in the laboratory. There are, however, some disadvantages and limitations to the method, and the test results can be affected by the person carrying out the test, the rock characteristics, or the test device. In this study we describe an investigation into how the point load index value is affected by the shape of the conical platens used in the test. Point load index tests were carried out using different devices fitted with conical platens of different spherical radii, and on a modified device which circumvented the limitations/disadvantages. It was seen that the point load index value increased as the platen radius increased, as expected. In the case of testing using non-standard conical platens, an equation is proposed to normalize the point load index value with respect to the standard spherical radius value.

Nov 1, 2021

By I. J. Geldenhuys

South Africa’s mining and metals industries have an illustrious history dating back to the Late Iron Age. We live in a complex and data-intensive world that has already fundamentally changed how we work and live. The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in immeasurable suffering worldwide, but the crisis also accelerated many technological developments and altered the way we think about, and experience, technology and work. Problem-solving requires new and rapidly changing skills to manage the data tsunami. Whether at the rock face or on the processing plant, the fundamentals have not changed, although how we interact with minerals and their properties has changed dramatically. Sustainable processing and design are non-negotiable if we genuinely want to achieve the aim of the cradle-to-cradle principle. As we venture forth, what can scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians learn from history? History is data presented in a context; sometimes, the context is also important. We exist in an age of data, with most of the world’s data created in only the past two years. History can enhance our understanding of the present and enhance our future outcomes. Lessons from history can help provide insights into making ethical and sustainable choices related to technology or engineering in the mining and metallurgical industry. Shifting the perspective of mining and metallurgy professionals from a narrow focus on complex technical solutions towards a broader context for problem-solving and designs that includes the entire ecosystem is crucial. In other words, using or reflecting on historical process development is, at its core, systems thinking.

Sep 1, 2021

By M. Aatach, St. Gaydardzhiev, M. Kadiyski, E. Visariev, V. Stoilov

Detailed process oriented characterisation on representative samples from plant survey of the slag flotation plant belonging to Aurubis, Bulgaria has been realised in order to evaluate the mineralogical occurrences of Cu, Ni, Mo and Co bearing phases. The slag subjected to flotation consisted in majority of fayalite, magnetite-iron oxides and a glass-like phase. Ni and Mo have been found to be closely associated to magnetite and fayalite. The tailing from the slag flotation has been subjected to sulphation roasting followed by water leaching as a hydrometallurgical means to recover the remaining Cu, Mo, Ni and Co. Based on the various sulphation roasting conditions (acid dosage, duration, temperature) copper, nickel and cobalt were brought to solution to a different extent. Molybdenum was the most difficult to be rendered soluble due to its close association with iron, suspected to form an insoluble compound with it. Sulphation roasting performed at 350ºC has secured the best extraction degree for Cu, Mo and Co, while maximum recovery of Ni has been documented when roasting was done at 150°C. Keywords: Copper slag; characterisation; SEM; roasting; metals leaching, hydrometallurgy 16(2), 153–65.

Jan 1, 2020

By M. Kerr

Background- History The most significant change in mining since the late 1970?s has been the emergence of very large scale mining operations , which have been developed to ensure profitability with relatively low grade ores. These large tonnage operations have resulted in the development of larger unit sized machines in all operations of beneficiation, solid-liquid separation and dewatering. Often only a few flotation lines are installed and tonnages up to 25 ktpd and beyond are not uncommon. The increased throughputs have led to the development of circular, reactor type tank designs. The reactor cell system is the most up to date flotation cell design to utilise the principles of circular cell design. The Svedala DV mechanism was specially developed to suit the RCS machine giving good solids handling characteristics and excellent metallurgical performance. Development of UG2 ore type flotation equipment The equipment was developed and optimised by Svedala process from 1995. A higher energy specification was requested by industry. This amounted to 3kW/m3 for installed volume. Existing designs were at 1.5kW/m3. Hence various modifications were required to achieve the required power input. The first 50m3 machines were installed and developed at Impala Platinum?s UG2 circuit over a one year period. Once reliability and performance was achieved, over 300 large volume flotation cells were installed at Anglo Platinum and Lonmin operations as well. Pilot Plant Development The Impala Platinum High Energy pilot plant was commissioned in 2002 and had an installed power exceeding 5kW/m3. It was operated for over a year at the tailings dam booster station and was fundamental to the large scale scavenging plant design. All experience in overcoming mechanical and operational problems was applied in scale up design principles. A very robust mechanism was designed to accommodate the additional power input from installed motors, as well as the high SG (>1.5) of the feed source. The pilot plant flowsheet is shown in the figure below.

