Dynamic optimization of cutoff grade in underground metal mining

In order to maximize the overall economic gain from a metal mine operation, selection of cutoff grades must consider two important aspects: the time value of money and the spatial variation of the grade distribution in the deposit. That is, cutoff grade selection must be dynamic with respect to both time and space. A newly developed method that fulfills these requirements is presented. In this method, the deposit or a portion of it under study is divided into "decision units" based on the mining method and sample data. The statistical grade distribution and the grade-tonnage relationship of each decision unit are then computed based on the samples falling in the unit. Each decision unit with its grade-tonnage relationship is considered as a stage in a dynamic programming scheme and the problem is solved by applying a forward dynamic programming based algorithm with an objective function of maximizing the overall net present value (NPV). A software package is developed for the method and applied to an underground copper mine in Africa.

Fractal evolution mechanism of rock fracture in undersea metal mining

Through rock mechanics test, similar simulation experiment, borehole photographic observation of rock fissure, numerical simulation calculation of plastic zone distribution and deformation monitoring of rock mass during undersea mining, the fractal evolution mechanisms of rock fracture in undersea metallic deposits of Sanshandao Gold Mine were studied by fractal theory. The experimental researches on granite mechanics test in undersea deposit indicate that with the increase of load, the granite deformation energy and the fractal dimension of acoustic emission(FDAE) increase gradually. However, after reaching the peak stress of specimen, the fractal dimensions of acoustic emission(FDAEs) decrease and the granite specimen fails. Therefore, the fractal dimension evolution of rock failure can be divided into four stages, which are fissure inoculation stage, fissure growth stage, fissure expansion stage and fracture instability stage, respectively. By calculating and analyzing the damage photographs of rock specimens in Sanshandao Gold Mine, the fractal dimension of rock fissure is 1.4514, which is close to the average value of FDAE during granite destruction, i.e., 1.4693. Similar simulation experiments of undersea mining show that with the excavation proceeding, the FDAE in rock stratum increases gradually, and when the thickness of the isolation roof is less than 40 m, the FDAE begins to decrease, and meanwhile the sign of water inrush emerges. The numerical simulation researches on the plastic zone distribution of undersea mining in Sanshandao Gold Mine indicate that the fractal dimension of plastic zone(FDPZ) where the failure characteristics occur is 1.4598, close to the result of similar simulation experiment of 1.4364, which shows the sign of water inrush. Meanwhile, the thickness of the isolation roof for undersea mining should be more than 40 m, which is consistent with the results of similar simulation experiment. In Sanshandao Gold Mine, the rock fissures in undersea mining were observed by borehole photography and the rock mass deformation was monitored by multi-point displacement meters, and at the same time the fractal dimensions of strata borehole fissure distribution and energy release ratio(ERR) of rock mass were calculated by fractal principle, which are 1.2328 and 1.2685, respectively. The results demonstrate that rock deformation and fissure propagation are both in the second stage of fissure growth, and have not reached the fourth stage of fracture instability. Therefore, the conclusion can be obtained that the undersea mining in Sanshandao Gold Mine is safe at present.

Spatial distribution and potential ecological and health risks associated with heavy metals in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria

Artisanal gold mining,a labor-intensive and antiquated technique,is a growing industry and the source of income for rural communities all over the world.However,artisanal gold mining has potential negative and long-term effects on economy,environment,and society.This study collected soil samples from 16 sample points including a control point to examine the pollution degrees and spatial distribution of heavy metals,as well as ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria.Geographical Information System(GIS)and remote sensing technologies were used to identify regions with high concentrations of heavy metals and assess the environmental impact of gold mining activities.The results show that the mean heavy metal concentrations of 16 soil pointa are 8.94(±5.97)mg/kg for As,0.18(±0.54)mg/kg for Cd,0.11(±1.06)mg/kg for Co,14.32(±3.43)mg/kg for Cr,6.89(±0.64)mg/kg for Cu,48.92(±11.77)mg/kg for Fe,135.81(±30.75)mg/kg for Mn,5.92(±0.96)mg/kg for Ni,5.72(±1.66)mg/kg for Pb,and 13.94(±1.38)mg/kg for Zn.The study reveals that heavy metal concentration in soils follows the order of Mn>Fe>Cr>Zn>As>Cu>Ni>Pb>Co>Cd.An analysis of soil samples indicates that 3 principal components(PCs)account for 70.008%of the total variance and there are strong positive correlations between various pairs of heavy metals.The total potential ecological risk index(309.599)in the study area is high.Non-carcinogenic risk suggests that there may be long-term health impacts on people who work in the mining areas due to chronic exposure to the environment.Based on the study,the hazard index of carcinogenic health risks associated with heavy metals through ingestion is 520.00×10^(–4).Dermal contact from As and Cr also increases the risk of cancer,with the highest hazard index value of 18.40×10^(–4).The lowest exposure pathway,with the hazard index value of 0.68×10^(–4),indicates that the inhalation of heavy metals has a comparatively low risk of cancer.This study recommends the formulation of policies to monitor the Ijero-Ekiti mining site and other regions in Nigeria where indiscriminate artisanal gold mining activities exist.

