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By C. E. Cairnes

The Slocan mining camp in Kootenay district; British Columbia; has long been noted for the great number of its silver-bearing deposits; and for the success that has; in many instances; attended their development. The orebearing area lies east of Slocan lake and mainly within a radius of 6 to 8 miles of the mining town of Sandon. Within this limited area 135 or more properties have shipped ore in quantities of from 100 tons or less to more than 500; 000 tons; and with a total value in silver; lead; and zinc ranging from a few hundred dollars to well over $10; 000; 000. Of the three metals; silver has easily ranked first in value; with lead second and zinc third. Zinc production; however; made slow progress in the early years; and with . the exception of the Lucky Jim mine; and a few others where high-grade ore could be readily hand-sorted; was a detriment to the silver-lead ores until improved methods of separation enabled it to take an important place in the mineral production of the Slocan.

Jan 1, 1954

By Gheorghe Vieru

Security and safety due to environmental impact as well as the radiological consequences during the uranium mining operations, tailings management, uranium processing, disposal of waste in conventional landfill sites are matters of great importance. The Uranium National Company (CNU) from Romania is responsible for all aspects belonging to the management of the entire Romanian uranium industry- the uranium ore extraction, transport and processing of uranium ore, concentrates processing, as well as disposal of sterile ore and waste. The paper will presents specific safety problems related to the identification and evaluation of potential environmental risks, as well as possible radiological consequences associated with the disposal of sterile and the uranium processing waste resulting from processing of the uranium ore. Computer codes will be used, such as IAEA INTERTRAN II and RADTRAN 5. It is also to be noted that this paper considers the main results of the scientific research carried out by the main author as CSI (Chief Scientific Investigator) for Romanian Research Contract on NORM concluded with IAEA Vienna.

Aug 1, 2010

By . A. C. Atenas

Control of arsenic in the Potrerillos' Refinery electrolyte has been obtained by withdrawing a bleed stream of circulating electrolyte and ensuring the ratio of [O]/[As] in the cast anodes is maintained between 0.9 and 1.0. In order to achieve this control the anode oxygen must be adjusted, depending on the arsenic level in the cast anodes. It has been necessary to modify the time of the reduction step in the anode furnace refining process. Control of this ratio has permitted electro refining of anodes with high levels of arsenic, up to 3000 ppm, while minimizing the volume of electrolyte that must be removed for impurity control so as not to affect the copper concentration in the electrolyte. However this control strategy is not useful when the arsenic concentration in the cast anode is too high, because it is limited by the maximum oxygen concentration allowable for a good quality anodic. Costs have been reduced in anode furnace refining because it is no longer necessary to use alkaline flux injection to remove the arsenic in cast anodes.

Jan 1, 2007

By M. C. Bluteau, G. P. Demopoulos

Arsenic reports in the effluents of many non-ferrous metallurgical operations. The production of scorodite, a crystalline ferric arsenate, is considered as an attractive option for the fixation of arsenic from aqueous effluents. However, scorodite solubility and long-term stability in the pH region of interest for tailings disposal have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study the long-term stability of scorodite in the pH 5 to 9 region and the mechanism of scorodite dissolution were studied. Construction of eh-pH diagrams indicated that scorodite stability is highly dependant on the nature (stability) of co-existing iron-hydroxide/oxyhydroxide. It was also found that when scorodite dissolves, a ferrihydrite phase having very small particles size (nano-scale) forms and that the growth and crystallization of this material are delayed by the presence of arsenate even under accelerated (75°C) ageing conditions. Around neutral pH and ambiant temperature (22°C) scorodite seems to reach an equilibrium with ferrihydrite after 48 weeks yielding soluble arsenic concentrations < 5 ppm.

