Mine In Turkey Research Articles

Investigation of groundwater level change and its impact on slope stability in the Sector-E of Afsin-Elbistan Open-Pit Lignite Mine in Turkey

Investigation of groundwater level change and its impact on slope stability in the Sector-E of Afsin-Elbistan Open-Pit Lignite Mine in Turkey

Determination of long-term deformation behaviours with InSAR data at a dump site of an open-pit coal mine in Turkey

Dump sites with broken overburden layers in surface mines have the risk of instability due to their loose bulk structures. In this study, deformations at a dump site of the Kangal/Kalburçayırı open-pit coal mine and their long-term behaviours were revealed with InSAR data for a total period of 4.5 years. Firstly, 9-periods involving different time ranges were created considering the presence of LiCSAR products. Then, the deformation velocities of each period were calculated by LiCSBAS software using LiCSAR products. The area where high deformations were concentrated from the LiCSBAS result products was determined and divided into 4 zones for more detailed evaluations. At the final stage, the period-deformation velocity graphs were drawn separately for each zone with the data obtained using two different approaches from the deformation velocities of all periods, and long-term deformation behaviours were determined. More reliable future behaviour projections could be made considering the current increasing or decreasing trend of deformation behaviours. It was revealed that vertical deformations at the dump site had an increasing trend in the first periods and a decreasing trend in the later periods. Maximum vertical deformation velocities ranging between −111.4 mm/year and −178.0 mm/year in the first 4 months reached the highest values (ranging from −141.9 mm/year to −261.8 mm/year) at the end of two years and decreased to values ranging from −33.0 mm/year to −44.3 mm/year in the later periods. It was found that horizontal deformation velocities ranged between +0.5 mm/year and +55.4 mm/year in the east–west direction and between −7.0 mm/year and −56.8 mm/year in the west-east direction, were approximately 5 times lower than vertical velocities and did not have a constantly increasing or decreasing trend in any direction. It was observed that deformations exhibited a behaviour resulting from the structural property of the dump bulk material. The results of the evaluations showed that the risk of instability gradually decreased at the dump site. The methodology of this study can enable the determination of similar areas that may pose a threat in a short time, the prioritization of risky areas, the planning of more detailed studies, and taking the necessary measures in a timely manner.

Electrochemical advanced oxidation for removal of xanthate from flotation process water

In this work, the removal of xanthate from flotation process water by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) was investigated. An electrochemical cell was fabricated using a pair of carbon electrodes as the anode and cathode. Electrodes were prepared by depositing an aqueous slurry of activated carbon and PVA binder onto graphite sheets. Carbon disulfide (CS2) was produced during the process and removed to some extent by absorption of carbon electrodes and/or further oxidation to sulfate (SO42−).The effect of operating parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, and influent concentration on process efficiency was evaluated to achieve efficient xanthate removal. Application of various potentials ranging from 1 V to 7 V showed that xanthate removal efficiency increased at higher voltages. The effluent concentration was cleaner and the salt removal efficiency was higher at slower flow rates. The highest removal efficiency of 95% was achieved at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Since the density of ions between the electrodes increased with increasing influent concentration, the total xanthate removal increased from 599.4 mg/m2 at 5 mg/L influent concentration to 12834.2 mg/m2 at 40 mg/L. Long-term stability tests showed that electrode performance degraded steadily and the removal efficiency decreased from 85% to 56% in 30 h.Batch mode experiments in the presence of ion exchange membranes showed that xanthate was oxidized to CS2 at 0.8 V and 1.0 V and to monothiocarbonate (ROCSO−) at 1.2 V. 96% of xanthate was removed from 5 mg/L xanthate solution at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min at 1.0 V.The effect of real mine water components on xanthate removal efficiency was investigated by using flotation process water from a copper mine in Turkey. The results showed that the process efficiency decreased from 67% to 32% in the presence of mine water, which could be attributed to electrode fouling.

