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By M. B. Kime

"Discrete-element method (DEM) modelling is a powerful tool for studying particulate systems within the mineral processing industry. DEM simulations were conducted to investigate the power draw, load behaviour, and impact energy profile of an experimental ball mill under different milling conditions. The variables considered were mill rotational speed (percent critical speed), ball size, and lifter face angle. The simulation results indicated that the grinding efficiency would be enhanced by using 80% critical speed, 30 mm ball diameter, and 45° lifter face angle. These findings can be useful in guiding actual ball milling tests involving an ore sample.RÉSUMÉ La modélisation par méthode des éléments distincts (MED) est un outil puissant qui permet d’étudier les systèmes particulaires au sein de l’industrie de traitement des minerais. Des simulations par MED ont été menées de façon à étudier le profil de la consommation énergétique, du comportement de la charge et de l’énergie de rupture d’un broyeur à boulets expérimental dans diverses conditions de broyage. Parmi les variables prises en compte figuraient la vitesse de rotation du broyeur (vitesse critique en pourcentage), la taille des boulets et l’angle de coupe de la cornière élévatrice. D’après les résultats de la simulation, on pourrait améliorer l’efficacité de broyage en utilisant une vitesse critique de 80 %, un diamètre de boulet de 30 mm et un angle de coupe de 45 ° de la cornière élévatrice. Ces résultats peuvent se révéler utiles pour les essais concrets de broyage à boulets impliquant un échantillon de minerai."

Jan 1, 2017

By C. Allen, M. Gangal, J. Stachulak

"Most underground diesel equipment is equipped with diesel oxidization catalysts (DOCs) to reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions. DOCs do not alter nitrogen oxides concentrations but can promote the oxidization of nitric oxide (NO) to the more toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Vale and CanmetMINING have been researching how to reduce worker exposure to diesel emissions by testing mining equipment DOCs. Results indicate a > 77% decrease in carbon monoxide concentration but a 46–315% increase in NO2 concentration for 8-mode test cycles. It is recommended that DOCs that increase NO2 emissions be evaluated regarding their continued use in underground operations.RÉSUMÉ La plupart des équipements miniers souterrains sont équipés de catalyseurs d’oxydation diesel (DOC) afin de réduire les émissions de monoxyde de carbone et d’hydrocarbures. Les DOC ne modifient pas les concentrations des oxydes d’azote mais ils peuvent faciliter l’oxydation du monoxide d’azote (NO) en dioxyde d’azote (NO2), plus toxique. Vale et CanmetMINING effectuent des recherches pour réduire l’exposition des travailleurs aux émissions de diesel en analysant les DOC des équipements miniers. Selon les résultats, une diminution > 77 % dans la concentration de monoxyde de carbone est atteinte mais elle est accompagnée d’une augmentation de 46 à 315 % de la concentration en NO2 pour des cycles d’essais à 8 modes. Il est recommandé d’évaluer les DOC qui augmentent les émissions de NO2 pour décider de la poursuite de leur utilisation dans les opérations souterraines."

Jan 1, 2016

By Allan R. Punkkinen

Safe extraction of the valued ore resource in the deep levels of VALE Creighton Mine has progressed in a pillar-less fashion using vertical retreat, slot-slash and uppers retreat methods since the cessation of ?cut and fill? mining in the late 1980?s. Sequencing of the panel extraction and filling has been the key to successful exploitation of high stress orebodies at depth. In late 2010, discussions between the Operating Department and Creighton Ground Control revealed an opportunity to evaluate a trial primarysecondary sequence in the west end of the 400 Orebody at the 2340m horizon. To manage the trial primarysecondary project, a high level risk analysis and management of change was carried out to mitigate potential danger. As part of the requirements, an instrumentation project was conducted in the hanging wall and footwall bottomsills of the secondary panel and within the secondary panel itself. The extraction sequence was modeled with Map3D® software, confirming high stress levels with the advance of the primary panel. Enhanced ground support was installed based on modelling results. A key objective of the instrumentation project was to verify support system response to mining and to obtain knowledge in regards to the behavior of the stope. This paper describes the first time that this type of new innovative instrumented rockbolt technology had been used in a hard rock mining environment. Understanding of the physical deformation mechanisms of ground support in response to high stress conditions is the basis for an effective ground control strategy. The data played an important role in subsequent enhanced ground support system design at the mine and importantly, established the fact that the secondary pillar had not totally failed. Subsequent cavity monitor results helped establish that fact.

