Fachartikel 2021

In view of the high costs that arise each year due to material wear, which can amount to several percent of GDP, there is now an urgent need for wear protection systems designed to help reduce this financial loss. This requires a detailed knowledge of the areas in which the components or machine parts are being used, as these elements ...

Lhoist Germany Rheinkalk GmbH, Wülfrath/Germany, is planning an underground experimental operation (Rohdenhaus experimental mine) to increase the mineral reserves of the deposit at the Wülfrath site in order to determine the economic feasibility for extraction of parts of the deposit that are not accessible for surface mining. For this purpose, an experimental mine is to be built and operated in ...

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Water Management Office of the Westphalian Miners’ Union Fund. This institution still exists today, albeit in a modified form and under a different name. This fact underlines its importance for mining and post-mining. The history and the constantly changing tasks over the course of 100 years for this ...

Germany’s domestic lignite output decreased by 23.9 Mt, which equals 18.2 %, from 131.3 Mt to 107.4 Mt between 2019 and 2020. The lignite extracted in 2020 had a net calorific value of 33.4 Mtce. 93.1 Mt, or almost 87 %, of that output were used in utility power plants supplying the general public. This translates into a decrease of 19.1 % compared to ...

Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG), Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec/Canada, has put forward innovative design criteria related to its carbon-neutral vision, the reduction of its environmental footprint and the integration of reclamation to develop the Matawinie mining project, a world-class graphite deposit, which fits into its host environment. With graphite playing an important role in the electrification of transportation thanks to lithium-ion batteries, NMG ...

Industrial computed tomography (CT) is a non-destructive X-ray computerized method for studying the three-dimensional (3D) distribution and microtexture of phases within individual solid samples. For geological and mineral product samples, CT allows visualization of phases with significant density contrast as well as the recognition of gas and fluid inclusions. Also, the technique precisely defines the in-situ location of minerals of ...

A potash mine in Kaliningrad, Russia is to be developed. Two shafts are planned to be sunk to extract the potash deposits in approximately 1,100 m depth and for general mine operation. Demanding lithological layers, namely alternating clays and floating sands combined with high pressure aquifers in large depths pose challenging circumstances for the sinking of the shafts. To overcome ...

Mining, like other branches of industry, has experienced the fourth industrial revolution in recent years. The transformation process from mechanized to automated raw material extraction has begun worldwide. Despite major initial challenges, some early adopters are already benefiting from the great potential of digitization and automation in mining and are one step ahead of their competition. Companies that do not ...

Raw material extraction in Germany is in need of support to ensure a secure, responsible and sustainable supply of raw materials. The entire range of raw materials must be considered. The coronavirus pandemic has clearly revealed just how important it is to have a secure supply of products from within our own country. Germany is independent of imports, above all ...

The Research Center of Post-Mining (FZN) at the TH Georg Agricola University (THGA) in Bochum/Germany has significantly expanded the range of its research programme since 2019/2020. Its scope has now been broadened by the new research division “Reactivation and Transition”. Research in this division focuses on land development and regional policy, socio-economic aspects and governance of post-mining. Emphasis is less ...