Abstract Recent events involving iron ore tailings dam collapses have emphasized the need for developing alternative ways of depositing tailings. This study aims to evaluate the effects of using three hydroxamates and a sulfosuccinamate as collectors in the direct flotation of iron ore tailings, using a bench flotation. The best result obtained on bench flotation was tested in a pneumatic cell. The sample used in this study (10.8% of Fe) consists of quartz and hematite. The Aero® 6494 Promoter hydroxamate showed the highest selectivity among the analyzed reagents, reaching 64.31% of Fe in the final product of the test with the < 150 µm sample. The possibility of using these reagents as constituents of a mixed collector with dodecylamine was also investigated. In this case, the Aero® 845 Promoter sulfosuccinamate yielded the best results, with 62.84% of Fe and 59.01% of metallurgical recovery of Fe. The synergistic effect between the two reagents might be explained by the stability of the monolayer formed by the intercalation of the ions from the dodecylamine and the Aero® 845 Promoter, which reduces the electrostatic repulsion between ions of the same species This mixed collector was tested in a pneumatic cell. However, it had a lower performance in terms of Fe metallurgical recovery than in a bench-scale cell test, mainly for the finest particles, due to the greater control of the process’s variables in the bench cell.

Abstract The sizing of vibrating screen machines can be done by various methods, most of them based on the classic method of Allis Chalmers (ACM). Due to the wide diffusion and applicability, the Peter King (PKM) and Karra (KM) methods present great technical relevance as well. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the results of the screen surface areas, calculated by these three methods, and the real areas of the industrial machines. The study was based on data generated in 11 real industrial screening operations, being possible to evaluate the deviations of the areas calculated by the mathematical methods in relation to the real areas of the industrial machines. Results have shown that although all methods have restrictions on their use, PKM has the smallest deviations compared to the real dimensions of the industrial machines for four screening conditions. All these conditions showed screen apertures from 4.76mm to 19mm, moisture from 2.12% to 3.3%, Gneiss as feed material and deviations smaller than 13%.

Abstract In the search for alternatives to obtain more information from rock tests and to make them more accessible, this study applies the Digital Image Correlation technique (DIC 2D) in a diametral compression test called Brazilian Test, comparing the result measured by an extensometer with the result obtained by DIC. Rock tests provide information about rock characteristics applicable to several engineering areas, such as mining and construction. In tests using strain gauges to measure strain, the equipment is expensive and there is a risk of breaking the instrument due to the contact with the specimen. However, tests measuring strain through the DIC technique may be more accessible, using open source software and lower cost equipment when compared to the cost of the extensometers. The results of this study demonstrate that the DIC technique enables: 1) complementing the information of diametrical tests obtained using strain gauges, for example, supporting the visualization of crack propagation; and 2) in some cases, replacing the use of extensometers, as far as a variation is tolerated.

Abstract The production rate of a mining operation has an important effect on the operational cycle and gross profit, which are often evaluated based on engineering practices. Assessment of the economic performance of mine operations in mining engineering is of great importance because an incorrect production rate can result in significant financial losses. The production rate is composed of two bases: the cost estimation and the price scenario. Bureau of Mines studies performed on American mines indicated that processing costs can be estimated through the production rate. This article proposes to connect the model presented by the Bureau of Mines and queuing theory to describe the operational costs, which are used to develop a production optimization methodology. The proposed cost composition describes a production system to verify the law of diminishing returns and the economy of scale. Between these regions of the production curve, the optimum point was determined with mathematical precision.

Abstract The transport distance in a mining operation strongly influences a mine operation revenue and its operational cycle because it is a fundamental part of the total mining costs. Generally, the transport route is determined based on an engineer's practical knowledge, which does not consider any mechanism to optimize the possible routes to be taken. In an attempt to establish a methodology for calculating the path that results in minimum costs to transport the mined block to its destination, the Dijkstra methodology is applied to a tree graph analysis, where the mining blocks are analysed as nodes of the tree. The transport cost is reflected as the arc of the graphs, which can use the Euclidean distance or the transport time for the calculation of the minimum path. The result obtained from the Dijkstra algorithm provided a non-operational route; to overcome this problem, an adjustment was performed through non-parametric equations. In this manner, it was possible to determine the transport costs for each block of the model. The paths based on Euclidean distance and transport time showed a tendency to increase for deeper mining regions. Identifying areas of largest growth and correctly quantifying their values increase the efficiency of mining planning.

Abstract Geologic modeling is an important step in determining the benefits and final pit dimensions for mining operations. Geostatistical models and distance-based functions are the main methods used to estimate the grade behavior. However, these two methods, despite their similar mean values, differ in spatial variability. The objective of this article is to prove, by comparing the two methodologies, that models with different spatial variability using the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm will output subtly different final pit dimensions and scheduling. Furthermore, with the direct block schedule (DBS), these differences can be considerable. The tests compared the methodologies using the following three models: inverse distance (ID), ordinary kriging (OK) and turning bands simulation (TBS). The results demonstrate that the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm is only slightly sensitive to the spatial variability of the grade; however, DBS requires the model populations to be better defined because of its greater sensitivity to spatial variability.

