Recent Advances in Mining and Processing of Low-Grade and Submarginal Mineral Deposits (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Recent Advances in Mining and Processing of Low-Grade and Submarginal Mineral Deposits 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
PREFACE 8
SYNOPSIS 10
A Review of Low-Grade Ore Potential 10
Recent Advances in Mining Technology 11
Advances in Mineral Processing 12
Advances in Hydrometallurgy 13
Advances in Pyrometallurgy 14
Environmental Aspects 16
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 18
Low–Grade Ore Potential 18
Advances in Mining 18
Mineral Processing 19
Hydrometallurgy 19
Pyrometallurgy 20
Environmental Aspects 20
TECHNICAL REPORTS BY PARTICIPANTS 21
CHAPTER 1. A REVIEW OF LOW-GRADE ORE POTENTIAL 21
Introduction 21
Evaluation of Mineral Potential 21
Definition of Terms 22
Mineral Deposit Environments 23
Appraisal of Mineral Discovery Potential 35
Conclusions 45
References 48
CHAPTER 2. IN SITU MINING – THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS 49
Introduction 49
PART I IN SITU MINING - THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS 50
In Situ Mining Technology 52
Discussion 61
CHAPTER 3. BLOCK CAVE–IN PLACE LEACHING 64
Basis for Conclusion and General Remarks 69
Construction of Leaching Rate Working Curves 69
Appendix 1 PRESENT DAY UNIT MINING COST IN UNITED STATES 77
Appendix 2 CAPITAL COST 78
CHAPTER 4. BIOLOGICAL LEACHING OF SULFIDE ORES 81
Introduction 81
Requirement for Bacterial Activity 81
Evaluation of Leachability 94
Dump Leach Techniques 97
In Situ Leaching 99
Concentrate Leaching 100
Conclusions 101
References 102
CHAPTER 5. NUCLEAR CHEMICAL MINING OF PRIMARY COPPER SULPHIDES 105
Abstract 105
Introduction 106
Sulfide Dissolution 109
Extraction of Metal Values from Broken Ore 119
Oxygen Distribution in Chimney 121
Model of Recovery of Metal Values in a Nuclear Chimney 121
Conclusions 126
CHAPTER 6. ECONOMICS AND SAFETY OF NUCLEAR CHEMICAL COPPER MINING 129
Introduction 129
The Mining Process 129
Economics 138
Hazards Evaluation 139
Environmental Considerations 142
Benefit-Risk Analysis 142
Conclusions 143
Acknowledgements 144
References 145
CHAPTER 7. ADVANCES IN MINERAL PROCESSING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LOW-GRADE OR SUBMARGINAL ORE DEPOSITS 147
Summary 147
Pre-concentration 148
Direct Treatment of Low-Grade Ores 153
Waste and Dump Materials 157
References 159
CHAPTER 8. SOME SELECTED ADVANCES IN THE TREATMENT OF LOW–GRADE AND SUBMARGINAL MINERAL DEPOSITS 162
Introduction 162
Zinc 163
Tungsten 164
Nickel 164
Alumina 167
Uranium 167
Zinc–Lead Mixed Ore 170
Development of the Study Team 172
Laboratory Studies at CSIRO 173
Technical Scale Studies at CSIRO 174
Zinc Leach Liquors 175
Lead Recovery 175
A Total Process System 175
General Discussion 179
Preparing for the Future 182
Acknowledgements 182
References 183
CHAPTER 9. HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF LOW–GRADE OR SUBMARGINAL MATERIALS 185
Introduction 185
Oxidation 186
Metal Recovery and Regeneration of Reactants 190
Chalcopyrite and Other Copper Minerals 190
Sphalerite 191
PentIandite 196
Other Materials 196
Conclusions and Summary 196
CHAPTER 10. PROGRESS IN HYDROMETALLURGY OF LOW–GRADE COPPER ORES 198
Introduction 198
Hydrometallurgical Processes 199
Copper Hydrometallurgy 199
Recovery of Copper from Solutions 202
New Hydrometallurgical Processes for Copper and By-Products 209
Low-Grade Ore Exploitation and Hydrometallurgy in Chile 210
Conclusions 211
References 213
CHAPTER 11. RECENT AND FUTURISTIC TRENDS IN PROCESS METALLURGY 216
Introduction 216
Pyro-metallurgical Pre-processing of Low-grade Ores 217
Recent Trends in the Process Metallurgy 217
Future Trends in the Production Technology 218
Research and Development Work in India 219
Education, Research and Development 221
References 222
CHAPTER 12. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF MINING AND PROCESSING LOW–GRADE AND SUBMARGINAL MINERAL DEPOSITS 227
Introduction 227
Environmental Aspects of Developing Submarginal Ores 228
Mineral Processing Environmental Quality 235
Guidelines for Development 243
Summary 248
SUMMARIES OF DISCUSSIONS 250
Low–Grade Ore Potential 250
Developments in Mining 252
In Situ Mining 252
Biological Leaching 253
Nuclear Solution Mining 255
Advances in Mineral Processing 257
Advances in Hydrometallurgy 258
Advances in Pyrometallurgy 260
Environmental Aspects 262