Effect of particle gradation on pore structure and seepage law of solution in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

Both CT and Avizo software were used to explore the effect of particle gradation on the evolution characteristics of pore structure and seepage paths in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores during leaching.The results showed that the pore areas in four kinds of ore samples before leaching were mainly concentrated in 10^(4)–10^(7)μm^(2),whose pore quantities accounted for 96.89%,94.94%,90.48%,and 89.45%,respectively,while the corresponding pore volume only accounted for 30.74%,14.55%,7.58%,and 2.84%of the total pore volume.With the decrease of fractal dimension,the average pore throat length increased,but pore throat quantities,the average pore throat radius and coordination number decreased.Compared with that before leaching,the change degree of pore structure during leaching increased with the fractal dimension decreasing.For example,the reduction rate of the average coordination number of ore samples was 14.36%,21.30%,28.00%,and 32.90%,respectively.Seepage simulation results indicated that seepage paths were uniformly distributed before leaching while the streamline density and seepage velocity increased with the fractal dimension decreasing.Besides,the phenomenon of the streamline interruption gradually reduced during leaching while preferential seepage got more obvious with the decrease of the fractal dimension.

Rheological and physicomechanical properties of rod milling sand-based cemented paste backfill modified by sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde condensate

Rod milling sand(RMS)—a coarse sand aggregate—was recycled for cemented paste backfill(CPB)for the underground mined area at the Jinchuan nickel deposit,named rod milling sand-based cemented paste backfill(RCPB).The adverse effects of coarse particles on the transportation of CPB slurry through pipelines to underground stopes resulting in weakening of the stability of the backfill system are well known.Therefore,sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde(SNF)condensate was used for the performance improvement of RCPB.The synergistic effect of solid content(SC),lime-to-sand ratio,and SNF dosage on the rheological and physicomechanical properties,including slump,yield stress,bleeding rate,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),as well as mechanism analysis of RCPB,have been explored.The results indicate that the effect of SNF on RCPB performance is related to the SNF dosage,lime-to-sand ratio,and SC.The slump of fresh RCPB with 0.1wt%-0.5wt%SNF increased by 2.6%-26.2%,whereas the yield stress reduced by 4.1%-50.3%,indicating better workability and improved cohesiveness of the mix.The bleeding rate of fresh RCPB decreased first and then rose with the increase of SNF dosage,and the peak decrease was 67.67%.UCS of RCPB first increased and then decreased with the increase of SNF dosage.At the optimal SNF addition ratio of 0.3wt%,the UCS of RCPB curing for 7,14 and,28 d ages increased by 31.5%,28.4%,and 29.5%,respectively.The beneficial effects of SNF in enhancing the early UCS of RCPB have been corroborated.However,the later UCS increases at a slower rate.The research findings may guide the design and preparation of RCPB with adequate performance for practical applications.

Deformation and damage properties of rock-like materials subjected to multi-level loading-unloading cycles

In the process of engineering construction such as tunnels and slopes,rock mass is frequently subjected to multiple levels of loading and unloading,while previous research ignores the impact of unloading rate on the stability of rock mass.A number of uniaxial multi-level cyclic loading-unloading experiments were conducted to better understand the effect of unloading rate on the deformation behavior,energy evolution,and damage properties of rock-like material.The experimental results demonstrated that the unloading rate and relative cyclic number clearly influence the deformation behavior and energy evo-lution of rock-like samples.In particular,as the relative cyclic number rises,the total strain and reversible strain both increase linearly,while the total energy density,elastic energy density,and dissipated energy density all rise nonlinearly.In contrast,the irreversible strain first decreases quickly,then stabilizes,and finally rises slowly.As the unloading rate increases,the total strain and reversible strain both increase,while the irreversible strain decreases.The dissipated energy damage was examined in light of the aforementioned experimental findings.The accuracy of the proposed damage model,which takes into account the impact of the unloading rate and relative cyclic number,is then confirmed by examining the consistency between the model predicted and the experimental results.The proposed damage model will make it easier to foresee how the multi-level loading-unloading cycles will affect the rock-like materials.