Spontaneous combustion of coal seams in the Bengiler coal mine in Turkey

Spontaneous combustion of coal seams in the Bengiler coal mine in Turkey

Intelligent based decision-making strategy to predict fire intensity in subsurface engineering environments

The prospect of subsurface structures taking uncontrollable fire is a significant cause of stress held by people from all over the world. Mine fires and explosions have caused countless casualties and material losses for decades. A fire in a mine has the ability to rapidly contaminate the air of the entire mine, which might result in the loss of life and, in certain cases, the suspension of mining industry processes. Mine fires deplete coal supplies, release greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals, and cause ground subsidence from coal volume loss. This study aims to explore some interesting aspects of mine’s fire data using Catboost and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) methods in order to minimize the human fatalities and material losses during the construction of deep underground engineering projects. Firstly, 120 samples demonstrating several distinct characteristics were gathered from an underground coal mine in Turkey. The prediction framework was developed employing the training set and the appropriate configuration of hyperparameters. The findings indicate that LightGBM algorithms achieved a more comprehensive performance in comparison with Catboost, with an accuracy of 92 % and 89 %, respectively. Hence, the proposed intelligent decision-making model can be employed in preventing and warning system of fire risks in subsurface engineering projects. The suggested strategy would serve as a reliable guide for predicting fire intensity in deep underground projects to ensure safe subsurface environments. This research promotes safe, hygienic, environmentally friendly, climate-smart and sustainable development by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Work Accidents and Coal Mining in Turkey

In this study, an up-to-date evaluation of work accidents and occupational diseases in hard coal and lignitemining in Turkey has been made using the Social Security Institution (SSI) of Turkey statistics between 2013-and2020. For this purpose, the number of insured employees who had work accidents and occupational diseases, thenumber of insured people who lost their lives as a result of work accidents, and the total temporary incapacity for work(standing + inpatient) were examined. Although the number of people who had work accidents, the number of deathsafter work accidents, and the total duration of temporary incapacity in the lignite mining field of activity are higher thanin the field of activity in hard coal mining, it is seen that the number of occupational diseases is lower.

Bitcoin Mining in Turkey as an Example of Speculative Entrepreneurship

The main purpose of this study is to determine the dimensions of speculative entrepreneurship for Bitcoin Turkish miners and to determine the motivational factors to become entrepreneurs in this area. The study was designed as a qualitative study where data was collected from a sample of 13 Bitcoin miners. The collected data thus was analyzed and coded thorough thematic analysis. After determining each participant's profile, a narrative analysis was conducted to ensure the integrity of the research. Some of the key common characteristics thus determined were awareness, arbitrage, and high-profit expectations whereas the self-manipulation feature was determined as low. The key motivation for Participants for investing in Bitcoin was the absence of central management, the beginning of a new financial structure outside the existing system, the opportunity for absolute privacy, and the excessive interest of society, which would serve as a leverage for arbitrage, with high-profit expectation. Bitcoin miners have seen the opportunity of arbitrage with their increased level of awareness and knowledge. As speculative entrepreneurs Bitcoin miners were aware of the extreme nature of the risk investing in Bitcoin to gain highly desirable and expected profit for using the arbitrage opportunity in the existing system.

Investigation of factors affecting hearing loss of open pit coal mine employees with categorical data analyses

One of the most important occupational diseases encountered in mining is the noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). In this study, analyses were carried out to examine the NIHL in the open pit lignite mine in Turkey. The NIHL was evaluated in accordance with the miners’ age, experience, occupation, exposure value (Lex), and maximum noise level (Lpeak). Noise levels exposed the employees were measured with noise dosimeters and a hearing test was applied to the employees by a special hearing center. To determine the parameters that could be effective in NIHL, all of the obtained data were evaluated by the logistic regression analysis (LRA) and hierarchical log-linear analysis (HLA) methods. It was determined that the NIHL probability of field staff is approximately 6 times higher than operators and drivers. According to the 21-29 age group, it was found that the probability of NIHL in the 57-65 and in the 48-56 age group was 11.4 and 4.41 times higher, respectively. Experience and maximum noise levels were found to be the most important parameters in hearing loss. Besides these, it was determined that the interactions of age×experience, occupation×maximum noise levels, and occupation×average noise exposure levels increased the likelihood of NIHL. A logistic regression model has been developed for the NIHL estimation of employees and hearing loss was found to be a problem mostly for those working in the field. It was determined that hearing loss increased with age and experience, and varied according to occupational groups.

Leadership in local mobilization against goldmining: The cases of Artvin and Eşme, Turkey

The role of leadership has remained as one of the most understudied factors in the literature on community resistance to extractive industry projects. This study helps to bridge this gap through analysis of local mobilizations against gold mining in Turkey during the period 1995 2010, drawing mainly on in-depth field research conducted in the localities of Artvin and Eşme. Building on conceptual insights presented by social movement scholars, it captures how leadership plays a critical role in local mobilization against mining projects by providing discursive frames, connecting locals to broader activist networks, and coordinating collective actions. The paper also extends insights on leadership by showing that leaders risk impeding local mobilization against extractive industry projects by prioritizing particular ideological commitments and identities, adopting reactive strategies, or focusing on a particular aspect of mining as the locus of resistance. It implies that the sustenance of local mobilization can be accounted for by the stability, collectivity, inclusivity, and proactiveness of leadership.

