Mining Engineering Commons^™

Measurement Of Surface Subsidence And Ground Collapse Caused By Underground Mining In The Boleo Copper District, Mexico, Jong-Gwan Kim

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Subsidence and vertical movements in mines are a challenge in mining operations. To qualify as a controlled mine site, ground movements must be measured regularly during mining operations. Boleo Copper District mine was monitored and the movement during mining operations was measured from Oct. 31, 2018 to March 15, 2019. The evaluation of vertical and horizontal movement was determined in four locations in the mine areas M303, M303S, M303 C, and M305. The exploitation area, which measured approximately 80 x 90 m² with a height of 2.4 m, impacted the surface in the form of cracks. These cracks were …

Recovery And Repurposing Of Thermal Resources In The Mining And Mineral Processing Industry, Shannon H. Mclean, Jeffrey Chenier, Sari Muinonen, Corey A. Laamanen, John A. Scott

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The consumption of energy contributes significantly to the overall cost of operations and the environmental impact of the mining and mineral processing industry. However, despite a few notable exceptions, most of the resulting waste heat produced is dissipated, without recovery, into the environment. There is also a lot of stored heat in mine water which can be tapped into long after a mine has closed. There is, therefore, significant opportunity to improve the industry's sustainability through increasing the amount of waste heat recovered and repurposed.

Mineralogical Variations With The Mining Depth In The Congo Copperbelt: Technical And Environmental Challenges In The Hydrometallurgical Processing Of Copper And Cobalt Ores, Michel Shengo Lutandula, W. S. Kitobo, M. B. Kime, M. P. Mambwe, T. K. Nyembo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

For a long time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the mining of ores for the production of copper cathodes and salts of cobalt was mostly conducted in the near-surface oxidized mineralization of the Congo Copperbelt. An important part of this mineralization is found in geological settings where copper and cobalt mainly exist as mixtures of oxides and sulfides. With the depletion of surface-rich minerals, mining is taking place at depths where sulfide minerals are prevalent. Using current technologies, the hydrometallurgical processing of ores with high levels of sulfide minerals results in poor metal recovery due to their retention in …

Alternative Methodology To Determine Effective Coefficient Of Methane Diffusion In Coal, Henryk Koptoń

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The article presents the results of research in to the development of an alternative method of determining the effective coefficient of methane diffusion in coal, based on a mathematical model following Fick's second law. The research was conducted based on the recorded courses of methane sorption kinetics in coal samples obtained in laboratory conditions with the precise gravimetric sorption system IGA-001. The value of the coefficient was treated as an element tuning the model in such a way that the average relative error of the ex post was as small as possible. Model verification indicated the correctness of its assumptions. …

In Search Of A Future For Mining: Participative Scenarios For Colombia, Santiago Arango-Aramburo, Ricardo Smith, Patricia Jaramillo, Yris Olaya, Adrian Saldarriaga, Oscar J. Restrepo, Yuly Arboleda, Carla Rua, Sebastian Bernal, Pablo E. Londono, Erik R. Larsen

Journal of Sustainable Mining

We describe and discuss the development of scenarios for the Colombian mining industry. The scenarios were developed with a large group of stakeholders from across the Colombian government, society, and commerce, all with interest in and/or affected by the future of the mining sector. The process resulted in the creation of three different scenarios for the Colombian mining sector to 2030. The article describes the participatory process used for involving the stakeholders, including the workshops and the mapping technique that was used. It also outlines the three scenarios and possible policies that should be considered by the Colombian government in …

Ammonia-Ca-K Competitive Ion-Exchange On Zeolites In Mining Wastewater Treatment: Batch Regeneration And Column Performance, Roberto Martín Narbaitz, Zachary G. Chartrand, Majid Sartaj, Jason Downey

