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By D. R. Reeves

This paper describes the geophysical Jogging of coal that is being carried out for the National Coal Board in the United Kingdom. An explanation of the technique is given and results are presented showing estimations of seam thickness to within ±0.5 in. and ash content to accuracies of ±2.5 per cent. The basic method of interpretation is outlined and some conclusions regarding the conditions of roof and floor material which may be deduced from the logs are explained. An indication of future developments in this field, including the identification of coal type and moisture content, is given.

Jan 1, 1971

By E. Ozberk, N. Gibson, W. G. Davenport

"In the 1950s, Canada produced more than ninety-five percent of the non-communist world's nickel and achieved dominance in terms of production, technology and pricing policies.Over the past thirty years there have been dramatic changes in the nickel industry to the extent that Canadian production is now less than thirty per cent of the total.In this document we have presented statistics relevant to this transformation and reviewed the technology, particularly with regards to energy and environmental considerations.Under the new market conditions nickel producers are likely to face more difficult competition than they have encountered in the past.The economic scene and measured nickel reserves dictate that for the purpose of increasing production, new nickel smelters will not be built in Canada in the foreseeable future. However, in order to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions, Canadian nickel smelters will possibly go through some modifications or rebuilding.IntroductionThis paper presents a review of the Canadian nickel industry in relation to the world nickel industry. Major changes are described which have occurred in the characteristics of the nickel market over the last thirty years. The pre sent status of the nickel market with respect to Forecasting future trends is reviewed and attempts are made to predict what further changes will take place in the next two decades. Comparisons are made of the economics of producing nickel from sulphide ores and oxide ores and the advantages and disadvantages the Canadian nickel producers face.A brief critique of the existing and emerging nickel production technologies in Canada and the world is carried out and attempts are mad e to predict the changes which may take place in the foreseeable future."

Jan 1, 1983

By Hajime Miki, Gde Pandhe Wisnu Suyantara, Shigeto Kuroiwa, Eri Takida, Tsuyoshi Hirajima, Masashi Yamane, Yuji Imaizumi, Mitsuru Sawada, Keiko Sasaki

Selective flotation of molybdenite and chalcopyrite using various oxidation treatments (i.e., ozone treatment, hydrogen peroxide, and Fenton-like reagent) was studied in this work. It was found that ozone treatment produced a depressing effect on both minerals, resulting in a lower separation of both minerals. On the other hand, oxidation treatment using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Fenton-like reagent could deliver selective oxidation on chalcopyrite surface and depress its floatability. However, bench-scale copper- molybdenum (Cu-Mo) flotation tests show that oxidation treatment using H2O2 required a higher dosage of H2O2 and a longer treatment time in order to deliver comparable flotation results to that of conventional Cu- Mo flotation using NaHS treatment. On the contrary, Fenton-like reagent could deliver selective Cu-Mo flotation results comparable to that of NaHS treatment at a lower dosage of H2O2 and a shorter conditioning time. Contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis were employed to understand the depressing mechanism of these oxidation treatments. It was found that the chalcopyrite surface covered by various oxidation products that render the surface hydrophilic. Meanwhile, the surface of molybdenite was slightly oxidized, making the surface remained hydrophobic. INTRODUCTION Molybdenite (MoS2), the main source of molybdenum, is associated with copper sulfide minerals, mainly chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), as a trace mineral. Molybdenite is a valuable mineral and plays an important role in making the copper-molybdenum (Cu-Mo) processing plant economically viable (Laskowski, Castro, & Ramos, 2013). Therefore, it is important to recover molybdenite efficiently and effectively and separate it from copper minerals. Conventional separation of copper and molybdenum minerals is usually carried out in selective Cu- Mo flotation process using a copper depressant (i.e., sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), Noke’s reagent, or cyanides) (Ansari & Pawlik, 2007; Bulatovic, 2007). However, this process still suffers due to imperfect molybdenum recovery. Moreover, the copper depressants use in this process are toxic and harmful to the environment. As alternative, various methods have been developed to replace these toxic and hazardous depressants, for example, by synthesizing new non-toxic or low-toxic depressants or by using various oxidation methods such as sodium hypochlorite in an alkaline medium, manganese dioxide, oxygen, and plasma pre-treatment (United States Patent Office Patent No. US 2559104 A, 1951; Patent No. US2238250 A, 1941; Barzyk, Malysa, & Pomianowski, 1981; Hirajima et al., 2014). However, the oxidation phenomenon and mechanisms are still not clear since detailed surface analyses have not done and the plasma pre-treatment method is facing technical issues for industrial scale application.