Permeability evolution mechanism and the optimum permeability determination of uranium leaching from low-permeability sandstone treated with low-frequency vibration

Low-frequency vibrations can effectively improve natural sandstone permeability,and higher vibration frequency is associated with larger permeability.However,the optimum permeability and permeability evolution mechanism for uranium leaching and the relationship between permeability and the change of chemical reactive rate affecting uranium leaching have not been determined.To solve the above problems,in this study,identical homogeneous sandstone samples were selected to simulate lowpermeability sandstone;a permeability evolution model considering the combined action of vibration stress,pore water pressure,water flow impact force,and chemical erosion was established;and vibration leaching experiments were performed to test the model accuracy.Both the permeability and chemical reactions were found to simultaneously restrict U6þleaching,and the vibration treatment increased the permeability,causing the U6þleaching reaction to no longer be diffusion-constrained but to be primarily controlled by the reaction rate.Changes of the model calculation parameters were further analyzed to determine the permeability evolution mechanism under the influence of vibration and chemical erosion,to prove the correctness of the mechanism according to the experimental results,and to develop a new method for determining the optimum permeability in uranium leaching.The uranium leaching was found to primarily follow a process consisting of(1)a permeability control stage,(2)achieving the optimum permeability,(3)a chemical reactive rate control stage,and(4)a channel flow stage.The resolution of these problems is of great significance for facilitating the application and promotion of lowfrequency vibration in the CO_(2)+O_(2) leaching process.

Effects of counter-current driven by electron cyclotron waves on neoclassical tearing mode suppression

Through theoretical analysis,we construct a physical model that includes the influence of counter-external driven current opposite to the plasma current direction in the neoclassical tearing mode(NTM).The equation is used with this model to obtain the modified Rutherford equation with co-current and counter-current contributions.Consistent with the reported experimental results,numerical simulations have shown that the localized counter external current can only partially suppress NTM when it is far from the resonant magnetic surface.Under some circumstances,the Ohkawa mechanism dominated current drive(OKCD)by electron cyclotron waves can concurrently create both co-current and counter-current.In this instance,the minimal electron cyclotron wave power that suppresses a particular NTM was calculated by the Rutherford equation.The result is marginally less than when taking co-current alone into consideration.As a result,to suppress NTM using OKCD,one only needs to align the co-current with a greater OKCD peak well with the resonant magnetic surface.The effect of its lower counter-current does not need to be considered because the location of the counter-current deviates greatly from the resonant magnetic surface.

Rock burst mechanism analysis in an advanced segment of gob-side entry under different dip angles of the seam and prevention technology

In order to investigate the frequent occurrences of rock burst in gob-side entry during the mining process of the mining zone No. 7, the mechanical model of main roof of fully-mechanized caving mining before breaking was established by the Winkler foundation beam theory, and the stress evolution law of surrounding rock with different dip angles of the seam during the mining process was analyzed by using FLAC3 D. The results show that: with the dip angle changing from 45° to 0°, the solid-coal side of gobside entry begins to form an L-shaped stress concentration zone at a dip angle of 30°, and the stress concentration degree goes to higher and higher levels. However, the stress concentration degree of the coalpillar side goes to lower and lower levels; the influence range and peak stress of the abutment at the lateral strata of adjacent gob increase with dip angle decreasing and reach a maximum value at a dip angle of 0°, but the tailgate is not affected; the abutment pressure superposition of two adjacent gobs leads to stress concentration further enhancing in both sides of gob-side entry. With the influence of strong mining disturbance, rock burst is easily induced by dynamic and static combined load in the advanced segment of gob-side entry. To achieve stability control similar to that in the roadway, the key control strategy is to reinforce surrounding rock and unload both sides. Accordingly, the large-diameter drilling and high-pressure water injection combined unloading and reinforced support cooperative control technology was proposed and applied in field test. The results of Electromagnetic Emission(EME) and field observation showed that unloading and surrounding rock control effect was obvious.

Mechanism of rock burst caused by fracture of key strata during irregular working face mining and its prevention methods

To study the occurrence mechanism of rock burst during mining the irregular working face,the study took irregular panel 7447 near fault tectonic as an engineering background.The spatial fracture characteristic of overlying strata was analyzed by Winkler elastic foundation beam theory.Furthermore,the influence law of panel width to suspended width and limit breaking span of key strata were also analyzed by thin plate theory.Through micro-seismic monitoring,theoretical analysis,numerical simulation and working resistance of support of field measurement,this study investigated the fracture characteristic of overlying strata and mechanism of rock burst in irregular working face.The results show that the fracture characteristic of overlying strata shows a spatial trapezoid structure,with the main roof being as an undersurface.The fracture form changes from vertical‘‘O-X"type to transverse‘‘O-X"type with the increase of trapezoidal height.From the narrow mining face to the wide mining face,the suspended width of key strata is greater than its limit breaking width,and a strong dynamic load is produced by the fracture of key strata.The numerical simulation and micro-seismic monitoring results show that the initial fracture position of key strata is close to tailgate 7447.Also there is a high static load caused by fault tectonic.The dynamic and static combined load induce rock burst.Accordingly,a cooperative control technology was proposed,which can weaken dynamic load by hard roof directional hydraulic fracture and enhance surrounding rock by supporting system.