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This manuscript addresses the treatment explosives-impacted mining wastewaters (EIMWW) using ion-exchange to remove elevated levels of ammonia. Repeated batch loading-regeneration cycles were conducted for two commercially available zeolite media used in the treatment of ammonia-ladenEIMWW to establish the effects of competing ions and regeneration solution composition. The Northern Ontario EIMWW tested contained 3.87 meq/L total ammonia (TA) as well as 2.85 meq/L Kþ and 3.9 meq/L Ca2þ.The media studied were a natural clinoptilolite and a modified clinoptilolite (SIR-600). Five regenerant solutions with different NaCl and KCl concentrations were evaluated. The presence of potassium in the regenerant was found to hinder …

The Identification Of Heavy Metal Accumulator Ferns In Abandoned Mines In The Philippines With Applications To Mine Rehabilitation And Metal Recovery, Rene Juna R. Claveria, Teresita R. Perez, Ian A. Navarrete, Rubee Ellaine C. Perez, Brian Christian C. Lim

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper focuses on the identification of some plant accumulators of heavy metals that can facilitate mine remediation and rehabilitation in the Philippines and metal recovery or phytomining. Most of these hyperaccumulators are ferns that thrive very well in different terrains and of particular interest are Pityrogramma calomelanos, Pteris vittata, and Pteris melanocaulon that are abundant in abandoned CueAu mining areas. The amounts of Cu and As in the soil and in the aboveground (AG) and belowground (BG) components of the accumulator ferns were determined and the Bioaccumulation Factor (BF) and the Translocation Factor (TF) were derived. Efforts to …

A Lab Study Of Mineral Scale Buildup On Line And Traditional Pe Water Pipes For Acid Mine Drainage, Amanda Pezzuto, Emily Sarver

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Plastic, especially polyethylene (PE), pipe material is increasingly used in mining applications due to its inert nature, flexibility, low density, and low cost. Though resistant to chemical corrosion, it is susceptible to abrasion. To combat this problem, an abrasion-resistant liner is in development. However, it is not yet known how the liner will perform with regards to other common problems that affect pipe systems, such as mineral scale buildup. In mining applications, scale buildup occurs due to the very high contents of suspended and dissolved solids in water or slurry. For example, in systems transporting raw or treated acid mine …

Optimising The Management Of Mining Waste By Means Sentinel-2 Imagery: A Case Study In Joda West Iron And Manganese Mine (India), Daniela Guglietta, Girolamo Belardi, Daniele Passeri, Rosamaria Salvatori, Stefano Ubaldini, Barbara Casentini, Francesca Trapasso

Journal of Sustainable Mining

A smart economy minimizes the production of waste from mining activities and reuses waste as a potential resource, with the goal of moving towards a near-zero waste society. This paper presents integrated multidisciplinary methodology in order to optimise the management of mining waste. The test site is the FeeMn mine in Odisha (India). The mining waste present in the mine has been collected and afterwards X-Ray Powder Diffraction, X-Ray Fluorescence and spectral signatures analysis have been performed for mineralogical, chemical and spectral characterization of the materials. Finally, the classification and mapping of the characterized mining waste was carried out by …

Comments On “Life Cycle Assessment Of Cobalt Extraction Process” By Farjana Et Al. (2019), Rickard Arvidsson, Mudit Chordia, Anders Nordelöf

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Several points of critique are raised against the paper by Farjana et al. (J Sust Mining, 18(3): 150-161, 2019). The first regards the novelty of their paper. The second regards the age and quality of the main source data used. The third regards the description of the system boundary of their main data source.

Prospective Study On Safety Climate Of Surface Mining In Pakistan, Izhar Mithal Jiskani, Saleem Raza Chalgri, Safiullah Memon, Niaz Muhammad Shahani, Abdullah Rasheed Qureshi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The purpose of this study was to assess miners' perceptions about the safety climate of their workplace. To achieve the research aim, the relationship between demographic characteristics and occupational hazards was first determined, and finally, the relationship of safety climate with occupational hazards and health-seeking behavior was discovered. The data was collected through a self-reporting questionnaire. The results revealed that the subjects have to deal with severe occupational hazards, and they possess poor health-seeking behavior. A safety climate assessment showed that only one of the seven dimensions (i.e. safety communication, learning, and trust in co-worker safety competence) was at …