Jan 1, 2004

By Lorna Ortiz-Soto

A series of titiania- and silica-supported Au, Pt and Pt-Au catalysts prepared through different synthetic routes have been investigated in terms of their structural properties, adsorption of CO, and catalytic activity for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by propylene and the oxidation of and CO. Catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation from individual Pt and Au precursors, exhibited characteristics very similar to those of monometallic Pt catalysts. This behavior is consistent with a model in which the two metals remain segregated due to their miscibility gap, and only Pt participates in the adsorption of CO and the reactions under consideration. In contrast, catalysts prepared from a Pt2Au4(C=CtBu)8 organo-bimetallic cluster precursor exhibited different behavior both in terms of CO adsorption and their catalytic activity for the three reactions examined. The combination of the kinetic, spectroscopic and structural characterization data suggests that in this case Pt and Au remain intimately mixed in the form of Pt-Au bimetallic particles, and that the presence of Au modifies the behavior of Pt.

Oct 1, 2003

By Owen Owens, W. P. Armstrong

The process of arriving at the size and grade of: (a) a newly-discovered body of mineralization, (b) a potential ore resource, (c) an orebody proposed for mining, or (d) the ore reserves in a mine, requires fundamental geological, and geometrical determinations as well as physical and chemical analyses. This paper outlines geological and geometrical features considered critical, in the authors&apos; experience, in realistic reserve determination. These are discussed under the headings "The Four Cs". They include the Character, type or nature of the mineralization; the Continuity of various types of mineralization in the deposit; various key concerns in the Calculation besides the mathematics; and the Classification section which refers to basic considerations in classifying a mineral estimate. It is suggested that the responsibility for the calculation of a Resource or Reserve should be that of a geologist experienced in the ore type under review. Further, it should be the responsibility of the board of directors of the company owning the deposit to ensure that a sufficiently experienced person is chosen to carry out the process.

Jan 1, 1993

By G. J. Hawkes

"We all know that every man who works for us should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of his responsibilities. But how about ourselves? Du we have a thorough knowledge and understanding of our own responsibilities as Mill Superintendents?I once had an occasion to say to a Manager that I did not know something was my responsibility and he replied with suitable emphasis ""Everything inside those four walls is your responsibility"". That makes the extent of our responsibilities clear but does not give us a check list to keep an eye on as we do our job from day to day.What are our responsibilities? I suggest they are the following:1. Developing and maintaining efficient operating and maintenance crews.2. Milling the required tonnage.3. Recovering the economical maximum amount of gold.4. Keeping costs at the economical minimum.5. Seeing that the figures are reasonably accurate for tonnages, assays, production, losses, and costs.6. Preventing accidents.7. Preventing fires.8. Maintaining the equipment and building and keeping them clean and tidy.9. Enforcing company rules and regulations."

Jan 1, 1965

A series of small scale tests have been conducted to evaluate the effect of micro-fracture development, imposed by blasting, on the material properties of the rock as well as its resistance to crushing and grinding. The uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, Poisson?s ratio, P-wave, Swave velocity, point load test index, crushing and grinding work indices were evaluated for samples without any blasting load and for samples which had received a variety of blast loads ranging from a single impact with low strength detonating cord, to combination of impacts at different times and significant impacts with powder factors close to those used in practical blasts. It was shown that the rock mechanics parameters change even at low impacts, suggesting easier crushing of the rock. Damage values appear to be affected by timing as stress wave superposition affects the damage process. Fragmentation is achieved at higher impact levels while work index modification of the fragments is also observed when high powder factors are used, suggesting improvements in grinding.

May 1, 2003

Deformation is a critical indicator required to evaluate the structural safety, stability, and integrity. For example, the deformed shape of a building structure is a key parameter that needs to be measured and tracked during laboratory testing or post-disaster inspections. However, existing techniques used for the deformation measurement and tracking do not have all the desirable characteristics, such as: reliability, accuracy, low-cost and simplicity of tools installation. In order to address this issue, a novel method has been proposed in this study. The method consists on using the image processing technique to automatically measure and track the deformations of concentrically braced frame (CBF) structures. Accordingly, the critical points in a CBF structure are first identified and the topological configuration of the structure is retrieved. The points and topological configuration characterize the basic shape of the structure. In this way, the deformation of the structure can be determined by measuring and tracking these points and their topological configuration. To show its effectiveness, the proposed method has been tested against the manual deformation measurements.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. I. Kunkel

