State-of-the-Art Technologies for Mining and Processing of Diamonds-Containing Raw Materials

The article provides an overview of advanced diamond mining technologies in ALROSA PJSC (public company) and their development, that goes hand in hand with the scientific and design activities of Yakutniproalmaz Institute. The advanced developments that will enable to implement a number of optimization solutions are presented: construction of steeper non-operable open pits walls, make up of deliberate layout of the no berm design of the wall, formation of one stack arrangement of overburden dumps with a greater height of filling, use of truck trains run on alternative fuel ensuring extremely low carbon footprint when transporting the ore. In deposits development using underground mining method, the efficiency is conditioned by the transition to highly productive development systems; roomand-pillar method and block caving system, with sound design elements and parameters. Environmentally safe solution for disposal of drainage brines with salinity levels from 100 to 520 g/l into natural reservoirs confined to subpermafrost aquifer systems in the permafrost rock mass is proposed. Inventions used both for the ore concentration process and those undergoing pilot testing are presented. Instruments for identifying synthetic diamonds and polished diamonds in products are shown. The cases demonstrate high responsibility of the Company in maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems in the areas of its operations. Special attention is paid to the application of the computer-aided design system and development of perspective trends — creation of information digital twins and application of laser scanning. The high level of engineering solutions is confirmed by the scientific significance of the obtained research results, patent protection and economic benefits from their use at the main stages of diamond mining and recovery process.

Keywords: diamond-bearing ores, open-pit and underground mining, borehole charges, ore processing technology, X-ray transmission sorting, design standards, synthetic diamond identification, BIM-technologies.
For citation:

Aigistov M. R., Gerasimov E. N., Bondarenko I. F., Zyryanov I. V. State-of-the-Art Technologies for Mining and Processing of Diamonds-Containing Raw Materials. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2022;(5—2):6—21. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2022_52_0_6.

Acknowledgements:
Issue number: 5
Year: 2022
Page number: 6-21
ISBN: 0236-1493
UDK: 622.271/272+622.7(571.56)
DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2022_52_0_6
Article receipt date: 26.10.2021
Date of review receipt: 15.03.2022
Date of the editorial board′s decision on the article′s publishing: 10.04.2022
About authors:

Aigistov M. R.1, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Company, http://www.alrosa.ru/;
Gerasimov E. N.2, Director of the Institute, http://www.ynalrosa.ru/;
Bondarenko I. F.2, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Scientific Secretary, http://www.ynalrosa.ru/, e-mail: BondarenkoIF@alrosa.ru;
Zyryanov I. V.2, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Deputy Director for Research, http://www.ynalrosa.ru/, e-mail: ZyryanovIV@alrosa.ru;
1 Executive Office of ALROSA PJSC (public company), 678174, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Mirny, ul. Lenina 6, Russia;
2 Yakutniproalmaz Research and Design Institute of Diamond Mining, ALROSA PJSC (public company), 678174, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Mirny, ul. Lenina 39, Russia.

 

For contacts:

Bondarenko I. F., e-mail: BondarenkoIF@alrosa.ru.

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