Effect Of An Eccentric Decoupled Charge On Rock Mass Blasting, Jung-Gyu Kim, Mahrous A. M. Ali, Jong-Gwan Kim

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Experimental and numerical analyses were conducted to investigate the effect of an eccentric loaded contour hole on a rock mass. In the concrete blocks used for the analyses, detonating cords were placed at the centre of the blast hole and eccentrically against the wall of the blast hole. PFC^2D and AUTODYN were used for the numerical analyses, and the results of these software showed that an eccentric decoupled charge can result in the directional development of fractures, thereby enabling the control of cracks in the opposite direction. Even though both types of blasting have identical decoupling indexes, the crack …

Proof Of Concept For The Development Of A Ground Vibration Sensor System For Future Research In Blasting, John Meuth

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Ground vibrations from blasting are one of the leading limitations to mining (underground and surface). There is a need for a low-cost scalable vibration monitoring system to conduct large scale ground vibration projects in the mining industry. Studies conducted on ground vibrations use any number of different sensors to obtain their data, the different sensor capabilities and methods for data processing lead to uncertainties in the research and regulations set for ground vibrations. Commercial Systems do not allow researchers to obtain raw output data, and the data processing procedures are not provided or disclosed for these systems. In order to …

The Effect Of Delay And Sequence On Blasting Fragmentation Results, Tristan Worsey

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Blasters use the delay between charges and the firing sequence of the explosive charges to help reduce vibrations and achieve the desired fragmentation. Although delay and sequence are recognized as very important for vibrations and fragmentation, only vibration models consider timing as a variable in the prediction tool, without any known model for fragmentation prediction based on the delay sequence. Of the few fragmentation models available, very few take delay into account and do not give guidance on row delay and/or sequence selections. With the invention of electronic detonators in 1984, there are new avenues to explore with sequence and …

Predicting Fracture Extension Around A Borehole Using The Numerical Displacement Discontinuity Method, Nathaniel Schaefer

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Prediction of blast damage radius is integral in the optimization of mining safety and production. The damage radius can be related to blasting variables such as fragmentation size as well as overbreak in hard rock. Various methods have been developed to predict and assess damage radius extension for individual holes to aid in blast design. These methods range from experimental and observational techniques to theoretical applications. Some of these methods have been used with a degree of success. However, many of them lack a comprehensive combination of experimental and theoretical contributions. Since post-blast environments are not conducive to assessing whether …

Shock Wave Propagation Behavior At Corners And Crosscuts In Five Small-Scale Tunnel Scenarios, David Pierre Doucet

Masters Theses

"Shock wave propagation in tunnels and other enclosed environments is substantially more complicated than in an open-air or even a surface detonation. There is still much to learn about how shock wave properties change as a wave propagates in an enclosed space, such as a mine tunnel, inside of a building, or city street. The geometry of the enclosure will have a large role in the propagation of the shock wave. This means that many different tunnel designs must be studied. This work tested five different designs using a modular small-scale model. The scenarios tested were Straight-line, Single Turn, Around …

Additive Manufacturing Of Linear Shaped Charges To Address Run Up And Run Down Phenomena, Jason Ho

Masters Theses

”A shaped charge is an explosive device used to focus detonation energy in a desired direction. Additive Manufacturing (AM) can allow greater design freedom and geometric complexity for the liner portion of the shaped charge.

In this work, the following hypotheses were tested: 1) Adjusting the initial apex angle of a linear shaped charge liner reduces the amount of run up that occurs, and 2) implementing a backstop at the end of a linear shaped charge liner reduces the amount of run down that occurs.