Jan 1, 2019

By T. Richard Davies

This paper primarily deals with the application of wearfacing materials and their role within a well-established preventive maintenance welding program. Some examples are shown, as well as a synopsis of possible benefits and a compendium of methods and materials.

Jan 1, 1979

By N. Bakhshizadeh

In this investigation, the aging effect on creep behavior of A12024-10%SiC composite fabricated by powder metallurgy was studied. P/M bars were manufactured by hot powder extrusion method at 450°C with a ratio of 16 to 1. Creep specimens were over-aged at 187 ºC for 43 h. It was found that almost full density composite with relatively homogenous distribution of reinforcing particles throughout the aluminum alloy matrix could be attained by direct powder extrusion process. Creep tests were conducted at temperatures from 275 to 325°C under stresses from 25 to 60 MPa. The analysis of the creep mechanism determined that dislocation glide was the predominant mechanism of plastic deformation. The activation energy of the creep process was found to be higher than that of lattice self-diffusion in pure aluminum.

Jan 1, 2007

By W. L. Ott, C. L. Lewis

"AbstractA technique is described for preparation of palladium sponge and for spectrochemical analysis of the metal in this form. The precision and accuracy of the method are discussed. Analyses are compared with previous spectrochemical analyses of palladium in the black form. Good agreement was found in the two sets •of results and it is concluded that they are more reliable than wet chemical .analyses of the same material.IntroductionFOR SEVERAL YEARS the problem of platinum metal analysis by spectrochemical methods has been under investigation at the Spedtrographic Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University. The problem, briefly -stated, is as follows: Samples of platinum, palladium,-rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium are received as fine metal powders, called sponge. Direct spectrographic analysis of this material has not been found satisfactory due to its heterogeneity •as regards contaminant metals, which may be present up to a total of one per •cent or more. Further-more, spectrographic standards are difficult to obtain and difficult to prepare accurately by adding weighed portions of contaminant metals to the sponge. The fact that •contaminant metals in original samples are probably alloyed with the major constituent is a further difficulty since complete fusion of these refractory metals proved impractical in the present case as a means of standard preparation. It •has, therefore, been found most satisfactory to dissolve the metals, prepare standards by addition of solutions of contaminant metals, and to reduce both standards and samples to a homogeneous form. A previous paper, by Hawley, Wark, Lewis and Ott (2) dealt with a method for spectrochemical analysis of platinum and palladium in their black form. Since completion of research on the black technique, the possibility of analyzing palladium accurately in its sponge form has• been investigated."

Jan 1, 1953

By C. R. Hocott

"IntroductionRESEARCH in petroleum production consists primarily in investigations related to the drilling for and recovery of oil. As an organized activity of individual oil companies, production research is now 30 to 35 years old, and the petroleum industry may point with justifiable pride to the achievements of this third of a •century. Emphasis on research has grown through the years until at the present time many of the larger companies operating in the United States •have well-organized production research staffs.In addition to the efforts of the oil companies, significant research and development in petroleum production technology have been performed by oilfield service companies and others. Valuable contributions have been made through fundamental research carried on by the U. S. Bureau of Mines and by various colleges and universities, both in their own programmes and in programmes sponsored by industry, such as those of the American Petroleum Institute. However, the total effort of these groups is small when compared to the sum of the effort devoted to research by the individual .oil companies. In contrast to some industries which conduct the major portion of their research through co-operative, sponsored research at universities or research institutions, research by the petroleum industry is done predominantly by individual company research staffs. These industrial research groups have usually been organized in such a way as to provide liaison and co-ordination with operating technical staffs. In this way, the research groups are kept aware of the major problems confronting the operating departments and, correspondingly, the operating technical people •are able to keep informed on research activity and progress. This type of close contact generally results in prompt testing of research developments in actual operations."

Jan 1, 1953

By H. J. Handewith

"After having performed qualitative and quantitative tests on nearly 550 rock specimens from tunnel projects throughout the world and comparing the results with actual boring in eight distinctly different rock types which varied in compressive strength from 12,000 to over 34,000 psi, it has been concluded that any rock -andesite, granite and even taconite -can be machine-bored. The question is -can it be bored economically? The intent of this paper is to delineate the investigative needs to accurately and reliably answer this question. A piece of NX core in the hand represents less than 50 per cent of the worthwhile geologic information that could have been obtained from a given core hole. A thorough site investigation by competent personnel can gene-rally foretell to what extent, if any, varying geologic conditions will hinder machine progress.A laboratory testing technique has been developed that has been correlated well (80 to 120 per cent) with actual boring results. This technique will be discussed in detail. Rock cutter life is a function of the penetration rate and the forces required to sustain that rate. Cutters are now, and will be for .some time to come, the single, most expensive consumable item involved in continuous tunneling in hard rock. It is by strict attention to predicting these rates and forces that tunneling costs can be optimized."

