Explosives Engineering Commons^™

Managing The Rock Mass Destruction Under The Explosion, Maksym Kononenko, Oleh Khomenko, Ivan Sadovenko, Valeriy Sobolev, Yuliya Pazynich, Adam Smoliński

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Using the theory of elasticity and the main provisions of the quasi-static-wave hypothesis of the mechanism of the destruction of a solid medium under the action of an explosion, analytical modelling of the parameters of the formation of crumpling zones and crushing of the rock mass around the charging cavity during its explosive loading was carried out. Analytical models of the radii of the crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing zones formed around the charging cavity in the rock mass during its explosive loading, taking into account the pressure of the explosion products, the limit of tensile-compressive strength of the rocks, …

Application Geological Strength Index (Gsi) Quantification Method On The Characterization Of Carbonate Rock Mass, Singgih Saptono, Danu Mirza Rezky

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Determining GSI as a representation of the presence of rock mass in slope analysis continues to develop. The development of the quantitative GSI method was carried out because the basic (qualitative) GSI values were deemed too subjective so the results from the use of the quantitative GSIwere expected to be more objective and accurate. The method used is to combine 3 GSI quantitative methods to find GSI based on surface conditions and joint structure. The results showed that the Quantitative GSI value was smaller than the GSI predictive value (qualitative). The GSI approach with RQD and UCS parameters is also …

Nickel Recovery From Low-Grade Laterites: Study Of Thermal Pre-Treatments To Improve The Efficiency Of The Hydrometallurgical Process, Johana Borda, Robinson Torres

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The processing of lower-grade laterites to obtain nickel has increased due to the gradual depletion of higher-grade sulphide ore reserves. However, the extraction from laterites has been limited because conventional technologies imply a considerable expense of energy or reagents. In this document, the effect of thermal pre-treatments on a laterite sample is demonstrated to improve nickel leaching under moderate conditions. The influence of agents such as coke, coal and NaCl in the heat treatment was also studied. With the results it is presumed that part of the nickel occluded in the goethite migrates to the iron oxides surface during the …

European Feedback On Post-Mining Seismicity, Isabelle Contrucci, Dalija Namjesnik, Peter Niemz, Paloma Primo, Andrzej Kotyrba, Grzegorz Mutke, Petr Konicek, Pascal Dominique, Tobias Rudolph, Stefan Möllerherm, Jannes Kinscher, Emmanuelle Klein, Simone Cesca

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Following the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015, Europe has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the abandonment of coal as an energy source, both in terms of consumption and production, will lead to the closure of many mines in the years to come.

Mine closure guidelines to manage residual mining risks already exist in European countries. However, they do not include post-mining seismic risk management due to a lack of sufficient studies and knowledge on this subject. After mining closure, the flooding of the mining works leads to hydromechanical loading of the underground and, in the …

Influence Of Cutting Parameters On The Performance Of Plough During Hard Rock Cutting In Coal Mining, Sathish Kumar Palaniappan, Moganapriya Chinnasamy, Samir Kumar Pal, Rajasekar Rathanasamy

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Coal ploughs have proved very successful on many faces in various parts of the world. Recently, there has been a general tendency in longwall working to increase the speed at which the machine progresses along the coal face. An increase in production rate demands enhances either due to depth of penetration or cutting speed. This, in turn, results in increasing power demand and also the force acting on an individual pick. To get maximum efficiency from a cutting machine, a number of parameters need to be investigated. The first and foremost thing of interest is naturally the pick geometry. The …

Geophysical Imprint Of Mining-Induced Rock Mass Deformation In The Area Of Construction Disaster In Bytom (Poland), Andrzej Kotyrba, Łukasz Kortas