The economic prosperity of many Canadian communities depends on resource extraction within the traditional territories of Indigenous people. The geographic sites where these resources are situated are also areas where these Indigenous people have sustained themselves for millennia through hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering activities. These traditional activities provide not only sustenance, but also cultural and spiritual values, and the ability to transmit oral Indigenous cultures and customs from generation to generation. The multimillion dollar revenue mine project proposed within the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia is situated geographically in a location which has sustained the Tsilhqot?in people for millennia. However, this group of people have important social and cultural values nested within the traditional activities at this location. These values are typically not at the forefront of resource development. Using Indigenous research and grounded theory, this research paper briefly outlines Aboriginal values of the First Nations communities within the Cariboo Chilcotin region and some lessons learned from the Tsilhqot?in people during the environmental assessment of the mine proposal.

Aug 1, 2013

By R. W. Nice

"For many decades the incidence of a highly active graphite-like ore has plagued the McIntyre mine. This ore acts as a precipitant of the gold complex immediately upon formation of this complex. The gold is subsequently discharged with the tailings.Many different methods have been devised by various researchers all of which proved inapplicable for the McIntyre problem.Recently, McIntyre personnel, through their own research, developed a flowsheet. This circuit should give an overall recovery of 36% which is below the 94% experienced in the mill at present. Therefore, less revenue would arise from treatment of these ores. On the other hand there exists a possibility of more efficient mining methods in some of this ore thus allowing more economic recovery.INTRODUCTION This paper has been prepared to serve two purposes:i) To propose a method of recoverying gold from a sizeable orebody at the McIntyre mine at Schumacher.ii) To summarize and present the many methods suggested to solve a very old but very real mineral dressing problem familiar to the industry as long as cyanidation itself."

Jan 1, 1971

By G. Gagnon

"HistoryMining of the Schefferville iron deposits began in 1954 on completion of the 357 mile railway linking the mines and the St-Lawrence river port of Sept-Iles. Apart from crushing, no treatment of these ores was required before smelting. In the late 1950's, testwork began at schefferville to develop a process for upgrading the extensive lower grade deposits containing 51% iron with 15% silica (natural analysis). Engineering for a six million ton per year beneficiation plant using cationic silica flotation and the A-C grate kiln Began in 1970 and the first pellets were produced in mid-1973.Production requirements and operating difficulties have restricted capacity to approximately 85% of design but on going improvements are being made continuously to attain design capacity.GeologyThe sedimentary ore bodies of the labrador trough occur in a belt 5 to 10 miles wide and 60 miles long and contain 51 individual deposits varying in size from 1 and 60 million tons. The ores are classified into three main color groups."

Jan 1, 1981

By P. R. A. Andrews

"The sillimanite group minerals, kyanite, sillimanite and andalusite are identified as alumino-silicate minerals with the common chemical composition AIP3.Si02&apos; so that each possesses similar physical properties. Kyanite is the most abundant mineral and mainly occurs in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia; sillimanite occurs in Ontario and Manitoba; and andalusite in Nova Scotia. The main use for the sillimanite-group minerals is in refractory applications for the production of refractory bricks and shapes. In refractory applications, the main performance criterion is the relative percentage of mullite formed within the material during firing. This phase gives a greater degree of resistance to creep deformation and slag attack, and improves the ability of the refractory to withstand high temperatures under load. The beneficiation of refractory silicate minerals has been the subject of many investigations at CANMET, and the former Mines Branch. Eighteen kyanite, two sillimanite, and three andalusite evaluation studies were conducted between 1933 and 1987. A review of some of the more important studies is presented, which includes information concerning mineralogy, beneficiation methods and flotation data."

Jan 1, 1995

By Guillermo Diaz, Roberto Pérez, René del Villar

"Pulp-froth interface position is a key variable in column operation. In plant practice, it is commonly estimated through a system of three pressure-transducers which allows the calculation of the pulp height. An alternate method based on the measurement of the conductivity profile across the interface has been proposed and successfully tested. Both methods however, present some practical problems related to the assumptions made in the calculation of the pulp height in the former case, and to the response time and the precision of the reading in the latter case.In this paper, the use of the neural network technique for improving the estimation of the pulp-froth interface in flotation columns is discussed. The technique is used with both conductivity-based and three pressure-transducer methods. Results obtained in a 2"" laboratory column and a 12"" pilot scale column are presented. A major obstacle in applying this approach in practise is the training of the artificial neural network. This problem is analyzed here for the conductivity-based method and some solutions are proposed."