Hydraulic metal structure health diagnosis based on data mining technology

In conjunction with association rules for data mining, the connections between testing indices and strong and weak association rules were determined, and new derivative rules were obtained by further reasoning. Association rules were used to analyze correlation and check consistency between indices. This study shows that the judgment obtained by weak association rules or non-association rules is more accurate and more credible than that obtained by strong association rules. When the testing grades of two indices in the weak association rules are inconsistent, the testing grades of indices are more likely to be erroneous, and the mistakes are often caused by human factors. Clustering data mining technology was used to analyze the reliability of a diagnosis, or to perform health diagnosis directly. Analysis showed that the clustering results are related to the indices selected, and that if the indices selected are more significant, the characteristics of clustering results are also more significant, and the analysis or diagnosis is more credible. The indices and diagnosis analysis function produced by this study provide a necessary theoretical foundation and new ideas for the development of hydraulic metal structure health diagnosis technology.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Monitoring, Warning, and Control of Rockburst in Deep Metal Mines

This paper reviews the recent achievements made by our team in the mitigation of rockburst risk. It includes the development of neural network modeling on rockburst risk assessment for deep gold mines in South Af- rica, an intelligent microseismicity monitoring system and sensors, an understanding of the rockburst evolution process using laboratory and in situ tests and monitoring, the establishment of a quantitative warning method for the location and intensities of different types of rockburst, and the development of measures for the dynamic control of rockburst. The mitigation of rockburst at the Hongtoushan copper mine is presented as an illustrative example.

Prediction and prevention of rockburst in metal mines--A case study of Sanshandao gold mine

Rockburst is a kind of artificial earthquake induced by human activities,such as mining excavations.The mechanism of rockburst induced by mining disturbance is revealed in terms of energy in this context.For understanding the rockburst mechanism,two necessary conditions for the occurrence of rockburst are presented:(1)the rock mass has the capability to store huge amount of energy and possesses a strong bumping-prone characteristic when damaged;and(2)the geological conditions in the mining area have favorable geo-stress environments that can form high-stress concentration area and accumulate huge energy.These two conditions are also the basic criteria for prediction of rockburst.In view of energy analysis,it is observed that artificial and natural earthquakes have similar regularities in many aspects,such as the relationship between the energy value and burst magnitude.By using the relationship between energy and magnitude of natural earthquake,rockburst is predicted by disturbance energy analysis.A practical example is illustrated using the above-mentioned theorem and technique to predict rockburst in a gold mine in China.Finally,the prevention and control techniques of rockburst are also provided based on the knowledge of the rockburst mechanism.

Technology strategies to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality for China's metal mines

Greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions related to human activities have significantly caused climate change since the Industrial Revolution.China aims to achieve its carbon emission peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.Accordingly,this paper reviews and discusses technical strategies to achieve the“dual carbon”targets in China’s metal mines.First,global carbon emissions and emission intensities from metal mining industries are analyzed.The metal mining status and carbon emissions in China are then examined.Furthermore,advanced technologies for carbon mitigation and carbon sequestration in metal mines are reviewed.Finally,a technical roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality in China’s metal mines is proposed.Findings show that some international mining giants have already achieved their carbon reduction targets and planned to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.Moreover,improving mining efficiency by developing advanced technologies and replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy are two key approaches in reducing GHG emissions.Green mines can significantly benefit from the carbon neutrality process for metal mines through the carbon absorption of reclamation vegetations.Geothermal energy extraction from operating and abandoned metal mines is a promising technology for providing clean energy and contributing to the carbon neutrality target of China’s metal mines.Carbon sequestration in mine backfills and tailings through mineral carbonation has the potential to permanently and safely store carbon dioxide,which can eventually make the metal mining industry carbon neutral or even carbon negative.

Multidisciplinary design optimization on production scale of underground metal mine

In order to ensure overall optimization of the underground metal mine production scale, multidisciplinary design optimization model of production scale which covers the subsystem objective function of income of production, safety and environmental impact in the underground metal mine was established by using multidisciplinary design optimization method. The coupling effects from various disciplines were fully considered, and adaptive mutative scale chaos immunization optimization algorithm was adopted to solve multidisciplinary design optimization model of underground metal mine production scale. Practical results show that multidisciplinary design optimization on production scale of an underground lead and zinc mine reflect the actual operating conditions more realistically, the production scale is about 1.25 Mt/a (Lead and zinc metal content of 160 000 t/a), the economic life is approximately 14 a, corresponding coefficient of production profits can be increased to 15.13%, safety factor can be increased to 5.4% and environmental impact coefficient can be reduced by 9.52%.