Jun 1, 2012

By WM. G. Heeley

This paper will describe the experience gained and explain the deductions made from the phenomenon of the great squeeze which occurred at Brule Mines. The first indication of the commencement of the squeeze was the breaking of posts on the high-side rib of the slope. At first we thought this was due to a lateral pressure only, and we renewed the broken posts with new ones, the result being that the new posts also were soon broken. A noticeable bending and breaking of the collars occurred, with a corresponding reduction in the height of the haulage slope. These symptoms were also evident on the counter above the slope, indicating that the trouble was of an exceptional nature. In the meantime, we had concentrated a large force of repair men, renewing broken timbers and brushing the roof and floor, but in spite of all our efforts we could not overtake the damage being done. Our next problem was to find the cause of this trouble. We were in a new basin of coal (No. 2) which had only been opened a few months, as we had worked the previous four years in another basin (No. 3) where no such trouble as this had ever been encountered. Naturally our first thought concerned the adequacy of the size of the pillars. We had worked in the No. 3 south basin for the previous four years. without any such experience, with 60-feet pillars between slope and counters; whereas we had established 100-foot pillars in the No. 2 south basin between the slopes and counters with an 80-foot pillar between counter and first line of cross-cuts, and 100-foot pillars between the breasts.

Jan 1, 1924

By G. S. Hume

THE Plains of east-central Alberta herein described embrace an area from Viking east to the Saskatchewan boundary and from North Saskatchewan river south to Coronation and Monitor (Figure 1). By far the greater part of this area is deeply drift-covered, and .outcrops of bedrock are relatively few and often widely separated. Within the area there are large morainal hills and others of considerable extent that superficially have all the characters of morainal hills but contain a core of bedrock. These latter, then, were hills when the ice sheet traversed the country and only have been modified by glacial agencies. In many places on them, the drift is but a thin veneer, as is certainly the case in part of the Neutral hills (Figure 2) northeast of Coronation and north of Monitor. In other cases, however, as in the Blackfoot hills, southwest of Lloydminster, the drift is sufficiently thick to conceal practically all the bedrock and in many places no information is available as to whether a bedrock core, representing a pre-glacial hill, is present. There is no question, however, that the larger river valleys, as for example those of the North Saskatchewan and Battle rivers, are in part at least pre-glacial. Proof of this can be demonstrated in many places, because obviously the valleys must have been present in pre-glacial times to allow glacial deposits to have accumulated in them. It is also known that inter-glacial deposits occur. At one locality in Battle River valley, in sec. 30, tp. 45, range 2, west of the 4th mer., the following section occurs( l ): 15 feet of boulder clay with granite and other boulders. 56 feet of stratified sands, clays, and gravels containing pebbles of Precambrian rocks and fresh-water shells. From this it is apparent that the 56 feet of stratified sands, clays, and gravels must have derived their Precambrian pebbles from a previous glaciation of which the overlying boulder clay represents another ice advance in this area. Thus, although the river valleys contain glacial and interglacial deposits, they have not been filled by them to such an extent that the drainage has been diverted, and in many places, especially in the case of Battle river and some smaller streams, the size of the valley is altogether out of proportion to the size of the stream it now contains.

Jan 1, 1937

By J. L. Llanca

The New Level Mine project (NLMP), the planned underground expansion of the El Teniente mine in Rancagua, Chile, is expected to reach a daily extraction rate of 137 to 180 ktpd upon achieving full capacity. Production is planned to start in the year 2017 and the current plan is to meet that target through two development phases, from the year 2012 to 2014 and from the year 2015 to 2017. To achieve the 2012 to 2014 underground development schedule, the ventilation requirements have been estimated in the range of 189 m3/s (400 kcfm), and cannot be made available without significant modifications to the current system of El Teniente. As a result, a certain number of alternatives were explored to find a solution to this shortfall, for example, adding raises to generate parallel airways and installing fans to reinforce the current ventilation system. From the alternatives studied, the installation of a second main fan (system) in parallel to an existing one was identified as the best solution, and selected for implementation, however the location was not ideal and there were concerns as to the operation of both fans once the second fan was installed. This paper presents the study used to estimate the operational points of both the current and the new fan, and to justify the parallel installation of the additional main fan. An additional computational fluid dynamics study was undertaken to validate the operational point, given the particular geometry of the fan?s location and placement, to guarantee a stable operation of the fans. Finally, the protocols arising out of this work for starting the fans, and operating them in parallel to avoid generating a stall condition and damaging the investment are discussed.