Experiment of gas diffusion and its diffusion mechanism in coal

In coal,the gas mainly exists in a free or an adsorption state.When the coal containing gas is damaged,gas desorption and diffusion will occur which can result in gas disaster.This research on gas desorption and diffusion provides a theoretical basis for gas disaster mechanism and prevention.The influence of pressure and temperature on gas diffusion is studied by the experiment.And the mechanism of pressure and temperature on gas diffusion is also analysed.The research results indicate that gas diffusion capacity increases with increasing temperature under the same pressure for the same coal sample.This is mainly because the temperature increases,gas molecular hot motion is severer,kinetic energy of gas molecular increases,and gas desorption quickens,therefore gas diffusion capacity changes stronger.Under other unchanged conditions,the greater gas adsorption balance pressure,the more gas adsorption content,and the higher the initial gas concentration.When gas diffusion begins,the greater the gas concentration gradient,the faster the gas diffusion speeds.

Partitioning characteristics of gas channel of coal-rock mass in mining space and gas orientation method

In order to research the influence of coal-rock mass morphology of mining space on the flow law of gas,the laboratory physical model and numerical computation methods were adopted to simulate coal mining activities.The simulation results indicate that,after coal seam mining,the loose rock accumulation body of free caving,ordered rock arrangement body of plate damage rich in longitudinal and transverse fractures and horizontal fissure body formed by rock mass deformation imbalance are formed from bottom to top in the mining space.For these three types of accumulation bodies,there are essential differences in the accumulation state,rock size and gas breakover characteristics.According to this,the coal-rock mass in the mining space is classified into gas turbulence channel area,gas transitional flow channel area and gas seepage channel area.In the turbulence channel area,the gas is distributed transversely and longitudinally and gas diffuses in the form of convection with Reynolds number R_e more than100;in the transitional flow channel area,one-way or two-way gas channels are crisscross and gas is of transitional flow regime with R,.between 10 and 100.In the seepage channel area,there are a few vertical gas channels with R,.less than 10.In this paper,the researches on the gas orientation method in different partitions were further carried out,gas orientation methods of low-level pipe burying,middle-level interception and high-level extraction were determined and an on-site industrial test was conducted,achieving the effective diversion of gas and verifying the reasonableness of gas channel partition.

Study of a Comprehensive Assessment Method for Coal Mine Safety Based on a Hierarchical Grey Analysis

Coal mine safety is a complex system, which is controlled by a number of interrelated factors and is difficult to estimate. This paper proposes an index system of safety assessment based on correlated factors involved in coal mining and a comprehensive evaluation model that combines the advantages of the AHP and a grey clustering method to guarantee the accuracy and objectivity of weight coefficients. First, we confirmed the weight of every index using the AHP, then did a general safety assessment by means of a grey clustering method. This model analyses the status of mining safety both qualitatively and quantitatively. It keeps management and technical groups informed of the situation of the coal production line in real time, which aids in making correct decisions based on practical safety issues. A case study in the application of the model is presented. The results show that the method is applicable and realistic with regard to the core of a coal mine's safety management. Consequently, the safe production of a mine and the awareness of advanced safe production management is accelerated.

Chaotic characteristics of electromagnetic emission signals during deformation and fracture of coal

Electromagnetic emission(EME) is a kind of physical phenomenon accompanying the process of deformation and fracture of loaded coal and rock and it is of importance in quantitatively analyzing its characteristics.This will reveal the process of deformation and fracture of coal and predicting dynamic disasters in coal mines.In this study,the G-P(Grassberger and Procaccia) algorithm,calculation steps of the(if only 1 dimension) correlation dimension of time series and the identification standards of chaotic signals are introduced.Furthermore,the correlation dimensions of EME and the acoustic emission(AE) signals of time series during deformation and fracture of coal bodies are calculated and analyzed.The results show that the time series of pulses number of EME and the time series of AE count rate are chaotic and that the saturation embedding dimensions of a K3 coal sample are,respectively,5 and 6.The results can be used to provide basic parameters for predicting of EME and AE time series.

