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MIN2001 Mining Technology and Mineral Processing

Semester 1, 2023 Online
Units : 1
School or Department : School of Engineering
Grading basis : Graded
Course fee schedule : /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules

Staffing

Course Coordinator:

Overview

Mining is an important activity which contributes significantly to the economy of many countries, including Australia. Mining is a diverse activity which may involve personnel from a wide range of professions and skill areas. Those involved in mining will be able to do their job more effectively if they have an appreciation of the basic processes involved in mining, and where their particular role contributes to the overall mining activity. The mining process utilises various techniques for the extraction of material from the earth and often the valuable material extracted will need to be concentrated before being transported from the mine site. The purpose of this course, therefore, is to provide an introduction to mining methods and the processes commonly used for concentration of minerals, in order to aid mining personnel in their understanding of the 鈥渂ig picture鈥 of mining.

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the methods by which minerals are extracted from the earth, and the common methods used to concentrate the extracted materials prior to final metal production. Mining processes include the digging of open pits, shafts, tunnels and stopes. The main method of breaking rock is by drilling and blasting, and all extracted material needs to be hauled to other areas, so the topics of drilling and blasting and haulage receive detailed coverage. Mining involves much more than the technical operations, hence the course also includes an introduction to topics such as the economics of mining and mine safety.

Course learning outcomes

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On completion of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Outline the history and impact of mining from the ancient world to the present time and discuss the significance of mining in the Australian economy.
  2. Describe basic operations and production methods utilised in surface mining (open pit and strip) and determine factor of safety of pit walls and slopes.
  3. Describe basic operations and production methods utilised in underground mining and determine factor of safety of stopes, roofs, walls and floors in tunnels and roadways.
  4. Describe rock breakage and different functions and types of drills and explosives used in mining.
  5. Design safe, effective and economical drill and blast patterns.
  6. Design safe, stable, effective and economical mine haulage systems.
  7. Identify the potential environmental hazards and risks associated with both surface and underground mining and how to prevent and mitigate mining risks.
  8. Explain minerals origin, formation, occurrence and extraction processes.
  9. Explain mineral processing techniques from fragmentation, comminution, crushing, grinding, concentration, separation, liberation to modern methods of chemo-physical texture characterisation.
  10. Explain various comminution and processing equipment and methods for controlling quality and quantity of processed ore minerals.
  11. Describe basic principles of mine ventilation.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Mining 鈥 its history and economic significance 5.00
2. Surface mining techniques 10.00
3. Underground mining techniques 10.00
4. Drills and explosives 10.00
5. Drilling and blasting 10.00
6. Haulage 10.00
7. The environment and safety of mining 10.00
8. Mineral deposits -occurrence, extraction and processing 5.00
9. Processing techniques 10.00
10. Control of processing operations 10.00
11. Mine ventilation 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

There are no texts or materials required for this course.

Student workload expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.

Assessment details

Approach Type Description Group
Assessment
Weighting (%) Course learning outcomes
Assignments Written Quiz No 10 1,2
Assignments Written Problem Solving 1 No 15 1,2,3,4,5,6
Assignments Written Problem Solving 2 No 25 6,7,8,9,10,11
Examinations Non-invigilated Time limited online examinatn No 50 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
Date printed 9 February 2024