Aug 1, 2013

By Burns Sutherland

Although some mine hoisting systems incorporating steel wire ropes on drum hoists experience completely dependable performance on the hoist ropes for many years, other rope records illustrate an erratic behaviour pattern and, as such, become a source of concern to the operator. This paper describes the causes of the difficulties most commonly encountered and incorporates methods of providing preventative or corrective maintenance. When such a program is utilized wisely, within the allowable limits of shaft time available, it can be the means of avoiding many unforeseen circum-stances and of reducing operating costs, as well as rope costs, to a mini-mum.

Jan 1, 1970

By Waldemar W. Koczkodaj, William O. MacKasey

Abstract - A consistency-driven pairwise comparisons method for mineral potential assessment is presented, using a simplified case of volcanic-associated massive sulfide type deposits as an example. Geological, geochemical, and geophysical criteria are considered on two levels: local and regional. The local geological criteria are subdivided into stratigraphy, lithology, alteration and/or mineralization, and structure. The concept of geomerit index and a procedure for computing this index are introduced. The method of consistency-driven pairwise comparisons can be combined with other quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, enhancing them by incorporation of nonmeasurable geological criteria (e.g., stratigraphy or lithology) and by computation of weights. The consistency-driven approach allows experts to refine at-times subjective judgments concerning exploration and land-use planning, and contributes to the improvement of mineral-potential assessments.

Jan 1, 1997

By Waldemar W. Koczkodaj, William O. MacKasey

A consistency-driven pairwise comparisons method for mineral potential assessment is presented, using a simpli?ed case of volcanic-associated massive sul?de type deposits as an example. Geological, geochemical, and geophysical criteria are considered on two levels: local and regional. The local geological criteria are subdivided into stratigraphy, lithology, alteration and/or mineralization, and structure. The concept of geomerit index and a procedure for computing this index are introduced. The method of consistency-driven pairwise comparisons can be combined with other quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, enhancing them by incorporation of non-measurable geological criteria (e.g., stratigraphy or lithology) and by computation of weights. The consistency-driven approach allows experts to re?ne at-times subjective judgments concerning exploration and land-use planning, and contributes to the improvement of mineral-potential assessments.

Jan 1, 1997

By Paul Guliov

Industrial clays, including a variety of bentonites and kaolinbased clays in southern Saskatchewan are hosted by Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary sediments. Ofparticular significance are the deposits of swelling bentonite in the Cretaceous Bearpaw Formation and the kaolinitic clays of the Cretaceous Whitemud and Paleocene Ravenscrag Formations. Swelling bentonite is currently produced in the Wilcox-Truax area by Canadian Clay Products Inc. and yields at least seven different commercial products for a variety of applications. Kaolinitic plastic clays, including ball clay, stoneware and earthenware clay, as well as kaolin in southern Saskatchewan, have a long history of development and use. Products include common and face brick, refractory bricks and other shapes, chinaware, pottery, sewer pipe, chimney flue linings and tiles. Currently clay production is for out-of-province brick manufacturing and for pottery. Recent research and improved technology combined with expansion in certain areas of the global clay industry generally hold promise for a resurgence of a clay-based industry in Saskatchewan. Products of particular promise include: clay tiles; kaolin fillers and extenders; and aluminum as well as related by-products from kaolinitic clays based on the carbochlorination process.

Jan 1, 2001

By S. Mathieu, R. Mennillod-Blondin, P. Cousin, N. Valle, H. Bouzahzah, P. Marion

The gold deposit of the Lapa mine has a complex mineralogical gold state with coarse and fine native gold, aurostibite and submicroscopic gold within arsenopyrite. A specific mineralogical characterization of the refractory fraction was conducted combining various techniques such as optical microscopy, electron microscopy, electron microprobe and secondary ion mass spectrometry. In parallel, the mineral processing behaviour and the recovery of the refractory gold were studied by pressure oxidation and cyanide leaching. This paper presents the mineralogical methodology developed to characterize the refractory gold distribution within arsenopyrite. These results are presented and interpreted in order to plot gold recovery versus sulphide oxidation. The comparison of the metallurgical behaviour yields predicted from the mineralogical data and the one calculated from leaching tests shows a good agreement and allows mineralogical explanations of the gold metallurgical behaviour.

