Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
81814b32-4a8a-4e52-b6d3-051fd608b67e
Materials
Associated ID
b6a64ac4-779e-48d9-b2f1-555135bf17f0
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
This dataset represents open-pit mining of vanadium titanium magnetite ore in Sichuan. It provides a life cycle inventory (cradle-to-gate) covering all activities associated with vanadium titanium iron concentrate mining production, from drilling to the output of iron ore, but excluding direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the production of drilling rigs, transport equipment, personnel travel, and day-to-day office operations during the mining production process. The dataset was compiled from multiple sources based on national guidelines 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 is representative of the average production level of open-pit vanadium-titanium magnetite mining in Sichuan.
Activity Description
This dataset describes the open-pit mining of vanadium-titanium magnetite ore in Sichuan Province. The process flow is as follows:
1. Drilling
Drilling is a step in open-pit mining used to prepare for blasting. Generally, a drilling rig is used to drill a series of holes into the ore body, which will then be filled with explosives. The primary objective of drilling is to ensure that the blasting effectively fragments the ore, facilitating subsequent loading and transportation. Parameters such as drilling depth, hole spacing, and hole diameter must be designed according to the characteristics of the ore body and the mining plan.
2. Blasting
Blasting is one of the most critical steps in open-pit mining. By filling drill holes with explosives (such as emulsion explosives, nitroglycerin-based explosives, etc.) and then detonating them, the ore is broken into smaller fragments. The effectiveness of blasting directly influences the subsequent loading and transportation efficiency. Blasting operations require strict control over timing, amount of explosives, and blasting methods to ensure uniform ore fragmentation and operational safety.
3. Shoveling
Shoveling is the process of loading crushed ore into transportation equipment. This operation is typically carried out using machinery such as excavators and loaders. The efficiency of shoveling directly affects ore transportation and the overall economic viability of the mining process. Shoveling operations must consider factors such as ore distribution, equipment operating range, and efficiency.
4. Transportation
Transportation is the process of moving excavated ore from the mining area to the processing plant or storage area. Common transportation methods include haul trucks, conveyor belts, and belt conveyors. The primary objectives during transportation are to ensure the safe and efficient movement of ore, minimizing ore loss and contamination. The selection and layout of transportation equipment should be rationally designed based on factors such as mine topography, ore characteristics, and transport distance. Drainage
During open-pit mining, large amounts of rainwater, groundwater, or other liquids often accumulate in the mining area. Therefore, drainage is a critical component for ensuring smooth mining operations. Drainage systems typically include facilities such as ditches, pumping stations, and drainage pipelines, designed to rapidly remove accumulated water from the mining area, prevent equipment damage due to water accumulation, and mitigate safety risks.
Process Description
This dataset describes Sichuan vanadium-titanium magnetite, with the following information introduction:
Vanadium-titanium magnetite is a complex associated mineral primarily composed of iron, vanadium, and titanium, and coexisting with various valuable elements (such as chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, scandium, gallium, and platinum group elements). It has high content of valuable elements and is an important industrial mineral resource with significant development and comprehensive utilization value. In recent years, the global demand for vanadium and titanium products has been continuously increasing. Vanadium products are mainly used in the steel industry and energy storage batteries, while titanium materials are widely applied in chemical industry, aerospace, power, light industry, and other fields. Vanadium-titanium magnetite features a close association between iron and titanium, with titanium, vanadium, chromium, and other elements occurring in the form of isomorphous substitution within vanadium-titanium magnetite. In nature, vanadium-titanium magnetite primarily forms within mafic and ultramafic rock masses. Common valuable ore minerals in such deposits include vanadium-titanium magnetite and ilmenite, along with minor amounts of magnetite, hematite, and sulfides. Vanadium-titanium magnetite is a magnetite containing exsolved solid solutions such as ilmenite, ulvöspinel, and magnesium-aluminum spinel, which can, through regional metamorphism, recrystallize into ilmenite and magnetite. Typically, vanadium-titanium magnetite contains 1%–15% TiO₂ and V₂O₅0. 1% to 2%. The chemical composition of ilmenite is FeTiO3. Ilmenite contains 52.66% TiO2. Fe2+ can be completely isomorphously substituted by Mg2+ and Mn2+, forming FeTiO3-MgTiO3 or FeTiO3-MnTiO3 series. When FeO predominates, it is called ilmenite; when MgO predominates, it is called geikielite; when MnO predominates, it is called pyrophanite. Ilmenite has a Mohs hardness of 5–6, a specific gravity of 4.70–4.78, weak magnetism, and a magnetic susceptibility of 1173.33–224. 56×10⁻⁹ m³/kg. The Panzhihua-Xichang area in southwestern Sichuan is located in the hinterland of Sichuan Province. The mining region has experienced intense neotectonic movements, forming a series of predominantly northwest to west-northwest trending faults, reactivation of north-south trending fractures, and strong differential uplift and subsidence. These processes have created a magmatic complex zone composed of different types of igneous rocks from various geological periods. Along this magmatic complex zone, from south to north, there are stratabound mafic to ultramafic intrusions containing titanomagnetite deposits at Panzhihua, Hongge, Baima, and Taihe. These intrusions constitute a north-south trending vanadium-titanium magnetite metallogenic belt, which is the most widespread and richest in reserves of vanadium and titanium resources, and is also one of the world's major producing regions of this type of deposit. Due to its enormous potential resources, it is known as " The natural resources of these "natural resource repositories" are widely used in various industries. The Panzhihua, Hongge, Baima, and Taihe, four typical super-large vanadium-titanium magnetite mining areas, are very important special iron and steel ore supply bases in China, as well as significant production sites for vanadium and titanium metals, possessing extremely important strategic and economic status.
Time period
2022
2026
Geography
China,Sichuan
Geography comment
Forming Sichuan average data through merging data from multiple sources
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
The open-pit mining process of iron ore in China includes several main operations such as drilling, blasting, loading, transportation, and dewatering.