Slope failure and stability investigations for an open pit copper mine in Turkey

Slope failure and stability investigations for an open pit copper mine in Turkey

Water Footprint Assessment of Carbon in Pulp Gold Processing in Turkey

This paper presents water the footprint assessment (WFA) of carbon in pulp (CIP) gold processing. The main objectives of the study are determining grey and blue water footprints and identifying the hotspots of the process. Results revealed that the total blue water footprint, including the extraction and processing of the gold, was found to be 452.40 m3/kg Au, and the grey WF to be 2300.69 m3/kg Au. According to the results, the lost return flow on the direct blue WF side has the largest contribution, with a value of 260.61 m3/kg Au, and the only source of the lost return flow is the tailing pond. On the indirect side, it is seen that the oxygen consumption used for the leaching process has the highest value, with 37.38 m3/kg. Among the nine contaminants in the mine tailings, the critical component responsible for the grey water footprint is by far arsenic, with a value of 1777 m3/kg Au. The results will be used to make recommendations for reducing water consumption in mining operations, for a better design for the environment. The study is a pioneering study, being the first implementation of water footprint assessment in a gold mine in Turkey.

Prediction of spontaneous coal combustion tendency using multinomial logistic regression

Spontaneous combustion of coal is a complex underground mining disaster, which mainly threats mine safety and efficiency. Several factors usually cause spontaneous combustion of coal, such as gas concentration, ventilation and coal properties. In this study, spontaneous combustion tendencies of coal mines were predicted considering the effective parameters for an underground coal mine in Turkey. Multinomial logistic regression, a multivariate statistical technique, was applied. Gas concentrations (CH4, CO, O2) and air velocity were defined as factors affecting spontaneous coal combustion. Fire hazard levels of the coal mines were determined as ‘normal situation’ and ‘potential combustion’. It was observed that CH4 and CO variables and CH4 × CO interaction were effective in the formation of clusters. The results indicate that Mine I is more liable to spontaneous combustion than Mine II and Mine III. At the same time, the effects of variations in factors are examined in the study.

Changes in the Occupational Health and Safety Behavior in 21st Century Mining in Turkey

While striving to increase human well-being, new risks will continue to appear in return for this effort.Although, the technology offers innovations, it has also brought new challenges with it. The need for raw materials hasincreased, due to the effort of people to increase their luxury and quality of life. Thus, there have been revolutions inmining and mechanization has increased for more production. Although the number of employees decreased with theincrease in the number of machines, people who started working with the machines met new problems. Increasingmechanization in mining has created new dangers. Every mining activity where precautions are weak has also createdmajor problems for human health. With the emergence of the principles and increase in the application of occupationalhealth and safety, their problems have decreased and people have achieved a healthier living environment.

Changes in the Occupational Health and Safety Behavior in 21st Century Mining in Turkey

While striving to increase human well-being, new risks will continue to appear in return for this effort. Although, the technology offers innovations, it has also brought new challenges with it. The need for raw materials has increased, due to the effort of people to increase their luxury and quality of life. Thus, there have been revolutions in mining and mechanization has increased for more production. Although the number of employees decreased with the increase in the number of machines, people who started working with the machines met new problems. Increasing mechanization in mining has created new dangers. Every mining activity where precautions are weak has also created major problems for human health. With the emergence of the principles and increase in the application of occupational health and safety, their problems have decreased and people have achieved a healthier living environment.

Mining in Turkey

Mining in Turkey

Radiological assessment of the bauxite mining in Turkey and estimation of radiation dose contribution of the red mud as a concrete agent of the model room by using RESRAD-BUILD computer code

Red mud resulting from bauxite mining and processing is a cause of considerable concern because of the large amount of production and potential risks of long-lived natural radionuclides. In this study, samples taken from ore to end-products including waste in facilities were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry and radiological assessment indexes were calculated. For assessment of the usage of red mud as an additive in concrete, exposures of the occupant were calculated by using RESRAD-BUILD computer code for a model room. The radiological risk did not found for the use of red mud samples in the determined ratios in concrete.

