Rock Breakage

Session 1
Mining and Rock Breakage

Jian Zhao

Mining and Rock Breakage

General Overview

• Mine life cycle and mineral extraction process

• Rock excavation and fragmentation in mining (and
tunnelling)
• Rock excavation
technology
development

© thewest.com.au

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 Mineral Extraction Processes

Mine Life Cycle and Development Stages

Mine development has the following 5 main stages:

• Resources prospecting and exploration;
• Mine planning and design;
• Mine development and construction;
• Mine production and transportation;
• Mine closure and reclamation.

© amcmining.com.au
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Mining and Rock Breakage

Mine Development
and Construction

Mine development
includes opening up the Tunnels and shafts
for mine production
mine to access the
subsurface mineral
deposits. It involves
excavating tunnels and
shafts for mineral
production.
© Atlas Copco

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 Mining and Rock Breakage

Mine Excavation and

Production

Main activities for mineral

production are to
excavate the mineral
deposit, to transport the
mined ore rocks to the
processing plants, and to
extract the valuable Cut and fill stoping mining

minerals from the ore © Atlas Copco

rocks.
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Mining and Rock Breakage

Mineral Processing and Extraction

In order to extract minerals out from the mined ore

rocks, the rocks are crushed and grinded, and
undergone mineral extracting process, e.g.,
flotation, filtration, leaching.

Mineral processing for iron © kararamining.com.au

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 Rock and Excavation Methods

Rock Types and Classifications

• Geologic: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

• Physical: hard, soft, abrasive
• Mechanical: high strength, low strength
• Mining: hard, soft, ore, waste
• Rock breakage: ???

Different excavation methods and equipment are

used for different rock types.

Rock and Excavation Methods

Excavation of Soft
Rocks by Excavators

Soft and weak deposits

are usually excavated by
excavators with buckets
and teeth.
• crawler excavators
• wheeled excavators
• dragline excavators,
• backhoe, etc. © bigrentz.com

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 Rock and Excavation Methods

Excavation of Soft
Rocks by Roadheader
and Shearer ©Sandvik

Soft and medium hard

rocks can be excavated
by roadheaders and
shearers fitted with carbide-tipped pick

carbide-tipped picks.

©australianmining.com.au

Rock and Excavation Methods

Hard Rock Excavation

by Drill-and-Blast

Hard rocks are often Drilling

Charging

excavated by using Shotcreting

Blasting

drill-and-blast
method.
Bolting
Ventilation

Scaling
Mucking

© Atlas Copco

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 Rock and Excavation Methods

Hard Rock Excavation by TBM Roller Cutters

Rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) with roller disc

cutters are able to break and excavate through hard
rocks.

Rock fracturing
and chipping by
roller cutters

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Rock and Excavation Methods

Hard Rock Breaking by Rock Breakers and

Crushers

Excavation and breaking of hard rocks can be

achieved by impact breakers. Rock crushing are
usually by rock crushers.

Hydraulic Jaw crusher

rock breaker

© irockcrushers.com
© conquestequipment.net

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 Rock and Excavation Methods

Rock Excavations in Mining and Tunnelling

Mining and tunnelling adopt many same rock

excavation methods and equipment.
Excavation technologies are often shared and
exchanged.
Tunnels are long-term infrastructures and mines
have relatively short life-span. There are slight
differences in rock excavation approaches and
large difference in rock support.

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Excavation Technology Development

Development of Rock
Drilling Technology

1850s, compressed air drilling.

1945, tungsten carbide drilling
bits.
1960s, pneumatic drilling.
1970s, hydraulic drilling. © Atlas Copco

1980s, computer aided

drilling.

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 Excavation Technology Development

Rock drilling performance

increased from 5 m/hour in
1990s to 450 m/hour in
2000s.

Computerized and automated

hydraulic drilling jumbos are
widely used, with precise
positioning and navigation by
laser.

© Atlas Copco

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Excavation Technology Development

Development of Rock Blasting Technology

Before 1860s, black powder used.

1860s, dynamite; 1875 gelignite.
1922, electric initiation; 1940s short delay
detonators; 1970s, non-electric initiation.
1955, ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil).
1960s, water gel and slurries.
1980s, emulsion explosive developed and used
since 1990s.
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 Excavation Technology Development

Emulsion explosives are water resistant, safe and

pumpable, and produce less toxic gases.

Charging blast
holes with
emulsion
explosives at a
granite
excavation site.

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Excavation Technology Development

Development of Mechanised Excavation

Technology

1851, TBM (tunnel boring machine) with disc

cutters was invented, built and excavated rock;
1950s, modern rock TBMs developed with disc
cutters.
1876, roadheader was built for pilot excavation;
1949, roadheader using cutter picks was
patented as a remote operated miner; mine
shearer also uses cutter picks.

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 Excavation Technology Development

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) is an excavation

machine cut the rock full face by pushing and
rotating the cutterhead.
The rocks are fractured by
the roller disc cutters.
© Robbins
Development of TBM
Cutterhead
Cutter diameter (mm):
280 (1956), 356 (1970s),
483 (1980s), 500 (1990s)
Maximum cutter force
(kN/cutter):
55 (1956), 160 (1970s),
280 (1980s), 320 (1990s)
Cutterhead rotation
speed (RPM);
32 (1970s), 50 (1980s)
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Excavation Technology Development

Future of Rock Excavation Technology

• Electromagnetic wave technology

• Ultra tough cutting tools
• Pollution-free
explosives
• Full automation
and remote control
• Universal TBM

© Atlas Copco

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 Mining and Rock Breakage

Session Outline

• Mine life cycle and mineral extraction process

• Rock excavation and fragmentation in mining (and
tunnelling)
• Rock Excavation technology development

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