Sustainable & Circular Production of Mineral Critical Raw Materials and Mining Waste Facility (SCIMIN_CRM & MWF) Ontology
type: Ontology
contributor: Rajesh PIRYANI, Researcher AKKODIS Research Sadeq ZOUGARI, Researcher AKKODIS Research
creator: Rajesh PIRYANI, Researcher AKKODIS Research Sadeq ZOUGARI, Researcher AKKODIS Research
description: It is an ontology for Sustainable and Circular Production of Critical Mineral Raw Materials and Mining Waste Facilities. It aims to represent the key concepts and relationships involved in the life cycle of Mining Waste Facilities (MWFs). By capturing this life cycle—from exploration and exploitation to closure—the ontology enables decision support and reasoning within the SCIMIN-CRM platform.
license: This ontology is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
version IRI: 1.0

Activity
type: Class
comment: When the deposit is in operation

AirborneContaminant
type: Class
comment: Harmful substances suspended in the air, such as heavy metals or silica, that pose inhalation risk
subclass of: AirborneHazard
disjoint with: DustHazard

BiodiversityImpact
type: Class
comment: Any change caused by a proposed activity to species and habitats, ecosystems and landscapes
subclass of: EnvironmentalImpact

ChemicalAnalysisOperation
type: Class
comment: process of determining the chemical composition of a substance using a range of methods and instruments to identify, characterize, and quantify its components
subclass of: LaboratoryAnalysisOperation

CompactionOperation
type: Class
comment: Compaction of minerals includes the technologies for moving and densifying minerals by vibration, impaction and pressure, mainly used in construction applications. MWEI BREF : Process resulting in a reduction in volume. The change typically results from externally applied loads, creating tighter packing of the solid particles. In fine soils in particular, this requires an egress of pore water. Greater compaction often results in increased consolidation
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

ControlMeasure
type: Class
comment: Techniques or technologies used to reduce exposure to hazardous substances, such as water sprays or enclosures

CrushingAndScreeningOperation
type: Class
comment: Crushing and screening is the first controlled size reduction stage in the process. This is the main process in aggregate production and a preparation process for further size reduction. MWEI BREF : Comminution process that reduces the particle size of ore to such a level that grinding can be carried out. Usually, this is accomplished by compression of ore against rigid surfaces, or by impact against surfaces in a rigidly constrained motion path. MWEI BREF : Screening Separating material into size fractions.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

CrushingMillingEquipment
type: Class
comment: What machinery/equipment is suitable to achieve desired particle size.
subclass of: Equipment

DesktopProximityGuideline
type: Class
comment: Guideline defining the scope and purpose of a desktop proximity analysis, and how to use its output
subclass of: Guidelines

DewateringOperation
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Process of removing water from an underground mine or open pit, or from the surrounding rock or non-lithified area. The term is also commonly used for the reduction of water content in concentrates, extractive waste from mineral processing and treatment sludge. In hydrocarbon extraction, dewatering may refer to removing water from water-based drilling muds and cuttings.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

DrillingOperation
type: Class
comment: Drilling (and blasting) is the technology of achieving primary fragmentation of “in situ” minerals. This is the starting point for most mineral processes with the exception of natural minerals in the form of sand and gravel.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

EconomicalRisk
type: Class
comment: The potential financial loss or cost associated with hazardous substance management or incidents
subclass of: Risk

ElectricalTomographyOperation
type: Class
comment: non-invasive imaging technique that creates 2D or 3D images of an object's electrical properties by injecting electric current and measuring the voltage differences
subclass of: GeotechnicalAssessmentOperation

EmergencyProtocol
type: Class
comment: Predefined procedures for responding to hazardous substances releases or other emergencies

EnvironmentalImpact
type: Class
comment: Any change caused by a proposed activity to land, water, air and biodiversity. The environmental effects identified and quantified through LCA in relation to mining operations. MWEI BREF : The direct or indirect introduction, as a result of human activity, of substances, vibrations, heat or noise into air, water or land which may be harmful to human health or the quality of the environment, result in damage to material property, or impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment.
subclass of: Impact