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper presents the analysis of the results of geophysical surveys conducted in the mining area located in Bytom – Karb (USCB, Poland) in the aspect of identifying the causes of significant damage to the complex of inhabited tenement houses which occurred in 2011. The surveys were carried out by microgravimetric and GPR methods. The construction disaster was caused by the exploitation of one of the hard coal seams at a depth of about 800 m along the mining longwall running underneath the settlement. The terrain deformation parameters exceeded the forecasted values, and in several places discontinuities took linear forms …

Status And Prospects Of Fully Mechanized Mining Technology In Vietnam Coal Mines From 2005 To 2020, Hai Duong Duc, Quang Dao Hong, Viet Phan Van, Thang Ngo Van

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper analyzes the achievement and the failures of applying the mechanized mining method in underground coal mines by the Vietnam National Coal – Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Ltd. (VINACOMIN) for 15 years (from 2005 to 2020). It also proposes the recommendations for developing mechanized mining in order to improve coal production, productivity and safety management for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s underground coal mining in the period 2021-2025

Evaluating The Impacts Of The Transition From Open-Pit To Underground Mining On Sustainable Development Indexes, Naser Badakhshan, Kourosh Shahriar, Sajjad Afraei, Ezzeddin Bakhtavar

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Sustainable development is about creating a balance between development and environment, and it consists of three essential principles: environment, society, and economy. Today, one of the most important challenges in deep open pit mines is the transition from open pit to underground, which has positive and negative impacts on sustainable development indexes. In order to reduce these adverse impacts, the impact of various parts of the transition operation on these indexes should be evaluated and corrective and preventive measures should be implemented. In this study, using a hybrid semi-quantitative approach, the effects of the transition in the Songun copper mine …

Applications Of Uavs In Mine Industry: A Scoping Review, Dang Tuyet Minh, Nguyen Ba Dung

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In recent years, a variety of technologies have improved mining operations. One of them is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the emerging technology that has been changing the mining process, boosting mining safety and productivity. The main purpose of this paper is to review the applications of UAVs in the mining industry based on the results of 113 research papers over the past twelve years, from 2010 to May 2022. The potential applications of UAVs in the mining industry are broad. Based on the paper identified, eight categories are used to classify UAV applications in the mining sector. The reviewed …

Research On Stability Of Rock Mass And +30 Level Surface Construction Works When Re-Exploiting The Seam H10 At Mong Duong Coal Mine, Vietnam, Tien Trung Vu, Doan Viet Dao

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The re-exploitation of coal seams located near the ground is one of the solutions to increase output, reduce mining investment costs, and avoid wasting coal resources. The re-exploitation of coal seams will also cause instability of the surrounding rock mass and may affect surface construction works. Through the process of re-exploiting the longwall in seam H10 at Mong Duong Coal Mine, the authors have studied and evaluated the stability of the rock mass and +30 level surface works (including fan station and gateroad). To achieve the results in this study, the numerical simulation model method and the analytical method were …

Evaluating The Post-Mining Land Uses Of Former Mine Sites For Sustainable Purposes In South Africa, Sphiwe E Mhlongo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper uses a case study of an abandoned magnesite mine in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to find ways of identifying post-mining land used from the current uses of the abandoned mine sites or features. The approach used involved carrying out a field characterization of the mine site and documentation of the current uses of the features of the abandoned mine site. The technique used to identify the internal and external factors of the land uses involved analyzing their Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique was used for further ranking of the land …

Time Variability Of Methane Extraction From Hard Coal Deposits In The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) In Relation To Geological And Mining Conditions, Sławomir Kędzior, Marcin Dreger

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The extraction and economical use of methane from coal mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland (USCB) have shown a variable tendency in recent decades, with numerous fluctuations from year to year. In 2021, approximately 286 million m3 of methane was collected from coal mines, which accounted for approximately 40% of the total emissions of this gas to mine workings. Due to the fact that the economical use of coal mine methane brings environmental, economic and work safety benefits, increasing its extraction is an urgent need. Trends in changes in the amount of mined methane in the entire USCB …

