Elaboration of innovative environmental technologies and their complex implementation at iron-ore underground mines of Ukraine

Work number - P 9 ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE

Submitted by: State Institution of Higher Education ”Kryvyi Rih National University”

Authors: M.I. Stupnik, I.L. Kovalenko, M.K. Korolenko, S.P. Poltorashchenko,

 I.A. Karapa, D.V. Shevchyk, D.V. Kiiashchenko, V.Z. Nebohin

The research is aimed at developing and implementing technologies of underground mining of ores applying the cascade principle of waste disposal directed at preventing negative environmental impact, settling the problem of mining waste utilization and ensuring rational use of mineral resources of Ukraine.

Theoretical and experimental substantiation of scientific principles of mining large ore deposits ensuring stable conditions of the earth surface and ore massif, producing and applying safe TNT-free explosive technologies, disposal of technogenic wastes in underground space is elaborated.

Complex implementation has been introduced at Zaporizkyi Iron-Ore Plant (ZZRK) where over 4.4 mln t of metallurgical production wastes, the enterprise rock wastes and secondary drainage resources have been utilized annually as backfill for the dead spaces since 2007, making nearly 50 mln t totally.

Surface subsidence and highly mineralized mine water discharges into open water flows (over 900 thousand m³ annually) are avoided. The applied TNT-free explosives and self-propelled drilling and charging machinery enabled not only 2.5-3.0 - fold decrease of poisonous blasting fumes but also full mechanization of drilling and blasting operations and production profitability 4.6-fold higher than at Kryvbas underground mines.

The environmental effect (as a cost indicator of prevented damage)resulted from implementation of environmental technologies at ZZRK, makes over 304.5 mln UAH per year which has averaged nearly 1.92 bln UAH since 2007.

Since 2013, environmentally-friendly technologies have been applied at Kryvbas underground mines. Combined ore mining technologies elaborated in Kryvyi Rih iron ore basin enable transition to open pit–underground mining of magnetite quartzite with mining waste disposal (including concentration tailings) underground.

Over 30 thousand tons of safe TNT-free materials have been applied at iron ore underground mines of Ukraine.

The economic effectof the implemented technology made over 416mln UAH.

The number of publicationsis 249, including 5 monographs, 1 textbook, 149 articles (35 foreign publications). According to the Scopus database, the total number of citations of the authors’ publications mentioned in the research is 54,h-index (of the research) = 4. According to Google Scholar database, the total number of citations makes 236, h-index (of the research) = 9. Novelty and competitiveness of engineering solutions are protected by 18 patents for the invention and 40 useful model patents. Two doctorate and 4 PhD dissertations are defended by the given theme.