Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
0bccd4c2-6659-455f-90a0-ab196562844f
Materials
Associated ID
d22bd039-49e6-4150-a779-4b835269005d
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
This dataset represents iron ore underground mining in Shanxi. It covers the life cycle inventory cradle-to-gate, starting from drilling and ending with iron ore production, including all activities related to iron ore mining and production, but excluding the production of drilling rigs, transport equipment, personnel travel, and direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions from daily office operations during the mining production process. The dataset is compiled from multiple data sources based on national standards such as the 'Manual of Production and Emission Coefficients for the Iron Ore Mining and Processing Industry (0810)', 'Emission standard of pollutants for mining and mineral procressing industry (GB 28661-2012)', 'Cleaning production standard Iron ore mining and mineral processing industry', and 'The norm of the energy consumption per unit product of iron ore dressing(GB31337-2014)', and represents the average production level of iron ore mining using the caving method in Shanxi.
Activity Description
This dataset describes the iron ore mining using the caving method in Shanxi Province. The workflow is as follows:
1. Preparation Phase
Orebody Division and Tunnel Excavation: Based on the geological conditions of the orebody, the orebody is divided into several blocks, each typically having clear boundaries in both horizontal and vertical directions. Main transportation tunnels, ventilation tunnels, and mining operation tunnels are excavated to facilitate subsequent ore transportation and stope ventilation.
Stoping Area Design: A caved area is established beneath the orebody, usually formed by drilling and blasting to create the stope. The design of the caved area is crucial, as it must ensure the overlying orebody can naturally cave during mining operations.
2. Caving initiation
Orebody preconditioning: To induce orebody caving, drilling and blasting are usually conducted at the lower part of the orebody to create a fractured zone, reducing the overall stability of the rock mass and accelerating the caving process. During this stage, appropriate blasting design and control are required to avoid damage to the surrounding rock strata.
Caving process: Once the support structure at the upper part of the orebody fails, the orebody naturally caves under gravity and falls into the mined-out area. The caved ore is then collected and processed via a transportation system. By utilizing the orebody's self-weight, the caving method reduces drilling and blasting costs and enables large-scale ore recovery. Ore Transportation and Processing
Ore Transportation: The collapsed ore is transported via underground haulage drives to the surface or to the beneficiation plant, typically using equipment such as mine cars or belt conveyors. Since the ore has naturally fragmented during caving, its particle size usually meets the requirements for beneficiation, eliminating the need for additional crushing.
Ore Separation: The ore transported to the surface enters the beneficiation process, which includes operations such as crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, and flotation. Depending on the ore type and grade, these processes further treat and concentrate the ore to produce high-grade iron concentrate. Control and Management of the Caving Process
Safety Monitoring: Due to the inherent uncertainty of the caving process, safety monitoring in the stope is a critical aspect of caving methods. Monitoring systems ensure smooth ore caving operations by real-time surveillance of parameters such as roof stability and stope pressure, thus preventing stope collapse and accidents causing casualties.
Stope Stability Maintenance: The success of caving methods is closely tied to stope stability. Precise management of the design of goaf areas, control of blasting intensity, and ore recovery rate is essential to ensure the safety and efficient operation of the entire mining system.
Process Description
Iron ore is the primary raw material for steel production, and steel is one of the core materials for modern industry and infrastructure. China is the world's largest steel producer and has enormous demand for iron ore. However, China's iron ore resources are characterized by low grade and high impurity content, requiring most iron ore to undergo beneficiation before use. Magnetic separation is the main beneficiation technology for iron ore in China, especially suitable for magnetite and vanadium-titanium magnetite. For non-magnetic or weakly magnetic ores such as hematite, limonite, and siderite, a combination of processes including roasting, gravity separation, high-intensity magnetic separation, and flotation is typically required to improve the yield and grade of iron concentrate.
Time period
2022
2026
Geography
China,Shanxi
Geography comment
Forming Shanxi's average data through the integration of data from multiple sources.
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
Block caving is a large-scale, low-cost mining method commonly used in underground iron ore mining in China, suitable for orebodies with poor self-stability, large dimensions, and great thickness. By allowing the orebody to collapse naturally or through artificial initiation, the broken ore gravitates into the extraction zones, where it is collected and transported to the surface. This method is widely applied in some of China's large ore deposits, particularly suitable for iron ores with relatively low grade and significant mining depth.