An intelligent system for calculating the scale of rational,enlarged production of an underground non-ferrous metal mine

The enlarged production scale of underground non-ferrous metal mines is affected by many uncertain factors difficult to describe mathematically with any level of accuracy.The problem can be solved by a synthesis of artificial intelligence.Based on the analysis of the major factors affecting the scale of enlarged production,we first interpreted in detail the design principles and structure of the intelligent system.Secondly,we introduced an ANN subsystem.In order to ensure technological and scale efficien- cies of the training samples for ANN,we filtrated the samples with a DEA method.Finally,we trained the intelligent system,which was proved to be very efficient.

Mechanism,prevention,and control of mining-induced dynamic disasters in underground metal mines in China:Challenges and solutions

Metal mineral resources play an indispensable role in the development of the national economy.Dynamic disasters in underground metal mines seriously threaten mining safety,which are major scientific and technological problems to be solved urgently.In this article,the occurrence status and grand challenges of some typical dynamic disasters involving roof falling,spalling,collapse,large deformation,rockburst,surface subsidence,and water inrush in metal mines in China are systematically presented,the characteristics of mining-induced dynamic disasters are analyzed,the examples of dynamic disasters occurring in some metal mines in China are summarized,the occurrence mechanism,monitoring and early warning methods,and prevention and control techniques of these disasters are highlighted,and some new opinions,suggestions,and solutions are proposed simultaneously.Moreover,some shortcomings in current disaster research are pointed out,and the direction of efforts to improve the prevention and control level of dynamic disasters in China’s metal mines in the future is prospected.The integration of forward-looking key innovative theories and technologies in the abovementioned aspects will greatly enhance the cognitive level of disaster prevention and mitigation in China’s metal mining industry and achieve a significant shift from passive disaster relief to active disaster prevention.

Countermeasures for Remediation of Soil Pollution in Metal Mines

Firstly,the causes and existence state of soil pollution in metal mines were discussed.Secondly,the remediation technology of heavy metal contaminated soil was introduced.Thirdly,the remediation strategies for soil pollution in metal mines were analyzed.Finally,the problems and development direction of soil pollution remediation and control in metal mines were discussed.

Bayes discriminant analysis method to identify risky of complicated goaf in mines and its application

A Bayes discriminant analysis method to identify the risky of complicated goaf in mines was presented. Nine factors influencing the stability of goaf risky, including uniaxial compressive strength of rock, elastic modulus of rock, rock quality designation （RQD）, area ratio of pillar, ratio of width to height of pillar, depth of ore body, volume of goaf, dip of ore body and area of goal, were selected as discriminant indexes in the stability analysis of goal. The actual data of 40 goals were used as training samples to establish a discriminant analysis model to identify the stability of goaf. The results show that this discriminant analysis model has high precision and misdiscriminant ratio is 0.025 in re-substitution process. The instability identification of a metal mine was distinguished by using this model and the identification result is identical with that of practical situation.

Mechanism of mechanical activation for spontaneous combustion of sulfide minerals

In order to uncover the intrinsic reasons for spontaneous combustion of sulfide minerals,representative samples were collected from typical metal mines to carry out the mechanical activation experiment.The structures and heat behaviors of activated samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis,and simultaneous thermal analysis（STA）.It is found that the sulfide minerals after mechanical activation show many changes with increased specific surface areas,aggregation phenomenon,decreased diffraction peak intensity,broadened diffraction peak,declined initial temperatures of heat release and self-ignition points.A new theory for explaining the spontaneous combustion of sulfide minerals is put forward：the chemical reaction activity of sulfide minerals is heightened by all kinds of mechanical forces during the mining,and the spontaneous combustion takes place finally under proper environment.

Underground void filling by cemented mill tailings

Underground mining always create voids.These voids can cause subsidence of surface.So it is always a demand to fill the void in such a manner that the effect of underground mining can be minimized.Void filling using mill tailings especially in metal mining is one of the best techniques.The tailings produced in milling process have traditionally been disposed in tailing ponds creating a waste disposal and environmental problems in terms of land degradation,air and water pollution,etc.This disposal practice is more acute in the metal milling industry where the fine grinding,required for value liberation,results in the production of very fine tailings in large percentage.This paper includes discussions on the effectiveness of different paste mixes with varying cement contents in paste backfilling operations.The results revealed that material composition and use of super plasticizer strongly influenced the strength of cemented backfill.

Coordinated Urban and Rural Development in Yiling

YILING,the largest district in Yichang City,Hubei Province,is noted for its non-metallic mines,tea planting,citrus fruit cultivation,and folk art.In recent years,Yiling＇s focus has been on urban-rural integration.Human Development The strategies of Yiling District include inheriting traditional culture and ensuring sustained development.

Hainan to Promote the Exploration and Development of National Strategic Minerals and Prohibit the Mining of Rare Earth Metals

The Land and Resources Department of Hainan Province said on November 10 that the Overall Mineral Resources Plan of Hainan Province(2016-2020)(hereinafter referred to as the'Plan')has gone into effect with the approval of the Ministry of Land and Resources,and that the province will strongly promote the exploration and development of