Jan 1, 2007

By F. Dutoy, M. B. Stella, C. F. Carrozza

Rare earth elements (REEs) are indispensable components in the manufacturing of high-tech devices, renewable energy technologies, and defence applications. As global demand for these elements continues to rise, there is a pressing need to optimize extraction processes for both efficiency and environmental sustainability. This study explores approaches to rare earth extraction using Ionquest® 801 and integrates a predictive modelling to enhance process understanding and optimization. We conducted a screening test varying pH process to evaluate the best extraction efficiency. Starting pregnant leach solution (PLS), solution was prepared in the lab with the following rare earth elements: La, Ce, Gd, Dy, and Υ, at 0.02 M for each element. The data obtained were used to develop empirical and mechanistic models to predict rare earth extraction yields and flowsheet. Further tests were performed by mixing specific concentrations of different extractant and/or phase modifier. Our experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposedextraction methods, highlighting improvements in both yield and selectivity. The developedmodels successfully captured the complex relationships between process parameters and extraction efficiency, providing valuable insights for process optimization.

Nov 6, 2024

By G. de Tomi, G. C. Teodoro, E. Rodovalho, T. M. El Hajj, J. A. S. Tenório

The selection of an underground mining method stems from a multivariate analysis that considers geomechanical, geological, economic, and operational parameters. Even after identifying the most compatible method, there is no assurance that the mining company will achieve the best performance. The geological complexity of some deposits requires adaptations of methods described in the literature to obtain more selectivity and reduce mining waste. There are some studies on geometry of underground structures, but a methodology that describes an adaptation of a room-and-pillar mining method for ore bodies with down-dip varying from 20° to 25° is novel. The present work aimed to reduce dilution by adapting the traditional room-and-pillar mining method (TRP) to inclined ore bodies. This new method is entitled short-hole room-and-pillar (SHRP). The equations that measure the dilution are defined according to the geometry of stopes and openings. The results comprise comparative analyses of the operational and planned dilutions to measure the performance of the SHRP method. The average operating dilution of the SHRP method was more than five times lower than the planned dilution according to the TRP method. Low operational dilution indicates high selectivity of the method and its potential to reduce underground mining tailings.

Sep 9, 2024

By H. von Blottnitz, B. E. Isheloke

Mining is a significant economic activity in most Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, and mineral beneficiation has been identified, and controversially discussed as one of the possibilities for industrialisation. With many member countries being economically too small to muster the human and financial resources which beneficiation requires, the recently adopted Regional Mining Vision (RMV) envisages interventions at a regional level. An opportunity arose to ask industry role players to what extent the SADC appears to support regional beneficiation policy interventions undertaken by member countries, and what the challenges are in undertaking beneficiation regionally, as a complement to, or substitute for country-specific beneficiation policies. Twenty-five semistructured interviews were conducted with experts from SADC member countries during the 2019 Mining Indaba. Participants were divided on whether beneficiation should be carried out nationally or in the SADC region. While beneficiation could support value-keeping, key challenges were found to be infrastructure development (i.e. energy, water), scarce skills, access to technology and related costs, but also lack of free trade and movement. We submit that a more integrated beneficiation strategy for the SADC region, as is being developed through the RMV, would indeed be relevant in the future. Keywords: Mineral beneficiation, regional integration, beneficiation policy interventions, African mining vision, mining, SADC

Jan 1, 2020

By H. C. Voges

The use of heavy-medium separation in the processing of iron ores by H. C. VOGES. B.Sc. (Visitor) The paper discusses various aspects of the application of heavy-medium separation to the processing of hematite ore at Sishen and Thabazimbi. The two main factors to be borne in mind in the design of a plant for such beneficiation are the Iow unit value of the iron ore produced and the high separation densities required. The four factors of importance in the avoidance of high viscosity in the ferrosilicon medium are discussed in turn.