Jan 1, 1970

By J. A. H. Church

My paper entitled "Spontaneous Combustion of Coal in Mines;" read some time ago before this Branch, consisted chiefly of extracts from the British Blue Book dealing with the same subject. Fallowing my article, Mr. de Hart submitted a paper dealing with the application of existing methods of working in Alberta to the conditions obtaining in our bituminous mines. I must confess that the perusal of his paper did not enlighten me either as to what might be a method preferable to those in vogue or even to Mr. de Hart's ideas on the subject, nor did the ensuing discussion of Mr. de Hart's paper afford any great clarification of the problem. The outstanding idea, supplied by Mr. Dick, seemed to be that a retreating system could not be employed, as no operator would feel justified in risking the capital necessary to driving to the boundary when the whole might be jeopardized by a fire breaking out in the waste. That a fire would break out in the waste of any adit-level working seemed to be conceded by all, and with that I agree; that an ignited waste could not be safely sealed off by means of stoppings in a coal barrier-pillar appeared to be the contention of Mr. Dick, or perhaps he attributed this idea to the Mines Branch-anyhow, it seemed to loom over the discussion like a miasma. With this aspect I do not agree, as ? reliance is placed wholly on stoppings in the thick seams of South Staffordshire, even in fiery mines. In the thick coal at Exhall colliery, or elsewhere in Warwickshire (34 feet 4 inches) containing hard and soft coal in layers, a fire assuming serious proportions is sealed off. By the way, retreating long-wall methods are employed. In Fifeshire, sealing off fire in the Dysart mine has been accomplished successfully. The seam averages about 20 feet thick.

Jan 1, 1924

By J. R. Meyer, P. L. Dean

"The Department of Mines and Energy is at present investigating the dimension-stone potential of the Nain anorthosite complex. These rocks are known to host occurrences of labradorite, a semiprecious gemstone known for its beautiful play of colours (chatoyance). Test blocks that contain 5% to 18% chatoyant labradorite were extracted from three prospects south of Nain. These have been slabbed and polished for further evaluation.Second-grade labradorite stockpiled around the Grenfell quarry on Tabor Island is also being evaluated as a potential source of aggregate for use in terrazzo tiles, precast concrete and epoxy-backed wall panels.IntroductionThe Nain anorthosite complex consists of approximately 10000 km2 of anorthosite and related basic rocks , which are well exposed along the coast of Northern Labrador (Fig. 1) (Emslie et al., 1972). These rocks have been known for centuries to host deposits of gem-quality labradorite. The chatoyant nature (i.e. the play of colours or labradorescence) of this semiprecious feldspar has been utilized mostly in the making of jewelry and other polished, handcrafted products. In the early sixties, Brinex Limited (now Brinco Limited) attempted larger scale commercial exploitation of labradorite, including use 'as building stone and in polished precast concrete for facings on buildings' (Brummer, 1984). After six years of work, which included market studies, Brinex decided that, at that time, the demand did not warrant further production.In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the markets for dimension-stone. In the period from 1980 to 1985, the demand in the United States for granite, much of which is imported, has increased 1735070 (Marble Institute of America, 1986). The dimension-stone industry's remarkable growth rate has, in part, resulted from new technology that makes it easier and faster to quarry and cut stone. This has allowed natural storie to compete with other building materials. Now, it is not only used for exterior cladding and walkways, but also on interior walls and floors, and in home and office furnishings, such as countertops for kitchens and bathrooms, table and desk tops, stairways, window sills, and fireplaces."

