A Comparative Study of Two Tree-Based Models for Predicting Flyrock Velocity at Open Pit Bench Mining

Blasting is a cost-effective technique to break hard rock volumes by using explosives in the mining and civil engineering realms. Moreover, although blasting is a designed process and plays an indispensable role in these industries, it can also have multiple adverse environmental impacts. One such effect is flyrock, which poses risks to nearby machinery, and residential structures, and can even lead to injuries or fatalities. To optimize blasting efficiency as well as restrict side effects, prediction of the blast aftereffects is vital. Therefore, the present work focuses on using two machine learning methods to predict the velocity of flyrock in the open pit mine. To address this issue, a comprehensive dataset was gathered from the open pit mine. Then, Decision Tree and Random Forest algorithms were employed to predict flyrock velocity. The Random Forest model demonstrated superior performance compared to the Decision Tree model. Nonetheless, the performance of the Decision Tree model was deemed satisfactory, as evidenced by its coefficient of determination value of 0.83, mean squared error (MSE) of 4.2, and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 5.6%. Considering these metrics, it is reasonable to conclude that tree-based algorithms can be effective in predicting flyrock velocity.

The Effectiveness of the Continuous and Cyclic Method on CO2-ECBM

This study examines the impact of different CO2 injection methods on coalbed methane recovery. Specifically, this study investigated the effectiveness of continuously injecting CO2 versus injecting CO2 that had been soaked for two weeks. The objective was to ascertain which approach was more successful in enhancing CO2 Enhanced coalbed Methane (CO2-ECBM). The experiment involved injecting 3 MPa of CH4 into dry coal samples, allowing it to adsorb until reaching equilibrium, and then injecting 5 MPa of CO2 to recover adsorbed CH4. The continuous method recovered CH4 without detectable effluent concentration for 5 hours, but desorption efficiency was only 26% due to fast flow. On the other hand, the desorption efficiency of the cyclic method was only 12%, indicating trapped CH4. A comparison of desorption efficiency per unit of time shows the continuous method is more effective than the cyclic method. The results of this study demonstrate the continuous method is more effective for the desorption of CH4, and its efficiency can be improved by briefly soaking CO2 on coal and then reinjecting it to maximize CH4 recovery. It is advisable to limit the soaking time to prevent excessive swelling of the coal matrix, which can hinder seam flow and harm long-term gas production.

Analysis of the Factors for Displacement of Earth Retaining Wall with Twin-Stepped Construction

The demand for specific earth retaining wall method is increasing, along with the advancement and overcrowding of underground space use, such as the?presence of close structures, in an urban area. The method is named stepped-twin?retaining wall. The feature of this method is to have inner and outer retaining walls and excavate the ground by two-step in order to minimize the effect of the excavation on neighboring existing structures. However, the design of the earth retaining wall is currently carried out by individual engineers based on their own experience. Therefore, it is crucial that the standard method of retaining wall using a two-step construction is established. As the first step toward the standardization, evaluation of factors affecting the ground behavior of the earth retaining wall was carried out. In particular, we picked up four major considerable factors, which are horizontal distance between the outer and inner walls, depth of outer wall embedment, mechanical properties of soil. The evaluation was done by using two dimensional FEM analysis and the results were summarized to make clear the effect of each factor.

Development of Flash Setting Material for Temporally Pipeline Restoration after Earthquake

There are many earthquakes in Japan. If a large earthquake were to occur, it is necessary to consider how pipelines such as: gas, sewage, telecommunications, and so on are restored quickly. At that time, damaged gas pipelines are very dangerous because fire in large areas could be caused by the leakage of gas from the damaged pipeline. Accordingly, it is necessary for gas companies to stop the supply of gas to houses over a large area. Once the gas supply is stopped, there is a considerable amount of time to repair the pipelines over the area. For this reason, a quick method for restoring damaged gas pipelines would be useful after an earthquake. Recently, we have been developing new flash setting material for the damaged gas pipeline by an injection into the house connection of gas when the gas supply is stopped quickly in an emergency. From these points of view, in order to clarify to what degree the contents of flash settling material affect the properties of the injected fly ash mixture causing heavy damage to the gas pipeline in an earthquake, different combinations of fly ash, chemical agents and water were considered in several experiments.

