13 Sep 2018

What is the difference between opencast & underground mining?

by | posted in: General | 2

What is the difference between opencast & underground mining?

Mining is something quite extraordinary. When we think of mining we think dusty, dark, unflattering settings. In contraire it is quite in fact the opposite.

 

So what is open cast mining?

Open cast mining is the removal of rocks or sediments that contains minerals, with economically important elements.

The advantages of open cast mining:
• More cost effective, than shaft mining
• The working conditions are safe for miners, there is no risk of toxic gases or cave ins
• Trucks and mining machinery can move around freely

Have you ever wondered what extraordinary materials are extracted from the open pit mining?

Here are a few:
• Coal – used for electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing
• Marble – Used for its beauty in architecture & sculpture
• Granite – Used in countertops, floor tiles, cemetery monuments
• Metal ores – important to industry & trade, like gold, copper & iron
• Diamonds – are known for their durability & lustre. Aside from being a beautifully polished gem, diamonds are also used to cut, grind or drill other materials.

Underground mining uses different underground mining techniques to excavate hard minerals, such as ore which contains, gold, copper, silver zinc. Underground mining not only produces gold, copper & silver but also precious gems like diamonds & rubies.

The advantages of underground mining:
• There are no damages to the surface environment or mine area
• The ground does not require blasting with explosives
• There is a higher production volume
• Cost effective than surface mining

The types of underground mining:
• Room & pillar mining –
• Longwall mining
• Slope mining
• Block caving

Mining is important to the South Africa Economy. Not only is gold one of the biggest exports it also creates one million jobs.

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Sources:
Ritchie Wiki
Born 2 Invest
Wikipedia
Sciencing
EBRD
Brand South Africa

About Meryl Matthew

I started at Leads 2 Business in 2014. I am a friendly, bubbly, enthusiastic person. I am passionate about sales & customer service. My motto "when you know better you do better".

26 Oct 2017

L2B Blog: Blasting & Explosives Technology

by | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 0

When we think of blasting & explosives the first thing that comes to mind for most is a building crumbling or the eruption of something catastrophic. Detonators & dynamite & a few seconds later there is a building implosion, leaving many in awe as a once beautiful building, now lays in a midst of dust & rubble. Did one ever wonder how this process happens, what actually goes into blasting & explosives?

Let’s take an insightful journey into the wonderful world of blasting’s & explosives.

What are explosives: Explosives are materials that produce violent chemical or nuclear reactions.

 

Boom! Did you hear that explosion? It sounded like a thousand sticks of dynamite blowing up at once. Can you imagine what that might look and sound like? Dynamite was used dating back to our forefathers & is still used today. These are the 4 main industries that use dynamite i.e. construction, mining, quarrying & demolition. An interesting fact, dynamite was used as a weapon in the military but in time other explosives took over & dynamite became a thing of the past

 

Blasting in the mining industry: In the mining cycle blasting is imperative. In almost every aspect of mining, rocks are broken by drilling & blasting. This technology is the process of breaking down material by using a certain amount of explosives on a mine site. Too many explosives on a mine site can cause damage to rocks & the caving of rocks. A more traditional method of blasting is using black powder & dynamite. The more common explosive used today is ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil).

 

What is civil blasting: The most important function of civil blasting is for breaking, removing or demolishing rock of different sizes. So think about how roads are formed. The preparation that goes into forming this long stretched highway. Blasting is one of the most important functions, to ensure the road maintains a certain level, as well any hard rock found under is removed before the roadworks begin.

 

Building implosions: A building implosion has to be strategically planned, well timed & executed. The detonation has to be on point, so that the structure collapses on itself, in the blink of an eye. The reason for this well-executed implosion is to minimize damage to its surroundings. Building implosion is not just related to buildings, although the terminology, this includes bridges, towers, tunnels etc. History is quite amazing the first ever attempt at a building implosion was in 1773 in Ireland of the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

 

Technology does control the present & definitely the future with improvements being made every day. So picture great beaming machines, built of bolts, gleaming metal & revolutionized with technology, in the click of a button, from the comfort of your office a building or mine site can be blown up.

 

Blasting footage: https://youtu.be/6Fw3omoCxRs

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite

http://technology.infomine.com/reviews/Blasting/welcome.asp?view=full

http://www.blastquest.co.za/blasting-a-drilling-info/30-blasting-the-types-of-blasting-services.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_implosion

 

Image Sources:

Collapsing building

Explosives

Blasting rock

Robot

About Meryl Matthew

I started at Leads 2 Business in 2014. I am a friendly, bubbly, enthusiastic person. I am passionate about sales & customer service. My motto "when you know better you do better".