Investigating the benefits of replacing hydrocyclones with high-frequency fine screens in closed grinding circuit by simulation

Screens, which provide better separation efficiencies compared to hydrocyclones, have been attracted the attention of minerals industry for many years. However, low capacity in fine screening applications has limited the use of screens to classify the ball mill product in wet grinding circuits. In recent years, the separation efficiency of fine particles in a small footprint has been largely increased by the advances in high-frequency screening technology, thus increasing the use of screens to close fine wet grinding circuits. The potential of high-frequency fine screens to improve overall circuit performance was evaluated in this paper using lead-zinc ore grinding data. Data come from circuits at the lead-zinc mine in Turkey where both high-frequency screens and hydrocyclones are used to close grinding circuits. The ball mill-hydrocyclone circuit and the ball mill-screen circuit were sampled in order to measure and compare the performance of the circuits. The ball mills are different in design. Therefore, simulation studies were carried out to eliminate the differences in factors affecting the performance of the circuits such as milling conditions. Data indicated that using high-frequency screens in place of hydrocyclones in grinding circuit improves throughput by reducing the circulating load. Lower by-pass and sharper separation provided by high-frequency screens are the major factors affecting the capacity of the circuit and the results showed that 13% more throughput is achieved with 15% less grinding energy when hydrocyclones are replaced by high-frequency fine screens.

AN ANALYSIS AND COUNTERMEASURES OF FATAL ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY FIREDAMP EXPLOSIONS IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES IN TURKEY

Fatal accidents in underground coal mines in Turkey are common and experienced frequently. The major accident categories for underground coal mining in Turkey are gas related accidents (firedamp and outbursts), roof falls, flooding, fire and transport. In recent years, coal mine gas related accidents in Turkey, which are usually caused by firedamp and outbursts, are still threatening miners’ lives. Firedamp explosions are majorly serious mine accidents that can occur quickly and cause great deal damage. In this study, work-related accidents caused by firedamp and another gas accidents in Turkey between the years 2010-2016 were analyzed. As a result of these analyses, the number of deaths in underground coal mines in the past 7 years is 550 and the fatality rate is found to be 96.86%. The percentage of gases as the cause of the deaths is 70.18%. In this study, countermeasures are proposed that can prevent and control firedamp explosions and other gas related accidents.

Investment Risk Evaluation of Siirt Madenköy Copper Mine in Turkey

Mining investments are high-risky investments due to mineral deposit uncertainties. Therefore, before any investment decision is given, an economic assessment should be performed and several risk situations must be taken into consideration. In this study, it was examined whether or not an investment made in a copper mine in Siirt, Turkey is economical by using Sensitivity Analysis and Monte Carlo Simulation. The aim of this study is to construct cash flows for this copper mine with an average grade of 2.35% Cu and 39.821.000 tons reserve throughout 25 years for two different situations. In the first case, it was assumed that the total investment amount will be covered by 100% equity, while in the second case the total investment amount was assumed to be 30% equity and 70% bank loan. In the Sensitivity Analysis, mineral processing and operating costs, the average grades and ore concentrate sale prices were evaluated over optimistic and pessimistic forecasts. Changes in the net present value and internal rate of return were examined without risk. Monte Carlo Simulation was run by using computer software program @Risk 6.0 and applied to investment criteria for this copper mine field. The analysis of the output modelling situations where decisions were made under uncertainty gave reliable results by quantifying the degree of risk for this mining project. Consequently, if the investment was provided with 100% equity, NPV was 136.369.150,7 $ and IRR was 32% with a discount rate of 15%, probably as likely to harm the project was about 0,018. If the investment was provided with 30% equity, NPV was 111.742.245,4 $, IRR was 28% with a discount rate of 15%, probably as likely to harm the project was about 0,05. In accordance with the results, the investment can be said to be a profitable project in both assumptions.

Application of structural equation modeling to evaluate coal and gas outbursts

Coal mines have sudden, usually unexpected expulsions of gas in conjunction with coal into the mine workings. The gas is mainly consisted of methane making this so-called coal and gas outburst a major hazard affecting the safety and productivity of an underground coal mine. Several parameters affect this outburst hazard. In this study, a statistical method namely structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to identify the relationships between the parameters affecting the coal and gas outbursts for an underground coal mine in Turkey and to analyze multiple interactions between them. The model includes main factors (mining depth, coal seam gas content and moisture content) and contributor factors (seam thickness, seam inclination and distance from fault). The results indicate that mining depth is the most efficient factor in main factors and distance from fault is the most significant contributor to outburst.