Jan 1, 1988

By J. R. Meyer, P. L. Dean

"The Department of Mines and Energy is at present investigating the dimension-stone potential of the Nain anorthosite complex. These rocks are known to host occurrences of labradorite, a semiprecious gemstone known for its beautiful play of colours (chatoyance). Test blocks that contain 5% to 18% chatoyant labradorite were extracted from three prospects south of Nain. These have been slabbed and polished for further evaluation.Second-grade labradorite stockpiled around the Grenfell quarry on Tabor Island is also being evaluated as a potential source of aggregate for use in terrazzo tiles, precast concrete and epoxy-backed wall panels.IntroductionThe Nain anorthosite complex consists of approximately 10000 km2 of anorthosite and related basic rocks , which are well exposed along the coast of Northern Labrador (Fig. 1) (Emslie et al., 1972). These rocks have been known for centuries to host deposits of gem-quality labradorite. The chatoyant nature (i.e. the play of colours or labradorescence) of this semiprecious feldspar has been utilized mostly in the making of jewelry and other polished, handcrafted products. In the early sixties, Brinex Limited (now Brinco Limited) attempted larger scale commercial exploitation of labradorite, including use 'as building stone and in polished precast concrete for facings on buildings' (Brummer, 1984). After six years of work, which included market studies, Brinex decided that, at that time, the demand did not warrant further production.In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the markets for dimension-stone. In the period from 1980 to 1985, the demand in the United States for granite, much of which is imported, has increased 1735070 (Marble Institute of America, 1986). The dimension-stone industry's remarkable growth rate has, in part, resulted from new technology that makes it easier and faster to quarry and cut stone. This has allowed natural storie to compete with other building materials. Now, it is not only used for exterior cladding and walkways, but also on interior walls and floors, and in home and office furnishings, such as countertops for kitchens and bathrooms, table and desk tops, stairways, window sills, and fireplaces."

Jan 1, 1988

By A. W. Jolliffe

DESPITE the widespread occurrence of scheelite in Canada, domestic production of this strategic mineral is still quite insufficient to meet wartime needs. Two difficulties have invariably arisen in prospecting for or developing scheelite deposits: scheelite is a difficult mineral to identify, and secondly, its distribution is commonly so erratic that the value of a deposit cannot be determined without arduous and expensive methods of sampling and wet assay. Scheelite's property of fluorescing under certain ultra-violet lamps overcomes the first difficulty and is the basis for a quantitative method developed to overcome the second. It is found that, by use of an ultra-violet lamp, the value of many scheelite deposits may be accurately and speedily determined. The method requires neither elaborate apparatus nor exceptional skill on the part of the operator, and is most applicable to those deposits where the bulk of the scheelite occurs in fairly pure aggregates that are at least one-tenth of an inch across. It has been used in grading some two hundred scheelite-bearing veins in the Yellow-knife-Beaulieu region, Northwest Territories, and various occurrences in the Porcupine district, Ontario. The method requires the measurement of the total area of scheelite exposed in any reasonably large measured cross-section of a deposit. From the areal percent of scheelite so obtained, the tungstic oxide (WO,) content of that part of the deposit may be calculated by means of equations of simple derivation.

Jan 1, 1942

By John S. Stevenson

Zeballos mining camp is on the west coast of Vancouver island; 195 nautical miles northwest from Victoria.; The spectacularly rich gold-bearing veins that made Zeballos an important; gold camp were found early in 1934. Small pockets of very coarse; gold had been found earlier under large boulders at the mouth of Spud; creek; and in the autumn of 1933 rich gold-quartz float was found near the; mouth of the creek. The rocky beds of the steep creeks entering Spud creek; were searched for its source and as a result the veins on the White Star property; were found. The Goldfield vein on the Spud Valley property was discovered; in 1935; and the No. 1 vein on the Privateer in 1936. In the general; prospecting activity that quickly followed; other veins were found; not; only in Spud creek but in other creeks draining into Zeballos river.

Jan 1, 1954

By Edgar L. Horner

"The objectives of the Wabush Mines tailings stabilization program are to control dust Ii/t-off and to rehabilitate the disposal area. The evolution of the program started with test plots in 1970, these being continued and expanded upon through 1974. In 1976, a 35-acre vegetation field trial was attempted and failed, part of the failure being attributed to lack of adequate equipment. Subsequently, equipment was purchased and during the summer of 1979-80 extensive areas were treated. The program was also expanded to include the evaluation of chemical and water spray stabilization versus vegetation in areas where shorter-term control is required. In addition, during the summers of 1979-80, spruce bog material was spread over about 100 acres and seeded.The approach to reclamation by vegetation at Wabush is one of soil building. Work to this point indicates that iron ore tailings can be converted to a soil capable of supporting plants. Plans for the Wabush tailings disposal area should make dust lift-off from inactive tailings areas negligible within the next few years."

