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Luster as a Quality Control Tool in Mining Operations
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Engineering
Abstract
Minerals have unique physiochemical properties which distinct them from one another. This mineralogical trait is of utmost importance and finds application in there mining and processing. One unique property of most minerals is there luster which can be broadly divided into metallic and non-metallic; a special characteristic exhibited by certain minerals when light is incident on them. Luster in combination with other traits like color, hardness, density etc., have been used in the search and extraction of mineral in deposits both in surface and in underground mining. One application of the effect of luster as a special trait of minerals is in its used for quality control as demonstrated in night operations at the mines in National Iron Ore Mining Co. LTD, Itakpe in Kogi State, Nigeria. This distinctiveness was put to use during night shift duty, at the time when the quality of illumination is usually not enough to cover all the working points; drilling, loading, dozing, grading etc. In such circumstances which were often times the norm experienced, the unique property of iron ore (Hematite and magnetite) which is its metallic luster was applied to distinguish the ore from other associated rocks exhibiting the same color at night; gneiss and basalt. The process of identification was very easy and the tool use simple and inexpensive. It entails visualizing the blasted muck with the use of a strong touch light. Through this practice the ores and waste were clearly differentiated and mucked separately, the ores to the ore storage yard and processing plant and the waste to the waste dump. This adoption of luster as a quality control mechanism was easy to apply under certain prevailing circumstances leading to a reduction in operational and overall cost.
Keywords
Iron ore, Metallic Luster, Quality Control, waste
How to cite this paper
@article{1704519,
author = {Abel Akpan Joshua},
title = {Luster as a Quality Control Tool in Mining Operations},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2023},
volume = {6},
number = {11},
pages = {806-809},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1704519.pdf},
abstract = {Minerals have unique physiochemical properties which distinct them from one another. This mineralogical trait is of utmost importance and finds application in there mining and processing. One unique property of most minerals is there luster which can be broadly divided into metallic and non-metallic; a special characteristic exhibited by certain minerals when light is incident on them. Luster in combination with other traits like color, hardness, density etc., have been used in the search and extraction of mineral in deposits both in surface and in underground mining. One application of the effect of luster as a special trait of minerals is in its used for quality control as demonstrated in night operations at the mines in National Iron Ore Mining Co. LTD, Itakpe in Kogi State, Nigeria. This distinctiveness was put to use during night shift duty, at the time when the quality of illumination is usually not enough to cover all the working points; drilling, loading, dozing, grading etc. In such circumstances which were often times the norm experienced, the unique property of iron ore (Hematite and magnetite) which is its metallic luster was applied to distinguish the ore from other associated rocks exhibiting the same color at night; gneiss and basalt. The process of identification was very easy and the tool use simple and inexpensive. It entails visualizing the blasted muck with the use of a strong touch light. Through this practice the ores and waste were clearly differentiated and mucked separately, the ores to the ore storage yard and processing plant and the waste to the waste dump. This adoption of luster as a quality control mechanism was easy to apply under certain prevailing circumstances leading to a reduction in operational and overall cost.},
keywords = {Iron ore, Metallic Luster, Quality Control, waste},
month = {May},
}