Mining

Claim 1

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the material in powdered or granular form with bentonite and water, the bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids, and the quantity of water being such that, with the bentonite, the waste material forms a flowable sludge of a suitable consistency for pumping and having a slump of two to four inches, the bentonite enabling such a sludge to be formed with substantially less water than would be required in the absence of bentonite, pumping the material through a pipe line to a point of utilization using a positive displacement pump, mixing the pumped material immediately as it arrives at that point through said pipe line with a quick setting agent comprising cement, and allowing the mixed material to solidify, the sludge, due to the presence of the bentonite, containing only a small amount of water such that it can set to form a solid without draining of water from the pumped material.

Claim 2

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the material in powdered or granular form with bentonite and water, the bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids, and the quantity of water being such that, with the bentonite, the waste material forms a flowable sludge of a suitable consistency for pumping and having a slump of two to four inches, the bentonite enabling such a sludge to be formed with substantially less water than would be required in the absence of bentonite, pumping the material through a pipe line to a point of utilization using a positive displacement pump, mixing the pumped material immediately as it arrives at that point through said pipe line with a quick setting agent comprising cement, and allowing the mixed material to solidify, the sludge, due to the presence of the bentonite, containing only a small amount of water such that it can set to form a solid without draining of water from the pumped material.

Claim 4

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the material in powdered or granular form with bentonite and water, the bentonite being between 0.5% and 4% by weight of the total solids and the quantity of water being sufficiently small that the mixture forms a pumpable sludge with a slump of 2 to 4 inches, pumping the material through a pipe line to a point of utilization, injecting into the pumped material immediately as it arrives at that point a setting agent comprising both polyethylene oxide to cause the bentonite to fluocculate and the sludge to gel and cement to cause the gelled material to set hard without water having to be drained from the pumped material.

Claim 5

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the material in powdered or granular form with bentonite and water, the bentonite being between 0.5% and 4% by weight of the total solids and the quantity of water being sufficiently small that the mixture forms a pumpable sludge with a slump of 2 to 4 inches, pumping the material through a pipe line to a point of utilization, injecting into the pumped material immediately as it arrives at that point a setting agent comprising both polyethylene oxide to cause the bentonite to fluocculate and the sludge to gel and cement to cause the gelled material to set hard without water having to be drained from the pumped material.

Claim 9

A method of forming a roof support in mining, said method comprising the steps of mixing waste material with bentonite and water, the amount of bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids, to produce a flowable sludge, the amount of water being such that the sludge has a slump of two to four inches, pumping the sludge to a point of utilization, using a positive displacement pump, mixing the sludge with a setting agent at the point of utilization immediately as the sludge arrives at that point and injecting the mixed sludge and setting agent into shuttering to form a roof support, said setting agent comprising a water polyethylene oxide gel to focculate the bentonite and give an immediate stiffening of the sludge and cement to cause the gelled material to set to a solid, the sludge, because of the small quantity of water present, being settable without draining of water therefrom.

Claim 10

A method of forming a roof support in mining, said method comprising the steps of mixing waste material with bentonite and water, the amount of bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids, to produce a flowable sludge, the amount of water being such that the sludge has a slump of two to four inches, pumping the sludge to a point of utilization, using a positive displacement pump, mixing the sludge with a setting agent at the point of utilization immediately as the sludge arrives at that point and injecting the mixed sludge and setting agent into shuttering to form a roof support, said setting agent comprising a water polyethylene oxide gel to focculate the bentonite and give an immediate stiffening of the sludge and cement to cause the gelled material to set to a solid, the sludge, because of the small quantity of water present, being settable without draining of water therefrom.

Claim 13

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the waste material with bentonite and water to produce a flowable sludge, the amount of bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids and the amount of water being sufficient to make the mixture of a consistency suitable for pumping and having a slump of two to four inches, pumping the sludge through a pipe into shuttering at a point of utilization using a positive displacement pump, injecting into said pipe near said shuttering a setting agent comprising cement and a water polyethylene oxide gel to mix the setting agent with the sludge as the sludge is passing through the pipe line into the shuttering, the polyethylene oxide being between a trace and 0.5% by weight of the cement and causing the bentonite to flocculate and the material to gel and the cement subsequently causing the gelled material to set, and periodically moving the shuttering forwardly as the mixed material solidifies.

Claim 14

A method of stowing waste material in mining comprising the steps of mixing the waste material with bentonite and water to produce a flowable sludge, the amount of bentonite being between 0.05% and 4% by weight of the total solids and the amount of water being sufficient to make the mixture of a consistency suitable for pumping and having a slump of two to four inches, pumping the sludge through a pipe into shuttering at a point of utilization using a positive displacement pump, injecting into said pipe near said shuttering a setting agent comprising cement and a water polyethylene oxide gel to mix the setting agent with the sludge as the sludge is passing through the pipe line into the shuttering, the polyethylene oxide being between a trace and 0.5% by weight of the cement and causing the bentonite to flocculate and the material to gel and the cement subsequently causing the gelled material to set, and periodically moving the shuttering forwardly as the mixed material solidifies.