Jan 1, 1981

By Ursula M. Franklin

Old iron nails are one of the most common objects which entice the general public to ask questions about the history of metallurgy. There is a lot of history in old nails - history of the manufacturing industry, and social and economic history. Nails, therefore, are fine teaching tools; whether students have to acquire metallurgical skills or explore the structure and properties of wrought iron, whether they want to look into the history of inventions and the development of machinery, studying nails tells a story better than any teacher or any book. I have used this approach often and the following note is based on several student projects, particularly the work of Carmina Herrero and Vicky Marchant. Nails, those essential metallic fasteners, have long been with us. Their size, shape and design is basically a compromise between the makers' ability to control and manipulate material and the demands of the intended application. There were copper and bronze nails in antiquity, but in this paper I want to deal only with iron nails. In Rome, iron nails were common, and Cleere carried out the fine metallographic investigations on a large stock of nails recovered from a Roman fort site in Scotland. Those nails were hand forged; sorting them at the site on the basis of length, shape of head and shape of shank (in cross section) indicated that there seemed to have been some nail standardization. It appears that the Roman smiths used a series of heading dies starting with a 1/s-in. size. Each successive size increased by approximately 1/16-in. The metallographic inspection of the microstructures of the nails showed that the smaller nails were made in the one operation; i.e. both the tapering and the formation were accomplished on the heated rod without reheating. However, in the case of the larger nails, the nail had to be reheated for the tapering after the head had been forged. Most nails were tapered on all four sides of the shank and the shanks were square in cross section; only one group had rounded shanks. Most heads were flat disks, but in one group the heads were pyramids and another group had conic heads. Figure 1 shows the procedure used to produce the pyramidal heads. Obviously, Roman nail making was sophisticated and each nail design was meant for a particular use.

Jan 1, 1999

By Lucas G. Thompson

My topic, "The Administration of Mineral Rights'.' is possibly an unusual one, as it deals with a subject upon which many of us have a more than passing interest, I thought ?it might prove consistent with the objects of this meeting, more especially as I propose to deal, not with those broad subjects of nation-wide importance which are often the subject'? of learned (and sometimes futile) academic discussion, but rather with problems in their practical light. To the scientist, the important question is What is it? to the technician, Can it be utilized? to the business-man, Will it pay? All three questions are important, and so quick has been the march of business on the heels of science? that the one question follows the other with astonishing rapidity and all three must be considered in the modern management of a mineral estate. A .good illustration of the force of this can be found in the recent advance of our knowledge of the element helium in which we have advanced from a solution of the first question to the last question in the short period of 55 years. It is to be borne in mind, however, that in the administration of mineral rights, the question "Will it pay?:' is of primary importance. What forms a mineral estate ? A former practice in western Canada in selling lands was to sell the hair with the hide. All transactions sold the lands in fee simple, which included all mines, minerals and rights and privileges whatsoever, excluding only the royal metals, gold and silver, which by imputation, though not by specific reference, in deeds. of title are reserved to the Crown. At that time the country was in the first ?stages of settlement and the value of our mineral resources was hardly appreciated and little understood.

Jan 1, 1923

By W. Standifird

"Cohesive fracture is a mechanical model widely used for modeling quasi-brittle fracture in rocklike materials. This work discusses use of this model to simulate quasi-brittle fractures generated by injection stimulation during the process of cuttings reinjection in West Africa. Cuttings reinjection is an engineering practice used for disposal of drilling waste. During this process, hydraulic fractures are created at the target formation and milled cuttings are injected with fluid. In practice, this process must remain in compliance with environmental regulations and zero-discharge policies. The purpose of this study is to determine the following factors of injection design for a field in West Africa: (1) pumping pressure capacity required to successfully perform the injection and (2) the injection rate for injection performance and the value of fracture width under injection.A simplified three-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) was built. A poroelastic plastic damage model was used for simulation of the cohesive crack prorogation within the target formation. For simplicity, fracture development in both horizontal and vertical directions was simulated separately. In this way, the computational burden for one calculation was reduced to a reasonably low level, without losing accuracy of the model. Loads of the model include fluid injection and gravity, which balances the initial geostress field. Various values of injection rate were used in these calculations to determine the most reasonable value of injection pressure. The capacity of pressure of a pumping device was determined using this optimized value of injection pressure.Results in values of width and length of fractures created by the injection are presented. Injection pressures at bottom-hole (BHP) corresponding to each value of injection rate are also given. Numerical results for fracture generation and propagation in a horizontal direction were visualized. The pumping pressure capacity required to fulfill the cuttings reinjection work was determined based on the numerical results of optimized injection rates and pressure. The fracture width was determined using the given pumping pressure. The length and height of the fractures was determined using pumping pressure along with the required volume of cuttings waste to be disposed of into the formation.This work presents a case study of 3D finite element modeling of hydraulic fracturing generated by cuttings reinjection. The results of the optimized injection rate and pressure provide a best practice and a useful reference for cuttings reinjection analyses in this region."

