Recommended Bulk Density Determination Protocol

Armando Simn AMEC International (Chile) S.A.

1.0

Introduction Preparation of a systematic bulk density database is essential in any mineral project. Sufficient bulk density data for the various rock types present in the deposit should be collected, and the relationship between bulk density and the sample depth should be properly established.

2.0

Recommended Density Determination Methods AMEC recommends that bulk density be primarily determined by water displacement on drill core, although other methods can be applied in addition: by volume calculation on drill core (calliper) and by volume calculation on test pits (in situ determinations). The first two methods may use the same samples.

2.1 Safety Considerations Before starting the bulk density determination procedure, all personnel involved should be provided with the required safety implements, so that the test is conducted in a safe and secure manner. The supervisor and the workers should make sure that the safety equipment is clean and in good working condition. 2.2 Water Displacement on Drill Core Core Sampling: Every 15 m to 20 m in average, well trimmed (preferably cut with diamond saw), 15 cm to 20 cm long, pieces of compact HQ or NQ core should be taken for bulk density measurement. The density samples should be bagged in plastic bags. Handling and transportation of density samples should be very careful, to avoid core destruction or alteration. The density samples should be representative of all major rock types present in the deposit. If cylindrical (prior to half-cutting), the same sample may be used for the volume calculation with the calliper method.

Equipment and supplies:

A 3 kg to 4 kg ( 0.01 g) scale, equipped with an under-hook weighing accessory for density determination, or adapted for weighing density samples A thin cradle located below the scale (Figure 1) A plastic container nearly full of water, located below the scale A drying oven (gas or electric), with capacity for at least 30 samples and automatic temperature control Sample bags Paraffin or thin plastic foil (as used for conserving food).

Procedure: The sample should be dried at 105 C5 C for as long as necessary. Tests should be conducted to determine the complete drying time, by repeatedly weighing the sample every 30 minutes, until constant weigh is obtained (until weigh decreases less than 0.5% between successive measurements). The scale should be initially zero-ed, and the dry sample should be weighed on air. The result of this measurement, the Uncoated Dry Weight on Air, will be recorded as A (in grams). The dry sample will be well wrapped on thin plastic foil, not leaving any void space, or coated with paraffin by submersion on melted paraffin; once the sample is wrapped, or the paraffin is solid, the sample should be weighed again on air, and the result of this measurement, the Coated Dry Weight on Air, will be recorded as B. The samples will be then placed into the cradle under the scale (Figure 2), and immersed into the water; the sample should remain completely submersed. The Coated Dry Weight in Water will be recorded as C (in grams). Finally, the density sample will be returned to the core box in the same original position. The bulk density Db (in g/cm3) should be calculated as:

Db = BC
Where:

A B A Dc

Dc: Density of the coating material, paraffin or plastic (in g/cm3). For practical reasons, the density of water is assumed as 1.00 g/cm3 and is not introduced in the formula. 2.3 Volume Calculation on Drill Core (Calliper) The calliper method may be used in case that density samples are cylindrical and well trimmed. This method may use the same sample that is used for the density

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determination with the water displacement method on drill core. The calliper method consists of the estimation of the density by reporting the dry weight to the sample volume, which is determined through repeated direct measurements of the sample diameter and length. Equipment and supplies: A measuring tape with millimetres divisions A calliper.

Procedure: The sample should be dried at 105 C5 C for as long as necessary. Tests should be conducted to determine the complete drying time, by repeatedly weighing the sample every 30 minutes, until constant weigh is obtained (until weigh decreases less than 0.5% between successive measurements). The scale should be initially zero-ed, and the dry sample should be weighed on air. The result of this measurement, the Dry Weight on Air, will be recorded as A (in grams). The core length (L) should be measured (in centimetres) to the nearest millimetre. The core diameter ( ) should be measured (in centimetres, with 0.01 cm precision) with a calliper. To obtain the value, at least two measurements should be conducted, on perpendicular sections, and subsequently averaged. The bulk density Db (in cm3) should be calculated as:

