Evaluation of the adverse effect of dilution in ore mining
Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division, Norilsk, Russia, N. V. Podkuiko, V. V. Tsatskin, Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division, Norilsk, Russia, S. A. Vokhmin, Г. С. Курчин
Abstract
When governmental agencies evaluate mineral mining project documentation, they only approve mineral losses as per the Regulations on Standards for Mineral Loss in Mining due to Adopted Flow Chart and Technology, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, Decree No. 921 as of Dec 12, 2001. The mineral loss indicators calculated with in the project documentation are only considered by a subsoil user from the standpoint of economical expediency and profitability of a mine. The authors discuss the adverse effect of mineral dilution on efficiency of a mining and processing plant. The stud ies show that the decreased content of useful component in ore feed of concentration factory is most often the consequence of mineral dilution during mining. The adverse effect is the highest when ore is diluted with backfill concrete. Such dilution is typical of mining systems with solidifying backfill. Mines of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division commonly use such mining system in copper–nickel sulfide ore production, which governs the relevance of this research. The influence of strength characteristics of solidifying backfill mixtures on uniformity of a fill mass and the effect of the fill mass on ore dilution due to spading and failure of backfill concrete are evaluated. The influence of backfill concrete admixture in ore feed of concentration factor on ore processability is discussed.