Womika Laboratories

Sand Extraction & Testing & Analysis

The processing of overburden(OB) available at most of the opencast mines which can be processed resulting sand and clay. The sand recovered from OB is as good as sand mined from river. Before going into the details of processing the overburden let’s see what is overburden(OB).

Alternative for River Sand

Overburden is the material that lies above the coal seams, consisting of soil, rock, and other materials.

In surface mining, overburden must be removed to access the coal underneath.

Removing overburden during coal mining creates a large amount of waste material that can be repurposed.

Processing this overburden allows for the recovery of sand, which can be used as an alternative to river sand.

The recovered sand is comparable in quality to sand mined from rivers, making it a sustainable option.

Utilizing overburden for sand production helps to reduce environmental impacts caused by river sand mining.

Need for Sand Extraction from Coal Overburden

This technology is being used by Singareni Colliery Company Limited (SCCL), Telangana only for sand stowing in underground mines since 2010. This plant is a brain child of Late Dr. S.B.Gaidhani, a scientist from Indian Bureau of Mines, has done an extensive study on classification of sand from OB and also in beneficiation.

MERITS OF PROCESSING OB

As we can observe from all the above points that there are lots of advantages of processing OB, hence it is suggested that Govt. shall initiate with coal overburden processing units.

DEMERITS OF OVERBURDEN (OB)

OB is waste & really a burden for coal mining company.
Huge quantity of land is occupied by OB.
If land occupied by OB dump is coal bearing, mine exploration is not possible on such land.
In rainy season, crop field nearby OB dump gets deteriorated.
Coal mining Companies have to incur huge capital to acquire land & to dump OB.

THE TECHNOLOGY & REFERENCE

This technology is being used by Singareni Colliery Company Limited (SCCL), Telangana only for sand stowing in underground mines since 2010. This plant is a brainchild of Dr. S.B.Gaidhani, a scientist from Indian Bureau of Mines, who has done an extensive study on classification of sand from OB and also in beneficiation. He has submitted his report of investigation No.: IBM/RI…1025, on the subject of RECOVERY OF MINE BACKFILL MATERIAL FROM THE OVERBURDEN OF OPENCAST COAL MINES AT PADMAPUR, DIST. CHANDRAPUR, MAHARASHTRA.

In his groundbreaking investigation, Dr. Gaidhani presented a detailed report titled “RECOVERY OF MINE BACKFILL MATERIAL FROM THE OVERBURDEN OF OPENCAST COAL MINES AT PADMAPUR, DISTRICT CHANDRAPUR, MAHARASHTRA”. This report, identified as Investigation No.: IBM/RI…1025, provided a comprehensive analysis of the recovery process, demonstrating how the overburden material, which was traditionally considered waste, could be repurposed for various uses, including sand production.

Process Diagram

TIE-UP WITH SCCL

SCCL team has visited our plant during the trial period and also during subsequent commercial processing of OB collected from different benches of SCCL opencast mines. And have collected the samples for further testing which was to the satisfaction of their research team. We are glad to share that one of our sister concerns has been awarded the contract for processing of OB for stowing in underground mines at Bhoopalpalli, Dist. Warangal, Telangana. Thus we have successfully established a major commercial plant for the first time ever in India for SCCL.

ADVANTAGES

Our technology is a proven one with a plant running successfully from last 10 years.
Economical.
Indigenous.
No Pollution, environmental friendly.
75 to 80% of the water is recycled, hence less water usage.
Final products namely Sand, Clay and Pebbles are of very good quality and have wide applications in ceramic tiles, bricks and construction activity.
Any amount of OB can be processed.

AWARD TO SCCL

"Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has been recognized for its outstanding contributions to the mining and energy sector. The award highlights SCCL's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence in coal mining. This achievement reflects the company's dedication to environmental responsibility, safety standards, and workforce welfare, making it a leader in India's mining industry."