Irkutsk Subsidiary of Institute of Laser Physics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (Irkutsk, Russia):

Mironov V. P., Leading Researcher, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, e-mail: mironov2011@gmail.com

North-Eastern Federal University named after M. K. Ammosov (Yakutsk, Russia):

Grigoriev Yu. M., Head of the Theoretical Physics Department, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, e-mail: grigyum@yandex.ru

Tarasov P. P., Head of Laboratory, e-mail: tarasov-p@mail.ru

Disintegration of kimberlite minerals by the selective destruction of their binding mass is a prospective ore preparation method in diamond mining. The destruction selectivity was obtained by the usage of a special tool. The method does not require the usage of the dynamic loads (impact), dangerous for the diamonds integrity. Due to this, a high safety of the natural size of diamonds is provided. According to this method, the connecting mass of kimberlite is crushed to the dimensionality of the dump waste product, which contains the solid and not damaged minerals. These minerals are substantially or completely disclosed and can be separated, for example, by sieving or pneumatic classification. Removal of the soft fractions into the tails of crushed kimberlite minerals and cement, makes it possible to reduce the amount of ore by 10 times or more. The tails of disintegration process (the crushed soft fraction of kimberlite minerals) can be stored nearby in dry type with the following usage for the goaf stowing. The volumes of cargo are significantly reduced due to the organization of the disintegration and preliminary hardness enrichment near the place of ore extraction (inside the open pit or on its edge), and the removal of the part of material into the final tailings. The virtually exposured minerals can be delivered to the factory, which makes the requirement in large crushing volumes (mills) not necessary. This compensates the energy costs for disintegration. The factory size substantially reduces, due to the reduction of volumes of the ore, delivered to the factory. According to this, it is possible to build the factory on the open pit edge. This research area opens up the prospects for the development of fields, remote from the industrial infrastructure. According to this, it is possible to develop the certain deposits, which traditional development has not been profitable yet.

This research work was held with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, within the project No. 2010-218-01-001 “Creation of complex innovation environmentally safe technology of extraction and processing of diamondiferous ores in the Far North”, which is being held with the participation of North-Eastern Federal University named after M. K. Ammosov and “ALROSA” JSC.

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