Abstract Mineral projects are composed of geological, operational and market uncertainties, and reducing these uncertainties is one of the objectives of engineering. Most surveys assess the impact of geological and operational uncertainties on the mining planning. The objective of this work is to study the impact of market uncertainty on the mineral activity. The influence of iron ore price simulation on mining sequencing will be evaluated. The price of iron ore has random behavior that is best represented by the Geometric Brownian Movement system. This study analyzed the historical series of iron ore in order to determine the percentage volatility and drift. Traditionally, a constant and deterministic price is used for the ore mined in all periods of a mineral project. The direct block scheduling methodology was adopted because it is able to apply the appropriate financial discount factor to the simulated probabilistic price. The proposed methodology was able to quantify the market uncertainty.

Abstract Determination of the best possible ultimate pit for an open pit mine is a fundamental subject that has undergone a highly evolutionary process, reviewed in this study, since the correct choice carries substantial economic impact for the industry. The correct choice can be very beneficial for project analysis, whereas an incorrect choice has the potential to mask huge financial and economic future losses that could render a project unfeasible. The advent of computers in the 1960s allowed sophisticated analysis for the selection of the best ultimate pit determination, under specific modifying factors such as economic, social, environmental, and political, but only in deterministic situations, i.e., when the problem and variables for the ultimate pit determinations were considered deterministically and almost always based on average values. Techniques such as the Lerchs-Grossman algorithm and mixed-integer programming are among many standard tools now used by the mineral industry. Geological uncertainty and the associated risks as well as the need to consider the appropriate time to mine a block during a mine operation have a significant impact on the net present value of the resulting ultimate pits. Stochastic aspects embed a probabilistic component that varies in time and are now under intense investigation by researchers, who are creating algorithms that can be experimented with and tested in real mine situations. One can expect that once these algorithms demonstrate their efficiency and superior results, they will readily dominate the industry.

Abstract This study is focused on Direct Block Scheduling testing (Direct Multi-Period Scheduling methodology) which schedules mine production considering the correct discount factor of each mining block, resulting in the final pit. Each block is analyzed individually in order to define the best target period. This methodology presents an improvement of the classical methodology derived from Lerchs-Grossmann's initial proposition improved by Whittle. This paper presents the differences between these methodologies, specially focused on the algorithms' avidity. Avidity is classically defined by the voracious search algorithms, whereupon some of the most famous greedy algorithms are Branch and Bound, Brutal Force and Randomized. Strategies based on heuristics can accentuate the voracity of the optimizer system. The applied algorithm use simulated annealing combined with Tabu Search. The most avid algorithm can select the most profitable blocks in early periods, leading to higher present value in the first periods of mine operation. The application of discount factors to blocks on the Lerchs-Grossmann's final pit has an accentuated effect with time, and this effect may make blocks scheduled for the end of the mine life unfeasible, representing a trend to a decrease in reported reserves.

Neste trabalho foram analisados recobrimentos de poli(tereftalato de etileno), PET, depositados em aço carbono através da técnica de aspersão térmica à combustão, e produzidos a partir de pós oriundos de processos de moagem, em moinho de bolas e de facas, de garrafas de PET pós-consumo. Algumas condições de moagem foram testadas, tendo-se obtido pós com diferentes características morfológicas. As características morfológicas dos pós e dos recobrimentos foram avaliadas por microscopia óptica e eletrônica, tendo-se observado que o recobrimento apresentava bolhas, provavelmente devido à degradação do polímero. Além disto, os recobrimentos produzidos, bem como as amostras de pó, foram caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, por calorimetria exploratória diferencial e através da determinação de viscosidade intrínseca em solução. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que é possível a produção de aço carbono recoberto com PET através da técnica de aspersão térmica, sendo que o grau de degradação, a morfologia e a distribuição granulométrica dos pós utilizados influenciaram significativamente as características e propriedades dos recobrimentos formados.

The main purpose of this work was to study the production of a thermal spray coated poly(ethyleneterephthalate) steel. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) coatings were made of a thin grinding waste produced by a PET recycling company, and of a PET powder, which was obtained by grinding post-consumer beverage bottles. Some grinding conditions, using a ceramic ball mill, were studied. Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM) were used in the study of powder and coating morphologies, and this analysis showed that PET coating presents bubbles due to polymer degradation. PET powder and coating characteristics were investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and measurements of intrinsic viscosity. It was observed that the powder morphology and the degradation and the size distribution of the PET powder affect significantly the characteristics and properties of coatings.