Linear shaped charge liners with a continuously changing apex angle were created with additive manufacturing. …

Simplifying Techniques Applied To Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Methane Explosions, Laura Steeves

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Traditional methods of studying underground coal mine explosions are limited to observations and data collected during experimental explosions. These experiments are expensive, time-consuming, and require major facilities, such as the Lake Lynn Experimental Mine. The development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of explosions can help minimize the need for large-scale testing. This thesis utilized the commercial CFD software, SC/Tetra, to examine three case studies. The first case study modeled the combustion of methane in a scaled shock tube, measuring approximately 1 foot by 1 foot, by 20.5 feet long, with a methane cloud of 2.5 feet in length, at …

Pressure Versus Impulse Graph For Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury And Correlation To Observable Blast Injuries, Barbara Rutter

Doctoral Dissertations

"With the increased use of explosive devices in combat, blast induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has become one of the signature wounds in current conflicts. Animal studies have been conducted to understand the mechanisms in the brain and a pressure versus time graph has been produced. However, the role of impulse in bTBIs has not been thoroughly investigated for animals or human beings.

This research proposes a new method of presenting bTBI data by using a pressure versus impulse (P-I) graph. P-I graphs have been found useful in presenting lung lethality regions and building damage thresholds. To present the animal …

The Mechanics Of Precision Presplitting, Anthony Joseph Konya

Doctoral Dissertations

"Precision Presplitting is a widely used method of presplit blasting for the mining and construction industries. In recent years considerable effort has gone into the development of empirical equations based on field data to be able to better design the Precision Presplit for various rock types and structural environments. However, the most widely discussed theory about the mechanics of the presplit formation, that of shockwave collisions, does not appear to be applicable for this method of presplitting.

This research has disproven this theory based on insufficient magnitude of the shockwave from modeling with basic wave mechanics. Other authors have suggested …

The Behavior Of Suas Under Explosive Loading Conditions And Implications For Safe Operating Procedures, Ashok Em Sudhakar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Drones are increasingly being used for tasks previously unimagined and the beneficial uses are evolving. The United States Congress has envisioned the possible uses of drones for both combating and conveying explosive threats and other harmful and destructive activities. Congress' intent is reflected in new laws (2018) and policies (2019).

All civilian available Small Unmanned Aerial Systems sUASs (Drones), weighing less than 55 pounds, in the current market are not designed for operations in explosive environments. This first of a kind research focuses on further understanding of sUASs response to explosive loading and the public policy implications. This research measured …

Projectile Impact Effects On A 50 Psi Plug Type Coal Mine Seal, Bruce Albert Von Niederhäusern

Masters Theses

"The current lack of projectile damage criteria for mine seals is assessed to determine if criteria should be developed. Impact experiments were performed on a full-scale 50 psi mine seal to determine failure modes, dynamic stress state, and assess risk to existing operational mine seals. Test projectiles were selected from common underground coal mine items propelled by means of a black powder projectile generator. Projectile velocities attained in testing ranged from approximately 100 to 650 ft/s (30 to 200 m/s). Dynamic strain was measured on the non-impact face to derive the state of stress and estimate failure criteria. Penetration models …

Additive Manufacturing Of Liners For Shaped Charges, Jason Ho, Cody Lough, Phillip R. Mulligan, Edward C. Kinzel, Catherine E. Johnson

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Shaped Charge (SC) is an explosive device used to focus a detonation in a desired direction, and has applications in oil extraction, weaponry and demolition. The focusing relies on a void in the explosive mass, shaped by a metal liner that becomes a super-heated projectile during detonation. Additive Manufacturing (AM) allows greater design freedom and geometric complexity for the liner portion of the SC. Specifically, hierarchical structuring and functional grading can potentially provide greater velocity, directionality, and efficiency. In this work, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is used to explore different geometries for an SC liner made out of SS …

Detonation Synthesis Of Alpha-Variant Silicon Carbide, Martin Langenderfer, Catherine E. Johnson, William Fahrenholtz, Vadym Mochalin

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A recent research study has been undertaken to develop facilities for conducting detonation synthesis of nanomaterials. This process involves a familiar technique that has been utilized for the industrial synthesis of nanodiamonds. Developments through this study have allowed for experimentation with the concept of modifying explosive compositions to induce synthesis of new nanomaterials. Initial experimentation has been conducted with the end goal being synthesis of alpha variant silicon carbide (α-SiC) in the nano-scale. The α-SiC that can be produced through detonation synthesis methods is critical to the ceramics industry because of a number of unique properties of the material. Conventional …

