Explosives Engineering Commons^™

4d Gas Geological Research On Coal Seam With Gas Hazard Potential In Mining Panel, Hongqing Cui, Xin He, Zehua Wang

Journal of Sustainable Mining

According to regulations of the mining industry in China, it is necessary to carry out gas hazard prevention projects in advance when mining coal seams with gas hazard potential, and gas geological research should be taken as the basic work for optimal design and effective construction of gas hazard prevention projects. Research on coal seam with gas hazard potential have shown that anomalous geological area could be the gas hazard potential area as well, where superimposed tectonic and mining stress field usually results in tectonically disturbed coal and pressured gas. A 4D gas geological research method is used to find …

Impact Of The Ban On Illegal Mining Activities On Raw Water Quality: A Case-Study Of Konongo Water Treatment Plant, Ashanti Region Of Ghana, Sadique Anyame Bawa, Prince Antwi-Agyei, Martin Kyereh Domfeh

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The Government of Ghana prohibited Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) operations from 2017 to 2018 as part of its strategy to address the socio-environmental issues caused by illegal mining activities, also referred to as “galamsey” operations. This study assessed the trend in the water quality of raw water abstracted at the Konongo Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for treatment before and after implementing the ban on “galamsey” operations. The main source of raw water for the Konongo WTP is the Anuru River. Secondary data on physicochemical water quality from 2006 to 2019 was sourced from the Konongo WTP and the Ashanti …

Improved Methodology For Monitoring The Impact Of Mining Activities On Socio-Economic Conditions Of Local Communities, Binay Prakash Pandey, Devi Prasad Mishra

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mining activities can cause tangible socio-economic improvements in the surrounding regions. Such potential has not been fully realized, owing to the fact that the socio-economic impact assessment processes exercised in India merely predict the footprint of industrial activity on the surrounding population. Consequently, project proponents are mandated to implement a management plan in cases of foreseeable negative consequences. However, both, the assessment study, as well as the process of implementation of a management plan, are riddled with significant gaps and limitations. Primary data collected for this research makes it apparent that, in comparison to the revenue generated from the mining …

A Proper Borehole Pattern Design For Coal Seam Methane Drainage In Tabas Coal Mine Using Comsol Multiphysics, Ali Bagherzadeh, Mehdi Najafi, Mohammad Fatehi Marji, Mehdi Noroozi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Optimizing the operational parameters of the borehole pattern in the coal seam includes the maximum amount of gas to be drained with the least amount of drilling, investment, and drainage time. The main purpose of this research is to properly design the drainage borehole pattern in the C1 coal seam of the Tabas coal mine. In this research, the Comsol Multiphysics software was used for numerical modeling of the boreholes. According to the method of diffusion of methane gas in a coal seam, the reduction of methane gas concentration and the amount of gas released from the coal blocks were …

Use Of Insar In Linear Discontinuous Ground Deformation Generation Analysis: Case Study Of A Mine In Poland, Bartosz Apanowicz

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Linear Discontinuous Ground Deformations are defined as fissures and steps, as well as structural forms composed of them. They occur on the surface as a result of underground mining. Knowledge of LDGDs has been acquired through field observations which are subsequently described in the scientific publication. Records of LDGDs are made by using the classic surveying method. The paper reviews the created LDGDs in the years 2015–2019 in one of the mines of the USCB. The analysis covers the velocity of subsidence as a result of underground mining and the values of horizontal strains determined according to the Knothe-Budryk theory. …

Low-Intensity Blast Induces Acute Glutamatergic Hyperexcitability In Mouse Hippocampus Leading To Long-Term Learning Deficits And Altered Expression Of Proteins Involved In Synaptic Plasticity And Serine Protease Inhibitors, Shanyan Chen, Heather R. Siedhoff, Hua Zhang, Pei Liu, Ashley Balderrama, Runting Li, Catherine E. Johnson, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Neurocognitive consequences of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) pose significant concerns for military service members and veterans with the majority of "invisible injury." However, the underlying mechanism of such mild bTBI by low-intensity blast (LIB) exposure for long-term cognitive and mental deficits remains elusive. Our previous studies have shown that mice exposed to LIB result in nanoscale ultrastructural abnormalities in the absence of gross or apparent cellular damage in the brain. Here we tested the hypothesis that glutamatergic hyperexcitability may contribute to long-term learning deficits. Using brain slice electrophysiological recordings, we found an increase in averaged frequencies with a burst …