EnvironmentalRisk
type: Class
comment: Potential harm to the environment caused by hazardous substances or activities
subclass of: Risk

ExcavationActivity
type: Class
comment: The process of digging or removing tailings, which may release hazardous substances into the air
subclass of: Activity

GeneralLCA
type: Class
comment: LCA is a method for evaluating environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of products, processes, or services.
subclass of: LCA
disjoint with: MiningLCA

GeoElectricalInversionOperation
type: Class
comment: geophysical process of mathematically modelling subsurface electrical resistivity distributions from measured geoelectrical data
subclass of: GeotechnicalAssessmentOperation

GeotechnicalAssessmentOperation
type: Class
comment: Engineering analysis to determine the properties of a site's soil and rock, identifying conditions, risks, and mechanical properties to ensure the stability and safety of a construction or infrastructure project.
subclass of: ExplorationOperation

Granulometry
type: Class
comment: It is the classification of a mineral's size. A particle size analysis determines the proportion of minerals in different fractions.

GrindingOperation
type: Class
comment: Grinding is the stage of size reduction (wet or dry) where the liberation size for individual minerals can be reached. By further size reduction filler (mineral powder) is produced.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

HabitatsImpact
type: Class
comment: The impact of a proposed activity on the extent and condition of habitats
subclass of: BiodiversityImpact

HabitatsManagementGuideline
type: Class
comment: Guideline defining how to decide on management measures that create the best possible positive outcome for habitat extent and condition
subclass of: Guidelines

HazardousSubstance
type: Class
comment: Any material that poses a threat to human health or the environment due to its chemical or physical properties

HealthImpact
type: Class
comment: Documented or potential effects of recovery operations on the health of nearby populations
subclass of: Impact

HealthRisk
type: Class
comment: Potential harm to human health due to exposure to hazardous substances or unsafe conditions
subclass of: Risk

Incident
type: Class
comment: Specific events involving hazardous substance release or exposure, including their nature and management

LaboratoryAnalysisOperation
type: Class
comment: Laboratory analyses are essential to deepen the characterization of materials present in MWFs, aiming to evaluate their potential for recovery or management.
subclass of: ExplorationOperation

LeachingOperation
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Extraction of soluble components from raw materials by the action of a percolating liquid (e.g. water). For example, gold can be extracted by heap leaching of a porous ore, or pulverised extractive waste from mineral processing. Other methods are tank leaching of ore, concentrates or extractive waste from mineral processing and in-situ leaching. Leaching may also be an unwanted process leading to polluted drainage (see "leachate"). Bio-leaching is a particular form of leaching involving living organisms
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

LegalRestriction
type: Class
comment: Laws and regulations that may limit or condition recovery operations
subclass of: Restriction

Location
type: Class
comment: General information, location of deposit, extisting infrastructure issues, map of location. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property:P625 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q142

Material
type: Class
comment: INSPIRE: EarthMaterial is an abstract class which holds a description of a naturally occurring substance in the Earth. Earth Material represents material composition or substance, and is thus independent of quantity or location.

MaterialHandlingOperation
type: Class
comment: Materials handling includes the technologies for moving the process flow (dry) forward by loading, transportation, storage and feeding
subclass of: Operation

Metric
type: Class
comment: Metrics that translate collected data into representative information that can be used in decision-making

MillingOperation
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Operation during which ore is treated for the recovery and/or concentration of valuable minerals prior to shipment to a smelter or refinery. Milling processes include crushing, grinding, screening, concentration and dewatering. At a coal mine, the mill is referred to as a wash plant, tipple or cleaner
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

Mine
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Area under the control of an operator where mining occurs (see "mining"), including common related infrastructure and waste management activities. INSPIRE: An excavation carried out for the extraction of mineral deposits.

Mineral
type: Class
comment: Mineral is a natural inorganic substance precisely defined according to its physical and chemical characteristics. INSPIRE: Mineral is defined as any naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having a periodically repeating arrangement of atoms and a characteristic chemical composition or range of compositions, resulting in distinctive physical properties.