Jan 1, 2011

By A P. Powell

This paper deals with the power plant at Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd., Cassiar, B.C. It discusses the units installed in the plant, the distribution of power and the costs involved. The efficiencies and economics of this power plant are considered to be somewhat better than average. Introduction C ASSIAR Asbestos Corporation's power plant had its inception in 1952 with a 15-by 15-ft. log cabin containing two International Harvester diesel generator sets of 50 kw. total generating capacity. Over the years, it has grown to its present size -an 80 by 82 ft. by 35-ft.-high rigid-frame Butler building housing eight 2,300-volt diesel generating sets, a 2,300-volt distributing switchboard, a 550-volt auxiliary panel, three air compressors, six heat exchangers and other related equipment. The units in the power plant, numbered according to their order of placement, are rated as shown in Table I. The total generating capacity of the plant is 3,673 kw. All of the generators are of the open vertical design except that on No. 7 engine,

Jan 1, 1965

By Donald J. MacNeil

THE opinion, based upon geological knowledge, that certain areas within the Province of Nova Scotia might yield commercial quantities of petroleum, is not new. It dates back to at least 1864, when the Pioneer Oil and Salt Company drilled some shallow holes in search of oil near lake Ainslie, Cape Breton. As a matter of fact, several companies were engaged in oil exploratory work near lake Ainslie at about that time; included among them were the Inverness Oil and Mining Company, the Victoria Oil Company, the American Oil Company, and the Cape Breton Oil and Mining Company. Oil exploration by these and other companies was conducted sporadically on Cape Breton island until 1914. In several instances, the depth of the test holes exceeded 1,000 feet; the deepest was carried to 3,260 feet. The Lake Ainslie area was selected because oil seepages were present along certain sections of the lake shore, but the tests that were drilled to tap the oil-bearing zone failed to yield anything of commercial value. Currently, there are three areas in Nova Scotia wherein active exploratory work is being conducted, namely, at Pugsley Siding close to Amherst; at Kennetcook, Hants county; and near Mabou, Inverness county. The Pugsley Siding test is being drilled by the Sun Oil Company, of Philadelphia; the work at Kennetcook is under the direction of the Nova Scotia Oil and Gas Company; two relatively deep holes were drilled by the Lion Oil Refining Company in 1944 near Mabou, and, as a result of the additional geological information derived therefrom, another test probably will be drilled by this Company in the same area. Aside from these activities in the search for petroleum, the oil possibilities of several other sections of the Province are being studied by means of surface geological mapping.

Jan 1, 1945

By G. M. Hutt

Introduction The major development of industrial minerals in Manitoba has been in building materials. 'The building-stone industry is developed far beyond the needs of the Province, and the well known Tyndall limestone is marketed over a wide area throughout the other provinces to Canada. Similarly, gypsum and gypsum products are produced in excess of local requirements and are exported to adjacent provinces. The crushed-stone, sand and gravel, limestone, and lime industries are sufficiently developed to supply the needs of the Province and, notably in the case of lime and lime-stone, there is a surplus for export to the adjacent provinces and to the United States. The manufacture of common brick is well established, but for face-brick and other clay products the Province is dependent largely on importations. Production of silica-sand will increase as Canadian markets become available through recognition of the utility value of the Black Island sand as foundry-sand and for other purposes. There is some possibility of the export of feldspar, of lithium ore and concentrates, and perhaps of salt. A considerable part of the Province has not been seriously prospected for industrial minerals and it may be expected that, as time goes on, other deposits of non-metallic minerals will be discovered and opened up, especially as the prairie provinces become more industrialized. At the present time, there is some activity in the southern part of the Province based on gas and oil indications. Whatever may be the outcome of this work, it should yield valuable information concerning the geological structure of the area.

Jan 1, 1934

By N. Depountis, Th. Rondoyanni, N. Sabtakakis, K. Kavoura, G. Tsiambaos

"Some typical landslide phenomena in Western Greece, in terms of the geological composition and structure of the affected materials, induced by heavy rainfalls are thoroughly studied and analyzed. The studied cases involved composite landslides on Flysch and Neogene weak rock materials that constitute the most critical landslide prone geological formations in Greece. The studied cases named Platanos, Platanitis and Karya include representative landslide sites as regards to the geological composition and structure of the displaced formations. Thus: (a) flysch formation includes different lithological units as shales, marls, siltstones, sandstones and conglomerates and is closely related to the Alpine orogenesis, suffering intense past tectonic movements and (b) the Plio-Pleistocene sediments include clayey marls, marlstones and siltstones. The investigated landslides , affecting mainly transportation routes, are closely related to heavy rainfalls induced by extreme meteorological events and are controlled by active fault tectonics. Long term movement monitoring using borehole inclinometers and surface benchmarks showed that landslides control was effective only when the proper stabilization measures were taken.INTRODUCTIONLandslides represent a major threat to human life, property, infrastructure and natural environment in most regions of the world. They are recognized by the scientific and politic authorities as having a major socio-economic impact and they represent a significant hazard for the population and the properties in particular locations. Landslide hazard expressed as the probability of occurrence within a reference time period and is a function of the spatial and temporal probability (Varnes, 1984; Guzzetti et al. 1999; Lee and Jones, 2004). The spatial probability of landslide initiation (susceptibility) is mainly related to static causal factors (slope inclination, material properties, etc.), while temporal probability is mainly related to dynamic causal factors such as rain input, increased groundwater levels and drainage, earthquakes, etc. (Van Westen et al. 2005)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Richard A. McIvor