Db ( g / cm3 ) =

A 0.25 2 L

2.4 In-situ Density Determinations These tests should be conducted on representative parts of the deposit, wherever access to clean and undisturbed surfaces can be achieved. The results of in situ determinations should be compared with the results of the previously described methods. Two methods may be used for in situ determinations: by water replacement and by sand replacement. Water Replacement Equipment and supplies: A 20 kg ( 0.01 kg) scale A drying oven (gas or electric), with automatic temperature control Large, thin plastic bags Airtight sample bags Water stored in 10 L containers.

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Procedure: - The surface where the sample will be taken should be levelled and cleaned. - A roughly 30 cm diameter and 30 cm deep hole should be dug, and all extracted material should be carefully collected and seal-bagged. - The hole should be lined with a thin plastic bag, larger than the cube, and water should be carefully poured until the water level reaches the level of the surface. - The weight of the water necessary to fill the hole should be measured by weighing the water container(s) before and after pouring the water into the hole, and recording the (total) difference(s) as W (in grams). - The wet extracted material should be weighed, and the wet weigh should be recorded as A (in grams). - The entire sample should be placed into the drying oven and dried at 105 C for enough time to ensure that drying has been completed. - Tests should be conducted to determine the complete drying time, by repeatedly weighing a couple of compact fragments every 30 minutes, until constant weigh is obtained (until weigh decreases less than 0.5% between successive measurements). - The dry sample should be weighed, and the dry weight should be recorded as C (in grams). The bulk density D should be then calculated as: D [g/cm3]= C*dw / W where dw (density of water) is assumed for practical reasons as 1.00 g/cm3. As recommended by ASTM (1999), the moisture content M should be calculated as: M [%] = (A C) / C The in-situ tests should be conducted on representative parts of the deposit, and the results should be compared with the results of the other two methods.
Sand Replacement

In principle, this method is similar to the previous one, but instead of water, sand of known density (Ds) is poured into the hole.
Equipment and supplies:

A 20 kg ( 0.01 kg) scale A drying oven (gas or electric), with automatic temperature control Airtight sample bags A cylinder with enough sand, provided with a valve to allow a gradual release of the sand (Figures 3 and 4).

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Procedure:

The surface where the sample will be taken should be levelled and cleaned. A roughly 30 cm diameter and 30 cm deep hole should be dug, and all extracted material should be carefully collected and seal-bagged. The cylinder full of sand should be weighed, and the resulting initial weight will be recorded as A (in grams). The cylinder should be placed over the hole, and sand should be carefully poured until the sand level reaches the level of the surface. The cylinder should be weighed again, and the resulting final weight will be recorded as B (in grams). The entire sample should be placed into the drying oven and dried at 105 C5 C for enough time to ensure that drying has been completed. Tests should be conducted to determine the complete drying time, by repeatedly weighing a couple of compact fragments every 30 minutes, until constant weigh is obtained (until weigh decreases less than 0.5% between successive measurements). The dry sample should be weighed, and the dry weight should be recorded as C (in grams). The bulk density Db should be calculated as follows:

Db ( g / cm 3 ) =

C ( A B ) / Ds

2.5 Additional Considerations Whatever the method used, when conducting bulk density determinations the lithologic and/or facies type should be carefully registered, and the samples should be either assayed, or returned to the box to be sampled together with the rest of the core. 3.0 References ASTM, 1999. Standard Test for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Designation D 2216 98. Lipton, I. T., 2001. Measurement of Bulk Density for Resource Estimation. In: Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve Estimation-The AusIMM Guide to Good Practice (Ed. A. C. Edwards), pp. 57-66. The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne.

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Figures

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Figure 1. Scale adapted for density measurements.

Figure 2. Weighing the dry coated sample on water.

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Figure 3. Small cylinder for density determination by sand replacement.

Figure 4. Scheme of the small cylinder.

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