Intro To Mineral Processing
Intro To Mineral Processing
Intro To Mineral Processing
May 2012
The
Typically
About
Many
Copper and gold mines comprise 80% of the facilities in the United States.
What is Mining?
Extractionremoval of overburden and ore from
the ground
Underground and surface mining methods
In-situ miningpump solution into ore from
surface wells
Underground Mining
Use of shafts and tunnels to access ore
Pumping out mine water
Bring ore to the surface for additional handling
Surface Mining
Open pit--Cheapest method to access ore
Causes greatest potential environmental impacts
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Ore Concentration
Hydrometallurgical Processing
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Open Pit
Underground
Strip/Ridge Top
Placer
In-Situ Leaching (uranium)
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BERKELEY
BERKELEY PIT
PIT
1.5 mi
1 mi
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Shaft - vertical
opening to the
surface
Adit - horizontal
opening to the
surface
Stope - opening
along the vein or
ore deposit
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Froth floatation
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A concentration
process commonly
used for sulfide
ores of copper,
lead, and zinc is
flotation .
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Waste Rock
Tailings
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http://www.nunat.net/atsdr.pdf http://www.nunat.net/iris.pdf
EPA and Hardrock Mining: A Source Book for Industry in the Northwest and Alaska
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/59f3b8c4fc8c923988256b5800
60f5d9/e4ba15715e97ef2188256d2c00783a8e?OpenDocument
osa/metalsframework/pdfs/metals-risk-assessment-final-3-8-07.pdf
Paul W. Thrush, 1968, A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms, US Bureau of Mines,
The Process and Requirements for Large Mine Permit Applications in Alaska. State of Alaska Large Mine Team presentation.
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw/mining/largemine/lmpt.pdf
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