Jan 6, 1975

Professor R. N. Pryor, AR.S.M., B.8c., C.Eng., F.I.C.E., F.I.Min.E., F.I.M.M., who died on 14th July, 1979, after a short illness, was President of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy for the session 1978-1979. Weld pool metallurgy A high level of current interest in welding characteristics and behaviour and in the properties of welds was amply demonstrated by the large attendance at The Welding Institute's 1978 Conference on 'Trends in Steels and Consumables for Welding' and by the overwhelming number of papers offered for the International Conference on 'Arc Physics and Weld Pool Behaviour' in May 1979. Mine ventilation The First International Mine Ventilation Congress was held in September, 1975, in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the University of the Witwatersrand. It was organized by the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa. Occupational accidents and diseases The IXth World Congress on the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases will be held in Amsterdam from 6th to 9th May, 1980. Rock mechanics The 21st U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics is to be held at Rolla, Missouri, from 27th to 30th May, 1980. Protection against noise An International Symposium on the Protection of Workers Against Noisewill be held in Dresden (German Democratic Republic) from 27th to 30th November, 1979. Management of mineral resources A joint meeting of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, the Society of Mining Engineers of AIME, and the Metallurgical Society of AIME is to be held in London from 27th to 30th May, 1980. INFACON 80 During 1970 various South African institutes and associations agreed to organize an international ferroalloys congress. It was recommended that this should be made a continuing forum, where ferroalloy people could meet and discuss matters of mutal interest.

Jan 1, 1979

By Y. Wang

Arsenic-bearing acidic effluent from hydrometallurgical processes contains many harmful metal ions and must be appropriately treated before discharge. In the present study, arsenic, copper, zinc, aluminum, and magnesium were co-precipitated by means of the Fenton reaction. The precipitates obtained under different conditions were investigated to determine their stability. The results indicate that pH value and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dosage have significant effects on the removal of various elements. Arsenic, copper, zinc, and aluminum (but not magnesium) can be removed at pH 5–6 and anH2O2/As mole ratio of 2 at ambient temperature. The precipitates were mainly amorphous and granular with particle size in the micrometre range. The arsenic concentration in leachate from the toxicity characteristic leaching test was 3.6 mg/L, which proves that the precipitates are effective in fixing arsenic.

Aug 3, 2023

By W. A. Smith, M. C. Bekker, C. Marnewick

Projects or project-orientated approaches have become a common form of work in nearly all sectors of economies. This has led to concepts such as ‘projectified’ and ‘project orientated’ organizations. By defining projectification of a company, industry, or economy as the share of project work in total work, one can reasonably determine the impact that project management, and by default projectification, has had on that company, industry, or economy in terms of staff optimization and allocation. This paper presents the results for such a projectification study of the South African mining industry. This sector has long been a significant contributor to the country’s economy from a gross value added (GVA) and employment point of view. Understanding the impact of projectification and the project management way of work on this industry may potentially add significant value to both the mining and project management knowledge areas. We show that although the mining industry is considered by some to operate in archaic ways, the level of projectification has increased over time, and now represents approximately one third of all work conducted.