Deformation mechanism of high-stress and broken-expansion surrounding rock and supporting optimization based on the gray correlation theory

Aiming at the large deformation and support problems of high-stress and broken-expansion surrounding rock, and taking 1 000 m level roadway of Mine II in Jinchuan as the research object, an investigation on the deformation and damage of roadway surrounding rock and an analysis of its mechanism were carried out. The gray correlation theory was used in support scheme optimization design. First, causes and mechanism of deformation of the 1 000 m horizontal transport channel were analyzed through field investigation, laboratory test and data processing methods. We arguued that poor engineering geological conditions and deep pressure increases were the main factors, and the deformation mechanism was mainly the ground deformation pressure. Second, the gray correlation theory was used to construct supporting optimization decision method in the deep roadway. This method more comprehensively considers various factors, including construction, costs, and supporting material functions. The combined support with pre-stressed anchor cables, shotcrete layer, bolt and metal net was put forward according to the actual roadway engineering characteristics. Finally, 4 support schemes were put forward for new roadways. The gray relational theory was applied to optimizing the supporting method, undertaking technical and economic comparison to obtain the correlation degree, and accordingly the schemes were evaluated. It was concluded as follows: the best was the flexible retaining scheme using the steel strand anchor; the second best was the one using plate anchors on the top and rigid common screw steel bolt on the two sides; the third was; the rigid common screw steel bolt in full section of roadway; and the worst is the planished steel rigid support. The optimized scheme was applied to the 1000 m level of new excavation roadway. The results show that the roadway surrounding rock can reach a stable state after 5 to 6 months monitoring, with a convergence rate less than 1 mm/d.

The characteristics and sources of natural gases from Ordovician weathered crust reservoirs in the Central Gas Field in the Ordos Basin

The Central Gas Field is a famous large-sized gas field in the Ordos Basin of China. However, identification of main gas sources of the Ordovician reservoirs in this gas field remains puzzling. On the basis of a lot of geochemical data and geological research on natural gases, the characteristics and sources of natural gases from Ordovician weathered crust reservoirs in the Central Gas Field in the Ordos Basin were studied. The results indicated that natural gases from Ordovician weathered crust reservoirs in the Central Gas Field in the Ordos Basin have similar chemical and isotopic compositions to highly mature and over-mature dry gases. Both coal-derived gases and oil-type gases coexist in the Central Gas Field in the Ordos Basin. The former was derived mainly from Carboniferous-Permian coal measures and the latter from Lower Paleozoic marine carbonates. It is suggested that coal-derived gases occur in the eastern part of the Central Gas Field while oil-type gases may be produced mainly in the northern, western and southern parts of the Central Gas Field in the Ordos Basin.

Numerical simulation and experiment analysis of improving permeability by deep-hole presplitting explosion in high gassy and low permeability coal seam

Created a new damage model for explosive for LS-DYNA3D,taking advantageof the Taylor method aimed at the high gassy and low permeability coal seam,and numericallysimulated and analyzed the deep-hole presplitting explosion.The entire processof explosion was represented,including cracks caused by dynamic pressure,transmissionand vibration superposition of stress waves,as well as cracks growth driven by gas generatedby explosion.The influence of the cracks generated in the process of explosion andthe performance of improving permeability caused by the difference of interval between.explosive holes were analyzed.A reasonable interval between explosive holes of deepholepresplitting explosions in high gassy and low permeability coal seams was proposed,and the resolution of gas drainage in high gassy and low permeability coal seam was putforward.

3D characterization of porosity and minerals of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone based on multi-resolution image fusion

In the process of in situ leaching of uranium,the microstructure controls and influences the flow distribution,percolation characteristics,and reaction mechanism of lixivium in the pores of reservoir rocks and directly affects the leaching of useful components.In this study,the pore throat,pore size distribution,and mineral composition of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone were quantitatively analyzed by high pressure mercury injection,nuclear magnetic resonance,X-ray diffraction,and wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence.The distribution characteristics of pores and minerals in the samples were qualitatively analyzed using energy-dispersive scanning electron microscopy and multi-resolution CT images.Image registration with the landmarks algorithm provided by FEI Avizo was used to accurately match the CT images with different resolutions.The multi-scale and multi-mineral digital core model of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone is reconstructed through pore segmentation and mineral segmentation of fusion core scanning images.The results show that the pore structure of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone is complex and has multi-scale and multi-crossing characteristics.The intergranular pores determine the main seepage channel in the pore space,and the secondary pores have poor connectivity with other pores.Pyrite and coffinite are isolated from the connected pores and surrounded by a large number of clay minerals and ankerite cements,which increases the difficulty of uranium leaching.Clays and a large amount of ankerite cement are filled in the primary and secondary pores and pore throats of the low-permeability uraniumbearing sandstone,which significantly reduces the porosity of the movable fluid and results in low overall permeability of the cores.The multi-scale and multi-mineral digital core proposed in this study provides a basis for characterizing macroscopic and microscopic pore-throat structures and mineral distributions of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone and can better understand the seepage characteristics.