Diagnostic Gold Deportment Studies And Leaching Behaviour Of Small-Scale Gold Mining Tailings From Eastern Region, Ghana, Ishmael Quaicoe, Martin Beyuo, Solomon Quaicoe, Nikao A. Lasidzi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector employs about 80% of the mining workforce but only contributes about 20-30% of Ghana’s gold production. The low gold production is linked to low recoveries associated with the activities because ofinadequate understanding of the chemical, mineralogical and metallurgical characteristics of the ores. This study examined the metallurgical characteristics of typical small-scale gold mining tailings to understand their grinding characteristics, gold deportment and cyanidation behaviour. The gold deportment results showed that 96.1% of the gold in the samples is free milling (can be leached directly with cyanide and recovered through carbon adsorption), whilst the …

Acknowledgments Of Reviewers

Journal of Sustainable Mining

No abstract provided.

Hitting Two Birds With One Emissions-Based Maintenance Stone – A Literature Review On Improving Overall Productivity Of Underground Diesel Fleets, Johannes Deon Swanepoel, Jennifer Hines, Vinod Gopaldasani, Brian Davies

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Many industries regard occupational health and safety as a core value and an integral component to maintaining high productivity, and, thus, shareholder value. Diesel fleets’ engine maintenance is instrumental in ensuring affected workplaces meet production requirements while controlling health and safety hazards that these fleets introduce to the workplace. This systematic literature review focuses on production and occupational health and safety advantages associated with the implementation and adherence to an emissions-based maintenance (EBM) program. The literature review was conducted across eight databases relevant to workplace health and engineering. To be eligible for inclusion, the publication had to contain maintenance interventions …

Research On Vibration-Based Early Diagnostic System For Excavator Motor Bearing Using 1-D Cnn, Dorjsuren Yandagsuren, Tatsuki Kurauchi, Hisatoshi Toriya, Hajime Ikeda, Tsuyoshi Adachi, Youhei Kawamura

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In mining, super-large machines such as rope excavators are used to perform the main mining operations. A rope excavator is equipped with motors that drive mechanisms. Motors are easily damaged as a result of harsh mining conditions. Bearings are important parts in a motor; bearing failure accounts for approximately half of all motor failures. Failure reduces work efficiency and increases maintenance costs. In practice, reactive, preventive, and predictive maintenance are used to minimize failures. Predictive maintenance can prevent failures and is more effective than other maintenance. For effective predictive maintenance, a good diagnosis is required to accurately determine motor-bearing health. …

Predicting Young’S Modulus Of Indian Coal Measure Rock Using Multiple Regression And Artificial Neutral Network, Sayantan Chakraborty, Rohan Bisai, Rohit Roy, Sathish Kumar Palaniappan, Samir Kumar Pal, Karanam Uma Maheshwar Rao

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Accurate information on Young’s modulus (E) is required for simulating rock deformation in mines; on the other hand, it is very cumbersome to obtain in the laboratory and collecting drilled cores in sufficient amounts, especially in the case of soft rocks, is quite impossible. Empirical equations were deducted for E from easily determinable rock properties, and the final model was selected through different statistical strength parameter tests. The generalization of the equation was verified through the normal distribution tests of residues of the equation. R2 came to be 0.609 and was validated using an artificial neural network with an improved …

Gravity And Electrostatic Separation Of Unburned Coal From A Selected Fly Ash, Krzysztof Wierzchowski, Agnieszka Klupa, Barbara Białecka, Joanna Całus Moszko

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Unburned coal grains make it difficult to use fly ash economically, which causes energy losses in the fuel. The article presents the possibilities of separating unburned coal from selected fly ash. In order to assess the possibility of separation of unburned carbon, the analysis of grain density and ash composition was used. Unburned coal was separated by four methods – one wet gravity and three dry methods. It has been found that despite very fine ash grains, the quality and quantity of separation products are significantly dependent on the separation method used and the separated grains’ qualitative characteristics. The analysis …

