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Full-Text Articles in Explosives Engineering

Evaluation Of The Extractive Gold Process: Open-Pit Mining Through Exergy Analysis, Hector I. Velasquez, Carlos Andres Orozco Loaiza, Christian Hasenstab, Natalia A. Cano Oct 2020

Evaluation Of The Extractive Gold Process: Open-Pit Mining Through Exergy Analysis, Hector I. Velasquez, Carlos Andres Orozco Loaiza, Christian Hasenstab, Natalia A. Cano

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The Colombian mining sector is characterized by the production of coal, nickel, emeralds, gold, and construction materials. It is considered by the National Development Plan of Colombia 2018-2022 as an economic agent that boosts development in the region and one that requires the strengthening of its policies and environmental liability. Therefore, this paper aims to show the importance of implementing methodologies based on the logic of nature (exergy) that objectively indicate the environmental impact of an extractive gold activity, such as open-pit gold mining. The extractive activity or process to be studied consists of the following stages: topsoil removal by …


Exergy Life Cycle Assessment Indicators In Colombian Gold Mining Sector, Natalia A. Cano, Christian Hasenstab, Hector I. Velasquez Oct 2020

Exergy Life Cycle Assessment Indicators In Colombian Gold Mining Sector, Natalia A. Cano, Christian Hasenstab, Hector I. Velasquez

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Thermodynamic methods, such as exergy analysis allow the assessment of environmental load (environmental impacts), by calculating the entropy generated or exergy destroyed due to the use of renewable and non-renewable resources along the entire production chain. In this research, exergy analysis will be approached as an extension of LCA to ExLCA (Exergy Life Cycle Assessment), as complementary tools, for sustainability assessment of two gold mining systems in Colombia: open-pit and alluvial mining. It is quantified exergy life cycle efficiencies; Cumulative Energy/ Exergy Demand, by distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable resources used in the process. The energy contained in renewable and …


True Cost Of Coal: Coal Mining Industry And Its Associated Environmental Impacts On Water Resource Development, Noshin Masood, Karen Hudson-Edwards, Abida Farooqi Oct 2020

True Cost Of Coal: Coal Mining Industry And Its Associated Environmental Impacts On Water Resource Development, Noshin Masood, Karen Hudson-Edwards, Abida Farooqi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Coal is a strategic and essential resource that ensures quality of life, energy security and sustainable development. Being the cheapest source of energy, it is the second after oil that is used to generate 40% of the world's electricity. However, traditional and conventional coal fuel extraction can threaten human health bycontaminating air and water, harming land, and contributing to global warming. The environmental impacts associated with conventional methods of coal mining and consumption can affect all components of the environment, and these impacts may be beneficial or harmful, permanent or temporary, repairable or irreparable, and reversible or irreversible in nature. …


Measurement Of Surface Subsidence And Ground Collapse Caused By Underground Mining In The Boleo Copper District, Mexico, Jong-Gwan Kim Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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 Oct 2020

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. PFC2D 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 …