Hydrologic Data by Tracer Test on Situ Stope Leaching
Conventional underground mining involves the excavation and transportation of ore to the surface for processing. Tonnes of solid material is extracted from underground mining systems to produce kilograms, and sometimes only grams, of final product. Surficial processing of ore results in the disposal of most of the excavated material on the surface, with the material […]
Surface Tension of Wetting for Minerals
Critical Surface Tension of Wetting for Minerals: Another criterion satisfying the requirement for complete wetting can be deduced from Zisman’s concept of the critical surface tension of wetting (γc). Zisman and co-workers (as reviewed by Zisman, 1963; 1964) found a linear relationship between the cosine of the contact angle and the surface tension of a homologous […]
Water Powered Jackleg Drills
The idea of using the energy of water (hydropower) for the purpose of deep-level mining has its origins in South Africa. It stems from necessity and practical considerations. With a constant increase of the depth of mining, ventilation and cooling requirements made it essential to chill the service water sent underground. Water in the shaft […]
Drilling & Blasting of Gold Heap Leach Pads
The permitting for the copper project required time beyond what was initially anticipated and stand alone gold reserves were exhausted. While leaching of the gold heaps continued, it was recognized that to continue active leaching into start up of the copper project, some actions had to be taken to increase production. The leach pads were […]
Gemini VS Wilfley Shaker Table
Previous work has shown that significant, free milling gold values exist in the Ryan Lode ore. This project used pilot scale equipment to estimate the percentage of gold recoverable by gravity methods from the circulating load of a conventional, closed-circuit, grinding mill. The pilot scale flowsheet employed three stages of gravity concentration, hydraulic classification and […]
Copper Leaching and Solvent Extraction Electrowinning
The design of the DOP ensures, that proper pumping with right head-flow characteristics can be combined with a mixing tuned according to the requirements of the liquid-liquid contact to be performed. As this is not easily realized the DOP design has been backed up by Flow laboratory tests to determine the influence of a variety […]
Coal Dewatering & Briquetting
When the bitumen emulsion is mixed with the ultrafine coal filter cake, the bitumen droplets are evenly dispersed throughout the coal sample, due to its water based characteristics. The moisture content of the coal-bitumen mixtures can be as high as 55% for this briquetting process. Because of the hydrophobic nature of the bitumen material and […]
Ground Calcium Carbonate Ore Mineralogy Processing
Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) is used in the paper, plastics, paint, rubber, caulks, and sealants industries. The favorable properties of GCC include high whiteness and brightness, low hardness, and outstanding rheology in water systems. The quality of calcitic GCC ores, which include chalk, limestone, and marble, is dependent on calcite purity and the nature and […]
Percolation to Enhance In Situ Copper Leaching
A numerical model is being developed to assess the enhancement of permeability by improved fracture connectivity by micro-hydrofracturing. A generic two-dimensional percolation model has been developed to test the impact of various field conditions on permeability. Field data from Cyprus Minerals’ Mineral Park Mine has been used to establish statistical properties of the observed fracture […]
Pilot Scale Testing Coal Air-Lift Hydrohoist
Primary underground coal transportation systems, such as conveyor belts, rail haulage, and mechanical hoists, have numerous inherent safety hazards. During the period 1990 to 1992, 12% of all the reported 31,266 accidents that occurred at underground coal mines were associated with powered haulage, and 52% of all haulage accidents, including surface areas of underground mines, […]