Geochemical Behavior of Trace- and Rare-Earth Elements in the Hydrothermal Alteration Facies of the Cijulang Area, West Java, Indonesia

This study examines the behavior of trace- and rare-earth elements (REE) in different hydrothermal alteration facies (silicic, advanced argillic and argillic) of Cijulang high-sulfidation epithermal gold deposit, West Java, Indonesia. The results of the study indicate that remarkable differences in the behavior of trace elements and REE are observed in the studied alteration facies. All REE in the silicic facies are strongly depleted. In advanced argillic facies, Heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) are strongly depleted whereas light rare earth elements (LREE) are quite enriched. REE concentrations in the argillic facies show little or no variation with respect to fresh rock counterparts. A strong depletion of REE in the silicic facies is likely to be favored by the highly acidic nature of the hydrothermal fluids, the abundance of complexing ions such as Cl ˉ, F ˉ, and in the hydrothermal solutions and the absence of the secondary minerals that can fix the REE in their crystal structures. An apparent immobility of LREE in advanced argillic facies is possibly due to the presence of alunite. The immobility of REE in the argillic facies suggests the higher pH of the fluids, the lower water/rock ratios and the presence of the phyllosilicates minerals. -

Effect of hydrogen peroxide on selective flotation of chalcocite and enargite

Enargite is typically associated with chalcocite.Owing to the similarity in the flotation behaviors of these minerals,both minerals are reported to concentrate in the conventional flotation circuit.However,inorganic arsenic in enargite can decrease the copper concentrate quality and increase the operating cost of processing this concentrate.Separating these minerals is important for cleaner copper production to avoid these effects.In this context,this study investigated the effect of hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))treatment on the flotation behavior of chalcocite and enargite.Flotation tests of pure and mixed minerals indicated that H_(2)O_(2)treatment reduced the floatability of chalcocite and enargite by forming sulfate and copper hydroxide on their surfaces.Despite the detrimental effect of the H_(2)O_(2)treatment,there was a narrow window of H_(2)O_(2)concentration for separating both minerals,in which enargite floated and chalcocite was depressed.This selective flotation behavior was caused by the rapid adsorption of potassium amyl xanthate(KAX)and lower surface oxidation of enargite compared with that of chalcocite.

Genesis of the Zhaokalong Fe-Cu Polymetallic Deposit at Yushu, China: Evidence from Ore Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusions

The ore types of the Zhaokalong Fe-Cu deposit are divided into two categories： sulfide-type and oxide-type. The sulfide-type ore include siderite ore, galena-sphalerite ore and chalcopyrite ore, whereas the oxide-type ore include magnetite ore and hematite ore. The ore textures and structures indicate that the Zhaokalong deposit is of the sedimentary-exhalative mineralization type. Geochemical analyses show that the two ore types have a high As, Sb, Mn, Co and Ni content. The REE patterns reveal an enrichment of the LREE compared to the HREE. Isotopic analysis of siderite ore reveal that the j13CpDB ranges from -2.01 to 3.34 （%0） whereas the JISOsMow ranges from 6.96 to 18.95 （%0）. The fluid inclusion microthermometry results indicate that homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in quartz range from 131 to 181~C, with salinity values of 1.06 to 8.04 wt% NaCI eq. The mineralizing fluid therefore belongs to the low temperature - low salinity system, with a mineralizing solution of a CO2-Ca2＋（Na＋, K＋）-SO42- （F-, CI--H20 system. The geochemical results and fluid inclusion data provide additional evidence that the Zhaokalong deposit is a sedex-type deposit that experienced two stages of mineralization. The sulfide mineralization probably occurred first, during the sedimentary exhalative process, as exhibited by the abundance of marine materials associated with the sulfide ores, indicating a higher temperature and relatively deoxidized oceanic depositional environment. After the main exhalative stage, hydrothermal activity was superimposed to the sulfide mineralization. The later stage oxide mineralization occurred in a low temperature and relatively oxidized environment, in which magmatic fluid circulation was dominant.

Geochemical and stable isotopic studies of Gulf of Suez’s hot springs,Egypt

The Gulf of Suez region is one of the most interesting geothermal areas in Egypt because of the high temperatures of its springs.The eastern and western shores of the Gulf of Suez are characterized by superficial thermal manifestations including a cluster of hot springs with varied temperatures.Variations of deuterium and oxygen-18 concentrations in thermal waters have been used to aid in describing the source of recharge in the Gulf of Suez hot springs.Isotope and geochemical data for the Gulf of Suez thermal waters suggest that recharge to the hot springs may not be entirely from the Gulf of Suez water,but possibly from the meteoric water that comes from areas of higher altitude surrounding the hot springs.

