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Technologies in Exploration, Mining, and Processing
The life cycle of mining begins with exploration, continues through production, and ends with closure and postmining land use.
New technologies can benefit the mining industry and consumers in all stages of this life cycle. This report does not include downstream processing, such as smelting of mineral concentrates or refining of metals.
Major components of
The three major components of mining (exploration, mining, and processing) overlap somewhat.
After a mineral deposit has been identified through exploration, the industry must make a considerable investment in mine development before production begins. Further exploration near the deposit and further development drilling within the deposit are done while the mining is ongoing.
Modern mineral exploration has been driven largely by technology.
Many mineral discoveries since the 1950s can be attributed to geophysical and geochemical technologies developed by both industry and government.
Even though industrial investment in in-house exploration research and development in the United States decreased during the 1990s, new technologies, such as tomographic imaging (developed by the medical community) and GPS (developed by the defense community), were newly applied to mineral exploration.
Technologies in Exploration, Mining, and Processing
The processes
The life cycle of mining begins with exploration, continues through production, and ends with closure and postmining land use. New technologies can benefit the mining industry and consumers in all stages of this life cycle.
Exploration
The three major components of mining (exploration, mining, and processing) overlap somewhat. After a mineral deposit has been identified through exploration, the industry must make a considerable investment in mine development before production begins. Further exploration near the deposit and further development drilling within the deposit are done while the mining is ongoing.
The formation
Comminution (i.e., the breaking of rock to facilitate the separation of ore minerals from waste) combines blasting (a unit process of mining) with crushing and grinding (processing steps)
Disposal
In-situ mining, which is treated under a separate heading in here, is a special case that combines aspects of mining and processing but does not require the excavation, comminution, and waste disposal steps.
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Exploration
Modern mineral exploration has been driven largely by technology. Many mineral discoveries since the 1950s can be attributed to geophysical and geochemical technologies developed by both industry and government.
Even though industrial investment in in-house exploration research and development in the United States decreased during the 1990s, new technologies, such as tomographic imaging (developed by the medical community) and GPS (developed by the defense community), were newly applied to mineral exploration.
Geological Methods
Underlying physical and chemical processes of formation are common to many metallic and nonmetallic ore deposits.
A good deal of data is lacking about the processes of ore formation, ranging from how metals are released from source rocks through transport to deposition and post-deposition alteration.