Jan 1, 2015

By T. E. Warren, K. W. Bowles

"IntroductionTHE PROBLEM of producing synthetic liquid fuels from coal and other raw materials is of increasing importance in Canada as well as in the United States. This is due, to a large extent, to the continually increasing demand for gasoline and other liquid products which are now obtained solely from petroleum. The United States has reached a position where domestic supplies of crude petroleum must be augmented by imports and Canada is still a long way from self-sufficiency. In the event of war, there might well be an immediate need to find supplementary sources of liquid fuels. It is, therefore, expedient to consider alternative sources of production now -well in advance of the time when supplies of petroleum may prove inadequate to meet requirements.The purpose of the present paper is to give a short review of the history of liquid fuel production from coal, to describe briefly the research sponsored by the Federal Government on the coal hydrogenation process, and finally to evaluate the present status and future trend of the synthetic fuel industry, with special reference to necessary research work.History of the Oil-From-Coal IndustryThe history -of coal liquefaction began in 1913, in Germany, with the work of Frederick Bergius. His first approach to the subject was not deliberately planned."

Jan 1, 1952

By M. Lytle

"The Corbin area of southeastern British Columbia has been a coal mining area since 1908. Byron Creek Collieries Ltd. Has operated its Coal Mountain Mine in this area from 1974 until the present. In February 1981, this company was purchased by Esso Resources Canada Ltd.Coal Mountain is structurally complex and standard computer algorithms are not applicable to model the overturned synclinal structures and faulted bedding surfaces. This paper discusses two approaches used by Esso Resources staff to model the geology of Coal Mountain.The first approach projects digitized cross-section data along trend to develop a large data base which correctly approximates the shape of the structure. The spatial orientation of the structure is corrected by merging the generated data set with drill-hole data. The second approach uses digitized cross-section and bench-plan geology to generate a block model of the coal reserve.HistoryThe Coal Mountain Mine, also known as the Corbin Mine of Byron Creek Collieries Ltd. is located 24 kilometres south of Highway 3 in southeastern B.C.In 1905, two American businessmen recognized the coal potential of the area during a horseback tour. The two businessmen, D.C. Corbin and E.J. Roberts, formed the Corbin Coal and Coke Co. to mine and market coal from their newly acquired 6075 hectares of coal licenses. By 1908, the town of Corbin was under construction, a 22.4-km rail spur was constructed from the mine to the main CPR line and the first underground mine began to produce coal. An open-pit operation was also developed at the 1828-metre elevation using a steam shovel loading into rail cars. The company operated continuously until 1935, when a lengthy strike forced suspension of operations.In 1943, the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company Ltd. (now known as Cominco Ltd.) operated two surface mines to produce coal for its smelters at Kimberley and Trail, B.C. This operation ceased in 1948."

Jan 1, 1982

By Sarah Belair, Gauthier Deblonde, Valerie Weigel, Alexandre Chagnes, Gerard Cote

"Niobium and tantalum are strategic metals for electronic and alloys industries. They are produced by pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy but most of the niobium and tantalum production processes are not environmentally friendly. For instance, in the hydrometallurgical route, niobium and tantalum separation can only be achieved by liquid-liquid extraction in the presence of hydrofluoric acid by taking advantage of the difference in niobium(V) and tantalum(V) speciation in fluoride-based media. Therefore, the environmental footprint of hydrometallurgical processes for the production of niobium and tantalum could be clearly lowered by replacing HF or NH4F by greener media such as alkaline solutions in which high solubility of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) can be achieved.The development of such new efficient and environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical processes requires a fine description of the physicochemistry of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) in alkaline solutions. Unfortunately, literature data show a huge discrepancy on niobium(V) and tantalum(V) speciation in such media. This paper gives a brief overview of the niobium(V)-tantalum(V) production processes and paves the way to the development of alternative processes in alkaline media by presenting and discussing recent advances in the physicochemistry of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) in these media.INTRODUCTIONNiobium and tantalum are strategic metals since they are used for the production of alloys and super alloys, capacitors and magnets in strategic industries such as electronic, aeronautics and automobile. The main sources of niobium and tantalum are given in Table 1."

Jan 1, 2016