Environmentally motivated tracking of geologic layer movement during bench blasting using discrete element methods
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd, Singapore, (Malaysia)
The blast-induced movement and final location of geologic layers that may cause environmental problems can be predicted using discrete element methods. This prediction capability can be used by mine operators to locate the material in the muck pile during excavation which would allow encapsulation to prevent groundwater infiltration. Open-pit mining produces the majority of the coal marketed by the US, both domestically and abroad. An increasing emphasis on environmentally sound mining practices makes it necessary to be innovative in applying new technologies to open pit mining. An important challenge is ground water acidification attributed to geologic layers, typically a shale, that have a higher-than-average pyrite content. The acidification occurs as bacteria interact with the pyrite, producing hydrogen-sulfide which raises the PH of ground water flowing through the material. Groundwater acidification is accelerated significantly in open-pit mines as the relatively impermeable shale layers are rubblized by blasting, greatly increasing the hydraulic conductivity of the material. A viable solution for mine operators is to separate the pyritic material during muck-pile excavation and encapsulate it in some manner to prevent groundwater interaction. This solution depends on being able to locate the pyritic material in the post-blast muck-pile. The movement and final location of this material was analyzed by using a discrete element computer simulation.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10122698
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--94-0291C; CONF-940642--3; ON: DE94006422; BR: GB0103012
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
010900
012000
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220
ACIDIFICATION
BLAST EFFECTS
CHELATING AGENTS
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
COAL MINING
COAL SEAMS
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORECASTING
GROUND WATER
MINING
PYRITE
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALES
STRATA MOVEMENT