May 1, 2021

By M. Hopf

Numerous developments and improvements have been made to tap-hole designs. On the other hand, there are very specific designs in operation that have endured for many years without any modification. Nobody likes design changes because of risk - the risk of atypical wear, potential hazards, and costly repairs entailing enormous production losses. So the philosophy ‘never touch a running system’ is maintained, because among other things there is no efficient working monitoring technology for tap-holes. In the past few years a couple of new technical solutions have been investigated and developed. Not all theoretical solutions are possible in practice. However, metallurgists are inventive, and the last word regarding efficient working tap-hole monitoring technologies has not yet been spoken.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. Fu

"Since it was first identified in 1817, selenium has received considerable interest. Native selenium and a few selenium minerals were discovered several decades later. With the increasing number of selenium minerals, the occurrence of selenium minerals became the focus of much research. A great number of selenium deposits were reported all over the world, although few independent selenium deposits were discovered. Selenium is obtained mainly as a byproduct of other metals, and is produced primarily from the anode mud of copper refineries. This paper presents a comprehensive review of selenium minerals, as well as the treatment of copper refinery anode slimes for the recovery of selenium. Our focus is on the selenium minerals, including their discovery and occurrence, and the distribution of selenium resources. In addition, the main methods of recovering selenium from copper anode slimes are summarized. IntroductionSelenium (Se) was first observed in 1817 in a laboratory (Greenwood et al., 1984). The discovery of selenium was made by the Swedish chemist J.J. Berzelius and J.G. Gahn, who isolated selenium from a red residue in sulphuric acid from pyrite mined at Fahlun, Sweden. Selenium was named from the Greek word selene (moon), since it resembled tellurium, which had been discovered a few years earlier and named from the Latin word tellus (Earth).After the first observation of selenium in the laboratory, selenium received considerable interest. In 1954, E.P. Kaiser pointed out that Se is enriched in sulphide ores and often associated with Bi, Co, Sn etc. (Kaiser 1954). In 1959, Hawley and Nichol investigated selenium in Canadian sulphide minerals, and presented the content of selenium in sulphide from several deposits of different types. They also proposed that Se is enriched in lowtemperature hydrothermal pyrite (Hawley and Nichol, 1959). The thermodynamic conditions for forming native selenium and selenium minerals in sedimentary rocks were discussed, as well as geochemical behaviour of selenium near the oxidation zones of sulphides in the 1970s (Howard III, 1977; Zhu et al., 2003). Zhu et al. examined the morphology, features, and genesis of native selenium from Yutangba, Enshi City, Hubei Province, China in 2004, and pointed out, from the different forms of native Se, that selenium can be activated,transformed, remobilized, and enriched at sites such as in the unsaturated subsurface zone or in the saturated zone (Zhu et al., 2005). The transport and deposition of selenium in felsic volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits of the Yukon Territory, Canada was studied and reported by Layton- Matthews et al. (2005)."

Jan 1, 2016

"Investment in diamond exploration has been declining over the past decade, in spite of positive long-term industry fundamentals and a growing interest in diamonds as an investment category. The lack of new significant discoveries in recent years has eroded investor confidence, yet no new discoveries are possible without investment in exploration. Junior ‘mine finders’ have been the hardest hit. Their agility, tenacity, and appetite for risk are not sufficient to attract the funding required, even at the greenfield stage. Developing new discoveries into mineral resources can be crippling without solid financial support. Junior incubators could play a crucial role, especially at the project evaluation stage – but where are they? Alternatives to traditional funding mechanisms have become available, many still untested in the junior diamond exploration space. Valuable lessons can be drawn from the past and used to inform emerging new strategies. IntroductionDiamonds are the ultimate expression of love. Their ancient and timeless allure continues to influence consumer emotions and behaviours across continents, cultures and age groups. Analysts are predicting a sustained supplydemand shortfall in the years ahead which will trend diamond prices generally upwards. With positive long-term industry fundamentals, one cannot help but wonder why funding for diamond exploration and development projects is so scarce.Investment in exploration across commodities – including diamonds – has been declining for a number of years, reaching a historic eleven-year low early in 2017. The lack of major diamond discoveries in recent years has done little to strengthen the case for investing in diamond projects, yet no new discoveries can be made without investment in exploration.Global estimates of known carats in the ground stand currently at 2.5 billion carats, which equates to around 18 years of production at current levels of 140 million carats (mct) per annum. Sustainable replenishment of depleting diamond resources is possible only through the development of new discoveries. This is what junior explorers are best at – but they need investors to fund their evaluation activities from early in the project development continuum."

Feb 1, 2019