Document Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
2020
Abstract
ROCSIL® FOAM is a versatile product that has been successfully used to rapidly seal mines or critical areas of the mine directly in-seam or remotely via boreholes or shafts. The product is chemically stable, fire resistant, fast setting, has high expansion and excellent self-supporting characteristics making it an ideal product for these types of applications. It can also be used on sloping ground and with mine services such as conveyor structure or pipes remaining in-situ to form effective plug seals. For remote sealing, special mixing heads are designed to effectively deliver the product into mine roadways or shafts without the need for labour to be deployed underground or when exclusion zones are in place on the surface. This paper will describe the remote head technology, system development and process via a number of case studies where the remote sealing system was successfully used. Each case required novel techniques to meet particular mine constraints. Once the critical mine event is under control, the plug can be easily removed to facilitate safe re-entry of the mine. The remote ROCSIL® FOAM plug seal system is a world-class innovation available to deal with underground explosions, heating or fire events in a safe, cost-effective and rapid way.
Publication Details
Neil Alston, Jean-Luc Schmitter, Andrew Alcott, Russell Fry, Recent case studies using the remote ROCSIL® FOAM plug system, Proceedings of the 2020 Coal Operators' Conference, University of Wollongong - Mining Engineering, 12-14 February 2020, University of Wollongong, 321-330.