"All mine shaft conveyances in Canada and most of the United States that are supported by a single hoist rope or attachment point and used for transporting persons are required by regulation to be equipped with safety catches and mechanisms. These safety mechanisms, commonly called safety dogs, are designed to stop and hold a free falling conveyance, with a full personnel load, in the event of a hoist rope or attachment component failure. The conveyance’s safety mechanism must be tested under dynamic conditions before it is used to transport personnel. This paper will discuss free-fall testing and it’s results on conveyance free-fall tests performed in the test tower at INCO Limited, Sudbury, Ontario.Topics covered will be free-fall tests on various wood types such as B.C. fir, Karri wood and Trusjoist MacMillan Limited Parallamwood (PSL), comparison of deceleration rates versus free-fall velocity and the influence of safety dog tooth design on deceleration rates."

Jan 1, 1996

By R. W. Boyle

"The concept of using chemical methods in prospecting dates back at least to the middle of the 16th century. Modern methods of geochemical prospecting, however, based on secondary haloes and utilizing trace-element techniques, were first practised in the U.S.S.R. and the Scandinavian countries in the 1930's. After 1945, methods based on soils, stream sediments and vegetation were rapidly developed in the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Canada, France and other countries.The modern methods of geochemical prospecting owe their rapid development in the 20th century to the following:1.-Recognition of the primary and secondary dispersion haloes and trains that are associated with all mineral deposits. 2.-Development of accurate and rapid analytical methods utilizing the spectrograph and the various specific sensitive colorimetrie reagents, especially dithizone. 3.-Development of polyethylene laboratory ware of all types and the development of resins. This permitted greater freedom of field analyses and reduced the incidence of contamination.4.-Development of gas chromatography. This permitted the rapid and accurate determination of hydrocarbons in petroleum prospecting.Future research in geochemical prospecting should be focused on the following tasks: 1.-Definition of geochemical provinces and their relation to mineral deposits. 2.-Development of methods for discovering large low-grade deposits. 3.-Development of methods for discovering deeply buried deposits. 4.-Further development of methods to outline primary haloes. 5.-Eiucidation and formulation of techniques to relate the size and intensity of anomalies to the grade of the deposits. 6.-Development and refinement of biogeochemical methods, especially those based on indicator plants, chlorotic or toxic effects, and microbiological techniques. 7.-Definition of the types of primary and secondary haloes associated with accumulations of oil and gas."

Jan 1, 1967

By Robin Sheremeta

Fording Greenhills first acquired GPS (Global Positioning System) technology with the commissioning of a GPS-based dispatch system in December 1994. The second exposure to satellite technology came with the conversion of the conventional optical survey system to a high-resolution GPS system in June 1995. In September 1995,a GPS-based grade control system was tested on the largest shovel (Marion 301 — 58 cubic yard).In January 1996, the system was added to all of the cable shovels (2 P&H 2800s). All three applications of GPS at Greenhills are fully operational and producing positive results. This paper will focus on the practical application of GPS in a mining environment and the effect that GPS technology has had on the Greenhills Mine.