Aerial Radiation Detection Identification And Measurement System Detector Material Comparison Study, Benjamin C. Troxell, Kacey D. Mcgee, Christina L. Dugan

Faculty Publications

The 20th Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosives Command (CBRNE) currently utilizes an airborne sodium iodide gamma and beta detection system to map radiation fields over large areas of interest. The 20th CBRNE explored emergent detector technologies utilizing two detection materials; thallium-activated cesium iodide and high purity germanium (HPGe). These detectors were simulated at various altitudes and compared to background measurements. The sodium iodide detector failed to provide isotopic discrimination at distance. The thallium-activated cesium iodide CsI(Tl) detector provided sufficient absolute efficiency and energy resolution to identify isotopics at distance. The HPGe detector provided the best energy resolution. However, current …

Accident Analysis Of Mining Industry In The United States – A Retrospective Study For 36 Years, Elham Rahimi, Younes Shekarian, Naser Shekarian, Pedram Roghanchi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

A retrospective study on accident analysis of the United States mines for 36 years was achieved using statistical analysis on the MSHA's accident databases between 1983 and 2018. A regression model of generalized estimation equation (GEE) was used for unbalanced panel data that provided 95,812 observations for 19,924 mine-ID-year in aggregate, coal, metal, and non-metal mines. The contributions of various parameters, including mine type, injured body part, days lost, age, and experience on the rate of accidents and injuries were investigated across the commodity types. The results showed coal miners in the East region are at a higher risk of …

The Use Of Microalgal Sourced Biodiesel To Help Underground Mines Transition To Battery Electric Vehicles, Corey A. Laamanen, Kyle Moreau, Sabrina M. Desjardins, Shannon H. Mclean, John A. Scott

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The use of fossil fuel sourced diesel underground has various associated health and environmental hazards, and additional energy demand and costs associated with necessary ventilation. One way to reduce these impacts is by utilizing a biodieselblend, which generates lower levels of harmful emissions from underground equipment and can be produced regionally, reducing the impact of transportation. Furthermore, this would help allow use of existing machinery during transition towards more widespread electrification underground. Therefore, the concept of an integrated supply and use chain within the mining industry is examined based on biodiesel from acidophilic photosynthetic microalgae cultivated using CO 2 in …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of A Ground Support System Implemented On Block A: A Case Study Of Southern Africa Metalliferous Mine, Kamogelo Manyelo, Peter Kolapo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the ground support systems that are planned to be implemented on Block A, which will be excavated through the Marikana fault zone. The block of ground being prepared for mining has been physically affected by the presence of the Marikana fault and is therefore geomechanically and geotechnically weaker than the normal stoping conditions on the rest of the shaft. Joint mapping conducted in Block A raiselines indicated that there is a high concentration of shallow dipping joints which are dipping in opposite directions. Such conditions present special challenges in the planned excavations …

Application Of Entropy Method For Estimating Factor Weights In Mining-Method Selection For Development Of Novel Mining-Method Selection System, Elsa Pansilvania Andre Manjate, Mahdi Saadat, Hisatoshi Toriya, Fumiaki Inagaki, Youhei Kawamura

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mining-method selection (MMS) is one of the most critical and complex decisionmaking processes in mine planning. Therefore, it has been a subject of several studies for many years culminating with the development of different systems. However, there is still more to be done to improve and/or create more efficient systems and deal with the complexity caused by many influencing factors. This study introduces the application of the entropy method for feature selection, i.e., select the most critical factors in MMS. The entropy method is applied to assess the relative importance of the factors influencing MMS by estimating their objective weights …

Sources And Techniques Of Domestic Heating Within Tritia Region, Malgorzata Wysocka, Krystian Skubacz, Krzysztof Samolej

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper presents the balance of energy consumption for domestic heating in Opole and Silesian Voivodship (Poland), divided into various media. The report was based on an analysis of approximately 250 documents containing low-carbon economy plans for individual municipalities (gminas). The authors compared the current situation in these voivodships and their districts with the structure of the heating system in Poland as a whole, based on data from the Central Statistical Office of Poland. The data demonstrate that the use of coal-based energy media has not changed significantly over the years and around 55-60% of households with individual heating systems …

