VOL. 12, NO. 19, OCTOBER 2017 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
© 2006-2017 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.
www.arpnjournals.com
5447
CALCULATION OF LOSS VOLUMES AND DILUTION OF MINERAL
DEPOSITS IN NEAR-CONTACT ZONES
Sergey Antonovich Vokhmin
1
, Alexey Aleksandrovich Kytmanov
2
, Georgij Sergeevich Kurchin
1
,
Yuri Prokopevich Trebush
1
and Aleksandr Konstantinovich Kirsanov
1
1
Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Rabochiy Avenue, Russia
2
Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Svobodny, Russia
E-Mail: sergey.a.vokhmin@mail.ru
ABSTRACT
In Russia, the mineral resource base is used on a particularly large scale, and the mining complex is essentially a
basic industry for the maintenance and development of our country's economy. It determines the need for a careful and
responsible attitude to our subsoil riches – mineral deposits. In this regard, minimizing the level of losses and dilution of
ore becomes one of the key requirements for the stoping technology. The highest levels of ore losses in an array are formed
in mining areas of ore bodies contact with the host rock mass as a result of a mismatch between the mining contour and the
geological contact surface. The complexity of the contact of ore and host rocks is usually characterized by the so-called
"stochastic contact area". The technological complexity of ore mining at the ore-rock contact is determined by variability
of geometric parameters of the "stochasticity zone" on the geologic contact plane. In this article, the issues on setting of
losses and dilution when mining the near-contact zones are discussed. The method of calculating the specified values of
losses and dilution in the stochasticity zone is provided. The authors developed an algorithm for determining the profile of
contact. In the stochasticity zone, a contact can take a rectangular, sinusoidal, sawtooth or straight profile. The research
showed the influence of contact profile on the level of losses and dilution of ore; the formulas for calculating the ratios are
provided. When using the proposed method, it is possible to most easily and reliably determine the specified values of ore
losses on the contacts.
Keywords: losses, dilution, near-contact zone, mineral deposits, ore.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The problem
When extracting minerals, minimizing the level
of losses and dilution of ore becomes one of the key
requirements for the stoping technology.
This is due to the fact that the high losses of
minerals in mining entail more rapid depletion of deposits,
as well as the need to increase the capacity of mining
companies.
The reduction of quality losses (dilution of
minerals) is of equal importance. Dilution causes
significant economic losses in the process of production
and processing. The associated with dilution excessive
extraction of mining wastes that are then allocated to
tailings in enrichment, in addition to the economic
damage, also causes a significant damage to the
environment, as the allocation of large areas for dumps
and tailings storage facilities is required.
At the same time, reaching the level of deposits
extraction approved by the technical project on the field
development may not always be beneficial for an
enterprise. In the process of deposit development, the
mining and geological situation, the technical means of
mining operations, as well as the design parameters of the
technological units, may change. Usually, the mining and
geological situation complicates, the technical means of
mining with higher performance are accepted, and
parameters of technological units vary in accordance with
the geological situation and the applied technical means of
mining.
Therefore, achieving a level of mineral deposit
loss recorded in the original technical project often
requires the significant time and material resources from
an enterprise, which negatively affects the cost of
production and competitiveness of products on the market.
It is therefore necessary to achieve the parity of interests
between the state and a mineral developing enterprise. It is
achieved through the establishment of science-based
standards for loss and dilution in mining [0-[3]].
Specified value of losses and dilution should
combine elements of both the respect for the use of
identified reserves of raw materials and the economical
expenditure of forces and means on their mining and
processing [[4]-[5]].
E.I. Panfilov defined the very process of
normalization as a set of interrelated acts establishing the
in-service field allowable amount (rate) of quantitative
losses (extracted from the subsoil), the quality of
extractable reserves, and other parameters [[6]].
In [0], the rationing of losses and dilution refers
to the establishment of their level and ratio, which are
technologically and economically feasible for specific
geological and technical-economic conditions of the
extraction and processing of minerals.
Consequently, standards should take into account
the technical and technological possibilities of extracting
minerals from the subsoil and the impact on the quality of
the extracted mass indices of subsequent technological
processes. The rationing should ensure the maximum
economic benefit from the exploitation, the most complete