Experimental Study on Failure Mechanical Properties of Two Kinds of Seafloor Massive Sulfides

Remarkable hydrostatic pressures have a significant effect on the failure mechanical properties of seafloor minerals, which also affects the selection and development of mining excavation tools. In this paper, a Brazilian splitting test and triaxial compression test were adopted to investigate the strength and deformation behavior of two kinds of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) samples at a small-scale size. Based on the mineralogical characterization of the studied samples, the mechanical properties were preliminarily correlated with their internal structures and mineral compositions. Results indicate that there is a significant difference in the triaxial compression deformation properties between the two kinds of SMS samples and the geotechnical data are controlled by mineral type and composition, including porosity. In general, the triaxial compression process of the two kinds of samples included initial compaction, elastic stage, yield stage, failure stage and residual stage, and shows strain softening characteristics after the peak. With the increase in confining pressure, the strain-softening behavior of the white sample is mitigated and gradually changes into strain-hardening. The peak strength and peak strain of the two samples increased linearly with the increase in confining pressure within the confining pressure range of these tests, and the failure pattern of the specimens also changed from a typical brittle failure to a ductile failure. The results of this study provide data to support further understanding of different kinds of SMS, and are of great significance in the design of efficient SMS exploitation equipment.

Multi-stage sulfide evolution of the Moran Ni sulfide ore, Kambalda, Western Australia: insights into the dynamics of ore forming processes of komatiite-hosted deposits

The Moran komatiite-hosted Ni sulfide deposit at Kambalda (Australia) is one of the better preserved orebodies at Kambalda. Its geochemical signature is used to investigate the evolution of the sulfide mineralization. The orebody has several parts, including a flanking segment where massive sulfides formed relatively early and a central portion in a 40-m-deep erosional embayment representing a later generation of massive and net-textured sulfides. Basal massive sulfides within the deep embayment vary systematically in their chalcophile element contents (Ni, PGE, Au, Te, As, Bi). Elements compatible in monosulfide solid solution (MSS) exhibit the highest concentration at the edge of the orebody (up to 4.3 ppm Ir + Os + Ru + Rh), whereas incompatible elements are most concentrated in the centre (up to 11.2 ppm Pt + Pd + Au). This difference in element distributions is explained by fractional crystallization of sulfide melt from the edge towards the centre. To explain the vertical movement of the residual fractionated melt, a new model of sulfide crystallization is proposed. A low-viscosity boundary layer containing incompatible elements is formed between MSS and sulfide melt. This melt propagates with the crystallization front towards the centre of the sulfide melt pool. Trace element variations in pentlandite (e.g. Co) and composite Co- and Bi-bearing arsenide-telluride grains suggest that during the final stages of crystallization, an immiscible Co-As-Te-Bi melt is formed.

Beneficiation of Seafloor Massive Sulfides by Liquid-Liquid Extraction

This paper addresses the applicability of liquid-liquid extraction for separating mineral particles by the difference in oil-water partition coefficient, for the seafloor mineral processing of Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMSs). Measurements of contact angle of sulfide mineral – aqueous solution – oil systems under high-pressure conditions were performed to evaluate the efficiency of liquid-liquid extraction at high pressures. The results showed that the contact angle stayed around 80 - 100° at the pressure range up to 16MPa; and the changes in the contact angles were within 5° with varying pressure. Extraction experiments were carried out by using particles of an SMS ore, which contained Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb), and Barium (Ba) in the grade of more than 10 mass% and Copper (Cu) in a small percentage, to evaluate the beneficiation performance of liquid-liquid extraction. In the experiments, extraction conditions such as the dosage of chemical reagents, and pH in the aqueous solution were varied to optimize both the recovery and selectivity of Cu, Zn, and Pb in the oil phase, and those of Ba in the water phase. The experimental results showed that the optimum condition was 200 g/t dosage - pH 7, where the grade and recovery were ca. 37 mass% and ca. 90 mass%, respectively. The beneficiation performance of liquid-liquid extraction would be comparable to that of flotation, adapted to the processing of other SMS ores.

Chronology of seafloor massive sulfides formation within the Pobeda hydrothermal cluster (Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

A geochronological and mineralogical study on the seafloor massive sulfides from the Pobeda hydrothermal cluster at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was carried out. To improve the reliability of geochronological data, the 230Th/U ages were measured for both the bulk samples and monomineral separates. The oldest age ca. 52 kyr within Pobeda-1 and ca. 107 kyr within Pobeda–2 fields have been obtained. Then, several episodes of hydrothermal activity were identified within both fields up to ca. 0.3 kyr ago and up to ca. 4.3 kyr ago, respectively.

Experimental Investigation of Large Particle Slurry Transport in Vertical Pipes With Pulsating Flow

For subsea mining, it is important to predict the pressure loss in oscillating pipes with pulsating flow for the safe and reliable operation of ore lifting. In the present paper, the authors focused on the pulsating internal flow in static vertical pipe and carried out slurry transport experiment to investigate the effects of flow fluctuation on the pressure loss. The alumina beads and glass beads were used as the solid particles in the experiment, and the fluctuating periods and amplitudes of pulsating water flow were varied. The time-averaged pressure losses calculated by the prediction method for the steady flow proposed in the past by the authors agreed well with the experimental ones. As for the fluctuating component of pressure loss, the calculation results using the quasi-steady expression of a mixture model were compared with the experimental data. The calculated results were different from experimental ones for alumina beads of which densities are almost same as those of the ores of Seafloor Massive Sulfides. It suggests that the expression is insufficient to predict the pressure loss for heavy solid particles. The calculated ones, however, provided those in the safety side. On the other hand, the calculated results for light solid particles such as glass beads agreed well with the experimental ones. It means that the expression would be applicable to the prediction of pressure loss for the mining of manganese nodules which are lighter than the ores of Seafloor Massive Sulfides.