Modelling The Throttle Effect In A Mine Drift, Rickard Hansen

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The throttle effect is a phenomenon, which may occur during a fire underground, causing unforeseen smoke spread. This paper focuses on the modelling of the throttle effect in a mine drift, using a CFD software. The aim of the paper is to investigate whether the CFD tool is able to predict and reproduce the throttle effect for fire scenarios underground. Experimental data from fire experiments in a model-scale mine drift and modelling results from a CFD model were used during the analysis. It was found that the CFD model was not able to fully reproduce the throttle effect for fire …

Application Of Uniform Test Design In Optimizing The Flotation Reagents Of Iron Anionic Reverse Flotation Circuit, Ying Hou, Ahmed Sobhy

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Most iron reserves are low in grade with quartz as the main gangue mineral, and anionic reverse flotation has become the most crucial separation method in the processing plants of iron ore. Thus, a flotation feed sample that is a mixture of low-intensity and high-gradient magnetic separators concentrates was acquired from a processing plant. The sample characterizations with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), laser particle size analyzer, and mineral liberation analysis (MLA) confirmed that the sample consists of iron oxide as a valuable mineral and quartz as a gangue mineral with adequate liberation degree. In the anionic reverse flotation, …

Superhydrophobic Magnetic Sorbent Via Surface Modification Of Banded Iron Formation For Oily Water Treatment, Mohsen Farahat, Ahmed Sobhy, Moustafa M. S. Sanad

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the current study, a simple dry coating method was utilized to fabricate a super-hydrophobic super-magnetic powder (ZS@BIF) for oily water purification using zinc stearate (ZS) and banded iron formation (BIF). The produced composite was fully characterized as a magnetic sorbent for oily water treatment. The results of X-ray diffraction diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and particle size analysis revealed the fabrication of homogenous hydrophobicmagnetic composite particles with core–shell structure. Contact angle and magnetic susceptibility results showed that 4 (BIF): 1 (Zs) was the ideal coverage ratio …

Investigating Anisotropic Blast Wave Parameters Near The Explosive-Air Boundary Using Computer Simulation And Experimental Techniques With Varying Charge Geometry, Kelly Williams, Catherine E. Johnson

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The prediction of blast wave overpressure using scaled distance calculations use the charge mass and radial distance variables and assumes that the blast wave is isotropic. Simulations and empirical studies demonstrate that altering the charge geometry results in a significant deviation in overpressure vs orientation. While this effect has been measured for cylinders, truncated cones, and cubes, the mechanisms driving geometric blast wave product anisotropy have not been well defined. Velocity vectors plotted from computer simulations in this study show an isotropic radial flow from the cylindrical charges, while the prismatic charges with rectangle, triangle, and five-point star cross sections …

Gravity Field Changes During Deep Exploitation Of The Coal Longwall And Their Relation To Stress Distribution And Seismic Activity, Łukasz Kortas

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mining operations cause volumetric deformations within the rock mass and changes in its density, to which the gravimetric method is sensitive. These changes are particularly well seen in periodic measurements of the local gravity field. The paper analyses the relationship between the movement of a longwall in a coal seam and the change in the distribution of the gravity field in time and space observed on the ground surface. Relative gravimetric measurements were carried out in six series between 2018 and 2020; before the start of coal extraction, with the progress of the longwall and after the cessation of mining. …

Study Of The Relationship Of Tidal Changes In Gravity With The Time Of Mining Tremors In The Area Of The Mining Longwall In A Coal Mine – Case Study In Uscb, Poland, Sławomir Siwek

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Deep mining of coal deposits in Upper Silesia Coal Basin in Poland over several hundred years has led to disturbances in the natural state of equilibrium. As a result of changes in stress distribution, mass distribution (changes in gravity forces) and deformation of the rock mass, seismic tremors with energy reaching up to 10E+09J are generated. In this paper, the time of mining tremors occurrence is linked with changes in the gravitational load of the rock mass caused by litosphere tides, which are considered to be one of the factors leading to occurrence of natural seismic tremors. The analysis used …

Decarbonisation – Origins And Evolution Of The Process On The European Level, Sylwia Jarosławska-Sobór