Analysis Of Underground Coal Mine Structures Subjected To Dynamic Events, Brooklynn Yonts

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Underground coal mine explosions pose a significant threat to infrastructure such as mine seals and refuge alternative chambers. After a mine seal failed in the Sago mine disaster, which took the life of 12 miners, design requirements were reexamined and improved. However, most research being completed on the analysis of mine structures during an explosive event focuses solely on peak pressure values, while ignoring the impact of pressure duration. This study investigates the impact pressure duration, waveform shape, and impulse have on structural displacement, while also exploring what pressures and duration can be expected during a mine explosion. Additionally, the …

Management Of Coal Dust Explosions In United States' Coal Mines Using Bag Type Passive Explosion Barriers, Jay Robert Schafler

Masters Theses

"The most significant and powerful hazard that exists in an underground coal mine is a coal dust explosion. A coal dust explosion has the potential to propagate throughout a mine resulting in massive damage to the mine and equipment, as well as tragic loss of life. An assessment of current global regulations and practices uncovered four main control methods utilized to prevent coal dust explosions in coal mines world-wide. The United States is one of the few countries that does not regulate or employ all four of these safety practices. Additionally, a review of past research into coal dust explosions …

Shockwave Interaction With A Cylindrical Structure, Phillip R. Mulligan

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An increased understanding of the shockwave interaction with a cylindrical structure is the foundation for developing a method to explosively seal a pipe similar to the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico. Shockwave interactions with a cylindrical structure have been a reoccurring focus of energetics research. Some of the most notable contributions of non-destructive tests are described in ``The Effects of Nuclear Weapons'' (Glasstone, 1962). The work presented by Glasstone examines shockwave interaction from a 20-megaton bomb with a cylindrical structure. However, the data is limited to a peak overpressure of less than 25 psi, requiring several miles …

Effect Of Explosive Charge Geometry On Shockwave Propagation, Catherine E. Johnson, Phillip R. Mulligan, Kelly Williams, Martin Langenderfer, Jeffrey Heniff

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With advancements in the 3D printing of explosives, the understanding how the shape of an explosive charge influences the energy expansion and subsequently the focusing of energy is becoming increasingly more important. Theoretically, explosive charges could be printed to focus the energy on targets of interest or to synthesize nanomaterials. The first step to quantifying the energy expansion and shock wave convergences for a 3D printed charge is to examine simple geometries of traditional explosive charges (non-3D printed). Detonation of 15 PETN-based primasheet charges in the spherical, cubic, cylindrical, and tetrahedral configurations have been examined in this study. Qualitative data …

The Influence Of Caprock On Blast Fragmentation Distribution, Matthew Kurtis Coy

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation describes the development of a small-scale model of a caprock-laden quarry blast and discusses the results from that testing. The purpose of this testing was to provide insight into the reasons for poor caprock breakage during blasting.

Small-scale test blocks were poured using a weak mortar mix to represent a limestone formation at a small scale. A cold joint was created in the upper portion of the test specimens to represent the bedding plane that separates caprock and substrate layers in a caprock-laden limestone bench. The scale-model test blocks were blasted using detonating cord. The primary configuration for …

Modeling Explosive Lensing On A Cylindrical Body In Air: A First Step Towards Sealing An Underwater Offshore Oil Spill, Phillip R. Mulligan

Doctoral Dissertations

"In 2010, the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon accident leaked oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. A fast response method that can seal an oil pipe and stop the release of oil is needed in order to prevent future oil leaks from turning into ecological and financial disasters. Explosives can serve this need.

This research examined how a circular implosive discontinuous explosive lens interacts with a cylindrical surface. The following research was designed to study the applicability of the Method this author developed to predict the peak pressure from multiple shockwaves converging on a centrally located cylinder. …