Creep behaviour and constitutive model of coal filled with gas

Coal exhibits different creep behaviours when filled with different amounts of gas. Creep tests of coal filled with 0 and 0.5 MPa gas were performed, and strain under different axial stress was compared.The three creep constitutive models which were analysed using the method fitting experimental data for determining which creep model can reflect the creep process of the test best. The results show that the deformation of coal filled with 0.5 MPa gas is more higher than that of coal filled with 0 MPa gas under the same axial stress. Gas plays a positive effect on the deformation of coal process and will accelerate creep process. And gas will reduce coal intensity and change coal creep properties.Compared with Nishihara Model and Extensional Nishihara Model, Burgers Model can reflect the three stages of creep process of coal filled with gas better. The research results can contribute to reveal coal and gas outburst mechanism.

Experimental Research on Pore Structure and Gas Adsorption Characteristic of Deformed Coal

The pore structure and gas adsorption property of deformed coal with different degrees of metamorphism were tested by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption and isothermal adsorption experiments. The fractal theory and the Langmuir adsorption theory were used to analyze the experimental data. The test results showed that the deformed coal had more heterogeneous pore structures and open pores, and its specific surface area(SSA) and fractal dimension(D) were higher. There is a polynomial relationship between D and specific surface area as well as gas adsorption capacity(VL). The gas adsorption capacity of deformed coal is influenced by pore structure, coal rank, deformation and stress together, among which the pore structure is the main influencing factor for the adsorption capacity of deformed coal. The test pressure could affect the accuracy of the adsorption constants a and b, so the highest experiment pressure should be greater than the actual pressure of coal seam in order to reduce the deviation of adsorption constants.

Factors influencing the pumpability of unclassified tailings slurry and its interval division

Tailings consolidation and discharging technology is currently a popular means for disposing tailings in China. In this study, we describe a laboratory investigation of the unclassified tailings slurry from an iron mine and analyze the influence of the concentration,amount of consolidation agent, and types of consolidation agent on the pumpability in terms of the slump, slump flow, and bleeding rate of the slurry. The results indicate that an increase in concentration leads to a pronounced decrease in the magnitude of the slump, slump flow,and the bleeding rate. Compared with the consolidation agents P.O42.5 and P.S.A32.5, the new consolidation agent offers substantial advantages in promoting the pumping performance of the slurry. The concentration more strongly affects the slump, slump flow, and the bleeding rate of the slurry than does the amount of the consolidation agent. We also constructed the pumpability interval of the slurry on the basis of the slump and bleeding rate and accordingly determined the proportioning parameters of the slurry with a concentration of 75 wt% to79 wt% and with a consolidation agent concentration of 2 wt%. In addition, we discussed the pumpability mechanism of the slurry.

Spatial distribution of supraglacial debris thickness on glaciers of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and surroundings

Debris-covered glaciers,characterized by the presence of supraglacial debris mantles in their ablation zones,are widespread in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)and surroundings.For these glaciers,thin debris layers accelerate the melting of underlying ice compared to that of bare ice,while thick debris layers retard ice melting,called debriscover effect.Knowledge about the thickness and thermal properties of debris cover on CPEC glaciers is still unclear,making it difficult to assess the regional debris-cover effect.In this study,thermal resistance of the debris layer estimated from remotely sensed data reveals that about 54.0%of CPEC glaciers are debris-covered glaciers,on which the total debris-covered area is about 5,072 km2,accounting for 14.0%of the total glacier area of the study region.We find that marked difference in the extent and thickness of debris cover is apparent from region to region,as well as the debris-cover effect.53.3%of the total debris-covered area of the study region is concentrated in Karakoram,followed by Pamir with 30.2%of the total debris-covered area.As revealed by the thermal resistance,the debris thickness is thick in Hindu Kush on average,with the mean thermal resistance of 7.0×10^-2((m^2∙K)/W),followed by Karakoram,while the thickness in western Himalaya is thin with the mean value of 2.0×10^-2((m^2∙K)/W).Our findings provide a basis for better assessments of changes in debriscovered glaciers and their associated hydrological impacts in the CPEC and surroundings.

Water resistant features of high-risk outburst coal seams and standard discriminant model of mining under water-pressure

It is important to emphasize the value of research in safe mining technology of high-risk water outburst coal seams. We describe briefly current conditions abroad and in China. Based on an Ordovician limestone aquifer with high-risk water outburst seams in the Feicheng coal field, we analyzed the water-resistant characteristics of a coal floor aquifuge and the behavior of water head intrusion of a confined aquifer and propose a safe criterion model and relevant technology of mining above aquifers. This has brought satisfactory results in engineering practice.