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Date submitted2021-05-19
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Date accepted2022-04-07
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Date published2022-04-29
On the possibility of reducing man-made burden on benthic biotic communities when mining solid minerals using technical means of various designs
The paper analyses features of the species composition and diversity of biotic communities living within the ferromanganese nodule fields (the Clarion-Clipperton field), cobalt-manganese crusts (the Magellan Seamounts) and deep-sea polymetallic sulphides (the Ashadze-1, Ashadze-2, Logatchev and Krasnov fields) in the Russian exploration areas of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Prospects of mining solid minerals of the world’s oceans with the least possible damage to the marine ecosystems are considered that cover formation of the sediment plumes and roiling of significant volumes of water as a result of collecting the minerals as well as conservation of the hydrothermal fauna and microbiota, including in the impact zone of high temperature hydrothermal vents. Different concepts and layout options for deep-water mining complexes (the Indian and Japanese concepts as well as those of the Nautilus Minerals and Saint Petersburg Mining University) are examined with respect to their operational efficiency. The main types of mechanisms that are part of the complexes are identified and assessed based on the defined priorities that include the ecological aspect, i.e. the impact on the seabed environment; manufacturing and operating costs; and specific energy consumption, i.e. the technical and economic indicators. The presented morphological analysis gave grounds to justify the layout of a deep-sea minerals collecting unit, i.e. a device with suction chambers and a grip arm walking gear, selected based on the environmental key priority. Pilot experimental studies of physical and mechanical properties of cobalt-manganese crust samples were performed through application of bilateral axial force using spherical balls (indenters) and producing a rock strength passport to assess further results of the experimental studies. Experimental destructive tests of the cobalt-manganese crust by impact and cutting were carried out to determine the impact load and axial cutting force required for implementation of the collecting system that uses a clamshell-type effector with a built-in impactor.
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Date submitted2018-09-07
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Date accepted2018-11-08
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Date published2019-02-22
Assessment of refractory gold-bearing ores based on interpretation of thermal analysis data
- Authors:
- T. N. Aleksandrova
- G. Heide
- A. V. Afanasova
The article presents the results of a study on the possibility to assess refractory gold-bearing ores using thermal analysis data. It studies the flotation concentrates obtained during the enrichment of double refractory sulfide gold-bearing ores. This type of ore is complicated by the fine impregnation of gold in sulphide minerals and the presence of sorption-active scattered carbonaceous matter, which is in close association with sulphides. The results of thermogravimetric and mass spectrometric studies of refractory gold-bearing ores are presented. The obtained fragments for kerogen CH (m/z = 15), C 2 H (m/z = 29) and C 3 H (m/z = 43) indicate the presence of various types of carbonaceous matter in the studied samples. It is justified that the degree of sorption activity of carbonaceous matter depends on the presence of kerogen and bitumen in the ore. High sorption activity of scattered carbonaceous material significantly affects the processing technology of ores and concentrates, both flotation and pyro- and hydrometallurgical methods. Thermogravimetric and mass spectroscopic analyzes can be used to determine the degree of preg-robbing of refractory gold-bearing ores. The obtained results predetermine the direction of creating new methods and technologies in the field of decarburization of refractory gold-bearing ores in the integrated development of solid minerals in the mining regions of Russia.
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Date submitted2018-09-21
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Date accepted2018-11-19
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Date published2019-02-22
Feasibility of type of deep-water technologies for the extraction of marine ferro-manganese nodules
- Authors:
- D. A. Yungmeister
- S. M. Sudarikov
- K. A. Kireev
The conditions for the occurrence of near bottom minerals presented in the form of sulphides (the Logachev deposit) and ferro-manganese nodules (The conditions for the occurrence of benthic minerals presented in the form of sulphides (the Logachev deposit) and ferro-manganese nodules (FMN) are considered. An analysis of the structures and parameters of various means of collecting and transporting sulphides and iron ore from the bottom to the surface is given, and the possibility of effectively using vessel lifting on a cable-rope is indicated. Structural schemes for collecting FMN and sulphides in the form of containers on a cable, equipped with manipulators with gripping devices of a disc, drum or clamshell type, are proposed. In them, the capture of rock pieces or FMN is carried out by creating a vacuum in the collectors of the executive bodies and attracting to them pieces of rock or FMN by a pressure drop of water inside and outside the reservoir. It was given the approximate parameters of the mining system. So, for a cable-rope made of kevlar with a diameter of 50 mm, the capacity can be 200-400 thousand tons per year for one installation with different specific mass concentration of FMN per 1 m 2 ) are considered.
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Date submitted2017-11-20
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Date accepted2018-01-09
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Date published2018-04-24
Sulfidization of silver-polymetallic ores of «Goltsovoe» deposit for decreasing loss of silver in mill tailings
- Authors:
- L. V. Shumilova
- O. S. Kostikova
The results of laboratory studies of flotation concentration of silver-polymetallic ores of the Goltsovoe deposit at the Omsukchansk concentrator are presented. The results of sieve analysis of mill tailings of the experimental sample of MTP N 101 (N 7577-i) are described. They indicate that a large amount of silver (123 g/t) is lost in the size class – 0.040 mm (yield 50.25 %). According to the results of mineralogical analysis, it is established that the major losses of noble metal are associated with its fine impregnation in oxides, sulfides and silicate rocks. The main silver-bearing minerals are acanthite, polybasite and kustelite (class – 0.040 mm). Experimental studies were carried out in two stages. The purpose of the first stage is to determine the influence of grinding fineness in flotation feed (for a finished class content of 0.074 mm in the range of 60-95 %) for silver recovery at different amounts of butyl potassium xanthate (50, 150, 300 g/t). The purpose of the second stage is to evaluate the effectiveness of sulfidization at different consumption of sodium sulfide Na 2 S·9H 2 O (50, 150, 200, 450, 750 g/t – 1 % aqueous solution) under the conditions of the optimal reagent mode established in the first stage of the study. The results of experiments to determine the optimum grinding fineness and studies on the enrichment of silver-polymetallic ore with the use of sodium sulfide as a sulfidizer are presented. The efficiency of the sulfidization process is estimated. The following experimental dependencies of silver recovery are established: on the degree of grinding and consumption of butyl potassium xanthate; on variations of grinding fineness and the consumption of sodium sulphide (with a consumption of butyl xanthate 150 g/t); and on grinding fineness at optimum consumption of sodium sulfide 150 g/t and butyl potassium xanthate 300 g/t. A comparative evaluation of dependence of silver recovery index from the degree of grinding fineness before and after introduction of sodium sulphide (collecting agent consumption of 150 g/t) is given. T\