Exploring The Characterization, Liberation And Flotation Response Of A Nigerian Low-Grade Copper Ore, Willie Nheta, Omoyemi O. Ola-Omole

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This study explores the characterization, liberation and flotation response of low-grade copper ore from Anka area, Zamfara state Nigeria. The ore was crushed, milled and sieved in accordance with BS 410 standard. It was characterized with XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS and AAS. Froth flotation was carried out with varying %solids, pH, retention time and collector dosages using SEX and sodium oleate. Particle size distribution of the ore shows its economic liberation between -150 and +106 µm while 80% passing corresponds to 175.7 µm using the Gaudin Schuhmann equation. However, according to metallurgical balance calculation, 63 µm proved to have the highest …

Production Management System In A Modern Coal And Coke Company Based On The Demand And Quality Of The Exploited Raw Material In The Aspect Of Building A Service-Oriented Architecture, Artur Dyczko

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper deals with the implementation of the JSW Capital Group’s (Poland) Demand and Quality Driven Production Management System (SPPJ – System Zarządzania Produkcją oparty na Popycie i Jakości) using a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The main components of the SPPJ architecture have been characterized, and the scope of their integration has been defined. The individual parts in the first area, i.e. quality management, have been described in detail. Due to the extensive nature of the issue, components in other areas, i.e. planning and scheduling, coal extraction and processing, coke production, as well as sales and logistics, have only been signalled. …

Impact Of Voids And Backfill On Seismic Wave Velocity-Preliminary Results, Zarina Mukhamedyarova, Fidelis Suorineni, Temirlan Aldubay, Gylym Sapinov

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted on discrete physical models that mimic mining effects to better understand the impact of continuous changes in mining environments on seismic wave velocities. The discrete physical models are represented by concrete and granite cubic samples of different sizes with holes of different diameters filled and unfilled with cemented sand backfill of different cement-sand content ratios. The hole diameters range from 0 to 150 mm in block sizes ranging from 150 mm to 450 mm in increments of 75 mm. The increasing hole size mimics increasing extraction in the mine with time. Cemented sand …

Predicting The Stability Of Open Stopes Using Machine Learning, Alicja Szmigiel, Derek B. Apel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The Mathews stability graph method was presented for the first time in 1980. This method was developed to assess the stability of open stopes in different underground conditions, and it has an impact on evaluating the safety of underground excavations. With the development of technology and growing experience in applying computer sciences in various research disciplines, mining engineering could significantly benefit by using Machine Learning. Applying those ML algorithms to predict the stability of open stopes in underground excavations is a new approach that could replace the original graph method and should be investigated. In this research, a Potvin database …

Quantifying The Influence Of Variations In Rock Mass Properties On Stope Stability, Shahé Shnorhokian, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Variations in rock mass properties are well-established in rock mechanics and underground mining. The literature is replete with methods of assessing them and determining values that are used in design or numerical analysis. In this paper, a simplified 3D model is constructed for a tabular orebody in the Canadian Shield and instability is quantified using the ”brittle shear ratio” criterion to calculate the volume at risk. A 1-4-7 stope pillar sequence is implemented on four active levels, and three variations in the properties of the host formation are assessed. It is observed that the locations of ore at risk follow …

Prospects For Thiourea As A Leaching Agent In Colombian Gold Small-Scale Mining: A Comprehensive Review, Johana Borda, Robinson Torres

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Thiourea, as an alternative medium, is one of the most promising leaching agents for gold recovery by its commercial benefits and research challenges associated with performance and environmental impacts. This review article describes the operational conditions for the use of Thiourea vs cyanide, its chemistry, limitations, toxicity factors, environment, and recovery processes. Although thiourea gold extraction processes have not been applied on a large scale due to the instability of the reagent, its potential to overcome the limitations of cyanide is attractive to the process; with pH, potential, oxidant dosage, and temperature control, solubilized gold thiourea species are achieved. These …

