Types Of Mining

By Kamryn Pully
Longwall Mining.
Longwall Mining is one of the more
efficient ways of mining, its primarily
used to mine coal. In a longwall mining a
machine called a Shearer moves back
forth along a coal seam. This shears the
coal off the face of mine wall, causing it
to fall into a conveyor that transports the
coal out of the mine. Coal is mined
through process.
Solution Mining.
Solution Mining is for underground
deposits of which consist of potash, salt,
and sulfur. This method is also
economical mining method. In Solution
Mining, hot water is injected into the ore
and dissolves it. Compressed air is then
pumped into the dissolved ore, causing it
to form air bubbles which make it rise to
the surface.
Room-and-Pillar Mining.
Room-and-Pillar Mining is a common
method of subsurface mining. This
method is used to extract coal and salt.
How the process works is network of
entries are cut in the seam of coal. But
between the rooms there are pillars
supporting the roof.
Surface Coal Mining.
Surface Coal Mining is a method
commonly used for coal seams that are
close to the Earths surface. The first step
in surface coal mining is to remove the
soil that covers the coal seam. Then
machines come in and cut up the
overburden. Afterwards trucks come into
the pit and collect the sediment.
Quarrying.
Quarries are open pits, which are dug for
seams that are close to Earths surface.
Sand, gravel, and crushed rock are
products of quarries. They also produce
clay, gypsum, and talc.
Solar Evaporation.
The Solar Evaporation process consists
of placing seawater into enormous
shallow ponds. With Sodium Chloride in
the water further evaporation layers of
salt and halite build up. Then the theyre
harvested. The minerals commonly
mined through this process are Saly and
Halite.
Placer Mining.
When rock weathers and disintegrates,
mineral within them are released. The
minerals are concentrated by wind and
water into surface deposits. Then these
deposits are mined through dredging.
Common minerals mined through this
process are diamonds, gold, platinum, tin,
etc.
Smelting.
In the process called smelting, crushed
ore is melted at temperatures in furnaces
to separate impurities from molten metal.
During smelting molten metal sinks to
the bottom while all the unwanted
impurities stay at the top.