Surface physicochemical properties of semi-anthracitic coal from Painan-Sumatra during air oxidation

Painan coals of West Sumatra were selected as semi-anthracitic coal sample for studying the physicochemical properties such as measurement, evaluation and description of the changes of surface characteristic of coal sample and their oxidation in the atmospheric air at a temperature ranging from 105 to 400 ℃ for 30 min. Several methods are adopted to analyze and discuss several phenomena of the oxidized Painan coal surface during oxidation process for the change in the physicochemical properties as determined by Atomic Force Microscope （AFM）, contact angle, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy （FTIR）, Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis （TG-DTA） analyses as well as other supporting analytical equipment. AFM analyses revealed some changes in adhesion force and surface morphology with more adhesion force available between 0.6 and 8.6 nN on polished coal surfaces due to the increased oxidation temperature. The study revealed that the extent of hydrophobicity of coal surface decreased with the increased of oxidation temperature expressed as contact angles at about 80° and 20°. Another phenomenon occurred during the experiment was hydrophilicity index of coal surface increase at approximately 1.3 and 2.9. Oxidation of coal that occurred with increased temperature also indicated an increase in oxygen content from 3.8% to 22.9 wt%. Increased oxygen functional group also noted that oxidation of coal took place during the treatment. We also found that oxidation treatment also affected the combustion properties of coal： decreasing ignition temperature between 452.9 and 317.6, lowering the reactivity of coal at maximum combustion rate temperature, and reflecting their char characteristics as burnt out, ranging from 652.3 to 648.5 ℃.

Time effect and prediction of broken rock bulking coefficient on the base of particle discrete element method

Bulking characteristics of gangue are of great significance for the stability of goafs in mining overburden in the caving zones.In this paper,a particle discrete element method with clusters to represent gangue was adopted to explore the bulking coefficient time effect of the broken rock in the caving zone under three-dimensional triaxial compression condition.The phenomena of stress corrosion,deformation,and failure of rock blocks were simulated in the numerical model.Meanwhile,a new criterion of rock fragments damage was put forward.It was found that the broken rock has obvious viscoelastic properties.A new equation based on the Burgers creep model was proposed to predict the bulking coefficient of broken rock.A deformation characteristic parameter of the prediction equation was analyzed,which can be set as a fixed value in the mid-and long-term prediction of the bulking coefficient.There are quadratic function relationships between the deformation characteristic parameter value and Talbot gradation index,axial pressure and confining pressure.

Integrated U-Pb,Lu-Hf and(U-Th)/He analysis of zircon from the Banxi Sb deposit and its implications for the low-temperature mineralization in South China

Low-temperature Sb(Au-Hg) deposits in South China account for more than 50% of the world’s Sb reserves,however,their genesis remains controversial.Here we report the first study that integrates U-Pb and Lu-Hf analysis by LA-(MC)-ICPMS and conventional(U-Th)/He analysis,all applied to single zircon crystals,in an attempt to constrain the origin and timing of world-class Sb(Au-Hg) deposits in Banxi(South China).Zircon separated from a quartz-stibnite ore and an altered country rock samples revealed similar U-Pb age spectra defining two major populations-Paleoproterozoic(~1900-2500 Ma) and Neoproterozoic(~770 Ma),which are characterized by variable εHf(t) values(-10.7 to 9.1 and-16.5 to 11.2,respectively) and Hf crustal model ages(TDMC)(2.48 to 3.24 Ga and 0.97 to 2.71 Ga,respectively).The U-Pb age and Hf isotopic features of the zircons are consistent with the Banxi Group in the region,indicating that the zircons involved in the low-temperature hydrothermal system were originally from the Banxi Group country rocks.Thirty-three mineralization-related zircon crystals yielded a mean(U-Th)/He age of 123.8±3.8 Ma,which is interpreted to represent the timing of the latest low-temperature mineralization stage of the Banxi Sb deposit.The combined U-Pb,Lu-Hf and(U-Th)/He data suggest that Precambrian basement rocks were the major contributors to the low-temperature mineralization,and that Early Cretaceous(130-120 Ma) could be the most important ore-forming epoch for the Sb deposits in South China.This study also demonstrates the analytical feasibility of integrated U-Pb-Lu-Hf-(U-Th)/He "triple-dating",all applied to single zircon crystals.This approach reveals the full evolution of zircon,from its origin of the magmatic source,through its crystallization and low-temperature cooling.Although this study demonstrates the usefulness of this integrated approach in dating low-temperature mineralization,it has great potential for zircon provenance and other studies that may benefit from the large amount of information that can be extracted from single zircon crystals.

