Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences has been the center of fundamental research in the field of mining sciences in Russia for more than thirty-five years.
Outstanding scientists and specialists with world names who have made a major contribution to the development of Earth sciences have worked and continue to work at the Institute.
The traditions of the scientific schools of IPKON RAS are continued by young scientists, ensuring the continuity of the accumulation of fundamental knowledge in the field of mining sciences, the development of innovative solutions and technologies that have no analogues in practice.
The Institute for Problems of Integrated Development of the Subsurface of the Russian Academy of Sciences was established on October 15, 1977, at the initiative of Academician Nikolai Vasilyevich Melnikov, with the support and assistance of Academician A.V. Sidorenko, director of the Institute of Physics of the Earth. O.Yu. Schmidt Academy of Sciences of the USSR Academician M.A. Sadovsky and Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Academician N.P. Laverova. The basis for the creation of the Institute was the organized N.V. Melnikov in 1967 Sector of physical and technical problems of the Institute of Earth Physics.
IPKON RAS has absorbed intellectual potential and progressive traditions, laid down by outstanding scientists and experts in the field of mining.
IPKON RAS has become the academic scientific center of the country in the field of mining sciences. During the first ten years of the Institute’s work, problems that were of fundamental importance for the development of the mineral and raw materials complex were investigated. Received not yet existing analogues and remain relevant in their national importance results.
Thus, under the leadership of Academician M.I. Agoshkova for the first time developed uniform and compulsory to apply throughout the country Methodological guidelines for determining and recording losses of solid useful, which allowed laying the groundwork for the preparation and implementation of legislative provisions that ensured the transition to the principles of rational development of mineral resources. Under the guidance of Academician N.V. Melnikova performed a set of works to substantiate long-term forecasts of the development of the country’s mineral and raw materials base, basic methods, methods and technologies for the development and enrichment of minerals, the rational location of mining and machine building enterprises.
Significant results were achieved in carrying out fundamental research in the main areas of mining:
Technologies for developing deposits at great depths;
Rational extraction of solid minerals from the bowels;
The forecast of development of the mineral and raw materials base and the technical re-equipment of underground mines and quarries;
The forecast of development and the creation of progressive technology and technology for the enrichment of minerals;
Creation of new ways of degassing of coal mines;
Technology using the simplest explosives and explosive breaking of ore by beam charges;
Management of mining pressure in the underground mining of ore and coal deposits;
Technology and technology of processing and utilization of technogenic raw materials;
Development of new urgent problems of integrated subsoil development and creation of scientific bases for the development of low-waste, resource-saving and resource-producing technologies for the extraction of solid minerals.
The research carried out at the Institute significantly deepened and broadened the views on the content, goals and objectives of the mountain sciences. The foundations of integrated development of subsurface resources and reproduction of geo-resources have been created and developed. The provision on mining sciences as a system of knowledge about the laws and methods of controlled technogenic transformation of subsurface resources, their integrated and environmentally safe development and conservation, united by a single scientific content, has been put forward and justified.
The results obtained are reflected in a series of scientific works, whose authors are Academician K.N. Trubetskoi, Corresponding Member. RAS D.R. Kaplunov and prof. N.N. Chaplygin — awarded the RAS Prize named after academician N.V. Melnikov for outstanding achievements in the field of Earth sciences.
On the basis of the results obtained, the Mining Sciences Classification, approved by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and positively received by the mining community, academic and industrial scientific organizations and universities of mining, the enterprises of industry of the Russian Federation and CIS countries, the system of training and certification of scientific personnel and specialists was developed. The results of discussion of the problems of modern mining sciences, their classification and place in the Earth sciences are summarized in the joint articles of Academicians N.P. Laverova and K.N. Trubetskoi on the pages of the «Mining Journal» and «Bulletin of the RAS.»
An outstanding contribution to mining sciences was made by the well-known monograph «Mining Sciences. Development and preservation of the Earth’s interior «, the scientific adviser, the editor-in-chief and one of the main authors of which is academician K.N. Trubetskoy.
The work of the team of scientists of IPKON RAS led to major scientific achievements that determined the modern shape of mining sciences and the state of the country’s mining industry. The Institute’s research topics cover all the main types of solid minerals — coal, shale, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, diamonds, rare earth elements, mining chemical raw materials, non-metallic and construction materials, methods, systems and technologies for their extraction and enrichment, reproduction and geoecological problems .