Jan 1, 1995

By Masaharu Moteki

At present, the Unmanned Construction System (UCS) is adapted on initial operation against the disaster. For instance, it has been used in Unzen. When the scale of the disaster is big, or the danger to a person is big, the UCS is expected as a quick and safe construction technology. The Remote Controlled UCS is introduced into construction site to repair earth-fill embankment or to remove rock, as urgent measures after the disaster outbreak. For improvement of the operability, shortening of the skill time, reduction of the fatigue, examination of the most suitable system (placement of a monitor and the joy stick) of the remote system is a main theme in the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI). In the report of this year, when the operator controls construction machine directly or he controls it using remote system (he can check the situation of site only via monitor), the degree of achievement, construction efficiency and construction precision were inspected. The remote system which is based on the system used at Unzen was developed at PWRI.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. Saksala

In this paper, the embedded discontinuity approach is applied to finite element modeling of rock fracture. A rate-dependent constitutive model based on the embedded displacement discontinuity theory is developed to describe the mode I, mode II and mixed mode fracture of rock in tension and compression. The bulk material is described as linear elastic until reaching the elastic limit. Beyond this limit, a ratedependent exponential softening law governs the evolution of the embedded displacement jump. The present approach incorporates the rock heterogeneity by random description of the mineral texture of rock. Moreover, the inherent initial microcrack populations of natural rocks are accounted for as randomly oriented embedded discontinuities. Numerical examples demonstrate the model behavior in uniaxial compression and tension. The effect of loading rate and confining pressure is tested as well in 2D numerical simulations. These simulations show that the model captures the main features of rock in confined compression and uniaxial tension. The developed method has the computational efficiency of continuum plasticity models. However, it has an important advantage of accounting for the orientation of introduced microcracks.

Jan 1, 2015

By M. Leijd, K. S. Forrester, M. Saxon, M. Oczlon

This paper provides an introduction to wet high intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS) and its successful application to the beneficiation of rare earth element (REE) enriched eudialyte. The analysis includes an in-depth reporting of the deportment of key elements as well as a statistical interpretation of the relative importance of operational parameters including magnetic field intensity, flow velocity, and matrix loading density. Conclusions are drawn on the relative success of the technology, potential areas for process improvement, and the research direction that continues to be investigated. Three original equipment manufacturer (OEM) technologies were subjected to a series of screening and characterization tests to identify the optimal operating parameter set to magnetically beneficiate eudialyte from Norra Kärr, Sweden. Upon the completion of the characterization test it was apparent that the Metso HGMS technology was superior with respect to REE recovery and gangue rejection for the Norra Kärr composite. The Metso HGMS was then subjected to a series of verification tests to confirm the repeatability and reproducibility of the system.

Jan 1, 2014

By Sean Junor

Cameco Corporation ?One of the world?s largest producers of uranium ?Operations in Saskatchewan, Ontario, the United States and Kazakhstan ?Development projects in Australia ?One of the best employers for Aboriginal Canadians Geographic location ?Remote or northern operations ?Northern Saskatchewan ?Residents of Saskatchewan?s north (RSN) ?Wyoming ?Nebraska

May 1, 2010

By Bo-Hyun Kim

Outline ? Strainburst criteria and hypotheses adapted for this study. ? Influence of excavation method on rock mass properties. ? Excavation disturbance factors vs. deformation modulus, etc. ? Estimation of blasting damage zone around excavation. ? Considerations of energy on burst-prone ground. ? Literature review & closed form solution. ? Numerical simulations. ? Summary and future works.

Oct 1, 2010

By A. B. Szwilski

The paper outlines the factors taken into account for the selection of steel arch supports. The results are based on experience using the long wall system of coal mining where roadway closure can be extreme. Results of tests on scale-model steel arches and full-scale yield elements are also presented.

Jan 1, 1979