MineralProcessingOperation
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Mineral processing (also beneficiation or benefication, ore dressing, mineral dressing, milling) Processes to produce marketable mineral products (e.g. concentrates) from mineral resources. This is usually carried out on the mine or quarry site, the plant being referred to as the mineral processing plant (mill or concentrator). .The essential purpose is to reduce the bulk of the ore, which must be transported to and processed by subsequent processes (e.g. smelting), by using methods to separate the valuable (desired) mineral(s) from the gangue. The marketable product of this is called concentrate, the remaining material is called extractive waste from mineral processing (e.g. tailings). Mineral processing includes various procedures that rely on the mineral's physical characteristics (i.e. particle size, density, magnetic properties, colour) or physico-chemical properties (surface tension, hydrophobicity, wettability).
subclass of: Operation

MineralogicalAnalysisOperation
type: Class
comment: Determines the types and relative amounts of minerals within a material, providing insights into its composition, properties, and formation conditions
subclass of: LaboratoryAnalysisOperation

MiningLCA
type: Class
comment: LCA in mining is a systematic method for identifying, quantifying, and evaluating the environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of mining-related processes and products, from exploration and extraction to processing, transportation, use, and end-of-life management.
subclass of: LCA

MiningWaste
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Waste resulting from the prospecting, extraction, treatment and storage of mineral resources and the working of quarries. Mining activity exploits a mineral deposit, obtaining a concentrate (mineral object of the activity) and waste.

MiningWasteFacility
type: Class
comment: A mining waste facility is a designated site or structure used to store extractive waste (includes materials like waste rock and tailings from mining and mineral processing operations). MWEI BREF : Any area under the responsibility of an operator where extractive waste is handled, treated, accumulated or deposited whether in a solid or liquid state or in solution or suspension. This includes, but is not limited to, Extractive Waste Facilities, excavation voids where extractive waste is placed back, and areas for temporary storage of extractive waste. Mining Waste (INSPIRE Model) Mining waste can be defined as a part of the materials that result from the exploration, mining and processing of substances governed by legislation on mines and quarries.

Operation
type: Class
comment: It is an Activity

Ore
type: Class
comment: An ore is a mineral or rock containing metal ore mineral concentrations that can be economically extracted. The ore is the source from where the metal or other mineral substances are extracted
subclass of: Mineral

PPEProtocol
type: Class
comment: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), used to safeguard workers from exposure to hazardous substances
subclass of: Protocol
disjoint with: SafetyProtocol

Permit
type: Class
comment: License or consent to do or say something.

PrimaryCrushingOperation
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Process of reducing ore into smaller fragments to prepare it for further processing and/or so that it can be transported to the processing plant. In underground mines, the primary crusher is often located underground or at the entrance to the processing plant.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

ProcessingEquipment
type: Class
comment: What machinery/equipment is suitable to achieve desired particle size.
subclass of: Equipment

ProcessingPlant
type: Class
comment: MWEI BREF : Facility where mineral processing is carried out. Mineral processing (also beneficiation or benefication, ore dressing, mineral dressing, milling) Processes to produce marketable mineral products (e.g. concentrates) from mineral resources. This is usually carried out on the mine or quarry site, the plant being referred to as the mineral processing plant (mill or concentrator). The essential purpose is to reduce the bulk of the ore, which must be transported to and processed by subsequent processes (e.g. smelting), by using methods to separate the valuable (desired) mineral(s) from the gangue. The marketable product of this is called concentrate, the remaining material is called extractive waste from mineral processing (e.g. tailings). Mineral processing includes various procedures that rely on the mineral's physical characteristics (i.e. particle size, density, magnetic properties, colour) or physico-chemical properties (surface tension, hydrophobicity, wettability).