Panel Destressing Strategies For Remnant Pillar Extraction, Isaac Vennes, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Large-scale panel destressing is a rockburst mitigation technique employed in deep hard rock mines during remnant pillar extraction. Panels are choke blasted in the pillar footwall to cutoff the far-field major stress in the mining area and deviate them around the pillar. In this study, the effects of panel geometry and far-field stress magnitude are investigated. Destress blast performance is assessed by measuring change to the energy release rate (ERR) of all mining steps during the extraction of a simplified remnant pillar due to destressing. It is demonstrated that the energy release rate (ERR) of critical stopes is reduced by …

Seismic Activity And Flooding Of Hard Coal Mines In The Ostrava-Karvina Coalfield, Petr Konicek, Eva Jirankova, Vlastimil Kajzar, Jan Schreiber, Pavel Malucha, Kristyna Schuchova

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The termination of mining activities often results in post-mining problems and risks. One of these issues is the flooding of mines. Long-term mining in the Ostrava and Petrvald sub-basins in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin finished in 1994. Tens of coal seams were mined here, and the depth of mining reached more than 1000 m below the surface. Flooding of the Ostrava sub-basin started in 1994. The Ostrava and Petrvald sub-basins were flooded from one half only to prevent water from flooding into the Karvina sub-basin, where mining continued. The continual pumping of water has been carried out ever since. …

Numerical Modelling Of Destress Blasting – A State-Of-The-Art Review, Shuting Miao, Petr Konicek, Peng-Zhi Pan, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

As a proactive mine safety measure against the occurrence of rockburst, destress blasting has been applied to numerous mining conditions to precondition highly stressed rock mass to mitigate the risk of rockburst occurrence in deep mines as well as in deep underground constructions. However, the application of destress blasting mostly depends on engineering experience, while its mechanism and efficiency have not been well understood. Rapid advances in computer technology have made numerical simulation an economical and effective method to study the rock blasting effect. Enormous research efforts have been made to numerically investigate the blasting fracture mechanism, optimize blasting design, …

Analysis Of The Application Of Methane-Bearing Capacity Test Methods In The Conditions Of Polish Mining, Marcin Karbownik

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The methane hazard is one of the natural hazards occurring in hard coal mining. The content of natural methane in hard coal seams, the so-called methane-bearing capacity, is one of the key parameters that allow for proper assessment of the methane hazard and the state of the threat of gas and rock outbursts. For safety purposes, there is a constant need to improve the methods for the determination of this parameter. In the conditions of Polish mining, the method used for methane-bearing capacity determination is the direct drill cuttings method. This paper contains a comparative study presenting three different methods …

Proposed Design Fire Scenarios For Underground Hard Rock Mines, Rickard Hansen

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Given the complexity and uniqueness of underground hard rock mines, the application of the design fire scenario approach is recommended when evaluating fire safety in mines. Providing a full set of design fire scenarios – ensuring that several important life safety aspects are covered – for a mine can be challenging. The question is whether a catalogue of potential clusters of design fire scenarios could be developed, covering important aspects found underground? Given the general lack of research into design fires in the mining industry, this paper provides a unique analysis of design fire scenarios in underground hard rock mines. …

Effect Of Mining And Geology On Mining-Induced Seismicity – A Case Study, Heba Khalil, Tuo Chen, Yu-Hang Xu, Hani Mitri

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mining-induced seismicity is a commonly occurring phenomenon in underground mines. This poses a greater challenge to the safety of the mining operation. This paper presents a case study of the Young-Davidson mine in northern Ontario, Canada, where seismic events of magnitude Mn 2.0+ have been observed at mining depths of 600 to 800 m below the surface. The occurrence of large seismic events at such shallow depths is the key issue of this study. A comprehensive study of the microseismic database has been conducted to discern the root causes for the unusually strong seismic activities recorded at shallow depths. The …