The process and equipment have been developed for preparation and burning (at small and medium capacity boiler plants) of slurry coal-water fuel, produced from finely dispersed coal preparation waste (filter cakes) from coal preparation plants of Komsomolets Mine and Named after S. M. Kirov Mine. It was shown that, based on these wastes, it is possible to produce slurry coal-water fuel with solids content of 56-60 %, the required structural and rheological characteristics, and lower heating value of up to 13 MJ/kg. Based on the research findings, detail design was developed for creation of the pilot process complex for processing of waste coal to produce slurry coal-water fuel for burning at boiler plant. Assessment of using the whole volume of the SUEK Kuzbass coal preparation plants waste coal at the nearby Belovskaya SDPP was performed, which showed high economic and environmental efficiency of the proposed project.

Until now, the intensification of ion exchange processes (sorption, desorption, washing of ion exchanger) remains an urgent problem in obtaining commercial strippants. This paper presents the study of ultrasonic (US) effects on the process of uranium sorption from pregnant solutions by ion-exchange resin at operating in-situ leach recovery (“ISR”) uranium production. The study and evaluation of effectiveness of ultrasonic intensifying the ion exchange processes was implemented at one of the mines of NAC Kazatomprom JSC. Ultrasonic pulses periodically generated by emitters produced effects on the whole working space of the mass transfer apparatus. Thus, the whole mass of reagents is kept in continuous motion, and the whole surface of the anion exchanger grains is permanently purified during the ultrasonic device operation. The study findings showed that the ultrasonic intensification of the sorption process allows:

-        increasing the sorption rate by 6.4 times at uranium concentration in the pregnant solutions of 0.003 g/m³;

-        increasing the sorption rate by 1.4 times at uranium concentration in the pregnant solutions of 0.014 g/m³;

-        achieving weighted average increasing the sorption rate by 1.3 times through applying the ultrasonic treatment;

-        increasing full dynamic exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin for uranium in 1.13 times at keeping mechanical strength of the ion exchanger grains.

Heavy metal-containing waste has become one of heavy environmental problems. Processing of such waste accumulated at waste dumps to extract valuable components is commercially beneficial activity and, in addition, decreases environmental impact. In this study, Lewatit MonoPlus TP 207 (TP 207) ion exchange resin was evaluated for its suitability for selective removal of cobalt (Co) and copper (Cu) from mine waste waters, generated by heap leaching waste materials at a Chilean copper mine. In series of laboratory scale fixed-bed ion exchange column tests, the effects of process parameters, such as waste water flow rate and regenerant (sulfuric acid) concentration, were studied in both waste water treatment by the ion exchange resin process and the resin regeneration (metals eluting) process. The regeneration process tests were performed using 1 % and 10 % sulfuric acid. The best separation of the metals (in the eluting process) was achieved with regeneration of TP 207 resin using 1 % sulfuric acid at flow rate of 1 bed volume per hour (BV/h).

In mining technical literature, the prevailing idea is still that rockbursts in open pits and underground mines are caused by gravitational forces produced by the overburden rock mass, put forward in the 20th century by S.G. Avershin and I.M. Petukhov. This concept is the basis for the rules of safe mining at rockburst-hazardous deposits, including modern guidance documents of Rostekhnadzor. Numerous studies of the behavior of a rock mass as a geological medium, the phenomena causing rockbursts in underground workings, the mechanisms of manifestation of rockbursts and rock-tectonic bursts change many ideas. They have now become urgently needed to explain the causes of particularly powerful geodynamic phenomena in mines - rock-tectonic bursts, technogenic earthquakes - phenomena that were practically not observed in the 20th century. Intense geodynamic events in mines (rock-tectonic bursts, technogenic earthquakes), comparable in energy level to natural earthquakes, have once again shown their analogy with natural earthquakes to be studied by seismology. M.A. Sadovsky et al. established the law of self-similarity of seismic process at different scale levels. Based on this law, the relationships established for seismic focuses proved to be applicable to dynamic manifestations of rock pressure at mines. In this paper, further details of this analogy are developed. It shows which forms of dynamic manifestations of rock pressure correspond to which sizes of structural heterogeneity of rock mass. Based on the law of self-similarity of seismic processes at different scale levels, we showed that the energy characteristics of the rock pressure manifestations at mines obey the laws established in seismology.

Extraction of coal measures leads to origination of a large number of increased rock pressure zones in rock mass, caused by the influence of abutment pressure of rock mass edge parts and pillars kept in adjacent seams. The presence of such zones sharply worsens the condition of development and permanent workings when developing coal measures. The paper presents the findings of the observations made in the areas of the underground workings in coal mines of Karaganda coal basin, located under and above pillars and edge parts of overlying coal seams. If abutment pressure under pillars and edge parts of coal seams has been studied quite actively, abutment pressure above the pillars and the edge parts of the coal seams has not been practically studied. The findings of the performed studies showed that in all the workings in which the observations were made, the height of the workings located underneath the pillar (the edge part) varies wavily. The studies revealed wavily behavior of the stationary abutment pressure propagating along the seam, in which the working is located, according to the law of damped sinusoid while increasing distance from the source of the abutment pressure. At the same time, the half-wave length λ/2 corresponds to the thickness of the main roof above the working. The height of the workings located above the pillar (edge part) also varies wavily. At the same time, the nature of the abutment pressure influence varies depending on the distance of the working from the pressure source and is determined by undermining factor Ku. The abutment pressure half-wave length corresponds to the step of secondary collapse of the main roof of the coal seam on which the pillar (edge part) is located.

The paper presents comprehensive studies of abutment pressure formation zones in the geotechnical system of "paired drifts", including numerical simulation based on the finite element method. For the simulation, the Mohr - Coulomb elastic-plastic model was used, as well as physico-mechanical properties of coal and host rocks. The simulation was carried out for specific mining and geological conditions of k₂ anthracite seam occurrence. In a software module, several stages were simulated, allowing to determine magnitude of stresses and displacements of the roof in stopes at various stages of abutment pressure formation in front of the advancing stoping face. As a result of the simulation, the values of the stresses and displacements of the roof in the rock mass around the stopes at various stages of the development of the abutment pressure formation zones were obtained, enabling using the experimental design method to optimize the parameters of adjustable pillar (as support structure). These studies are aimed at improving efficiency of stope protection by optimizing the parameters of protective support structures (adjustable pillars) to increase productivity of the stoping face during excavation of flat-lying anthracite seams, including rockburst-dangerous ones.

The paper considers a specific case related to the development of a program for upgrading soft skills of employees of maintenance service in mining and processing industry, and its testing in actual practice of the production cycle rearrangement. The project aim is to assess the potential of introducing the principles of advanced training from the viewpoint of psychological readiness of employees for changes at an industrial enterprise. The degree of effectiveness of this staff training method is considered. The project objectives are aimed at forming groups of workers based on the degree of their influence on the changes produced; the incoming assessment of readiness to fulfill the role of “change champions” is studied; implementation of training activities aimed at improving employee's readiness; output assessment of the training activities effectiveness is produced. In the project implementation, the following methods and tools were used: soft skills-based approach, sociological and expert surveys, statistical analysis, trainings and chalk and talk sessions, solution of theoretical and practical cases (problems). Based on the results of the implemented soft skills changing (upgrading) program, the dynamics of increasing psychological readiness of employees (who participated in the proposed training activities) to accept large-scale and local changes was revealed. The study findings present rationale for investing funds of production companies in proactive and advanced development of employees from the standpoints of both professional competencies and soft skills aimed at psychological readiness for changes and understanding the need for lifelong learning of engineers and technicians, being effective "change champion" in production activities.