PyroProcessingOperation
type: Class
comment: Pyro processing includes the technologies for upgrading of the mineral fractions by drying, calcining or sintering.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

Reagent
type: Class
comment: A substance or compound added to a system to cause a chemical reaction or test for the presence of another substance

ReclamationActivity
type: Class
comment: The relationship between reclamation and its impact on species presence and extinction risk, habitat extent and condition
subclass of: Activity

ResidualMaterial
type: Class
comment: Waste material remaining after recovery processes, which may still contain hazardous substances

RestorationTechnique
type: Class
comment: Catalog of restoration activities and their relative success in positively impacting species and habitats under different abiotic, biotic, and landscape conditions
subclass of: Technique

Risk
type: Class
comment: The probability and severity of adverse effects resulting from exposure to a hazard

Rock
type: Class
comment: Rock is an aggregate of one or several minerals, forming the great mass of the earth’s crust. In certain cases, rock may consist of one single mineral as in the cases of limestone, which consists only of calcite, stratified clayish rock and quartzite layers, etc. Rocks may be solid, like granite, or unconsolidated like sand. Normally, rocks are formed by more than one mineral. Some of the minerals are predominant and form the essential components, and others, in smaller proportions, constitute the accessory minerals.
subclass of: Mineral

SafetyProtocol
type: Class
comment: Standard procedures and guidelines designed to protect workers from health and safety risks
subclass of: Protocol

SamplingActivity
type: Class
comment: It is work required to take a sample
subclass of: Activity

SamplingPreparationOperation
type: Class
comment: Once a mineral sample has been taken, a series of tasks must be carried out to allow its subsequent analysis.
subclass of: LaboratoryAnalysisOperation

SlurryProcessingOperation
type: Class
comment: Slurry processing includes the technologies for wet processing of mineral fractions.
subclass of: MineralProcessingOperation

SpeciesImpact
type: Class
comment: The impact of a proposed activity on the presence or absence of species and their level of extinction risk
subclass of: BiodiversityImpact

SpeciesManagementGuideline
type: Class
comment: Guideline defining how to decide on management measures that create the best possible positive outcome for species presence and reducing extinction risk
subclass of: Guidelines

StandardizedProtocols
type: Class
comment: A set of rules, procedures, or guidelines agreed upon and recognized by a community or industry to ensure consistency, interoperability, and efficiency in various situations
subclass of: ExecutionOfSamplingPlan

Standards
type: Class
comment: International and national guidelines and norms for conducting LCA in the mining sector.

alternativeTo
type: ObjectProperty
type: IrreflexiveProperty
comment: A safer or more sustainable substitute for a hazardous reagent used in industrial processes
domain: Reagent
range: Reagent
sub property of: topObjectProperty

generateResidualMaterial
type: ObjectProperty
comment: Waste material remaining after recovery processes, which may still contain hazardous substances
domain: Material
range: ResidualMaterial

hasAirboneHazardConcentration
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: The amount and density of airborne particulate matter released during excavation activities
domain: AirborneHazard

hasArea
type: ObjectProperty
comment: This term is analogus to structure of deposit/mine
domain: Mine
domain: MiningWasteFacility
range: Area

hasGeographicalScale
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: Both the scale that a proposed activity takes up in the landscape as well as its environmental impact outside its boundary
domain: Impact

hasParticleSize
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: The particle size of MWF material
domain: Granulometry

hasRequirment
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: LCA Mining Requirements The technical, methodological, and data-related prerequisites for conducting an accurate and transparent LCA in the mining sector, including access to reliable data, clearly defined system boundaries, functional
domain: MiningLCA

hasSituation
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: LCA Mining Situations Different contexts or application areas in which LCA is used in mining.
domain: MiningLCA

hasSizeDistribution
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: The particle size distribution of MWF material
domain: Granulometry

isHazardous
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: A reagent that poses risks to health or the environment due to its toxic, corrosive or reactive properties
domain: Reagent

isHeavyMetal
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: Dense elements or compound, often metals, found in tailings that may pose environmental or health risks
domain: Metal
range: boolean

isMetricSuccessful
type: DatatypeProperty
comment: Relevant data collection and associated metrics that translate into representative information that can be used to define whether restoration has a positive impact on biodiversity
domain: Metric