Deep sea solid mineral resources (SMR) of the World Ocean, such as ferromanganese nodules (FMN), cobalt-manganese crusts (CMC) and the depth polymetallic sulphides (DPS) should become an alternative source of mineral resources in the near future. Reliable and productive complexes are necessary for the implementation of deep-sea mining on an industrial scale, which will be able to develop deposit with a minimum ecosystem load. So, the main problems in technological solutions are the collection or separation of SMR at the bottom and lifting them to the surface. As a technical solution, it is proposed to use a special construction draghead device for FMN and CMC collecting and separating from the bottom. The distinctive feature of the device is a vertical axis of rotation of the drive engine and the working body, which can be represented by a faceplate or a crown, the working element with the engine are concentrically inscribed in the casing with the catcher, which enclose the loosening zone, protecting surrounding water area from the turbulent mud and separated fractions. Nodules and crusts lifting using the draghead is carried out in the form of slurry through a pipeline.

This work presents results of experimental researches of influence of various hightemperature thermomechanical treatment (HTMT) modes in 35KhGSA steel – material applied in rock-destroying cutters – on hardness and wear rate for the most common abrasive rock in mining operations – sandstone. It has been found out that HTMT leads to increase of steel hardness and reduction of wear rate compared to heat treatment applied at manufacture of cutters. The maximal increase of hardness (by 23%) and reduction of wear rate (by 38%) corresponds to the mode of distortion accumulation of ∼1,5 at 900 °С at water quenching and tempering at 230 °C. A conclusion that thermomechanical treatment is an effective way to increase the wear resistance of steels applied in the conditions of abrasion wear has been drawn.

The authors conducted the analysis of the peculiarities on the destruction of rock formations by means of tunneling and mountain combine tools. They specify key criteria for choosing the rational parameters of cutting executive bodies in mountain combines. The article lists the factors influencing the efficiency of mine rock cutting. It is noted that the key drawback of mountain massif destruction with cutting is that consecutive elementary rock chips separation occurs under the influence of compression loads. The least energy-intensive way of destruction of rocks is a method that involves the destruction of mountain massifs chiefly under the influence of tensile loads, that is, by detachment. A design is proposed which is a combined executive body of the tunneling and cleaning unit including a bar executive and two-sided hydrocylinders-tractors installed inside the bar beam. The operation principle and procedure of the proposed executive body are described. The use of the proposed executive body will allow one to destroy the mountain massif in the most energy-efficient way ensuring high productivity and the lowest specific consumption of cutters.