Application of highwall mining system in weak geological condition

Almost all the coal is produced from open cut mines in Indonesia. As a consequence of open cut mine application, a great deal of coal is left out in the highwalls of the mined-out pits. Highwall mining systems can be used to recover this coal. The use of highwall mining systems has increasingly come into play in the US and Australia. However, it is not common in Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesia coal measure is categorized as weak geological condition. Some problems are likely to arise during the application of the highwall mining system for example instability of openings and highwalls due to the roof and pillar failures. Therefore, study of highwall mining system application in Indonesia is needed in order to increase the recovery rate of coal mining in Indonesia. This paper described the characteristics of the highwa!l mining system and discussed the appropriate highwall mining system application in weak geological condition, Indonesia. From the results of a series of laboratory tests and numerical analyses, it can be concluded that the stability of pillars and mine openings in auger mining systems is much higher than that in CHM and an auger mining system is suitable for such as very weak/poor strata conditions. Moreover, the application of backfilling system is very effective for improvement of the stability of pillar and openings.

Airflow adjustment and minimization of the air power of ventilation network

It is often required to know which roadway （adjustment roadway） resistances and how much values of the resis- tances should be changed to make the airflow rates in roadways （target roadways） to certain required values in the practice of mine ventilation. In this case, the airflow rates of the target roadways and the resistances of the roadways other than the ad- justment roadways are the given conditions and the resistances of the adjustment roadways are the solutions to be found. No straightforward method to solve the problem has been found up to now. Therefore, trial and error method using the ventilation network analysis program is utilized to solve the problem so far. The method takes long calculation time and the best answer is not necessarily obtained. The authors newly defined ＂airflow element＂ as an element of the ventilation network analysis. The resistances that satisfy the airflow requirements can be calculated straight forwardly by putting the function of the airflow element into the ventilation network analysis. The air power required for the ventilation can be minimized while meeting the airflow requirements by the advanced application of the method. The authors made the computer program fulfill the method. The program was applied to actual ventilation network and it was found that the method is very practical and the time required for the analysis is short.

Tracer gas measurement and simulation of turbulent diffusion in mine ventilation airways

The effective diffusion coefficients in mine ventilation-flows had been obtained as 4 to 200 m^2/s by matching the measured concentration-time curves with the advec- tion-diffusion equation.The turbulent diffusion coefficients in the simple airways have good agreement with the equation proposed by Taylor.However,for complex airways in operat- ing mines,the evaluated effective diffusion coefficients in the mines show higher values than that calculated by the Taylor's equation.A numerical simulation model using with movements of discrete particles dosed into ventilation flows has been developed to simu- late diffusion phenomena of gas or dust in mine airways.Numerical simulations had been conducted on distribution of tracers in single airways with ordinary profiles of mean velocity velocity fluctuations and Reynolds stress.As one of results,long band of diffused particles is obtained at the single airway of 600 m in length,and large effective diffusion coefficient is evaluated as 20 m^2/s.

Numerical simulation to evaluate gas diffusion of turbulent flow in mine ventilation system

Tracer gas technique is a method to analyze the airflow path, measure the airflow quantity, and detect any recirculation or leakages in underground mine. In addition, it is also possible to evaluate the axial gas diffusion of gas in turbulent bulk flow by utilizing the tracer gas data. This paper discussed about the measurement using tracer gas technique in Cibaliung Underground Mine, Indonesia and the evaluation of effective axial diffusion coefficient, E, by numerical simulation. In addition, a scheme to treat network flow in mine ventilation system was also proposed. The effective axial diffusion coefficient for each airway was evaluated based on Taylor's theoretical equation. It is found that the evaluated diffusion coefficient agrees well with Taylor's equation by considering that the wall friction factor, f, is higher than those for smooth pipe flow. It also shows that the value of effective diffusion coefficient can be inherently determined and the value is constant when matching with other measurements. Furthermore, there are possibilities to utilize the tracer gas measurement data to evaluate the airway friction factors.

Study on control of rock fragmentation at limestone quarry

The size distribution of a muck pile depends not on only the blasting standard but also on the mechanical properties,joint system,and crack density of the rock mass. As,the cracks in the rock masses are especially heavily developed at the limestone quar- ries in Japan,they,along with the joints,have a large impact on the effects of blasting, such as the size of the muck pile.Therefore,if the joint system and/or crack density in a rock mass can be determined and quantitatively evaluated,the blasting operation can be conducted more effectively,efficiently and safely.However,guidelines for designing ap- propriate blasting standards based on the rock mass conditions have not yet been scien- tifically developed.Therefore,blasting tests were conducted on different mines and faces, under different geological conditions and blasting standards,in order to determine the im- pacts of each factor on the effects of blasting.Summarized the results of a series of blast- ing tests and described the impacts of geological conditions on the size of the muck pile produced by blast.