Jan 1, 1996

By Jim Excell, Jim Rothwell, Mike Rylati

"LocationThe Ekati Diamond mine is located at Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.Brief Description of OperationBHP Diamonds Inc. has developed Canada's first diamond mine in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. BHP Diamonds Inc. is part of the BHP World Minerals Division ofBHP Minerals. The project is a joint venture between manager and operator BHP (51%) and the Blackwater Group (49%). The Blackwater Group comprises Dia Met Minerals Limited, Charles Fipke and Stewart Blusson.Production at the NWT diamonds project began in October with the mine officially opened October 14, 1998. The project is situated on an 853 000 acre claim block located in the Lac de Gras region of the NWT. It is about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife and 100 km south of the Arctic Circle. The seasonal winter ice road to the Echo Bay Lupin mine passes along the eastern margin of the project area. This allows road access each year from mid-January to mid-April. For the remainder of the year, the project is accessible only by air.HistoryIn 1980, Charles Fipke traced indicator minerals east from the Mackenzie River area. He discovered indicator minerals in the Lac de Gras area and staked mineral claims in 1989. A joint venture was formed between BHP and Dia Met in 1990, and in 1991, the first diamonds in the NWT were discovered at Point Lake by BHP and Dia Met. This initiated the largest staking rush in Canadian history. The joint venture launched an aggressive exploration program.Koala, Fox, and Leslie were identified in 1992 as potentially economic pipes.As soon as the project's potential was established, it was recognized that an enormous amount of work had to be completed in several areas before a mine could be developed, namely: technical evaluation of the resources; environmental and socio-economic evaluation to procure the necessary permits for the development; and engineering design to optimize mining and processing of the resource and to comply with specific environmental requirements."

Jan 1, 2000

By D. R. Nagaraj, Napoleon Tercero, Raymond Farinato

"Dialkyl dithiophosphinates are a unique class of collectors used in the flotation processing of Cu- Au, complex polymetallic, and precious metal ores. They are known to exhibit higher selectivity and flotation rates for Cu sulfides, galena, and precious metal values in the presence of other gangue sulfides, than the traditionally used collectors such as dialkyl dithiophosphates and xanthates. They also have an attractive HSE profile. Historically, for most reagents used in flotation, practical methods of chemical usage have preceded detailed scientific understanding of how they work; this applies also to dithiophosphinates. Recently, however, the research community has shown significant interest in this chemistry, and numerous studies have been conducted to understand the fundamentals of interactions of dithiophosphinates with several base metal sulfides and precious metals. A critical overview of fundamental studies, laboratory ore flotation, and plant practice of dithiophosphinates is given in this paper. The findings from these studies are rationalized by drawing on concepts and insights from coordination chemistry. A comparison between the interactions of dithiophosphinates and dithiophosphate analogues with various minerals and metals is also made throughout. We believe that such a critical analysis/overview will be invaluable in identifying gaps in knowledge regarding this important set of compounds, which in turn may provide a basis for the design of studies that can advance understanding of their flotation performance. INTRODUCTIONDialkyl dithiophosphinates are an important member of the class of thiophosphorus compounds that are widely used in flotation beneficiation of base metal sulfide and precious metals ores. Ore flotation studies and plant practice experience have demonstrated their unique properties compared to the traditionally used sulfide collectors such as dialkyl dithiophosphates (their closest analogues) and xanthates. The predominant dialkyl dithiophosphinate used in the industry today is sodium diisobutyl dithiophosphinate (a.k.a. DIBDTPi; AEROPHINE® 3418A1 introduced by American Cyanamid in the late 1970s; Figure 1). The widest application of AEROPHINE 3418A is found in complex polymetallic ores of Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag, Pb-Zn-Ag, and Cu-Zn where it has demonstrated improved recoveries (and flotation rates) of sulfide minerals of Cu, Pb and Ag and selectivity against sphalerite, iron sulfides, and penalty elements (Mingione, 1991). More recently, it has also been used as a collector in the processing of Cu, Cu-Ni, and Ni ores (Guitard et al., 2015) and Cu-Au ores (Dunne, 2005). In general, it is considered to possess the collecting power of xanthates together with the selectivity (against pyrite) of dithiophosphates (Hope et al., 2003a, 2003b), while requiring lower dosages than those reagents (Guitard et al., 2015). AEROPHINE® 3418A has also found an important place in several targeted formulations to improve flotation performance. Other benefits of this reagent include higher flotation rates, having a better HSE (health, safety and environmental) profile2 compared to xanthate, and exhibiting resistance to hydrolysis and oxidation (Guitard et al., 2015). Compared to diisobutyl dithiophosphate (DIBDTP), which is known to contribute significantly to frothing (often leading to over-frothing), AEROPHINE® 3418A is observed to be froth neutral (i.e. it does not alter the existing froth characteristics). As is the case for other flotation reagents, the design and application of AEROPHINE® 3418A has preceded understanding of its behavior at a fundamental level. Recently, there have been numerous fundamental and application studies designed to develop a better understanding of its interaction with sulfide minerals and precious metals. This should help in optimizing its application in flotation and provide a basis to better rationalize its unique selectivity and activity characteristics. Past studies on the interacti"

Jan 1, 2016