Academician K.N. Trubetskoi put forward and substantiated the idea of purposeful creation of technogenic deposits of minerals with given parameters and characteristics for the subsequent effective use of their reserves, which was developed in his works and works of students in the form of scientific foundations for the formation and classification of technogenic deposits and technological processes for the utilization of technogenic mineral raw materials. He introduced for the first time new concepts — «really identified mineral resources», «potential georesources», «resource-reproducing technologies», developed a concept of controlled resource production and the classification of its methods, the use of which significantly expands the mineral resource base of the country.
The scientists of the Institute for the first time obtained the results confirming the occurrence of nanoparticles in the processes of rock destruction, and methods for the disintegration of finely dispersed mineral complexes and opening of noble metal nanoparticles were developed. Chanturia, Academician K.N. Trubetskoy, prof. S.D. Viktorov, Doctor of Technical Sciences I.Zh. Bunin.
Under the guidance of prof. M.A. Ioffe studied the mechanism of deformation of rock massifs and the earth’s surface in the development of mineral deposits and the construction of underground structures, revealed the features of the deformation processes of complex layered media.
The work of A.M. RAS A.D. Rubana, prof. V.N. Zakharova developed the basis for predicting the structure, properties and condition of rock massifs, ore bodies and coal seams by methods of mine geophysics, including highly informative methods of seismic tomography, and created theoretical foundations for new methods of geocontrol.
Under the guidance of prof. G.P. Demidyuk for the first time in our country, economically effective and safe to handle industrial explosives based on granular ammonium nitrate in the form of the simplest mechanical mixtures. The energy criterion for estimating industrial explosives has been substantiated and widely used.
Under the guidance of prof. S.D. Viktorova formulated the principles of managing the energy distribution in the array during explosive breaking, which made it possible to substantially reduce the negative manifestations that accompany industrial explosions. A new technology for mining operations at underground mines has been developed, which has made it possible to significantly increase the size of ore blocks and the scale of underground explosions, thereby lowering the costs of drilling wells and conducting auxiliary excavations, respectively.
A significant contribution was made by the Institute’s staff in solving the problems of mine aerogasdynamics and increasing the safety of coal mining processes. A complex of studies carried out under the supervision of Academician K.N. Trubetskoi and prof. A.T. Ayruni, allowed to determine the forms of the connection of methane with coal, to create the basis for physical and chemical methods for forecasting and preventing sudden gas emissions, physical and chemical methods for influencing gas-bearing seams and methods for degassing coal seams. Under the guidance of prof. V.N. Zakharova carried out a complex of works on the systematization of methods for intensifying the processes of gas evolution from coals and created scientific and methodological foundations for ways to intensify the gas recovery of coal seams. The main natural and mining technical factors influencing the intensity of methane evolution into mining workings have been studied, and the principles for building degassing systems of coal mines have been developed.
In the works of A.M. RAS A.D. Ruban and prof. V.N. Zakharova studied the processes of gas emission in coal seams and identified the main factors affecting their development. The peculiarities of the formation of explosive methane-air and gas-dust mixtures have been revealed, the dependence of the parameters of gas emission and dust formation on main natural and mining-technical factors has been established.
In the field of mining computer science, the principles for the formation of complex systems for monitoring and forecasting the state of rock massifs and mine atmosphere during mining operations have been developed. Such systems allow real-time monitoring of the situation, forecasting the possibility of manifestation of gas-geodynamic phenomena, and making the right technological decisions in the organization and execution of mining operations.
The main causes and nature of the change in the composition of the mine atmosphere and its effect on gas-fire and explosion safety under various systems of opening and development of ore deposits and ventilation systems were studied (Prof. NG Matvienko and Prof. AS Voroniuk).
One of the main lines of the Institute’s work is mining systemology and the theory of design of subsoil development. Under the direction of Corr. RAS D.R. Kaplunova defined the methodology for the formation of mining engineering systems for the combined development of ore deposits and classified such systems. Systematization of ore flows, methods and methods of controlling their quality under different conditions has been carried out. Essentially new development systems have been developed with the laying of worked out spaces, technological and technical solutions for the implementation of such systems.
