Mining and Tunnelling
Due to high tonnage mining methods becoming popular to exploit deep and low grade deposits that may not be economic to mine with open pits, these mines require sometimes hundreds of kilometers of tunnels to access the orebody and transport ores underground to surface. Due to these excavations requiring life periods of sometimes greater than 20 years, it is imperative to understand the corrosion of underground steel support systems and how to mitigate the adverse effects this can have.
The corrosion of steel ground support elements is a common problem within underground environments in both mining and civil engineering applications. Corrosion underground is driven by environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, total dissolved solids and chemistry. Underground mines are usually warm, humid and damp, creating idyllic conditions for corrosion to exist within. This corrosion does not only effect cost, but possesses a potential risk to workers, reduces the life line of ground support systems, creates unforeseen hazards, is extremely costly and impacts the mining schedule. The cost of corrosion for underground mining within China in 2014 was estimated at $12.27 billion, thus it is well justified to invest in anti corrosion technology within the mining field.
The sherardizing coating provides a perfect option in underground conditions to withstand:
- High humidity.
- Acidic and dusty environments.
- Varying temperatures/ fluctuations.
- High impact and wear.
- Assembly and disassembly.
Applications of Sherardizing within the mining and tunneling industry can include:
- High strength Steel Support Rollers.
- Chains.
- Hooks or shackles.
- Safety Pins.
- Fasteners.
- Roofing Supports.
- Tunnel Bolting Systems.