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Decarbonisation of the european economy is one of the most important megatrends that will shape economic and social development in the coming years. This paper discusses the basic concepts of decarbonisation in terms of climate change, the history of this idea development and the legal basis introduced in the European Union, including key European documents and tools influencing the process, like ETS or CO2 emission allowances. Background on decarbonisation has been presented as a European roadmap to achieve a low-carbon economy in Europe. In the article the main assumptions of the EU strategy papers like Clean Energy for All Europeans …

Determination Of The Stress-Strain State Of Rock Mass And Zone Of Inelastic Deformation Around Underground Mine Excavation Using Modern Methods Of Numerical Modelling, Sergey A. Ignatiev, Aleksandr E. Sudarikov, Askar Zh. Imashev

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper reviews methods and trends of numerical modelling of geomechanical processes around underground mine excavations. The most rational method of determining the additional stresses caused by the mine excavations is chosen. Mathematical modelling was performed for excavations of various cross sections and different strength of rocks. The dimensions of the inelastic deformation zone around the mine excavations have been identified. The area of the total fracture zone around the excavation, as well as the area of the roof fracture zone are calculated. The results of the fracture zone modelling are presented both as coordinates and in a graphical form. …

Thin Safety Margin: The Sefor Super-Prompt-Critical Transient Experiments, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas 1970–1971, Jerry Havens, Collis Geren

Arkansas Scholarly Editions

Thin Safety Margin charts the history of SEFOR, a twenty-megawatt reactor that operated for three years in the rural Ozark Mountains of Arkansas as part of an internationally sponsored program designed to demonstrate the Doppler effect in plutonium-oxide-fueled fast reactors. Authors Jerry Havens and Collis Geren draw upon this history to assess the accidental explosion risk inherent in using fast reactors to reduce the energy industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.

If a sufficiently powerful fast-neutron explosion were to cause the containment of a reactor such as SEFOR’s to fail, the reactor’s radiotoxic plutonium fuel could vaporize and escape into the surrounding …

Socio-Ecological Analysis Of Artisanal Gold Mining In West Africa: A Case Study Of Ghana, Richard Takyi, Rasha Hassan, Badr El Mahrad, Richard Adade

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The surge in artisanal gold mining (AGM) activities and the associated environmental impact in Ghana have elicited several stakeholders' attempts to curb the problem. However, due to little understanding of the underlying issues, these efforts have been ineffective. This study aims to use a socio-ecological framework to analyze drivers of AGM activities, the environmental pressures, the state change, their impact on human welfare, and the management response as measures (DAPSI(W)R(M)) to the problem. Evaluate AGM's impact on Ghana's ability to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data were collected from relevant literature on the subject and analyzed with …

Growth Of Invasive Plant Species Communities As A Substantial Issue In Post-Mining Land Development, Paweł Olszewski

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This article concerns the issue of the appearance and growth of invasive plant species in land degraded by hard coal mining and the repercussions of this process, particularly in the context of land reclamation. These species, such as Canadian goldenrod or Japanese knotweed, which nearly always form extensive and monocultural patches of vegetation, contribute to the displacement of both native species and those introduced as part of biological restoration. In 2015, the Central Mining Institute in Katowice prepared a land development concept for a part of the area of the former KWK Paryż mine in Dąbrowa Górnicza (Upper Silesian Industrial …

The Factors Impacting The Incorporation Of The Sustainable Development Goals Into Raw Materials Engineering Curricula, Dimitris Damigos, George Valakas, Anna Gaki, Katerina Adam

Journal of Sustainable Mining

It is widely recognised and acknowledged that the mining industry, if properly operating and managed, has the potential to positively contribute to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. In this direction, the Raw Materials (RM) engineering education possesses a crucial role, given the need to instil in tomorrow’s mining engineers the sustainability principles. This paper explores the educational needs of the Greek RM sector and the factors constituting the RM whole value chain SDGs-education-innovation eco-system. The research follows a two-stage focus group approach. First, the perceptions, opinions and beliefs of invited stakeholders were explored in the context of semi-structured interviews. …

Effect Of Shock Vector/Polarization Vector Configuration On The Generation Of Ultrahigh Voltage By Adiabatically Compressed Ferroelectric Materials, Sergey I. Shkuratov, Jason Baird, Vladimir G. Antipov