In the field of enrichment of minerals under the guidance of Academician V.A. Chanturia received major scientific and practically meaningful results. First of all it is necessary to note achievements in the field of disintegration of mineral particles, flotation and complex enrichment of diamond-containing kimberlites.
The theory is developed and the efficiency of processes of selective disintegration and opening of mineral complexes of precious metals under the action of nanosecond electromagnetic pulses is proved. The main mechanisms of the action of powerful nanosecond electromagnetic pulses on fine-dispersed mineral media of complex material composition are established (academician VA Chanturia, Doctor of Technical Sciences I.Zh. Bunin, Ph.D. AT Kovalev) .
The stages of dissolution of iron-containing sulfides are proved and it is established that the maximum dissolution is associated with the formation of additional micro- and macrodefects in the bulk and on the surface of the sulfide matrix. A fundamentally new highly effective, energy-saving and ecologically safe electric pulse technology of directed modification of the structure, composition and physicochemical properties of the surface of minerals from hard-to-digest mineral raw materials has been scientifically substantiated and developed. A modular installation for electric pulse treatment of mineral products was created (Academician VA Chanturia, Doctor of Technical Sciences I.Zh. Bunin, Ph.D. VD Lunin).
The technology of involving a new type of platinum-containing mineral raw materials — dunites of zonal basite-ultrabasic complexes (academician VA Chanturia, doctor of technical sciences AP Kozlov) is theoretically grounded and developed.
Scientifically grounded are ecologically safe methods for increasing the contrast of physicochemical and flotation properties of minerals, theoretical ideas have been developed on the mechanism for enhancing the contrast of the flotation properties of minerals. Optimum regimes of electrochemical conditioning of pulps are developed at enrichment of sulphide and oxidized ores of complex material composition. The technology of electrochemical conditioning of pulp is realized at GOKs of the CIS countries and the European Union (academician VA Chanturia, prof. VE Vigderhaus).
The criteria for the successful separation of minerals have been substantiated, and highly effective reagent regimes have been created using the DMDC and PROS reagents that ensure the selectivity of flotation processes and the high quality of the concentrates. A new complexing agent of plant origin is proposed that can reduce the flotation activity of pyrite and is recommended for selective flotation of pyrite-containing products.
New selective reagents-complexing agents for Pt-containing minerals have been scientifically substantiated. Thermomorphic polymers with functional groups grafted to them were synthesized and tested, which made it possible to improve the extraction of metals during flotation and the selectivity of flocculation of Ni-pyrrhotine products (Academician VA Chanturia, Doctor of Technical Sciences TN Matveeva, Ph.D. TA Ivanova).
The basic theoretical positions of flotation in a vertically oscillating medium have been developed. The reasons for the high efficiency of pulsation flotation are determined. The air-pulsating machine, which has no analogues in the world, was designed, manufactured and implemented (Prof. GD Krasnov, Dr. AA Lavrinenko).
n the field of diamondiferous ore concentration, a classification of diamonds based on the hydrophilic-hydrophobic state of the surface has been developed, new data have been obtained on the elemental and phase composition of films formed on crystals during ore formation and primary processing. The main characteristics of the hydrophobicity of diamonds and their dependence on the total content of impurity elements on the crystal surface are determined. The presence of nano-formations of two types-nanoparticles of silicate nature and magnesium hydrosilicates, nickel and iron hydroxides and fluorocarbon organics-has been established. An efficient, ecologically clean electrochemical water treatment technology has been developed that allows to reduce diamond losses by 1.5-2 times (Academician VA Chanturia, Ph.D. Dvoychenkov, Candidate of Technical Sciences EA Trofimova, Candidate of Technical Sciences VG Minenko,).
The technological scheme of selective sorption extraction of non-ferrous metals, silver and iron from technogenic solutions of copper-zinc mining and smelting enterprises (Prof. VE Vigderhaus) has been scientifically substantiated.
The highest quality of research carried out by IPCON RAS scientists, their uniqueness and potential were repeatedly noted by state awards and prizes of the USSR and the Russian Federation, prizes and awards, the USSR Academy of Sciences and RAS, foreign academies and research centers.