A hydrochemical study of the Hammam Righa geothermal waters in north-central Algeria

This study focuses on the hydrochemical characteristics of 47 water samples collected from thermal and cold springs that emerge from the Hammam Righa geothermal field, located in north-central Algeria. The aquifer that feeds these springs is mainly situated in the deeply fractured Jurassic limestone and dolomite of the Zaccar Mount. Measured discharge temperatures of the cold waters range from 16.0 to 26.5 ℃ and the hot waters from 32.1 to 68.2 ℃. All waters exhibited a near-neutral pH of 6.0-7.6. The thermal waters had a high total dis- solved solids （TDS） content of up to 2527 mg/l, while the TDS for cold waters was 659.0-852.0 mg/l. Chemical analyses suggest that two main types of water exist： hot waters in the upflow area of the Ca-Na-SO4 type （Ham- mam Righa） and cold waters in the recharge zone of the Ca-Na-HCO3 type （Zaccar Mount）. Reservoir tempera- tures were estimated using silica geothermometers and fluid/mineral equilibria at 78, 92, and 95℃ for HR4, HR2, and HRI, respectively. Stable isotopic analyses of the δ18O and δD composition of the waters suggest that the thermal waters of Hammam Righa are of meteoric origin. We conclude that meteoric recharge infiltrates through the fractured dolomitic limestones of the Zaccar Mount and is conductively heated at a depth of 2.1-2.2 km. The hotwaters then interact at depth with Triassic evaporites located in the hydrothermal conduit （fault）, giving rise to the Ca-Na-SO4 water type. As they ascend to the surface, the thermal waters mix with shallower Mg-rich ground- water, resulting in waters that plot in the immature water field in the Na-K-Mg diagram. The mixing trend between cold groundwaters from the recharge zone area （Zaccar Mount） and hot waters in the upflow area （Hammam Righa） is apparent via a chloride-enthalpy diagram that shows a mixing ratio of 22.6 〈 R 〈 29.2 %. We summa- rize these results with a geothermal conceptual model of the Hammam Righa geothermal field.

Numerical Study on an Applicable Underground Mining Method for Soft Extra-Thick Coal Seams in Thailand

The EGAT Mae Moh Mine is the largest open pit lignite mine in Thailand and it produces lignite about 16 million tons annually. In the near future, the pit limit of the mine will be reached and underground mine will then be developed through the open pit in the depth of 400 - 600 m from the surface. However, due to the challenges for underground mining such as poor geological conditions, extra thickness (20 - 30 m) of coal seams, and weak mechanical properties of coal seams and the surrounding rock, the success possibility of underground mining and an applicable underground mining method is being investigated at the present. The paper discusses the applicability of multi-slice bord-and-pillar method for the soft extra thick coal seams in the Mae Moh mine by means of numerical analyses using the 3D finite difference code “FLAC3D”.

Behavior of Surrounding Soil during Construction and Its Countermeasures Using Pipe Jacking Method in Deep Strata

In Japan when urban infrastructures need to be constructed, the difficulty of utilizing the ground or shallow strata will lead to a more frequent use of the deep strata. The common construction methods are open-cut, pipe jacking, and shield methods. In recent years, a new pipe jacking method has been established that can be adapted to 20 m below the ground or more. Using this method, the drivage machine and the jacking pipe continue to move an underground until the completion of the driving. Therefore an over-cutting area (so-called tail-void) must be formed to lower the friction between the ground and the pipe. The tail-void is filled with lubrications. However, because the stress release from the ground continues to advance when the tail-void is formed, hence there are some challenges required to cope with the stability of the surrounding ground. In order to utilize the pipe jacking method in the deeper strata layers, the theory, analysis and installation of tail-void have to be systemized, and such systematic data must be stored. Therefore, the conditions of tail-void in the deep pipe jacking method are discussed using numerical analyses.

Sorption Kinetic of Arsenate as Water Contaminant on Zero Valent Iron

This study investigates the sorption of arsenate from water using zero-valent iron ZVI as sorbent. Batch experiments were carried out to study the sorption kinetics of arsenate under different concentrations of arsenate varies from 0.5 to 200 mg/l. A kinetic model was considered to describe the arsenates sorption on ZVI material. The kinetics of the arsenate sorption processes were described by the Langmuir kinetic model. The sorption capacity increases with high initial concentration which obtained the maximum sorption 2.1 mg/g at 200 mg/l of arsenate initial concentration. The results show that the rapid initial sorption rates of arsenate were occurred at the beginning of experiments running time, followed by a slower removal that gradually approaches an equilibrium condition. The data from laboratory batch experiments were used to verify the simulation results of the kinetic model resulting in good agreement between measured and modeled results. The results indicate that ZVI could be employed as sorbent materials to enhance the sorption processes and increase the removal rate of arsenate from water.