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Compact autonomous megawatt-power systems based on shock depolarization of ferroelectric materials are capable of producing kiloampere currents and ultrahigh-voltage pulses with amplitudes exceeding 100kV. Herein, we report the results of experimental investigations of the generation of ultrahigh voltage by poled Pb0.99(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98Nb0.02O3 and Pb0.99(Zr0.52Ti0.48)0.98Nb0.01O3 ferroelectrics subjected to shock loading at different shock vector/polarization vector configurations. Our experiments demonstrated that under loading perpendicular to the polarization vector (transverse stress mode) the ferroelectrics are capable of generating high voltages exceeding 400kV, while the loading parallel to the polarization vector (longitudinal stress mode) causes a distortion of the depolarization process in ferroelectrics of large …

Application Of Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry To Monitor Surface Deformations Of The Trans-European Transport Network (Ten-T) – A Case Study Of The Motorways Crossing Areas Of Mining Operations In The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, Adam Smoliński, Mariusz Stawinoga, Tomasz Pindel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Underground hard coal mining causes surface deformations. When the mining operations are conducted beneath linear objects, such as motorways, there is a risk of deformations of the axis of the road and its horizontal and vertical alignment (additional bends and vertical curvatures, longitudinal inclinations, deformations of crosssections). In the areas subjected to mining operations, mining plants conduct geodetic monitoring. Due to their labour intensity and costs, geodetic measurements are usually made only a few times a year. The article discusses the possibility of applying Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to monitor the subsidence of the vertical alignment of motorways caused …

Environmental, Health And Safety Intricacies Of Artisanal Mining In The Gold-Rich Landscapes Of Karamoja, North-Eastern Uganda, Eria Serwajja, Paul Isolo Mukwaya

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Artisanal small-scale gold mining presents opportunities for Uganda’s rural poor. However, it also poses serious environmental, health and safety challenges. A suite of data collection methods including interviews, focus groups discussions, water and soils sampling were used to examine the perceptions of miners on the status, prevalence and extent of mercury use in artisanal gold mining, mercury transit routes and toxicity levels of soils and water in Karamoja sub-region. It also explores the health, safety and environmental implications of artisanal small-scale gold mining in the sub-region. The findings show that trade and access to mercury is widespread; although trade in, …

Natural Molybdenite-And Tyrosinase-Based Amperometric Catechol Biosensor Using Acridine Orange As A Glue, Anchor, And Stabilizer For The Adsorbed Tyrosinase, Yan Zhang, Yue Wang, Zhiqiang Zhang, Ahmed Sobhy, Susumu Sato, Masaya Uchida, Yasushi Hasebe

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To develop a natural mineral-based electrochemical enzyme biosensor, natural molybdenite (MLN), tyrosinase (TYR), and acridine orange (AO) were coadsorbed onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The developed TYR/AO/MLN-GCE-based amperometric TYR biosensor exhibited excellent performance for highly sensitive determination of catechol (linear range, 0.1-80 μM; sensitivity, 0.0315 μA/μM; LOD, 0.029 μM; response time, <4 >s) with good reproducibility and good operational and storage stabilities. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) revealed interesting roles of AO: (1) an efficient glue for enhancing the amount of the adsorbed TYR on the MLN-GCE, (2) an anchor for efficient orientation …

Giant Power Density Produced By Pin-Pmn-Pt Ferroelectric Single Crystals Due To A Pressure Induced Polar-To-Nonpolar Phase Transformation, Sergey I. Shkuratov, Jason Baird, Vladimir G. Antipov, Christopher S. Lynch, Shujun Zhang, Jay B. Chase, Hwan R. Jo

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The search for ferroelectric materials capable of producing high electric charge and power densities is important for developing a new generation of autonomous ferroelectric megawatt power supplies and ultrahigh-power-density ferroelectric energy storage devices. Here we report the results of experimental investigations of the mechanism for stress-induced depolarization of adiabatically compressing rhombohedral Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystals. The important finding is that the geometric dimensions of PIN-PMN-PT crystals and the direction of adiabatic compression relative to the crystallographic orientation have significant impacts on the depolarization dynamics and the generated charge density. Based on the analysis of experimental results, we conclude that a …

Is The Relationship Between Mining And Climate Change Only One-Way? Climate Change Potential Impacts On Mining Activity – Hazards, Risks And Adaptation Measures, Małgorzata Markowska

Journal of Sustainable Mining

No abstract provided.